Likely inspired by Stardew Valley, Pioneers of Olive Town takes a much more personalized approach to farming. That said, it isn’t the case that if you like Stardew you have to hate Pioneers of Olive Town. Both games take inspiration from each other and as a result appeal to a similar audience. But I think getting carried away with comparing them can make it easy to overlook something obvious. The obvious comparisonĪs with any Story of Seasons game, there are going to be comparisons made to Stardew Valley. It’s a refreshing level of freedom that, whilst typical of Story of Seasons, isn’t too common elsewhere. The player has absolute choice on what they want to do and when. Sure the game will occasionally throw ideas your way, but there isn’t anything enforcing them. Pioneers of Olive Town is designed in a way that allows you to define your own story. Completionists looking to accomplish everything will have their work cut out. In terms of content alone, there is an impressive amount to do. You can build relationships with the town’s citizens, complete the museum, or grind away to level up your stats. The player is also tasked with expanding their own farm as well as tackling a multitude of side activities.

Of course, helping the town grow is just one of many objectives. This includes new shops being opened up and opportunities to get to know the other townsfolk better. Story events are the main method at which Olive Town is improved, and completing these events can net useful rewards. On your way to becoming the ultimate farmer, you’ll encounter story events and festivals. The town’s mayor Victor sees your arrival as the perfect opportunity to grow tourism and turn Olive Town into something special. Thankfully, there’s no need to be worried.Īs its name would suggest this game takes place in Olive Town, a peaceful community that is looking to expand. Players looking to get the best experience from Story of Seasons were praying that it played well on PC. However, the hybrid console’s limitations caused various performance issues, holding back the game’s potential. This is actually a port as Pioneers of Olive Town was released on Switch earlier this year. And Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is developer Marvelous’ latest installment in the series. Due to some ownership complications, it has since been rebranded as Story of Seasons in the west, but the concept is unchanged. Leading the way for later titles like Stardew Valley, it established many of the mechanics now standardized across the whole genre. For many gamers, Harvest Moon is the pioneer of the farming RPG.

Story of seasons