Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition Review for Steam

The pervasiveness of the Internet is ever expanding, and it has wriggled its winding snake-like hands into almost every aspect of our daily lives. It’s nearly impossible to escape the suffocation caused by the constant bombardment of advertisements, incoming news, and social media posts swarming our attention spans all the time. It’s understandable when people feel as though they have reached the limits of their mental bandwidths and take breaks from the consistent overwhelming flow of information. It’s completely reasonable. Sometimes, all one needs is a little decompression. Getting back to the basics, going back to when things were simple. Back to the farm. There’s no better way to take a break from the Internet’s challenges and live your real life then with a game that simulates real life. GIANT’S Software and Focus Home Interactive bring an update to the long-standing title, Farming Simulator 19: Platinum Expansion.

              Farming Simulator 19: Platinum Expansion brings new content into the player’s dirt covered hands in the midst of preparing for the launch of Farming Simulator 20. The new CLAAS brand of machinery has been added into the game, regarded as among the top names in farming equipment. However, that appears to be the only thing brought into this expansion. And there lies the snag. There appears to be a lack of any other type of new content — no map, crops, or gameplay. While the new CLAAS brand does provide some new machines for the player to toy around with, the severe lack of additional gameplay options begs the question of what exactly an “expansion” entails.

This thought also springboards off of other recent news in the gaming sphere, mainly the sudden announcement of Overwatch 2. At what point does one draw the line between an expansion, a sequel, and just more DLC? Is it the amount of new additional items or skins, or perhaps the presence of new mechanics? The overhaul of the game engine and reworking of base gameplay? What if the developer does some of these things but not others? It is a complicated web tangle that more often than not, especially in recent times, falls into a trap of over-exaggeration about the amount of rework and what new things are being added to the game. The reasoning behind these incredibly blurred lines could be a multitude of things, but perhaps mainly can be attributed to companies attempting to uptick the price tag without putting more work into the “expansion.” 

              The Platinum Expansion is not without its faults. The sorely missed additional content creates a feeling of emptiness when booting up. Little to no changes raises an eyebrow on the price tag of this DLC. And even with the new CLAAS brand of machinery, it is not immediately available to new players. Keep in mind, the game still continues to hold strong and steadfast in the areas we as players have grown to know and love. It still acts as a fantastic wind down game, or fun hang out time with some buddies. And it can still lead to some shenanigans, but it cannot shake the disappoint felt across the board with the release of this expansion.

Check Out the Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition Trailer:

Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Expansion is available for PC and Mac via Steam.