Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town

Despite not matching up with the best entries in the series, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a great game and one I can’t wait to keep playing daily on Nintendo Switch.

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is an outstanding life sim with in-depth farming aspects, adorable romance options, and gorgeous ferrets. However, the fiddly controls and backtracking can be tedious.

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a game that will definitely keep you busy. I was seldom ever bored while playing as there was always a task I was working towards and a lot to do. I’m pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed playing it.

Pioneers of Olive Town is a decent Story of Seasons entry, but it’s not more than that. I still got absorbed by the core formula of bettering my farm and loved making new discoveries as I explored. I have plenty of things I enjoy about this game, but encountered just as many that didn’t hit the mark. I also can’t get away from thinking, after all this time, shouldn’t this series be making larger leaps forward and leaving a stronger impression?

Ultimately, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is exactly what you would expect from the beloved staple. The farming sim makes some bold leaps with its crafting system, but there is nothing groundbreaking in its formula. You can expect the same charming and wholesome aesthetic from this game much like all those that came before it. And even so, this routine will keep fans of the franchise coming back for more.

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a farming simulator that doesn't dare much but that offers all the elements of the genre with the right expertise. Don't expect particularly deep gameplay though.

This Story of Seasons is the next logical step in the franchise. Cultivating the land, getting married and growing our farm while helping the people of Olive Town has been a delightful experience that, if it wasn't for some issues like its performance, would have made this game an ideal farm life simulator.

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town takes a fresh and engaging step forward; it is packed with varied content, adorable animals and deep customisability that will make many farming sim fans happy.

A year ago Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released during the lockdown. This March 26, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town will be released on Nintendo Switch, and it may be the next game for anyone looking for a quiet, cute game. This new Story of Seasons game has all the goodies of a farm game and it's clearly hard to stop playing once you start the adventure. Story of Seasons is simply an addictive game, with deep gameplay and tons of things to do outside the farm: events, fishing, cooking, mining, decorating... All that's left to do is choose your suitor for the wedding between the irresistible Emilio, Jack, Reina or Blaire!

Despite Pioneers of Olive Town’s blemishes, simply farming is as fun and rewarding as it’s always been. There’s no question as to why Story of Seasons has seen 25 years of success, and there’s no doubt that the series is making positive strides forward in allowing players the freedom such simulation games should offer. With the most robust customization system the series has seen to date, the freedom to marry whomever of the marriage candidates you like, and countless crops and animals to care for, Pioneers of Olive Town is a solid entry in the series. But I’m also left wondering why Pioneers of Olive Town excludes features from previous entries that could have alleviated some of its most glaring issues, such as Trio of Towns allowing you to pause time when reorganizing your farm and letting you move barns with the animals inside.

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is an enjoyable little farming romp; it’s charming and calming, but doesn’t quite capture the magic of some earlier installments. While slow load times, customization restrictions, and a few quality of life issues can make parts of your play a bit of a slog, the mines have returned, you can romance any eligible bachelor or bachelorette.

Marvelous and XSeed enhance the Story of Seasons saga with additions from other greats of the genre. Very addictive and with an overwhelming sense of progression.

What it lacks in technical prowess, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town more than makes up for in sheer fun. The gameplay loop of farm management alongside more active roles such as mining and gathering materials makes the day-to-day adventure a lot of fun, while building up bonds with the townspeople feels like an accomplishment. Anyone looking for a more action-filled life simulation will feel right at home with Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, and it’s also perfect for any lapsed fans of the genre. Players are guided along nicely, but still given tremendous freedom to make their adventure their own.

Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town is a game that, despite not being round and presenting some questionable design decisions, as a whole manages to present a relaxing proposal, full of enjoyable hours of play and with enough capacity to position itself as a notable title within the genre of simulators.

There's so much joy in Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, with so many avenues to head down that it always feel like your story is unique. There might appear to be too much to do by yourself, however, as long as you find your own comfort zone, there's no telling just how much fun you'll have.

While Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town has its shortcomings, they're minor frustrations in the scheme of things. For the most part, this is exactly what you'd want from the latest addition to the original farm life sim: a relaxing, cheerful game that lets you get lost in the simple joys of an idealised rural life, taking each day as it comes and working towards different goals at your own pace, with some welcome new additions to the genre's formula. A wilderness to tame, a space to call your own, some crops to grow and chickens to raise—there are far worse ways to relax and unwind.

You can easily get yourself lost in the world of Olive Town - I’ve already spent more than 50 hours cultivating a farm that's entirely unique to me. Whether you want a relaxing time or a challenge, this is the game for you; Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is so malleable that it'll work for everyone.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Pioneers of Olive Town. It may have the odd technical issue yet it makes up for that with a solid variety of items to collect and create, many rewarding skills to level up, and new gameplay elements to enjoy.

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a simulation farmer's dream game. It has everything the series is known for with a refined and streamlined system to make gameplay easier and more manageable. The list of materials to gather and things to do is vast, which makes the eyesore of the new item machines weigh on the experience so prominently.

It’s extremely charming, and completely captures the Iyashikei ‘slice-of-life genre, particularly in the personality of the town’s characters and how they interact with one another, yet also beckon you into that same world.

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a fulfilling and satisfying farming simulation experience perfect for those looking to grow a few virtual potatoes while also scratching an itch for exploration.

This is your typical farming game, but full of new ideas and mechanics that add depth and diversity to the classic experience.

If you’re a fan of Story of Seasons, I think you’re definitely going to love all-of this game...get it?

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is wholesome. It's a little naive in the way it presents the "grass is always greener on the other side" perspective on country living, but this series has been kicking around since the Super Nintendo and always gets away with it, on account of being so sweet and good-natured that it's impossible not to love.

For better or worse, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is exactly what you'd expect from the series. If you're a fan of farming games like Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley, be sure to check this one out.