Farming Simulator 2013 Review (PS3)There is no doubt that simulator games are created with the intention of emulating a real life experience to the fullest extent. Simulation games have existed for quite some time, and have often delivered fulfilling substitutes for the actual event that is being simulated. However, there are certain simulation games that hit the mark a little too well, and Farming Simulator 2013 accounts for one of these instances. With the spirit of farming in full swing, Farming Simulator 2013 performs its objective too accurately, and the end result is a brand new level of mundane.Highlighting the mundane theme in Farming Simulator 2013 is the miserably repetitive gameplay that will wear most players out rather quickly. To summarize, the gameplay largely consists of getting in your tractor (or other farming vehicle), attaching the vehicles attachment, turning everything on, and driving around a field while planting, cultivating, or harvesting. This component represents the majority of what you will be doing in the game, and the initial excitement of starting up a farm will soon succumb to the dismal reality of boredom.As stated earlier, repetition sets in very quickly, and this issue will certainly deter many players from continuing after only a few hours of play (if even). When tending to your crops in your farming vehicle, the only action the player takes is the turning of the vehicle in the field and the occasional drop-off of supplies. There is little to no variety in these actions, and the result is excruciating boredom when performing the necessary actions to keep your farm afloat. If the ridiculously slow-paced gameplay wasnt rough enough, the load times are very poor in the Playstation 3 edition of Farming Simulator 2013. Normally, I forgive long load times to an extent so long as the gameplay is solid. However, the difficult load times contribute to the boredom in the worst way possible, and make the game more intolerable as your play time goes on. The controls, meanwhile, are acceptable at best. Buttons match up decently with their intended actions, but the controller ultimately feels limited to the gameplay experience. For instance, many actions require pressing two buttons at once, and this can get uncomfortable, tedious, and difficult to remember as the game is played. This represents an instance where the PC version likely displays superiority, as a multiple button issue is easily remedied. Unfortunately, if you purchased the PS3 version, you are bound to a controller, and this is not the ideal instrument of play.As you would expect, the story is pretty simple and barely existent at all. In short, you are a farmer, and you must work tirelessly to ensure that your farm survives. This is really all that is needed in regard to story, as you are supposed to be the story in simulation games. However, considering the abhorrent staying power this game possesses, it might have been beneficial to throw in some crazy twist in the story somewhere. Maybe players would stick around for a little while longer if crop circles started showing up and aliens proceeded to terrorize your poor farmland. Graphics may also present a turn-off to the prospective player, as the overall graphical presentation is rather bland. Most crops look very similar and uninteresting, grass does not look vivid in the least, and many locations within the world appear lifeless. Textures also appear as if very little effort was put in, with the game occasionally looking like a game from a previous generation. While graphics typically do not represent the sole winning formula for a simulation game, the graphics and environments in Farming Simulator 2013 provide yet another reason to feel underwhelmed by the overall experience. If the brutally repetitive gameplay, miserable load times, and lackluster graphics were not enough reason to dissuade you from Farming Simulator 2013, the music (or lack thereof) may finish the job. Essentially, the music is mostly present only during load times, menus, or at the start screen, with nothing to show during the actual gameplay moments. While the absence of music occasionally provides a decent fit, no such success is met in this instance, and the mundane gameplay is complemented by the lack of a musical score. If there is anything I got out of this game, it is a hope that all farmers have some fulfilling tunes to play during their daily lives.If there is one area where Farming Simulator 2013 adequately delivers, it is in the sound effects department. The sounds that come out of the simulation conjure up images of farming, and this does not contribute to the overall disastrous result of the game. Whether it is the roar of a tractor or the crisp sound of a mower on tall grass, the sounds are perhaps the only truly satisfying elements of the game. Sound effects, however, cannot carry a game, and the negative elements of the game far outweigh any decency produced by sound.If you are not all that into farming, you likely will not last more than a few hours playing this game before calling it quits and heading back to the city life. The mundane gameplay, sloppy graphics, and absent musical score lead to a very disappointing end result, and if you are looking for a simulation game that is also a decent video game, you will find no such thing here. The only individuals who may be able to stick around are the farmers and farming enthusiasts. However, if you are a farmer, I would suggest just working on your actual farm where you can enjoy the graphical and musical style of real life.