SimTractor simulates growing of corn, wheat and rye-grass. You get in the farmers' world and go throw all the operations a real farmer deals with: from plowing till harvesting and selling. The game developer seems to know everything about farmers' life, and not by hearsay. It's a pity he hasn't managed to fully realize his programming skills.

To avoid misunderstanding, users should be aware of some computer system requirements. The game needs PIII - 600 Processor, 128 Mb, 16Mb 3D Graphic Card. But even if you have 3 times as much and better, SimTractor will appear to be a lumbering and slowly working program. Not intuitive interface and incomprehensible flow will complete the picture. Is there anything good about the game? Yes, of course, there is. But, while harvesting, be ready to struggle not only with changeable weather and market prices, but with the program's weak points as well.

On the program's start a user gets a sequence of windows giving a vague understanding of the situation on the agricultural market and initial farmer's possessions.

Having observed the sum of money in your bank account, machinery, and quantity of cattle (zero, actually), you find yourself completely on your own. Whatever greatly you might wish to succeed on the fields, you are at a loss what to grow, where to grow, whether it's necessary to take seeds somewhere, and, after all, what the plan of your dear farm is. No hint, no tip.

Farmer's Manual, 33 pages of a PDF document, resembles a textbook ‘Farming for Idiots'. Personally I would prefer it to contain more guidelines how to play instead of general phrases about tilling, plowing and the necessity of weeds-killing and fertilizing.

Though, in the very end, the Manual does explain that it's July – the time to harvest wheat. So, we are supposed to use STS Combine and go ahead! When it is winter, farmers will have to buy more machines and get prepared for growing other crops.

To work at a farm is not easy indeed!

To make some farming operations easier to learn, the game might have provided some funny ways to get information: a piece of advice from a neighbor or a mechanic, reading a machine instruction, or a monthly magazine on agricultural matters, etc. But, unfortunately, trial-and-error method is the only way to available.

Simtractor provides one- and multiplayer, off- and online games. The Online Farm option allows to host or to join a farm on the net. To play online one has to be a registered user. And, naturally enough, the host starts or ends a playing session.

Simtractor supports a keyboard and a joystick. A joystick is much more convenient when driving and tilling. The List of Commands counts more than 30. There is an option to set command keys.

You'll start as a "Weekend Farmer", working on the fields in early mornings, at nights and weekends. Time in SimTractor goes much quicker than in reality. There are commands to speed it up or to slow down.

To help manage your farm, you'll have a PDA. It shows on the screen at the Tab key pressing and informs about the game time, the situation on the market for the current month, the quantity of manure, the value of your cattle, etc. Weather forecast helps analyze weather conditions and decide for some future operations.

Graphical realization of the game is not bad at all. But for SimTractor's awkwardness, the game would produce an atmosphere of a cozy farm, especially attractive in sunny weather. 3D viewing of the tractor cab's inside adds to the reality effect.

The objects of the game developer's pride are several of the worlds most exciting farm machines, accurately modeled in every detail: combines, sprayer, loader and tractors.

Summing everything up, SimTractor is for people with nerves of steel, great love of farming and desire to get a result. Without any of the components you might get disappointed. Such is my subjective opinion. Try it and see yourself.