Farm Together is a new farming/life sim released on January 18, 2019, created by Milkstone Studios. This game is a lot more fun than it looks, Farm Together is one of my newest games on Xbox one and it is one I return to frequently.
In Farm Together you start by creating your own farmer and just jumping into it. The game starts with the option between 4 different farms, all with slightly different terrains, one of them being a "hard mode" which makes the game progression much slower by lowering money and experience gains. Once a farm has been picked, the game starts with a nice, simple tutorial (which is skipable) then you are free to do whatever you want. But buyer beware, the game uses real time, so if you plant, say cauliflower, it takes 45 minutes to grow, that's real time. You can lower the time required to grow by watering your plants, but if you make the mistake of planting too many crops that take a long time, you have to wait. One thing I don't like is that some of the crop times seem unnecessarily long, for example, watermelon takes 2 whole days to grow, and there are others like strawberries which take a day and a half. If you don't want a game you can play 2 or 3 times a day just to grow a lot, then I don't suggest this game. There are two main progression categories, farm and player. Farm unlocks new crops, buildings, animals, decorations and much more. While player progression is for cosmetic unlocks to personalize your farmer, player progression is brought with you to different games and is really just your profile, where farm progression only lasts on the currently played farm. You can also have multiple farms if you get bored of just one.
This game also has a big focus on multiplayer, as you can have up to 15 other farmers helping you out! The multiplayer is where this game really shines, and it can be really fun and relaxing to see many people working on the same project, for the good of the farm.
I will say, this is more than just farming crops. You can ranch all kinds of animals, even ostriches, and you can also farm fish. Not to mention once you get a house, you can complete jobs inside to earn some currency. You also get missions to complete while you are farming, these are all just quotas, like farm 40 carrots or 10 chickens. So they can add some motivation to keep farming, You really have to do the missions if you want to progress, they give you ribbons, which can be used to build certain buildings to help out your farm. There is also gold and diamonds which you can get from harvesting and selling crops.
This game is very simple, and that is a good thing, the game is very peaceful and therapeutic, but it can sometimes feel like just a more advance phone game. It is a relaxing game so don't expect to be on the edge of your seat if you decide to add this game to your library. The progression is good but you can feel a little limited during the early levels, also leveling up sometimes has underwhelming rewards, but on the other hand, it is easy to level up so it's not too disappointing. The customization is pretty solid, there are a lot of decorations to make your farm and your house look really nice. You can also have and customize pets, which are cool to look at, but have no real purpose. This game does not have a story at all, but it still manages to engage players.
The graphics serve their purpose well, they look like a modern kid's cartoon, which keeps up the friendly relaxing feeling I believe the developers were going for. The sound and music are generic, but also have some nice detail, for example when working during winter the ground sounds slightly harder and you can hear the frost crunching. So they work well, but they aren't anything too special.
Anyways, on your farm you can also get helpers, which will take care of an assigned area, but you wont be seeing them until you are really far into the game, but to make farming easier you also have a tractor to use, which does the same stuff you do, it just covers a bigger radius. These two things help with the game's pacing, and make thinks a lot easier to save time, but they have their limits, tractors need gas ya know?
This game really is a farm management game and it really was made to help you relax, and enjoy time with friends, so if you are in the market for a fun simple game, keep this one in mind. It also is not an overpriced game, I got it for $20 on the release day, so I wasn't unsatisfied with the pricing. It is a good game, but I don't think it will go down as a classic, just a fun sandbox to play in.
Neil writes: "The opportunity to farm together was never more prevalent than it was when Farm Together launched back in 2019. Today new content hits that cooperative farming experience, giving players the chance to feel the freeze and head off onto all new fantastical adventures."
Neil writes: "The end of the month is nigh, the free Xbox Games With Gold titles are on the verge of swapping, and chances are you've still got a spare couple of quid in the wallet ready for spending. What better way to do so than with the huge array of newly discounted Xbox titles that have become available in the Xbox Deals With Gold and Spotlight Sale for 28th July - 3rd August 2020. If you're in need of a new game to tide you over until the biggest releases later in the year, here's your chance."
Neil writes: "Those of us who like to Farm Together will already have enjoyed the additions made to the game over the past few months, with multiple DLC packs and a Season 1 Bundle providing plenty of farming opportunities. But now it's time to hit the big time with a move into space - all in order to make Paella!"
