The Farming One

(Apologies to TV Tropes for blatantly borrowing this review title from them.)

One of the things that makes a game great fun is simplicity.

The recognition of this fact was what allowed console games to survive, even when their interfaces did not permit great complexity in terms of graphics or storytelling. Provided that the game mechanics are simple enough to be easily learned, but challenging in terms of setting the player new goals and providing him/her with rewards, many of these early games coasted on the sheer enjoyment (bordering, sometimes, on addictive potential) of their gameplay.

Fast-forward to 2015, and games aren't exactly what they used to be. Advances in technology, production values, marketing strategies, merchandising and player demand (in no particular order of importance) have meant that often, the player is sold an "immersive, interactive experience" rather than a game. Yet, the simpler (even simplistic) forms of gaming retain their appeal even in the age of the PlayStation: why else was a British MP caught playing Candy Crush while parliament was in session?

The Farming One, however, is simple but not simplistic. Like the great console games of yesteryear, it has enough of a plot to keep the player interested - and yet, what makes it work is the gameplay. Though rewards and bonuses in the game follow a fairly linear pattern, there are more modern twists - such as multiple endings, and a multiplicity of means by which one can achieve these rewards - which make it instantly appealing both for sheer fun value, and for those who can appreciate the complexity that actually goes into making a game that is both fun and intriguing.

Gameplay: (5 out of 5)
The Farming One takes the gameplay of a life simulator (more specifically, those games in which you farm, rear animals, and so on at a more or less leisurely pace) and puts it into a cyclotron. Crops grow and can be harvested in the blink of an eye; trees can be chopped down for lumber by button-mashing, and respawn in a matter of moments; mining involves unlocking different types of pickaxes in order to extract greater rewards from the mines. But it's not just grinding that's involved (though the grinding can be a lot of fun): there's a nice "business simulator" vibe, in which you have to save up to invest in better equipment and resources, which allows you to make further profits if you play your cards right. There is also a romance mechanic, in which you can build up your affection for a number of NPCs by buying gifts for them, but it feels like something of an add-on; even so, it does allow for a variety of endings, depending on whom you decide to end up with. Obtaining better gear involves interacting with the increasing number of folks who occupy your town (see the Story section below), and most of these interactions are quite amusing in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. Though none of the devices listed above are particularly original, they add up to something that is, simply, a load of fun.

Story and writing: (5 out of 5)
While the idea of a farming simulator is nothing new (heck, even if we stick to RPG Maker games alone, there's the lovely, pastoral World's Dawn as a benchmark), The Farming One's approach, beginning with its title, is light-hearted, as if it were affectionately parodying the Harvest Moon school of gaming. As the game begins, you (you can play as either a man or a woman) have just taken possession of a farm in a small town, but there's a twist: the town is nearly deserted, except for the Mayor, his son, and a few children, because of raids by bandits. In other words, the city grows as your character does: as s/he earns more money and invests it, the town becomes populated once more, and plays host to a colourful variety of traders - not to mention a cat girl, a surfer dude, and a psychologist (!) A few more characters, all memorable in their own right, can be encountered by completing sidequests. The writing is both crisp and witty, and never comes off as forced or heavy-handed; though it is not the primary focus, it complements the gameplay admirably.

Graphics and map design: (4.5 out of 5)
While the game does use stock resources, including some material from the RPG Maker standard library, it uses them well. Maps are bright and vivid, NPC portraits are slightly exaggerated caricatures, and the game world is organized in a very player-friendly manner. While isn't not high art, it doesn't have to be: a game of this sort needs bright colours, and that is exactly what the developers deliver.

Music: (4.5 out of 5)
The tunes are simple, but fit the mood of the game well, with more "ominous" music in the mines, a relaxing tune when you visit your own home, and a lively, bustling melody for the main gameplay. While none of the tunes really sticks with you after you've quit the game, they're all eminently hummable.

Bugs and errors:
I only encountered one error, which was of little significance: when you visit the bandits' camp and collect the Harvestium Ore from a chest, the item is added to your inventory as a Harvestium Pickaxe. As a result, you can only collect the Ore by doing a bit of grinding in the mines. But since this is easy to do, it's hardly a major issue.

Fun factor:
Though I'm generally someone who enjoys a good story and interesting characters, that does not mean I can't appreciate good gameplay when I see it. While I'll always have a soft corner for long, story-heavy RPGs with complex plots and mysteries to solve, I must confess that I seldom have had as much fun in recent times as I did when playing this game. For this reason, and for the many others listed above, I rate it very highly indeed.

Strongly recommended.