STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town

About

"Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town" is a single-player Role Playing game that offers a rural life simulation experience. Players rebuild their grandfather's farm and help Olive Town flourish by discovering new animals, produce, and unique characters. The brand-new entry in the franchise provides more freedom than ever before, allowing players to shape the untamed wilderness and embrace the pioneer spirit.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town screenshot

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 772 reviews

story73 positive mentions

grinding237 negative mentions

The game features adorable graphics and a charming art style that appeals to fans of farming sims.
It offers a relaxing gameplay experience with a variety of activities such as farming, crafting, and building relationships with townsfolk.
The character customization options are extensive, allowing players to create a unique avatar and choose from a diverse cast of marriage candidates.

The game suffers from repetitive dialogue and flat character personalities, making interactions feel less engaging.
The reliance on numerous crafting machines (makers) can clutter the farm and make resource management tedious.
The story and town events feel underdeveloped, lacking the depth and excitement found in previous titles in the series.

story
313 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
72%
5%
The story in "Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town" is generally perceived as simplistic and lacking depth, with many players noting that it feels rushed and easy to complete within a short timeframe. While some appreciate the charming characters and lighthearted quests, others criticize the overall narrative for being bland and unengaging compared to previous entries in the series or similar games like Stardew Valley. Overall, the game is seen as a cozy farming sim, but those seeking a rich story experience may find it lacking.
- “There's a great story, and the animation and music are amazing.”
- “Each character has a unique story and personality, from the friendly townsfolk to the potential love interests.”
- “The story is cute and not too short, with a lot of little fun events in town and mysteries to solve.”
- “The world feels very small with not much to do in it, the storyline feels up in the air with not many clear goals to obtain.”
- “There's like no story, no depth to the characters.”
- “The only major story milestone left for me is to have the kid (which I have read ahead is an adoption thing regardless of hetero marriage status or not and that moderately irks me).”
grinding
238 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight that while the game offers enjoyable farming mechanics and a cozy atmosphere, it suffers from excessive grinding, particularly in resource gathering and crafting. Many players find the repetitive nature of tasks tedious, with some expressing frustration over the management of materials and the overall pacing of progression. Despite these drawbacks, fans of the farming sim genre may still find it a worthwhile experience, especially if they appreciate a more relaxed gameplay style.
- “Fishing is quite fun and not too tedious; I actually enjoyed it.”
- “No more farm litter, every day it gets covered in so much stuff for you to attend to that it gets grindy and tedious quickly.”
- “It is a Chinese sweatshop version of Story of Seasons, where 90% of the gameplay revolves around an endless cycle of grinding for raw materials, feeding them into a million different maker machines and waiting for them to churn out the processed materials you need to upgrade stuff, go to sleep, and repeat the next day.”
- “My only complaint now is that this game has a lot of grinding and the stamina decreases so fast it makes progressing through the game come to a crawl at times.”
gameplay
121 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
69%
6%
The gameplay of "Pioneers of Olive Town" is generally praised for its satisfying farming mechanics and engaging crafting systems, allowing players to customize and expand their farms. However, many reviews highlight issues with repetitiveness and grind, particularly related to resource management and crafting, which can detract from the overall experience. While it draws inspiration from titles like "Stardew Valley," some players feel it lacks the depth and charm of earlier entries in the series, leading to mixed feelings about its mechanics and progression.
- “Where this game shines is its gameplay, where you're capable of expanding your farm and crafting your way up so quickly that I had silver tools before summer 1 of year 1.”
- “The gameplay is easy to learn but offers enough depth to keep you engaged for hours.”
- “I truly enjoy this game; Story of Seasons has a lot of interesting mechanics.”
- “It is a Chinese sweatshop version of Story of Seasons, where 90% of the gameplay revolves around an endless cycle of grinding for raw materials, feeding them into a million different maker machines and waiting for them to churn out the processed materials you need to upgrade stuff, go to sleep, and repeat the next day.”
- “The biggest downside to this game to me is unfortunately a big mechanic: the machines.”
- “The gameplay mechanics themselves take the classic Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons gameplay and begin to augment it with the sort of stuff that games like Stardew Valley have brought to the genre.”
graphics
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
51%
3%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their cute and charming aesthetic, with many users highlighting the vibrant colors and detailed art style that evoke a cozy, inviting atmosphere reminiscent of titles like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing. While some players appreciate the overall visual appeal, a few critiques mention that certain elements could benefit from more detail and that the 3D graphics can sometimes feel awkward, particularly in terms of customization options for farm layouts. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's enjoyment, making it a visually appealing experience for fans of the genre.
- “The picturesque town of Olive Town is brought to life with stunning visuals, vibrant colors, and rich attention to detail.”
- “The graphics are amazing and the game itself runs so smoothly.”
- “The graphics and overall aesthetic of the game is to die for and really is what I found so attractive about the game in the first place.”
- “I also have an issue with how you have all this customization for the farm, but it falls flat because the 3D graphics are awkward for trying to do that. The farm can become overwhelmingly cluttered because everything just grows back, and while that's nice for needing materials, it can get out of hand if you aren't able to cover everything with pathways to prevent such clutter.”
- “This low effort art style might have worked back when this series was on the 3DS, but on PC, the aesthetics in this game have no excuse.”
- “It's really lazy; the visuals look worse than the PS2 titles.”
music
