Review: Pure Farming 2018 (PlayStation 4)

Rating: 7.4
Author: Jim Smale

by Jim Smale · Published March 27, 2018 · Updated March 27, 2018

Use the latest technology and state-of-the-art licensed machines to manage all aspects of modern farming. Travel between Europe, Asia, and both Americas to plant region-specific crops such as hemp, coffee beans, and olives.

Pros:

Nice HD graphics.
8.47GB Download size.
Platinum trophy.
Nine save slots.
Three modes- First farm (story), Challenges and free farm.
Camera settings- Invert axis and sensitivity sliders.
The first farm has cutscenes, Story narration and constant tutorial like objectives.
Save when you want.
Four locations- Montana, Columbia, Italy, and Japan.
Tablet- This handles everything in the game from finances, email to buy and sell to the map.
Uses the DS4 touchpad.
Fast travel between owned buildings/fields.
Garage- Drive in here to repair your vehicles.
Map- Can set custom markers, Legend and fast travel.
Crystals- Hidden collectibles that ultimately reward you with cash.
Official names used in the game.
Crop fields showing the remaining percentage of the crop to farm when in the vehicle, When on foot it will show stats on the field like farming percentage or cost or water levels.
Tutorial/help is done with markers and vehicle outlines.
Every vehicle has cruise control.
HUD- in a vehicle it shows speedo, fuel capacity, vehicle name, attachment names etc.
Gas pumps- Pay to refill your vehicle.
Stats screen.
Stock market shows prices of crops.
Gameplay involves maintaining a farm by growing, sowing and selling produce.
You can raise animals as well as growing crops.
On-screen button prompts to aid easy controls.
Day/night cycle and weather effects.
The free farm is the mode where you play unaided.
Can buy/sell through the tablet but its rubbish prices.
AI walking around the towns.
All farming actions have been simplified.
Vehicles deteriorate over time.
Earn EXP and level up to unlock new items and options.
Multiple views for driving including the in-vehicle view.
Satisfying gameplay.
Fun to play.
Really detailed vehicles.
Clear easy to understand UI.

Cons:

Only male character at the moment.
Basic character creator, Just pick an outfit and color.
Long load times.
Some screen tearing and slowdown.
Tutorials are delivered as emails which are slow and tedious.
Bad animations.
Cannot access menus or map when in cruise control.
Can have delays between actions as you wait for the prompts to show on screen, This is especially noticeable when unloading crops.
Shop purchases only spawn at the shop meaning a lot of monotonous driving back and forth.
Slow progression.
The campaign is just a huge tutorial.
No online multiplayer.
No music or radio.
No shortcut buttons like vehicle hopping.

The Numbers:

8/10

Graphics - 8/10
6/10

Sound - 6/10
8/10

Accessability - 8/10
7/10

Fun Factor - 7/10
8/10

Length - 8/10

7.4/10

Summary

For years now the gigantic Farming simulator brand has been the go-to game for farming and in a lot of ways brought the genre to the mainstream. Funny how Techland decided to enter the arena, For a first proper attempt, it is not a bad swing. I mean it has some additions I wish Farming simulator had like world locations, properly fleshed out the story and the like. But because it has no legacy to build on and doesn’t want to come across as a carbon copy, It has a lot of little niggles that Farming simulator has ironed out like music, Hot swapping between vehicles, hiring workers from the get-go, better financial control, and better performance. All in all this game is not a bad game and the devs are going to be tinkering with it moving forward so the future is bright. In its current state, its actually a great little game and to be honest the story mode is an excellent way to enter the farming game as it does a better job than Farming simulator in many ways. I wish it had multiplayer but its still a solid title and worth checking out.