Farm Story™ app review: offering a stylish farming game for iOS devices

Introduction

Farm Story is one of the first farm game apps developed for mobile devices after the spectacular success of FarmVille on Facebook. The game is highly optimized for the smaller screen of iPhones with game controls that are hidden from view to maximize screen real estate. It offers lively and stylish graphics, exceptional sound effects, and a gaming depth that will rival desktop farming games. Initially developed for iPhone, the app is now compatible with iPad and iPod touch.

Farming is Fun with Farm Story

It is easy to dismiss Farm Story as another clone of FarmVille for Facebook. While the game has similarities with FV in terms of gameplay and some visual elements, it has unique qualities that make it the ideal farming game for mobile.

Farm Story is a free-to-play app that offers in-game micro transactions for acquiring gems. This is a typical model used by almost all games in this genre.

When you start the game, you are given a small plot of land and free money so you can develop the farm. Gameplay would be very familiar to fans of farming games. It requires you to plow the land, plant seeds, wait several minutes to grow the plants, harvest them, and earn experience and money.

You repeat the process until you have enough money to buy more seeds, farm animals, and building materials. As you advance to the higher levels, items become more expensive and your money may not be enough to cover the needed expenses. This is where the gems will become useful because they speed up everything and you can use them to buy more sophisticated farm implements.

There is also a social dimension to the gameplay of Farm Story. The game allows you to watch the farms of other players to learn new techniques and discover other technologies. You can add them as your friends and they might just help you when you need something.

Best Features of Farm Story

Farm Story offers more than 150 varieties of plants including flowers, vegetables, trees, and decorative shrubberies. It offers several farm animals, dozens of implements, building materials, and structures.

The game allows you to do anything with your plot of land. You can build fences around the land; build pigsty and animal cages; decorate the land with flowering plants; and grow trees to mark your property.

In Farm Story, you can visit nearby farms and help the owners water their plants. You get experience for doing this and you can meet new friends, too.

And lastly, the app allows you to share photos of your farms and produce on Facebook. You can take screenshots, save them in your device, and share them with your real friends.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Impressive graphics and sounds
• More than 150 varieties of plants
• Allows you to decorate your farm
• Allows you to take screenshots of your farm
• Allows you to make new friends

Cons

• Does not support Facebook integration
• Requires Internet connection

Final Thoughts

Farm Story is one of the best farming games for mobile devices. It is well-designed with beautiful graphics and a fun soundtrack. It offers enjoyable farming simulation that will keep you busy for many months.