Recent reviews by dctoe_US

Of course I recommend Farming Simulator 25! I'm a fanboy and make no apologies about it.

That being said: it is early and I've already seen some things that could be referred to as bugs. I have to further investigate and report them as needed. But that's nothing new as with the history of FS or any game/sim for that matter. The controls are generally the same as previous versions, so it should be easy to get into and start playing.

New crops and animals look like fun, but I'm starting with the basics that I already know on the Riverview map and will advance to some of the new stuff as I go along. I do have a field of string beans that I'm going to have to deal with; but for now just grains, grass and cows.

It all looks very promising and once the modders get going; I see so great gaming happening. I would go with it + the Year One Pass if you can afford it. If not, give it some time to go on sale (like Xmas) and then give it a shot. Either way, I don't see a downside.

Not a lot to say really. I recommend for the same reason I recommended TSW4. The immersion and graphics are superior. If you are looking for routes; especially US freight, then Train Sim Classic is your game though. I own both; each one for the reasons stated above.

If you are a player coming from the Producer's previous game, Industry Idle; then you know it's a recommended title. With 300 hours in, I can say that this is a fun and interesting "World Builder" title. It is tile based, so if you are looking for fancy graphics and whatnot, forgetaboutit! But it is a "thinker's" game and will keep you busy on any machine in which you can access it. There is plenty of help in chat and on Discord, and the atmosphere is not toxic like it can be in so many other places. The developer even pops in to interact, help and get feedback.

Plus it is FTP! So why not give it a shot? I do recommend buying the Supporter Pack DLC if you enjoy the game. Supporting Indie Developers should be a high priority around here. They give us a lot of great games, and a great game should never go bankrupt! (Just my very humble opinion).

Highly recommended... enjoy!

A fun idea and I enjoyed playing for the time I was able to. That's would be the only problem I have with the game personally. In order to advance well, you have to take the time to get involved in it. That would not be a problem except that I have other games that I am dedicated to. If I did not; I would most likely play this daily.

Recommended! :D

A fun but serious look at friend dynamics with nice adult elements added. Mature themes aren't limited to adult scenes however. There are references to mental health, suicide, geo-politics, LGBTQ+ situations and polyamory. All of these things make the story rich, interesting and evolving. The writer is an excellent story teller and ties everything together in a way that is easy to follow, but not elementary. This is one of two writers of VNs that I sincerely hope continues in this business and will receive my continued support.

I call it a "Buy."

I don't know what to say about Prosperous Universe. It's a great game, but it's hard to classify and it's not for every player. It's kind of a world builder, but of a different stripe. There are no slick 4k graphics or animations as such. It's control is more from a dashboard that allows a combination of point and click and command line functions. If command, control and, logistics are your things, this one is for you.

The game appears to move fairly slowly at the beginning, with building a base and implementing your manufacturing strategy being the slowest part of the process. There is plenty of documentation and community help to keep you going if you get stuck. The game is free to play with some purchase and subscription options that unlock more features that can make your success a bit less of a toil. However the pricing is low and should not be much of a bother if you really like the game.

Since it is free, I would recommend giving it a go, since you have nothing to lose. I like it so far and I think a lot of people will enjoy it too.

Among "adult themed" visual novels; I find this one to be a rare treat. It's got a smooth but not too flashy sci-fi plot-line and more than a dozen characters to get to know and form various types of relationships with. It should keep you busy for a while. I have chosen a narrow group of characters to interact with because I am playing the long game. But it is possible to literally get with everyone early on. I don't know how that will play out in later updates of the novel though.

The story-line is well thought out and easy to follow, but not at all boring. R.J. has a good mind for the plot structure and I see an almost infinite amount of directions for things to go. This VN will likely be in my favs for a long time. Enjoy!

Yes I am back playing again. Primarily because I do love the game. It is "almost" everything I want in a world conflict sim. For the fun, it is one of the few games I "fanboy" out about and I'm d**n proud of it.

But recent research suggests that the company has moved out of Russia and no longer operates any offices there. I would like to believe that this has been due in part to opposition to the aggression of the Russian Government. It may have also been a response to the world's reluctance to do business with any Russian companies. There may be any number of reasons. But whatever they may be, Gaijin no longer operates there, so I have to remove them from my doo-doo list.

They may still have connections, but I am not a conspiracy theorist and can prove nothing, so I do not accuse unjustly. If I obtain proof otherwise, then I will leave forever. Thus why I left my earlier post below.

Meanwhile, I recommend the game to anyone who enjoys a different kind of combat sim. There is a little something for everyone! Peace to all and to all, have fun!

