Story of Seasons Beats Harvest Moon Because You Can Ride A Giant Wolf

Virtual farming fans have had a busy month thanks to the release of Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town and Harvest Moon: One World. Both games are a relaxing, combat-free escape focused on building beautiful homesteads while exploring interesting towns and surrounding areas. One of the many exciting mechanics of farming simulator-style games is the ability to own and ride a horse to speed up travel around the map. However, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town may have come out on top thanks in part to the game’s new modes of transportation available to purchase, including a giant, grey wold.

Story of Seasons and Harvest Moon have had a level of competition since developer Marvelous parted ways with Natsume in 2012. Before the split, the two worked together on the Harvest Moon games fans knew and loved for previous platforms. However, when Marvelous left, it kept the rights to all the gameplay and primary content which was then renamed Story of Seasons. Natsume kept the title of Harvest Moon, but nothing else. Since the separation, Natsume has continued to create Harvest Moon games, but has done poorly in comparison to newer Story of Seasons titles.

Unfortunately, it appears Harvest Moon: One World will continue to be disappointing, with clunky graphics, a lacking story, and poor animations. Players have struggled with NPCs vanishing and appearing randomly when they are needed, unfinished character walking cycles, and graphics that seem better suited to the PlayStation 2 than the Nintendo Switch. While these shortcomings may seem frustrating, Harvest Moon has gained a reputation for producing poorly made games for an unreasonable price, and many fans have opted to avoid the title completely rather than pay for a mediocre experience.

Story Of Seasons: Pioneers Of Olive Town Has Added New Mechanics

Where Harvest Moon has come up short, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town has purposefully made changes to improve gameplay. Players now have a selection of new rideable mounts to select from, including many types of horses, a Motorbike, and a large, grey wolf. Unlike previous games, mounts don’t require special care like brushing or feeding, allowing players to keep several options without damaging time management. The new options are a welcome change from the previous Story of Seasons titles, where horses were the only way to engage in faster travel.

There have been many other improvements in Story of Seasons, including simplified tools and animal care, as well as better storage options thanks to the inclusion of custom item boxes. While Harvest Moon continues to rely on old mechanics that were successful several decades ago, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town has chosen to bring new ideas to the table, and include concepts from other popular farming simulation games, presenting better gameplay for fans of the genre.

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