Bring in the ostrich! - A review of Farm Frenzy 2!

You might remember my review of Farm Frenzy. Today, I will share my thoughts on the second game in the series: Farm Frenzy 2!

What I liked The same excellent gameplay from Farm Frenzy Improved 3D-looking graphics Lots of levels More upgrades than the first game Unlimited mode What I didn't like I still wished there were even more upgrades Still no ending to speak of

Quick Plot

Once again, manage the chaos of feeding animals, producing goods, and making money, with the additional task of sending an airplane into town to purchase necessary ingredients!

Features

• 6 types of animals to buy (chickens, pigs, cows, ostriches, dogs, cats)
• 4 types of goods to develop (eggs, pork, milk, feathers)
• 19 items to build and/or upgrade in the shop
• 19 awards to earn
• 90 levels
• Unlockable "Unlimited" mode
• You control everything from a first-person perspective, rather than controlling one character from a third-person perspective (as is common in many time management games)

The map. The dots are levels.

Highlights

Like the first Farm Frenzy, this is an economic time management game. Gameplay The gameplay is just like the first Farm Frenzy game, with one new addition. This time, in addition to your truck, you also have an airplane that flies into town. Some of the items you make require additional ingredients which can only be shipped in from town. This is what the plane is for. Like everything else, the plane can be upgraded in the shop to go faster and carry more cargo. You might think this will add more headache to the game. I thought it would. But, like everything else, you get used to it, and you learn to incorporate it into your farming routine. Music This time, some of the music has a plucky bluegrass style. The level music was repetitive, happy music, as in the first game, but with a new melody and country style. Graphics This time around, the graphics are improved. They have more shading and such, giving it a more 3D look. I don't mind this new look at all. It's quite nice. Moar stawf! I was pleased to discover that this sequel gives us more stuff to do. There are more

• levels
• upgrades, and
• animals.

The game has almost doubled the number of levels. And since the developers included one extra animal (the $70,000 ostrich), there are more buildings to purchase and upgrade. The ostrich is extremely expensive compared to every other animal (Not surprising really - have you ever seen the price on ostrich eggs? It's ludicrous.), but it also drops feathers that yield huge profit as you process them in your plants to make fans, hats, and dresses.

The hat-making factory.

Nevertheless, the one area where they didn't give us more is in the number of times you can upgrade each item in the shop. Being somewhat obsessive, I insist on getting Gold ranking on each level before moving onto the next. This leaves me with a constant supply of big money. As in the first Farm Frenzy game, you get to a point when you've purchased every upgrade in the shop and your wealth no longer does you any good. This is why I think they should have super pro upgrades for people who save up the huge wad of cash. It's just a letdown to have no reward for nailing the Gold reward on every level. One other little feature they added to this game is some little bonuses. These show up in the form of animals who pop into the scene for a brief moment, and then leave. You want to click on these animals before they disappear. Clicking on all of these animals that appear in the game should earn you an award in the awards room. Don't worry if you miss one. They show up multiple times. And finally, this game offers an Unlimited Mode. After you complete almost all of the levels in the game, you unlock a second mode of gameplay which, as the name would indicate, has no clear end goal. You jump in with nothing. Then, as you send bears into town and start buying chickens, you have a list of goals in the bottom corner. As you complete these goals, you earn stars. You use stars to make upgrades available. Then, with money, you purchase the upgrades. This goes on and on, with new goals appearing every time you complete another one. This mode is clearly for the enthusiasts who like the gameplay enough to put their skills to the test in such a manner. That includes me.

A level in progress.

Suitable for the family?

The kids, of course, had a great time watching this game, as with the first game in the series. There are cute animals romping all over the screen constantly. Dogs bark at bears, bears trash your work, and cats pick up all of your goods. There is nothing disturbing or weird in this game. It's just cute and colorful.

The family man's final ruling

I liked this game just as much as the first game in the series. The graphics are improved, and there's even more to track and accomplish. This is a great time management game for those who like producing, buying, and selling goods. Everything about the game is polished. Let me warn you though, if you're going for the Gold ranking on every level, like I did, you're bound to run into some stumpers. I played some levels over and over without discovering a possible method of achieving Gold. I had to look up answers online for two levels, I think.

You'll like the game if... You liked the first Farm Frenzy You like strategic time management games You like cute games You like farm-themed games You like economic games You won't like the game if... You prefer less strategy in your time management games You prefer to control a character who runs around serving food You don't want to track a whole lot of simultaneous activity

My rating: