Farming Simulator – My First Hour

I really enjoyed Farming Simulator 15 when I played it a few years back, but with numerous technical issues and glitches that never really got fixed, I was skeptical of what Farming Simulator 17 would be. However, after watching a few play through vidoes, I was more hyped for this game than for any other game I had played recently. And for good reason.

I’ve lived my entire life in a small town in Southwestern Ontario, and farming has been the back bone of the economy here for as long as I can remember. The area is Canada’s number one producer of corn, soy beans, and many other field veggies. Generally, if the area isn’t number one in Canada, they are number two. That is how much farming happens here.

Growing up in this environment has given me a strong appreciation for farmers, their habits, and their ways of life. It is an intriguing lifestyle, one that is definitely hard and exhausting, but incredibly rewarding and relaxing at the same time. Any farmer around my parts will tell you there is nothing more relaxing then climbing into a tractor and plowing, sowing, or harvesting a field. I haven’t done it, but I appreciate it, even when following behind tractors during harvesting season going less than 20Km down the road.

So lets transition to Farming Simulator 17. This game won’t hold your hand, and for good reason. Farming isn’t easy! Sure, the game will walk you through the simplest of tasks, namely cultivating a field, sowing a field, and finally harvesting a field. The game also shows you how to store or sell your commodities, and how the market prices work. It seems in depth, but the entire tutorial process probably only takes 30 minutes total! Then, the world is yours to explore.

I quickly tilled and sowed all my fields, made sure they were well fertilized, and then began roaming around the town looking for farmers I could help. Every farmer in the game will have something for you to do, whether it is fertilizing, plowing, or even harvesting their crops. There is a set price for doing each chore, with an added bonus for completing it before time expires. I took on short 5 minute chores, and slogged through a 80 minute chore. While the longer jobs are definitely frustrating at times, it is also relaxing.

What I would say, though, is that if you are doing a longer chore, pull up an iPad and multitask with some Netflix. It makes for a great half hour of work!

In my first two hours, this is all I really did. And I loved it, every minute of it. Yes, there is that sense of frustration when harvesting a huge field of wheat which you know will take well over a half hour, but overall, it is an incredibly relaxing experience. I cannot wait to play more!