While the improvements to the farm are nice and the plethora of new equipment, animals, visuals, and other additions go a long way to making Farm Simulator 17 the best, it’s also still resting on the same foundation.

After ploughing through the tutorials though and spending a little more time, you do start to appreciate just how detailed a game like this is.

Farming Simulator 17, as with most simulation games, will not be for everyone. If you are a fan of the Farming Simulator series, this year’s version is not majorly different than previous versions, but there are enough graphical and tactile upgrades to keep returning players interested. Many bugs have been fixed too. New players may enjoy the planning, management and logistics of owning and running a farm. Either way, Farming Simulator 17 is now the best way to play a farming simulation game.

Make no mistake, Farming Simulator 17 is incredibly in-depth as a simulator, almost to the point of being too complicated, but as a game it’s simply not all that entertaining, unless of course you’re all about that farming life. That’s not to say I didn’t find some enjoyment in my time with it, but it was when I was doing things unintended. At the end of the day if you’re looking for an authentic farming simulator, there’s no better out there, but the amount of fun you’re going to have is based on how much fun you find in actually farming.

Farming Simulator 17 is a pretty accurate sim, but its complete lack of any challenge or "gaming" element makes it quickly boring.

Farming Simulator 17’s odd mix of authenticity and not-quite simulation is curious. The core gameplay loop is by its very nature extremely repetitive but if you have an interest in farming you’ve probably already bought into the idea. It’s certainly not a bad game but it’s definitely an acquired taste.

Fiddly mechanics and non-intuitive gameplay make this a niche within a niche. [Christmas 2016, p.90]