Developer: Skyhook Games
Publisher: Curve Digital
Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PC
Lawn Mowing Simulator – Review
It seems there is no end to the ever-growing database of ‘simulator’ games that are being released on all possible platforms. We have seen very realistic simulation games over the years, but also those that truly mock the genre as a whole. Now, we have another addition to the simulator genre, namely Lawn Mowing Simulator. We reckon many of you already close this review after reading the title, but for some, this game might actually prove to be quite therapeutic in nature; or offer a nice glance at mowing a prestigious garden when you’re living in the city with no access to a garden of your own. While we enjoyed the game as a whole, it is somewhat held back by its design choices.
Story
There is no actual story in Lawn Mowing Simulator. You can just dive into the Career mode and start up your own lawn mowing company, and build up your reputation from that point onwards. While you can pick your character out of premade builds, and pick a logo, it somewhat stops there in terms of ‘story’ progression. It would have been nice to have a bit more meat on its bones when it comes to customization, but in the end, it’s the gameplay that matters.
Graphics
Graphically Lawn Mowing Simulator is an impressive-looking game. Even though some sceneries look better than others, cutting lines or figures in a luscious field of grass is truly a satisfying view to behold. The machines themselves look crisp, and your avatar is also fairly decently made. It all comes together as a nice-looking whole, but you might need a fairly decent set-up to fully appreciate and enjoy the view(s) in the game. Nonetheless, many simulator games often cut back on the graphical quality, and we can say that here it is not the case. We would have perhaps loved to see a bit more options in terms of character creation, or customization options for your machines, but all in all, this is a realistic-looking game.
Sound
The sound design is somewhat what you’d expect from a game such as this. Outside of the music in the menus, you’ll have to make do with environmental noises, ranging from nature sounds, such as chirping birds, the sound of the rain, to manmade sounds, such as talking, or even cars in the background. It would have been nice to have a bit more, but we understand this specific design choice for this title.
Gameplay
Lawn Mowing Simulator is, as its name may imply, a simulator game where you mow lawns for a living. The game does somewhat force you to play through the Career mode if you wish to unlock everything the game has to offer. Outside of the Career mode, you’ll also have the Free Mow mode, as well as the Challenges, which only open up as you progress in the Career mode. That being said, in this game, it’s all about mowing lawns, some easier than others. The game will put you at the head of a private company that gets contracts to mow the lawn of many different properties, ranging from gardens of small houses to actual parks or castle estates. As you progress, things get more complex as well, as you’ll have to be careful not to damage the soil, avoid flowers, or make sure you put all clutter out of the way first, otherwise risking damage to your vehicle.
Even though most of the game is enjoyable, even with the bare minimum actually being implemented in terms of different machines and mechanics, we felt the game slowly becoming a grind to unlock new content for the casual modes. To play through the Career mode, you’ll be going from one contract to another, being forced to play huge chunks of time in one sitting to actually make any progress at all. Some contracts may already take up around an hour of your time, without the option to save the game, and continue later. If you start a contract, you’ll have to finish it before you shut down the game. While in a way we understand this design choice, it does make it hard for casual gamers to fully enjoy this title, if they don’t have an oasis of time at their disposal. It then becomes an even harder sell if the game locks its more ‘casual’ content behind the progression of the Career mode. If you decide to persevere, unlocking new tools does feel quite rewarding.
Conclusion
Lawn Mowing Simulator is an enjoyable niche title, best enjoyed spread out over time. It’s hard to play several contracts in a row, as you’ll have to spend several hours if you wish to make any progress. With the lack of a save option during contracts, it’s hard to recommend this title for those who hardly have any time to play games. That being said, the overall offset is quite relaxing, and it does offer a few realistic aspects that truly help you immerse in the experience. We do regret that you have to make progress in the very slow career mode before you can access additional content in the Free Mow or Challenge modes. We hope this gets unlocked via a future patch, allowing casual players to explore the game to their hearts’ content.
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