Farming Simulator Nintendo Switch Edition (Nintendo Switch) Review

Before Farming Simulator hit the market, the simulation industry looked vastly different. It was dominated by either fast-paced micromanagement games with mechanics taken straight out of real-time strategy games, such as the Roller Coaster Tycoon franchise. Or they were cutesy life-simulators like Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon that created a relaxing environment to wind down on after a long day in. Neither of those captured the gritty reality of what they tried to simulate, but rather what they assumed would be desired.

Because of this disparity between true desires and assumed wants, it seemed like madness in 2008, when a game had successfully meshed the two ideals together. Farming Simulator took a daring move to release, what is even to this day, one of the most realistic simulation franchises out there and the most iconic modern simulation franchise. The concept really stuck to a part of the gaming community, and after that it just kept growing, giving birth to an entirely new branch in a declining established genre.

It is important to understand where Farming Simulator Nintendo Switch Edition comes from to understand what makes it good. While many might frown upon the thought of spending hours ploughing a field by driving back and forward across a field, there is an appeal in this. The games success is kind of a poetic rebellion to an industry that dictated the perceived wants of the consumers, creating simplified games rather than focusing on heavier and more specialized experiences.

Farming Simulator Nintendo Switch Edition is exactly what it says in the title: a farming simulator. There is no dating, no festivals and no magical fairies. There is just the farmer, the harvest machines, and the farmlands in all of its realistic glory. It is gritty, and it might quickly grow repetitive. While normally this would be seen as a flaw, repetition is part of the great strength in the franchise. After playing for a while, it becomes meditative; part of a routine. The enjoyment of this is something many will overlook, and it allows the time spent to think and reflect while having the sense of doing something productive.

When on the field alone with nothing but the machine and maybe the radio going in the background, it creates a very meditative state of thoughtfulness. While there is a requirement for the current actions to be kept in mind, it is not enough to keep the brain stimulated. However, this allows for room to think. It can easily turn into a state of experienced clarity, and this is what many are looking for.

Others might look to walk into a role they are not used to, or one they are used to and missing because of external circumstances. And for this Farming Simulator Nintendo Switch Edition is a perfect tool as well. The realism the franchise offers opens up unimaginable possibilities of enjoyment. There are hobbyists who enjoy the machines, enthusiasts who really enjoy farming, or just simply people who want to know more about foreign experiences. And Farming Simulator Nintendo Switch Edition will provide this.

While there is much to praise this franchise for, there are some ugly truths as well. The poor physics are back yet again with cat vehicles that (almost) falls on their wheels and minor things that can lift tractors high above the ground. It might sound minor and fun, but it takes away from the immersion that the franchise is building itself upon and adds to the bad image that these games have in some parts of the community as rushed cash grabs.

Another issue is the lack of new features. It is not difficult to blame Farming Simulator Nintendo Switch Edition just being one of the older games with some new tractors, and it would be hard pressed to prove otherwise. This makes it difficult to justify buying each year's inevitable release as often, as it just has enough content to be a patch or maybe a DLC package.

It is, however, a great disservice to hold too much against them. This franchise might be what saved the western-work simulation genre. And while it has its flaws, it is still the best at what it does. However true this is, it does not say much when it is one of very few doing what it does. With other simulation branches having strong competitors, there are very few to Farming Simulator as it is often more worthwhile for a newcomer into the genre to take their own thing and run with it, which has given birth to some unique experiences over the years.

The lack of competition has left it as stale as the job it simulates. It quickly becomes the same thing over and over, like ploughing the fields. It might be poetically beautiful, but it might make it difficult for newcomers. The physics, as mentioned above, in some circumstances feel terrible to the point of damaging immersion and could do well with some rework. The graphics have aged to say the least, and Farming Simulator Nintendo Switch Edition goes for a realistic style that does not age well at all once it starts to show its wrinkles. At the end of the day though, it is still reliable, it is still doing its job as Farming Simulator, and it does it pretty damn well.