Farm Manager 2018 released in April 2018 with a great reaction from the PC gaming community. Sales appeared to be favourable as it was in Steam’s top selling list upon release. However shortly later a DMCA claim was issued against the game which has resulted in the games removal from Steam Store. Owners of Farm Manager 2018 can still access the game and the developers continue to support with updates. Game keys can be purchased via 3rd party re-sellers such as Gamersgate to activate on Steam for new players.
First impression
The game is addictive, detailed and has a very appealing format. Managing a farm though can be a tedious yet rewarding affair as the routine can become mundane and repetitive but the feeling of accomplishment and progress is addictive. Upon starting out in Farm Manager the player is provided with a small cow shed consisting of 5 cows to generate milk. Fields are cut manually which consumes the time of multiple workers. Tractors and attachments become available at a financial cost as the farm grows. Having this hardware reduces the burden placed upon workers thus increasing efficiency and requiring minimal worker support (depending on machine).
The Good
The farm land and buildings are detailed with plenty of room for expansion. Following the in-game tutorials is excellent, whilst it does take time to complete and work-through it does a brilliant job of easing players into the world of farming. There’s more to farming than first appearances. Yes there are the traditional tasks of growing vegetables and breeding animals but the best bit is the management. Deciding on how much product to store, anticipating which products will be most profitable and selling at the right time. A simple stock market is provided which shows the current cost in a chart compared to the best price. Some products expire quicker than others which takes the negotiating option away as its either sell quick or lose the product to waste but others such as potatoes have a long expiration life so you can keep an eye on the value and sell high which makes a huge difference in total value when you have a large quantity in storage. This also works when buying seeds for growing and feed for animals. Buying when products are cheap provides a boost to the profits.
The Bad
Currently Farm Manager has issues with repetitiveness especially as you advance and unlock new facilities. Growing crops and vegetables is initially fun however this becomes repetitive fast when you have so many other commitments such as caring for animals and managing factories. The issue is that there is no other option but to manually choose workers to go to fields and greenhouses when they are ready for collecting or watering. When it gets to the point that you find yourself in a clicking frenzy reminiscent of a game of whack a mole the enjoyment wears thin. Early on I was hooked and addicted to Farm Manager 2018 amassing over 30 hours of gameplay however as I progressed the simple tasks became the most tedious. The player is held back by mediocre tasks and management whilst struggling to find time to breathe let alone enjoy the advancements in facilities.
There are huge dips in performance with frame rates dropping incredibly low at times. Prior to the games removal from Steam Store there were many player reviews complaining of such issues.
Final Thought
The problems with Farm Manager 2018 can be fixed with future updates. Being able to assign workers into groups rather than manage them individually on a job by job basis would go a long way to make tasks more enjoyable. With a positive response from the gaming community ‘Farm Manager 2018’ can in my opinion become a very good strategy game. The developers need to be given time to get updates released and implemented. Whilst it also needs to be remembered that there are severe financial repercussions from having a new released game being removed from Steam so early. Farm Manager 2018 may become a forgotten title as the player base could be very low. Purchasing a copy and showing support would be a very positive step. The game is very good for what it does whilst there is room for optimization and improvement.
Fascinated with gaming since the old cassette based computers. Custom-building and repairing computers for 20 years and have been creating websites for 5 years. I’ve been a geek way before it became fashionable. Video game collector and gamer. Mainly a PC gamer though do enjoy console exclusives. Created Zorf Gaming to share my passion for gaming. I’m the web-designer/developer, content creator, editor, video creator. In essence this is my passion and I like nothing more than to share it with you. Currently writing my first book ‘A Father’s Daughter’.
