Game: Paleo Pines
Genre: Simulation, Adventure, Casual
System: Steam (Windows) (also on Nintendo Switch, Playstation, & Xbox)
Developer | Publisher: Italic Pig | Modus Games
Controller Support: Full
Price: US $29.99 | UK £22.99 | EU € 29,99
Release Date: September 26th, 2023
Review code used with many thanks to Dead Good PR.
Are you looking for a farming sim that’s not quite like the others? You may want to consider Paleo Pines, a brand-new game in which you can befriend over two dozen species of dinosaurs. Tend to them, and they can help you tend your farm!
Cutest Dinosaurs EVER
The first thing I noticed about Paleo Pines remains, in my opinion, its strongest quality overall. This is a visually impressive game, with professional polish from the dinosaurs to the landscapes and characters. The species look distinct and recognizable, even in the cutesy style, and they can appear in various colours and markings. You’ll notice plenty of clipping, but that sacrifice is made for gameplay’s good. The music doesn’t stand out, but the sound design is worth turning up! Footsteps, weather, and dinosaur calls are among the noises building your immersion.
There’s a lot to enjoy about the writing. I got some laughs from character dialogue and item descriptions, and the information about the dinosaur species is very nice. There is not a lot of focus on the NPC relationship-building mechanic, nor are there many ways to boost it, but it’s nice that it’s there. Getting a discount from shops feels rewarding for investing in friendships.
Always Something to Do
The farming itself works well enough, though I personally didn’t feel very motivated to stick with doing it. It isn’t hard to have enough currency for everything you want, and the food itself is only used as treats for the dinosaurs (which are nice but not necessary), and as ingredients for recipes. Cooking recipes is also not very compelling, and the game rarely prompts you to try it. That being said, Paleo Pines is very friendly about letting you focus on whatever aspect of the game pleases you. You might have the most fun focusing on farming or cooking, and that’s great too!
I found the world a lot of fun to explore. You get a journal item which you can equip to record information about anything new you find. There are multiple sets to complete. There are optional mysteries to explore and a lot of areas to unlock as you gain access to more dinosaur skills. The biomes add a welcome depth of variety when you’re ready for more.
Like many farming sims and life sims, the plot is minimal, and there’s often nothing you can do at a certain moment to advance the story. Your main quests will sit there gathering dust in your missions menu until suddenly you move on. Though you’re welcome to choose your own priorities from the many activities Paleo Pines offers, playing the game for the story doesn’t count as a focus. If you are familiar with the genre, you probably already know that you’ll need to befriend characters and live through the passing seasons to see events unfold. If dinosaur collecting is tempting you to make this your first farm sim, though, I’d like for you to be warned not to expect the pacing of an adventure game!
In-game day to in-game day, it stays stress-free. There is no precise clock for you to check, but the time of day is easy to determine. Once I settled into a daily routine, I found I always had time left over for extra foraging. Dinosaurs level up, earning them more stamina, even if they’re only passively following you around. So sometimes I’d end my day just running around in circles for a while, just to get that XP. Paleo Pines has three seasons, and you can grow any crop in any season. That’s a welcome relief from the norm.
Controls and Customization
Considering how much there is going on, it controls very smoothly. There’s no toolbar like there is in Stardew Valley or Minecraft, but equipping a tool is one quick button tap. You can then cycle through every tool you’re carrying. All of the basic settings options are available, including some accessibility tools. I also appreciate the ways to tweak the game if it doesn’t run well on someone’s system.
Cons aren’t Extinct
For all of the detailed information offered in this game, I found that there are some serious gaps. Some of it seems to be a deliberate choice, like not giving hints on where to find the dinosaurs you’re missing, but sometimes I was frustrated. The lack of guides in the game could limit my enjoyment. One of the main selling points of the game is the fact that the dinosaurs can help you out around the farm, but it’s left unclear what some of the skills mean or how to use them. After a while, I was only befriending dinos because they’re so cute, but I didn’t need them for anything.
Conclusion
Ultimately, I’d say Paleo Pines is a well-made game, worthwhile if you don’t mind spending a good chunk of your time repeating routines. Many hours in, riding dinosaurs and befriending them still feels novel! Taking a trip into town to see how I could help the neighbours felt like almost all of the purpose I needed. The negatives I saw are things that maybe could be ameliorated with updates, and it seems like a good fit for future content add-ons. Once you adjust to your life in Paleo Pines, you can spend many hours making that life your own.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot
