The Harvest Moon series has become something of a standby over the last decade or so, so it's easy to forget just how revolutionary it was when it first hit the Super Nintendo back in 1996. An RPG where players progressed not by fighting battles or banishing evil, but by tending gently to the land, caring for animals, and finding true love; there was nothing quite like it. It seems odd, then, that Natsume's ten-year anniversary gift to the franchise was the beginning of the Rune Factory spin-offs, famously described as "Harvest Moon with swords".
It sounds incongruous, but somehow it works - if Harvest Moon showed us that the spade was just as mighty as the sword, Rune Factory proves that they're even better together, and this latest instalment absolutely perfects the message. Rune Factory 4 combines Harvest Moon's joyfully fulfilling fusion of farmwork and flirting with the slice-of-life storytelling and andante tempo of the Atelier series, and adds in a generous helping of Zelda-style action-RPG combat on the side, making for one of the freshest feeling farming games in years.
You'll first take control of your hero (or heroine, after answering a mildly patronizing question to determine your character's gender) aboard an airship, and following an untimely skirmish with unfriendly stowaways, plummet earthward towards the kindly kingdom of Norad. One amnesia-inducing impact and colossal case of mistaken identity later, you've been sworn in as the new prince or princess of the realm and find yourself suddenly entrusted with the town of Selphia - its development, the hearts of its residents, and a little garden plot behind the castle. Aside from the horticulture, the game's opening minutes pack in so many JRPG clichés it's almost silly, but trust us when we say it's worth sticking with - another ten minutes and you'll be completely enchanted.
The core of the Rune Factory experience is a unique blend of three main gameplay styles, taking Harvest Moon's tried-and-true formula of farming-meets-dating sim, and adding in action-RPG elements and an overarching adventure. It's quite a mix, and it means there's always plenty of fun things to be doing. From daybreak to dusk (where each in-game minute lasts a real-world second) you might choose to work in the fields, harvesting crops and planting new ones in their place, gathering resources, and shipping out your prince(ess)ly produce. You could also concentrate on wooing one of the game's six bachelors or bachelorettes, giving them gifts, taking them out on dates, and eventually getting married. You might decide to set out exploring, braving the baddie-filled field map as you discover new dungeons, monsters, bosses, and plot-points. Or you could take up various requests from the townspeople, helping them out by learning to cook, bringing them an item they need, or clearing an area of monsters.
It seems like it would be easy to feel overwhelmed by the options, but one of Rune Factory 4's best features is that you can choose to spend your day however you see fit - there really are no wrong choices - and no matter what, you'll be suitably rewarded with visible progress. There are specific experience points to earn in dozens of different areas, with surprisingly encouraging "Skill Up!" messages appearing on-screen every time you move up a level. This might be the only game that lets you methodically level-up in 'Sword', 'Love', 'Fishing', 'Walking', 'Sleeping', 'Bathing', and 'Throwing' categories - among many other important abilities - and we love it for that.
All these different deeds also help you to earn Prince(ss) Points - a merit-based system you can use to commission new buildings, expand your farm plot, schedule festivals, and generally improve the town. Festivals, by the way, have come a long way since the original Harvest Moon, in both interactivity and creativity, and they'll definitely keep you on your toes - an early event sees your character running around the town square as the townsfolk pelt you amicably with different types of beans, like some sort of seed-based bullet-hell shooter in reverse.
A big part of what makes Rune Factory 4 so much fun is that all three of its main activities - farming, flirting, and fighting - intertwine into one incredibly addictive cycle. You might start out planting flowers to sell in the shipping box, but hold on to a few extras at harvest time to make a bouquet for your beloved. After handing over the flowers, you could ask them to join you on an adventure into the field - both to raise their all-important Love Points and provide some much-needed backup. While exploring, you'll invariably come across new materials, plants, or seeds you'll want to try out in the garden, and find yourself rushing back home to whip out the hoe and get tilling.
Each system is also polished and engaging on its own terms. Farming is as fun here as in the original Harvest Moon - refined, streamlined, and as involved as you want it to be - conversations with prospective partners are sweet, funny, and characterful, the bachelors and bachelorettes are genuinely likeable, with something for everyone, and the combat is satisfyingly simple hack-and-slash, with plenty of different weapons and spells to pick up along the way.
Fitting for a game about time-management, Rune Factory 4 also values your time. The dialogue bubbles above characters' heads turn yellow if they have something new to say, and a handy, ever-present touchscreen map shows you exactly where everyone is in town. The interface - which could easily have been a mess of menus - is speedy and beautifully presented: a quick tap of the 'L' button brings up your inventory for easy access, while pressing Start will show you an expanded view with well-organized tabs.
