Developer: GameOn Production
Publisher: Alawar Entertainment
Platform: PC, Mac
Tested on: PC
Farm Frenzy: Refreshed – Review
Publisher Alawar Entertainment seems to have found their own niche when it comes to gaming and that niche just so happens to be video games you’d introduce your elderly parents to if you wanted to get them to play video games. Simple resource and time management games with point-and-click controls are one of them and that’s why we’re looking at Farm Frenzy: Refreshed today. The Farm Frenzy series has been going strong since 2007 but this reworked edition hopes to appeal to a modern audience.
Story
The story is negligible in games such as these, so there isn’t much to speak of. You have acquired a large plot of land that would be perfect for transforming into a thriving farm, but that isn’t something that can happen overnight. Through playing the levels you earn money and other resources you can spend on upgrading the various buildings of your farm, with the goal of having a full layout by the end of the game. That really is all the story there is to Farm Frenzy, which has no cutscenes or similar means of involving plot.
Graphics
The graphics of Farm Frenzy: Refreshed are actually surprisingly nice, at least for the kind of game we’re talking about here. The cartoony style makes all your animals appear sufficiently adorable, the farmland and the levels themselves look good and while the UI can seem a bit clunky at first, you quickly get used to it. Nothing groundbreaking here, but nothing abhorrent either.
Sound
Likewise to what we discussed above in terms of the graphics, the music in Farm Frenzy: Refreshed is pretty standard stuff for its genre without being particularly bad. Some of the tracks do sound a bit grating, as if they’re lifted straight out of a kids show about farmyard animals, and go on a little too long to be pleasant. Luckily, since each level only takes anywhere from a couple of minutes to maybe ten minutes max to complete, we’re spared from the worst of it. There is no voice acting, but the sound effects are pretty fun. Nothing more satisfying than hearing the cash register ding when you sell your product.
Gameplay
Farm Frenzy: Refreshed is a time and resource management game with a very decent amount of levels, giving us quite some playtime to get through. Each level doesn’t take that long to complete, but there are different rankings (measured in stars) depending on how fast you are, so getting all levels to their full rank can be a challenge. Each one starts off the same: giving you a small plot of land with some basics already on it and a starting budget to complete your goals.
These goals differ from level to level but usually center around either making a certain amount of money or gathering a certain amount of products. These products can either be raw such as eggs or milk, or the game might be asking for you to process them into something else first using the machines you can buy. Either way, growing grass is always a good place to start as your animals need feed to give you produce. Planting grass is free as long as you have water, though your well will need to be topped up from time to time with money. Buying extra animals and machines, or upgrading them to be more efficient all cost money. This can easily be earned by selling your leftovers on the market with the help of your trusty scooter. Your scooter has a limited capacity however and needs to cool down every time you’ve used it, so thinking smartly about what and when you sell is recommended.
Other conditions will either make your task easier or more difficult. The weather and seasons change, making grass grow on its own on rainy days or killing it in the heat of summer. Dangerous predators like bears can try and attack your farm (buying a dog is a great way to catch them). All of it helps to keep the levels varied and fun. With your earnings, you can upgrade your main farm, a sort of hub where you choose which levels to play. Then in turn you can earn money to upgrade the tools you use during the levels, such as your scooter.
Conclusion
Farm Frenzy: Refreshed is a fun addition to the genre for fans, offering a smooth and wide-ranging experience for players. As far as simple resource and time management games go, it’s a great title. If you’re looking for real gameplay or something special, however, this won’t be the game for you.
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