Farming Simulator 2009

Oh, Farming Simulator, a longstanding pillar of the farming game community. Well, perhaps the only real pillar of that gaming community, seeing as there isn’t really much potential for revolution in that genre. Farming is a simple yet tasking way of life and a true vocation for many. The aim of Farming Simulator is to recreate that life so the player can live it vicariously through the game (for whatever reason they may wish to do so).

What’s in it?

The story of the game is thus; you’ve recently inherited a plot of spacious, open land and rusty old machinery for you to turn into a lucrative farming paradise. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, but largely by good old-fashioned ploughing of fields, spreading of seeds and then ripping them out or hacking them down when they’re fully grown so you can sell them for profit.

Then you can invest this money into some upgrades for your farm, specifically the machinery, which is the crappiest of the crap. If this sounds like your cup of tea then enjoy it, as it doesn’t really get much better than this.

The Problems

There are quite a few things that could have improved this version of Farming Simulator. A few in particular stand out, though. The first and most obvious is the graphics; they’re not great. This version was released in 2009 but looks like a game that was developed in 2003. It’s clumpy, pixel-y and doesn’t have very much detail. With that said, the skies look particularly pretty, like the developers had a real love for designing clouds and sunsets. Everything else, including things fundamental for the game play, ends up suffering however. The game itself is also very dull after a while. There are a few core tasks that are just repeated over and over again. There are no levels or story twists or anything to hold the interest of someone not interested in a farming vocation. The lack of livestock or any type of farming other than crops (of which there are 4) really take away from the realism, leaving you wondering what people are really getting out of this game.

In Defence

I guess if there are some die-hard farmers out there (or perhaps wannabe farmers) who just love the idea of going to their computer to do more of what they do in reality, then this game will warm a spot in their heart. After all, if it’s lasted this long, there’s bound to be at least a cult fan base supplying the demand.

The Bottom Line

This game is not exciting or outstanding by any means, but I guess it’s not really dire either. Farming Simulator is what it is, a simulator for farming. It will bore many but capture the imaginations of a few who just love agriculture. As much as it needs improving, it’s hard to brand it a failure if there are players out there enjoying it. I guess it must be doing something right.

Pros:

• Lovely, picturesque skies and sunsets
• Tractor driving!

Cons:

• Incredibly dull after a short while
• Extremely repetitive
• Not enough variety
• Bad graphics
• Lack of farming options

4/10

I Drove a tractor once. It had a gear stick with two gears: one marked with a tortoise, the other with a hare. Being the hardcore rebel that I am, I decided to take it to the max and make it x-treme, so I put it in hare.

Such was the hardcore x-tremeness of the acceleration, such was the force behind this beast of a machine, that I barely noticed a difference in velocity.

It was clearly so fast that my own perception of space and time had been warped, and the whole world seemed to slow to a crawl. It's moments like these that truly define us, and looking back I realise how close I came to death there upon the very edge of the max.

And in that context I give you Farming Simulator 2009, a truly x-treme piece of software. Be warned that such x-tremeness is extremely dangerous, and that those unprepared for such a hardcore experience may suffer whiplash. Driving tractors, ploughing fields, even harvesting your crops! This game takes you all the way to the agricultural edge, and then it pushes you, gives you a little nudge before grabbing you and smugly saying, "saved your life".

Cinematic thrills aside, however, it never goes too far by including such dangerous ideas as NPC interaction, building, research, upgradeable skills, the ability to customise your farmhouse, or elements of a wider economic simulation. And don't worry about hiding it from your children; the corrupting influences of livestock are thankfully absent, so there's no chance of your child virtually buggering a sheep or staring at a horse's bits.