PoOTing along

 I am so sorry that it took me so long to get back to you! It's that time of year when my tendinitis acts up and I've had more than a few days when my wrist has been way too swollen to write. Fortunately for me, a new video game came out which lets me use those muscles in a way that's easier on them than writing (and forces me to rest when the battery runs out). 

Of course, I'm talking about Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town (SOS:PoOT. I'm not that far into the game but I am loving it so far. Then again, I got into the series back in the early 2000's When it was still known as Harvest Moon. Still, the series didn't hit its stride until they became Story of Seasons a few years back.

So, what do you in this game? Well, it's a farming sim, so on the surface, you're raising crops and animals. Generally, there is some helping of the nearby towns and some sort of spiritual connection to the land, usually through a Harvest Goddess, sometimes through a Witch, and once through the God, Inari. Still, this barely touches the surface. I love this game for the people you meet in the games, for clearing the land, raising the crops, befriending your animals... there's so much more that you'll never see if you just dismiss it as a farming sim. In this game there are multiple little islands of land for you to care for, wild animals to tame (like cows and chickens left running around from when your grandfather died years before) and a mystery to solve (so far shown in the guise of a young-looking woman in a torn black dress and a skull mask, decorated like the Día de Los Muertos masks. Also, in a new "twist", partially seen in Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (released last year), you can choose your pronouns (male or female) and wear any outfit/hairstyle in the game, allowing you to really customize a character to be your avatar. All of the marriage candidates are bisexual, meaning that whatever you choose, they are romanceable so long as you spent the time hanging out with them. 

Which doesn't mean that they made a perfect game, no matter how much I am adoring the gameplay. There are a few noticeable bugs and the loading screens can run a bit too long, but there is only one item where they really dropped the ball (the dozens of maker machines need too much micromanaging to be fun). Also, the townsfolk really need more comments. So far, everyone has maybe three things to say in everyday conversation, plus the extra two dialog pieces that they use around the festivals, one for before the event and one for after. Still, the conversations in the cut scenes are fun, if a bit contrived. Now, the company has already addressed all of these concerns, promising that they already have the team working on fixing bugs, adding new dialog, and such. Right now, it means that I would give the game a solid 7/10 stars right now, most likely raising that higher when the updates start fixing these issues. 

So do I suggest you run out and buy it now or should you wait for those fixes first? Honestly, I'd suggest running out to get it. Right now, it is very playable and the core fun of the game is obviously there. I can easily see myself spending a few hundred hours playing this game. Right now, I'm romancing two of the marriage candidates, the young traditionally Japanese lord, Iori, and the tourist information girl, Laura. One is clearly more carefree and fun than the other, but despite that Iori is definitely holding his own by having a storyline that includes ninja who seem to want him dead. Clearly, that is something that I'm looking forward to finding more about later. 

And that's all I have for you today. Will you be picking up the game? Would you be interested in seeing a bit of a Let's Play for it? If you're playing, who are you romancing and what is your biggest project on the go in your game? I'm still trying desperately to clear my second island. See you next week.