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
50%
8%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the relaxing and pleasant soundtrack, particularly during seasonal changes, while others criticize specific tracks as jarring or mismatched with in-game events. Some users express frustration over the lack of an option to mute or adjust the music volume, which detracts from their overall experience. Despite these issues, the soundtrack is often highlighted as one of the game's strengths, contributing positively to the ambiance of the gameplay.
- “There's a great story, and the animation and music are amazing.”
- “The animals are adorable and the music is relaxing.”
- “A great soundtrack and fun characters break up the grind.”
- “I really can't listen to this music; it sounds more like an 'action' game than a 'cozy life' game.”
- “The music is bad almost everywhere; the autumn music is atrocious.”
- “If I had known I would not be able to turn the annoying game music off, I would not have bought this game.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
Overall, the game's optimization has seen significant improvements post-launch, particularly in terms of performance and loading times, with players reporting smooth gameplay at high graphics settings on PC. However, the Switch version continues to suffer from poor performance, leading to mixed feelings among users. While many appreciate the ongoing content updates and optimizations, the initial issues have left a lasting impact on the game's reputation.
- “I've sunk over 80 hours on 2 separate playthroughs, and the game still drip feeds new content in the end game like new animal types and late-game optimizations well into the 40-hour mark.”
- “I'd reckon that in a single playthrough, to get max optimizations you would go well into 60 hours, and that's excluding fully building out your entire farm to look like a paradise.”
- “Performance is great, playing max graphics and getting smooth locked 144 fps.”
- “First of all, I know this game had really bad reviews due to its performance on Switch and 1.0 not including a lot of events in town.”
- “Seriously, controlling is not optimized to play on PC.”
- “I bought the special edition for the Switch -- the one that comes with the town map and the plushie -- and I was utterly disappointed with the game itself due to the terrible performance.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
73%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant bugs and freezing issues, particularly on the Switch, leading to frustrating gameplay interruptions. However, others report a smooth experience on PC, indicating that performance may vary depending on the platform. Overall, while the game shows promise, its stability issues detract from the overall experience for many users.
- “It's like Harvest Moon, only better! It runs great on my laptop!”
- “It runs great on PC, and you'll get a lot of hours into this game.”
- “The game runs great!”
- “I was really looking forward to this game, but it's super buggy and I can't even get past the second day without an eternal loading screen.”
- “I've basically given up on farming because it takes a whole day to harvest because it glitches and won't let me pick up anything.”
- “I played it on the Switch, but as the game progresses, it freezes continually for 1 to 2 seconds.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its heartwarming interactions with townspeople and nostalgic cut-scenes that evoke fond memories, reminiscent of classic Harvest Moon titles. While the dialogue and themes are geared towards younger audiences, some players feel a disconnect with the narrative depth, expressing disappointment in the main questline's lack of substance. Overall, the game maintains a charming and wholesome aesthetic, though it elicits mixed feelings regarding its emotional impact.
- “I like the townspeople and how so far the cut-scenes I uncover really brought back memories of those wholesome candid moments and slowly learning about the townspeople and becoming part of the town.”
- “It maintains the heartwarming essence of Harvest Moon games—something that, in my opinion, sets it apart from other titles like Coral Island or Stardew Valley.”
- “The heart events of the DLC characters are very heartwarming though.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players noting a mix of cute scenes and amusing character interactions, earning an average rating of 8/10 for humor. While some characters are funnier than others, the comedic elements, particularly in villagers' events and the quirky marriage mechanics, contribute positively to the overall experience. However, players express a desire for more emotional depth in character interactions.
- “But there are several cute scenes and a nice level of humor in the series.”
- “I find it funny that there's no flag in the game that cuts you off from seeing events from other potential marriage candidates when you're already married.”
- “Villagers' events: funny.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the character design and storyline, others criticize certain characters as flat and predictable due to stereotypical traits. Comparisons to other games like Stardew Valley highlight a desire for deeper character exploration, yet many fans still find the overall character design and customization options satisfying.
- “As a major fan of farming games and the Story of Seasons series, this one has the best storyline and the best character design as well.”
- “Very happy with the options in character design, outfits, crafting, farming, and being able to change up your farm structure positions to your own liking.”
- “Just a shame that some characters feel flat because of the usual stereotyped pigeonholing. It's not necessarily bad character design, but rather predictable if you play enough of these games.”
- “These devs need to take lessons from Stardew Valley and My Time at Portia on character development and storyline.”
- “This iteration of Story of Seasons has quickly become my favorite, from the character design feature to the gameplay.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its lighthearted and relaxed style, making it an enjoyable experience for players seeking a chill gaming environment. Many users find it to be a delightful complement to the gameplay and story, enhancing overall enjoyment.
- “The lighthearted atmosphere and style make it a great chill game.”
- “I'm glad I bought this one, and you will be too if you enjoy a casual and relaxed atmosphere.”
- “Atmosphere, gameplay, characters, story, and events—it's absolutely awesome.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization aspect received mixed reviews, with DLC being rated 5/10 and criticized as a cash grab, as the new characters and locations did not add significant value, although some players found the job board content enjoyable.
- “The DLC felt like a cash grab; the new characters and locations added nothing meaningful, but the job board content was somewhat enjoyable.”
- “The monetization strategy is frustrating, as it seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall.”
- “I can't believe how much they charge for basic content that should have been included in the base game.”