Paleo Pines

I was immediately put off by the character art style, but I've learned to look past art style after a similar thing happened with Wind Waker over 20 years ago (and it became one of my all time favs). I'm big into dinosaurs and farming games in general, so it's no surprise I'm really enjoying this. That said it did take a bit to get used to, and I had to restart & challenge myself with an Ultra Rare dinos only playthrough for it to really start to grow on me. I'm taking my time and Ultra Rare hunting, so I've got a ways to go still to 100% the game.

Pictures look good, but once you turn the game on and start playing, the world suddenly seems so....empty. Controls seem like they were designed for a Nintendo. The quests given to you at the start are so random, and after 40 minutes I wasnt sure on how to progress the game, or how to start improving the farm. The emptiness, however, is the worst, it really makes the game feel like an early access.

Hmmmmm. Twenty hours plus in and it's a qualified positive. This is a sweet farming Sim with Dinosaurs. So sweet that it will put most players into a diabetic coma. Compared to this game Stardew Valley is Resident Evil. In fairness Stardew Valley is far sharper than its reputation. Two characters are clear alcoholics, one of the teenagers is hinted to be using drugs, and there are several dysfunctional relationships. Paeleo Pines makes the Stepford Wives seem abrasive. Twenty hours in and every character is cheerful and enthusiastic in a way that in real life would get really irritating. Technically it works fine. If I've ever had a crashing problem I can't remember. The basic game is very straightforward. The first thing is to hunt out special stones, preferably large ones, to keep your dinosaurs happy. These can be upgraded to sleeping areas with wood, stone, and fibre that can be found around your farm. They are also very rare and difficult to find. The first time I ran into serious issues was when I needed a dinosaur to break rocks. Beware ! You don't need just to get the notes in the right sequence to befriend them they also need to be the right size/ length. You also need to have the right cake from the girl in the village. These are expensive and other than the basic one are not available to you instantly. The first Styracosaurus wasn't happy without a companion, then the companion Styracosaurus stole its bed and the first Styracosaurus cleared off. Fortunately the second Styracosaurus is content with its little buddy who is mainly there just to keep it company. So I got the Styracosaurus, broke through the barrier to the next area, and remarkably little happens. That's the main problem. Whilst Stardew Valley has a clear dynamic and direction right from the start in Paeleo Pines things get past the first stage and then just beadle along. There isn't a great sense of urgency or purpose. There's a mystery around some artifacts which I investigated and the quest just petered out without any major resolution. I'm growing various crops and ... I'm growing various crops. Sometimes these are needed for missions on the mission board in the village centre. Mainly they just accumulate in your storage bin until you decide to sell a couple of hundred to improve your cash balance. Fertiliser is nowhere near as straightforward as Stardew Valley. The main problem is dinosaurs. These need to be fed and cared for so I'm not befriending any until I can identify what special powers they have that will advance the game. And this is where the game does irritate. It provides you with no guidance as to which dinosaurs to befriend in which order. And after opening several new areas with my Styracosaurus the contents have been pretty disappointing. After about a week's work with the Styracosaurus I finally have cleared enough stone at the back of my farmhouse to make a third pen but which dinosaur to put there ? For players who just want to bumble around planting and harvesting crops and interacting with their cute dinosaurs ... yeah, it's great. For those who want a proper structure with significant rewards for opening new areas ? So far it's not rocking my boat. S.x.

it reminds me of a wii game, in a good way

This is obviously a game aimed at younger audiences, but I am playing it because I will play literally anything that has a dinosaur in it and because I wanted to see what it was about before I purchased this for my actual children on Switch. This is very much in the vein of Pokémon games of yore, where your focus is on collecting dinos, gaining certain abilities to progress, with the addition of building out your farm a la Stardew Valley. Even in this earlier phase, I have played for some time and still feel like I have much to do and start the game up with excitement for the tasks that I'm genuinely eager to complete. I will be following development closely and playing along with further updates, which I'm hopeful will continue to roll in. My singular complaint is the lighting/shading, which simply does not flatter characters with darker skintones and causes a jolting effect in an otherwise vibrant and gorgeous game. I truly hope this is taken into consideration in a future update. I also appreciate the communication they offer on their official Discord!

As someone who grew up on a farm and would dream of having dinosaurs as part of it, this just brings those dreams to life in an interactive way! Its a fun, cute, cozy game for Dino lovers who are tired of them always being the bad guys in games! If you are a fan of games like Stardew Valley you might like this one too. I do think some of the quests/elements could use a little more dialog from characters or something to help nudge you in the right direction, but its not enough of an issue that it should stop anyone from playing the game. 4.5/5 ⭐

I want to like this game, I really do, but it's very bland in terms of what it's capable of. I got it when it was a demo, was happy with it then, have had since early release sale, and I'm just not happy with where it is now. Maybe I'll check back in a couple years, given the devs keep updating, but as of right now, it just doesn't scratch the cozy farmer (+dinos) itch.

O jogo é bom!

too boring and easy to be in a spot where progression is no longer findable

Когда-то очень ждала выхода этой игры, но после релиза... быстро её дропнула. При первом знакомстве она совсем не зацепила. Зато недавно решила дать ей второй шанс - и неожиданно втянулась. Это очень расслабляющая игра, которая не требует постоянной концентрации. Можно спокойно заниматься ранчо, выполнять простые квесты в духе «принеси-подай» и охотиться за редкими расцветками динозавров. Некоторые механики действительно приятные, особенно автоматизация работы в огороде. Конечно, не обошлось без минусов. Больше всего мне не хватало возможности ставить собственные метки на карте. Сбор ресурсов - одна из ключевых механик, поэтому приходится либо запоминать места появления растений и динозавров, либо буквально прочёсывать всю карту. Особенно это неудобно в лесной локации. Но в итоге игра даёт мне именно то, за чем я в неё прихожу, - то самое приятное, «желейное» чувство расслабления. Вот бы ещё разнообразных динозавриков было побольше.