What is Farming Simulator 2013 Titanium Edition

So, what in blazes is Farming Simulator 2013 Titanium Edition then. Well, simply put it's a video game, available for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 that gives you a field, a bit of cash and some out of date farming equipment and lets you go play with it all.

I know, I was also sceptical at first. After all, farming is damned hard work, time consuming and dirty (not to mention a bit smelly at times). How on earth could a farming simulator even begin to be fun?

Well, I am happy to report that my initial scepticism was unfounded. As it turns out, there is a really fun game to be had here underneath the simulation, with plenty to keep you not only busy, but educated as well.

Lets start with a little background. Farming Simulator 2013 was developed by Giants Software and was released, contrary to it's title, in October 2012. The "Titanium" part of the name is the official paid for expansion (or DLC) released on PC in October 2013, but was included in the somewhat later than PC release of the base game for consoles.

This isn't the first game from them, Giants Software have been producing farming games since 2008 and updating them regularly, keeping pace with current technology and adding features and objects with every update.

I would like to start with my first impressions. Right from the get go I was impressed. The menus are clear and easy to navigate, lots of options and as soon as the simulation started I was really impressed with the graphics. The attention to detail and animation is especially impressive, given that there are over 100 vehicles and tools included, including many licensed brands! Also nice to see are the landscapes, as you can see in this review they are occasionally breathtakingly beautiful, and a joy to drive around.

Of course, let's not forget the animals! Also nicely animated, there are welcome companions to the lonely farmer.

I stumbled upon this gentle sounding chap from Gloucester on You Tube whilst searching for tutorial videos to help me out. I found him knowledgeable, likeable, interesting and funny to boot.

I cannot recommend him highly enough if you need a bit of entertaining Farming Simulator help and advise! He also does several other games and I wonder where he finds the time!

And that's just the basics. There is a LOT of different techniques to master and apply, such as:-

• Sowing barley, corn, canola and wheat.
• Cultivating fields.
• Growing beets and potatoes.
• Harvesting.
• Fertilising.
• Feeding of cows/sheep
• Delivering finished goods to the best buyer for the best price.
• Managing the farm and the workers, deciding when to hire additional workers of do it yourself.
• Supplying the local Biogas business
• Taking on random missions like cutting grass for the local golf club.
• Baling hay and creating quality silage!

• We get access to over 100 vehicles and tools.
• 20 licensed brands from the world of farming.
• A career mode with functioning economy.
• Expansion of farm with purchasable fields.
• Animal husbandry with cows, chicken and sheep.
• Greenhouses, bee hives and other placeable items.
• Day/night cycle.
• A Multiplayer mode !
• 2 different farming environments, European and American.
• A massive community friendly and willing to help out newbies.
• A huge mod (modification) scene packed with extra content.

Now, none of this perhaps sounds like fun. I understand that. But until you actually play the game, you just wont "get it." In a world of violent video games isn't it nice now and again to just plant something, watch it grow, feed some animals and make enough profit to buy a new tractor?

It certainly is feature rich if you dig deep enough, although it can seem overwhelming or overly simplistic in the beginning depending on your approach to the game.

As a gamer of some 22 + years I don't understand it myself, but there is something about this game that has a trance like effect on my understanding of the passing of time! Whole hours disappear tending my farm, and planning the next purchase to squeeze out the maximum benefit from my 3 small fields.

Yes, if I am honest. The physics engine is a bit of a joke, but that does kind of add to the fun factor when you take a tractor off roading down a cliff and nothing gets damaged and your precious cargo doesn't spill out all over the floor. And although I have already mentioned the graphics looking great, that's only half the story, as the town is pretty poorly rendered, the pedestrians are appalling and other cars on the road are pretty piss poor. Not to mention the fact that they have no collision detection whatsoever.

I have also come across some pretty amusing bugs, nothing groundbreaking, but nothing that should be in a non beta state game to be honest.

The game can also be kind of grindy and repetitive, but I guess that there needs to be an element of repetition as there would be at a real farm.

Perhaps the biggest problem for most gamers would be the lack of violence and challenge?

Should you buy Farming Simulator 2013 Titanium Edition? I guess that if you have read this far then the answer is yes, but it's not for all tastes. You need patience above all else to succeed, but when you do it comes with a sense of achievement that I forgot games can give you.

I like it and rate it highly enough to recommend it, but if you are unsure head over to the Giants Software website and check out the free demo!

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