Story of Season: Pioneers of Olive Town is coming to the Nintendo Switch this March, introducing the first original story in the series for the console. Developer Marvelous has already showcased a number of new mechanics in teaser trailers for Pioneers of Olive Town, including an expansive, ranch-style farm and the ability to ride wolves and a motorbike. Some of these new features are even very similar to those in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
In the past, Story of Seasons followed a similar formula for each of its games, with the biggest changes coming in the form of marriage candidates and how towns were laid out. Players could manipulate very little of their farms, outside of where maker machines or decorations went and where they wanted to plant crops. For Pioneers of Olive Town, however, Marvelous seems to have taken notes from games like Animal Crossing, making players’ farm areas more customizable.
Players will have control over water puddles and ponds via the use of a new bucket tool. This seems to be similar to the terraforming feature in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which allows players to change the structure of their islands by adding or removing water features and shaping hills. While it isn’t yet clear how far the water bucket will allow Pioneers of Olive Town players to change their farm’s physical appearance, it is a feature that has never appeared in past Story of Seasons games, making it a whole new aspect of farm customization.
Story Of Seasons’ New Features Make It More Like Animal Crossing
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town has also added a museum to the town that players will be able to explore. The museum appears to be set up and look a lot like the one in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, with players donating items and creatures they encounter to be displayed in different areas. This addition is very different from previous Story of Seasons titles, where players could simply sell the creatures they caught for a quick profit early in the game, having little incentive to interact with bugs, flowers and animals wandering around in the wild later on. It also adds a new area in the town that players have never had the chance to interact with, giving a fresh spin on things to do during in-game days.
Fans of Animal Crossing: New Horizons may have more reasons to try the new Story of Seasons game, with these popular AC features making a debut in the game. The addition of mechanics that go beyond the simple farming and marriage aspects of prior games will help the game appeal to a wider audience and give fans looking forward to Story of Season: Pioneers of Olive Town new ways to enjoy caring for their farmland.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town will be available for the Nintendo Switch on March 23, 2021
