Stack those bales to stack that paper
The tedious driving tasks are quickly eliminated once some hired help makes it on the farm, so I highly encourage this to be a priority in the early game. Yep, that’s a free pro-tip for Farming Simulator 2013 from me to you. I battled with time management, as there are always more than enough activities to do on a farm, just none of them are very exciting. Rotating crops does not change any of the methods used to reach an end goal of making money, so I grew bored with my farm once I had tried my hand at everything.
Mood: apathetic
A big feature that is heavily promoted in Farming Simulator 2013 is modding, it’s even listed right on the main menu. In addition to all of the content that comes with the game there is a dedicated community out there that makes some awesome stuff to download from the Focus Interactive website. Want a new style of greenhouse? It’s on there. Need a tractor that looks like a tank? That’s there too. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were able to download a mod that lets you turn the game into a drug war. There are a couple ‘side missions’ that are none too impressive. One requires a golf course to be mowed and the other is a front end loader joyride, both had me questioning why they were included in the game, but maybe the modding community can build on these to make some interesting objective based missions within the game.
Assemble your fleet. Divide and conquer with up to 10 players
The co-op in Farming Simulator 2013 allows for up to 10 players to play on a single farm. When I was able to get into a game, I felt like I was contributing to the greater good and after an honest days work of tending the fields it was cool to see everyone’s hard work come together. This means a highly efficient farm, if you can keep everyone on task. There is nothing stopping a player from riding a tractor into the sunset, while the others work extra to make sure that the harvest comes in on time. Hire your workers carefully. I didn’t make it into a full 10 man game, but I can see the merit in splitting up the jobs and getting things done faster. What’s unfortunate is that a ton of time can be invested into someone else’s farm, but you do not reap anything you sow into your own game. It sucks, and kind of smells like communism.
Mood: cautiously weary
I can’t fault Farming Simulator 2013 for setting out and accomplishing its goal of being a very good simulator. The problem, however, is that farming is not that fun. I don’t expect there to be firefights or an elaborate story, although that would be pretty awesome. I understand that there is an audience out there that enjoy this sort of thing but that just isn’t me. The lack of direction or at least some objectives to build towards causes interest to wain. The modding aspect is promising, and the business side of the game has an interesting progression to it but I won’t be putting the overalls on anytime soon. Everything on a farm is faithfully reproduced in this year’s Farming Simulator and I have a new appreciation for those that actually do this trade. I just can’t be bothered to sit in a tractor and slowly working towards the next pile of virtual money.
Verdict
Co-Op Score
Overall
The Co-Op Experience: You'll be able to manage a farm with up to 10 other players online or via local network.
Co-Optimus game reviews focus on the cooperative experience of a game, our final score graphic represents this experience along with an average score for the game overall. For an explanation of our scores please check our Review Score Explanation Guide.