Review of Orange Season: A Farming Game in Need of Significant Repairs
Covering the state of broken games serves a crucial purpose: it acts as a cautionary tale for potential buyers. However, some gaming experiences are so fraught with issues that discussing them becomes a challenge in itself. Such is the case with Orange Season on the Nintendo Switch, a port of a farming simulation that initially gained traction during its early access phase on PC. Unfortunately, the game proved to be too flawed to enjoy.
First Impressions: A Familiar Setup
Orange Season starts fairly typical for the genre: you find yourself in a vibrant new town with a sprawling farm waiting for attention. Players are greeted by a welcoming community eager to incorporate them into local life, complete with various quests and social opportunities. However, my enthusiasm was tempered by the lack of accessibility due to the small text size on the Switch version, potentially complicating quest engagement. Although the in-game journal provides adequate information, I was skeptical about how this would impact my overall experience.
Gameplay Mechanics: Major Hurdles Encountered
My initial quest soon spotlighted a critical flaw in the Switch version: the game’s problematic navigation. I found myself repeatedly snagging on the environment in areas that should have been completely accessible. While I managed to extricate myself through some trial and error, I soon discovered even more baffling issues. I was often able to pass straight through fences, walls, and buildings. On several occasions, I wound up inside homes that were meant to be locked, highlighting severe design flaws.
This led to an infuriating experience where I became stuck in unintended spaces, requiring a restart to regain my progress. Instances included finding myself trapped in a yard after slipping through a storefront or getting caught in the geometry of the cityscape, forcing me back to the main menu. Such recurring setbacks made gameplay incredibly frustrating.
Map Functionality: The Quest for Navigation
Moreover, the town’s layout left much to be desired. While visually appealing, it hampers navigation with a dysfunctional mapping system. The major hubs are indicated along with some roaming characters, yet detailed information on where individuals can be found is sparse. In comparison, other farming games, like Fae Farm, successfully streamline character tracking. Here, however, wandering aimlessly is often the only course of action—leading to hours spent trying to locate essential NPCs.
Resource Management: An Overabundance of Items
Additionally, the scattered collection of random items, particularly fruits and flowers, felt unbalanced. Their abundance made actual farming seem almost trivial, as harvesting seemed less rewarding. I also noticed a peculiar bug where resources respawned unexpectedly, casting further doubt on the game’s stability and resource management mechanics.
Critical Game-Breaking Bugs
The ultimate frustration arose when I attempted to incorporate animals into my farm. My first step was acquiring chickens, but upon entering the coop, the game would crash. Given the importance of this feature in the overall design, it rendered the game unplayable for me at that point.
The Future of Orange Season: A Glimmer of Hope?
Could future patches salvage the experience of Orange Season on the Switch? There’s a flicker of hope, as Innerfire Studios and Soedesco have indicated their commitment to patching issues, which leaves the door open for potential improvement. As a result, I’m refraining from assigning a formal score or review until one can better evaluate the game post-updates.
A Word of Caution for Potential Buyers
At present, I would advise against purchasing Orange Season for the Switch. The multitude of bugs and gameplay issues detracts significantly from the enjoyment of the farming simulation experience, particularly for those who appreciate ranch management elements. Observing the forthcoming updates should be a priority; perhaps a return to the game could offer a more satisfying experience in the future.
For those still eager to try it out, Orange Season is currently accessible on the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
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