Lumberjack's Dynasty

There seems to be a simulator for just about everything these days - but in a world of sandbox games, Lumberjack's Dynasty makes sense. That's right, folks - your lumberjack dreams are about to become a virtual reality. Head forth to the forests and dominate your trade, hacking trees and serving the community!

Although, it seems like a bit of a gimmick at first. However, Lumberjack's Dynasty isn't the daftest concept in the world. There's a strange zen-like allure about the idea of lumberjacking in the peaceful plains of remove civilization. Many people in the real world change their career paths in favor of this - so maybe it's totally worth it in the game world, too?

Living the Tree Dream

Much to our surprise, there's actually a narrative behind this cross-simulator-management game. You are a budding lumberjack who's just arrived in town to take over your aunt and uncle's business - and it's your job to restore it to its former glory. Using your trusty chainsaw, you'll be downing trees and rebuilding allotments to accomplish your goals.

Lumberjack's Dynasty presents under the vise as another cheesy simulator game. However, right off the bat - it's pretty impactful at how visually stunning the game is. The character models may be a bit stiff in animation and stature - but the woodlands, environments, and assets all look fantastic. It goes a long way in setting the scene and immersing you in gameplay - something not usually seen in such games.

The gimmicks of a lumberjack present very well. It's an open-world game with wood chopping quests, building missions, crating with sawing, and travel in a tractor. As humorous as it is - the developers have taken their lumberjack inspirations very seriously. The presentation is brilliant, and the gameplay is entertaining - but where it falls short is the concept is limited in scope.

By no fault of their own, there simply isn't much diversity in a lumberjack's career. You can build, cut, and move around - but to what end? It feels there has been an effort to refine every element of the game but struggles to ultimately give the player enough to do. Interacting with other NPCs is a bit painful given their lifeless attitudes - detracting from the initial inspiration.

I'm a Lumberjack, and I'm OK!

All things considered, I have to say I was surprised by Lumberjack Dynasty. What I expected to just be another Farm Simulator game turned out to be an engaging open-world game based on the lumberjacking intricacies. The visuals, gameplay, and narrative deliver and very palatable experience. The problem is that you run out of things quite quickly.

Pros:

• Woodland visuals are stunning
• Details of a lumberjack career are incorporated well into the game
• The open-world mechanics are a refreshing spin on a simulator

Cons:

• NPC interactions are cringing
• Character models leave a lot to be desired
• The limited scope restricts gameplay to the objectives