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Due to current Russian aggression against the Ukraine, I cannot support this game. Gaijin being a Russian company; I cannot in good faith, suggest financial support. @maurycyj posted about this in their Discussion forum and was promptly banned. I applaud his bravery and willingness to sacrifice for world peace. This game, while fun, is expensive to play and it sickens me to know that the funds I have used to purchase Premium products could be taxed to fun the war effort to invade another country in this day and age. Consider that before purchase. Consider me gone!

Industry Idle isn't just a random clicker or game you can let run and run to make your profits and win. (If winning is a thing in this game). It's more like a simplified Industry Simulator. Starting with minimal resources on various maps, you complete goals by gathering resources and making products. These products open up the possibilities of making other products that advance your industries.

That's just the basic premise. It is actually far more immersive than just that, but this is a review and not a walk through. If you like puzzles, idlers and a bit of simple math with some random variables sprinkled in, this game is a complete steal at it's price. It is constantly being developed and improved and features a community of very helpful people for the beginner.

For a small investment (bazinga! Industry pun), you will be pleasantly challenged and amused. 100% recommend!

Warning! Fanboy (and proud of it) review ahead.

This being the 5th version of Farming Simulator I have played; it's pretty safe to say that I am a fan of it. There is no doubt. I will start by saying that this is literally the same game as FS19. As it is, FS17-15-13. A common complaint from some people for reasons that I do not understand. What makes our favorite games, our favorite game? If they turned it into a tractor demolision derby; would it be the same game we love now? While that does sound fun; it is not what we all originally bought the game for. We buy (and then rebuy) these games because there is something about them that we like. Why has the GTA Franchise been so wildly popular all of these years? For the reason I pointed out above. Standard Psychology aside...

After almost 40 hours in game, I will say that FS/LS22 is essentially as it always has been. And I personally like that. It's familiar, the game play is easy to fall into and the mechanics are essentially on the same page. This is something I personally look for when buying a continuation of a title. If I have to relearn the entire control and play sequence every time a new version comes out; I am eventually going to leave it for something else. This actually played a hand in what turned out to be my dislike for "Professional Farmer: Cattle and Crops." The process between the two was so drastic that I determined that I did not have the time to become immersed in CnC, with all the other things going on in my life. (The game had tremendous potential though. I was praying for it's success). Other games, guitars, synthesizers and autistic sisters do not afford me that luxury. So being able to skip the Tutorial Mode and actually get right to playing on a basic level with just my Xbox style controller is a huge A+ for me. My G29 and Saitek panel will follow, but for now, I'm just chugging along old skool.

This release does offer some significant changes that are worth investing in if you are an FS17 or 19 player interested in continuing your farming streak. It does incorporate a new Seasons algorithm comparable to the Seasons mod that has been popular for many years. I don't use it because time does not allow me crop rotation or choosing localized profiles. So I will let others speak more on that. You can turn Seasons off, but keep the seasonal rotation going. So the months (and the leaves on the trees etc.) change and it snows during the winter (you may want to plow that, and you can), but you can still farming arcade style and not miss some of the prettier details in these updates without extra time required to play more realistically.

You can even lock the game to a particular season/month and just play static weather if you want. Of course, all of the standard settings are there; weeds, plowing requirements, crop destruction,workers buy supplies and so on.

So graphics... yeah. I believe they are improved in the way that one would be able to improve on something that has been working for you for years. I have heard complaints, but I haven't experienced any real issues while saying that the graphics have advanced well. Displaying all the mirrors, having lights on and my beacons works way better on FS22 on my now old i5-9400F/GTX 1660i that I used on FS17, where it stuttered under heavy loads and could only display 3 mirrors at a time. That has to be, by any logic, better. Your experience may vary, or maybe your rig is crap. Clinical observation.

FS22 introduces "Production." Having learned from the modding community, that we like to do more than just grow wheat and deliver it to sale, means a lot to us. So they have introduced bakeries and woodworking shops, and a few other productions that you may simply grow and ship to, or purchase and make part of your operation. With this has come some added crops, sorghum, grapes and olives specifically. This is cool and fun thus far in the base game. And I can't wait to see what modders do with these new opportunities.

Serious complaint note here: The maps that come with the game do not allow very much space for building in these new tools and severely limit how much you can expand your empire. We need some big a** maps with a lot of buyable land from the modding community! And I say that with much love, as we have some serious map artists out there. (Looking your way Stevie, dajnet and Papa Smurf)! My 3 favorite map makers out there. I'm sure that there are other fans who will be in touch with their people. There are already a couple of interesting edits of Elmcreek that give a little more space. Thanks XUL!

I could go on, but I suggest you check it out for yourself. Please keep in mind that there are some bugs that need to be worked out, as always with a new release of FS/LS and some patience is required for the most rewarding experience. If you are wondering about upgrading? It is an upgrade, so I would recommend it.

Happy Farming!

{These are solely my views. I have not be asked or rewarded by Giants Software in any way for this review. Not even sure they would like it}.