14 DAY TRIAL // Lucky has had breakfast (which my own character never talks about) and is ready for some action. I use her to clear some piles of debris from the yard, which uses almost all of her stamina for the day but leads to a level-up. Then the dinosaur can chill a little in its enclosure while I also do a little work.
I spend a significant portion of my own stamina reserves to dig a few farming plots, plan all the seeds that have blown over the farm through the night, and then water both these and already existing plants. A good crop is coming and that’s great because it will give me a ton of shells to re-invest in the farm and its development.
The carrots and onions might need a few more days but I do have enough other resources to fulfill some quests, so I head to town. There are friends to engage with on the way to it and plenty of vendors in the actual market. I check the journal and wonder where to focus my efforts and stamina for the next day or two.
Paleo Pines is developed by Italic Pig and published by Modus Games. I played a preview on the PC via Steam. The game will also launch in the fall on the Nintendo Switch, the Xbox Series X and S, the PlayStation 5, and older devices from Microsoft and Sony. The title features traditional farming on an island where dinos and humans exist in symbiosis.
It’s a story as old as time: human finds a dinosaur egg, the two bond, and then go on an adventure on an island filled with many other dinos. Players can choose their character's appearance and will quickly get to know Lucky, a pet parasaurolophus. Both travel to the island of Paleo Pines to rebuild an old farm and find adventure.
To do that, the pair has to explore the world, complete quests for a range of characters, and manage their energy resources. Don’t waste energy on simply running, use it all to grow crops and add more functionality to the farm. There are plenty of choices to make and a range of visual styles to choose from.
All the dinosaurs on Paleo Pines will respond to flute notes that resemble their own calls, and players can then offer a treat to gain their trust. The power of these ancient reptiles can be harnessed to power farming work. Gamers will also have to design their pens and satisfy their needs to keep happiness levels high.
Paleo Pines opts for a very cartoonish and bright look that suits the low stakes of the narrative and the overall niceness of the setting. All the dinosaurs I’ve seen are cute and almost beg to be collected. Humans aren’t as lucky, with weirdly shiny faces. Walking animations for both Lucky and the main character feel unfinished. The soundtrack isn’t adventurous and simply captures the niceness of the island.
Conclusion
Are dinosaurs enough to make such a classic take on familiar and simple mechanics interesting? I liked exploring the world but the game does need to find some sort of innovation, preferably when it comes to its mechanics. Paleo Pines will appeal to gamers who like laid-back experiences and cozy repetition but might struggle to break out of the bonds of its genre.
A preview key was provided by the publisher
