Lawn and Order?
I have to admit that the last game that I thought would become get a simulation-type game is one where you mow virtual lawns, but that’s exactly what we’ve got here with Lawn Mower Simulator. It is exactly what it sounds like, but it’s also a business simulator as well. You begin your lawn mowing company with just you and one lawnmower, but over time you’ll end up hiring people to do jobs as well as upgrading your mowers to newer models, as well as moving to new HQs which can hire more people and contain more types of mowers.
Make no mistake, this is no walk in the park. Mowing the lawns that you come across takes a considerable amount of time to do, as well as quickly running across the lawns beforehand to pick up any small items that may damage your mower, property or the lawn itself. Driving is simple enough but requires precision for those delicate bits of grass and later on you’ll even get tasked to mow in alternative stripes and even picking up garbage at the park.
I was actually impressed with how the game handled both as a simulator and as running a business, you can even take out loans if you think that will benefit you overall. The vehicles handle differently depending on the models and will take some getting used to, but each handle well once you know how the mechanics work. I didn’t think I could get hooked spending hours mowing digital lawns, but somehow there’s something appealing about it, and yet I still can’t find the strength to cut my own in real life…
Visually, I was impressed with the game’s locations and overall detail to the lawns themselves. The framerate was consistent throughout, and the load times weren’t long at all. The sound of the lawnmower going constantly may drive you mad over time, but you can always shove some music on or just mute the game if it’s annoying you too much.
The Verdict
I cannot say I was expecting to get addicted to a game like Lawn Mower Simulator, but that’s exactly what happened. I can’t explain why, but there’s something satisfying about cutting a huge lawn like an orchid or a country house and I think I’ll keep coming back for a good while.