First-rate gameplay and a smooth presentation go a long way, but this game's appeal is about much more than mechanics. Sure, you'll fight monsters, fall in love, and grow an unholy amount of turnips, but more than any of these things, playing Rune Factory is all about the atmosphere. Whoever named the series obviously never made the "factory farm" connection, because in both its outlook and presentation, Rune Factory 4 is as organic, idyllic, and cage-free as they come.
The plot is driven by themes of friendship and renewal, with love, hard work, and the power of agriculture saving the day, rather than brute strength or violence. Sure, you'll whack an awful lot of monsters over the head along the way, but they're never really hurt and certainly not killed - bashing them with your magically merciful weapons simply sends them back to the Elysian-sounding Forest of Beginnings from whence they've strayed. Alternatively, once you upgrade your farm with a Monster Barn, you can befriend them - just as you would the townsfolk - and have them give you a lift, fight alongside you, or even help out on the farm.
It's charming, genuinely sweet, and wonderfully optimistic, and all comes together to form a refreshingly welcoming world. Early on, a guardian figure tells your character that "You're always welcome here", and you get the sense that they're talking to you, the player, as much as the white-haired heroine (or hero) on-screen. Selphia's quirky inhabitants are truly memorable characters you'll be happy to interact with day-in and day-out, and the town itself feels like a living, breathing place; everyone simply goes about their business independently of your actions - waking up, walking around, talking to neighbours, eating lunch, relaxing in the baths, and running across town carrying giant strawberries over their heads (as one does) - always happy to see you, but never waiting around.
That feeling is certainly helped by the fact that the writing here is absolutely top-notch. XSEED's legendary localisation team takes a +2 Broadsword to the game's fourth wall with meta-jokes galore, surprisingly timely Pokémon references, and utterly fantastic item descriptions. You might not have thought much about all the trivial trinkets you pick up in resource-heavy RPGs like this before, but after reading the copy for a few of Rune Factory 4's finest, you'll be spoiled for life. There's the Safety Lance ("We can stab if we want to!"), Green Grass ("Trying hard to change so people will stop calling it boring"), and our personal favourite, the Turnip ("The king of all crops. It has been through many hardships to stay in this position. Bow down to the turnip."), to name just a few.
The excellent writing isn't limited to the subscreens, either. The dialogue is just as fun, running the gamut from cheerful chit-chat to cheeky innuendo, and your character's inner monologue as you poke around the townspeople's homes never fails to raise a smile. If you've played previous games in the series, you're in for a real treat; along with plenty of subtle and overt references to the earlier titles, the interactive trophy room (incidentally one of the best implementations of an achievement system we've seen) holds a fan-art gallery with endearing, in-character commentary by the pictures' inhabitants.
Rune Factory 4 feels like a throwback to its 16-bit inspiration in more ways than one, including its graphical presentation. That's not to say the visuals are poorly done - they can actually be breathtaking at times - but rather that they appeal to an old-school aesthetic, with chunky, 3D models walking over flat, two-dimensional backgrounds viewed from a top-down perspective. The 3D effect is unusually shallow, but definitely welcome - the anime cutscenes are especially stunning in 3D - and seeing flower petals or confetti pieces floating in front of the action adds an alluring snow-globe effect to Rune Factory's world. Sadly, every transition in and out of dialogue scenes triggers an awkward layer-jump with the stereoscopic effect turned on, and the framerate isn't always as solid as it could be. It's not much of a showcase for the 3DS' graphical muscle, but then again, that's not the point - this is still a gorgeous game, with lovingly painted backgrounds that pack a pastoral punch and beautiful, detailed character portraits that can be viewed in full with a press of the 'X' button.
The game's audio toes the same line between new and nostalgia as the graphics, and to equal success: the soundtrack is comprised of charming, catchy synth-orchestral melodies you'll find yourself humming through your daily chores both in-game and out, and the sound effects evoke a comforting retro-RPG soundscape. Excellent voice acting helps bring the townsfolk to life, and the entire game abounds with lovely little audio touches - like the music-box save jingle playing itself out even after you've closed the menu.
Conclusion
Rune Factory 4 might not be for everyone, but if its unique combination of fantasy farming, dating sim, and action-RPG sounds like your cup of tea, you'll have an absolute field day with this gem of a game. It's bursting with bucolic charm, backed up by masterful writing and an irresistibly positive outlook, and plays like the pinnacle of a genre it invented itself. Whether you come for the adventure, the romance, or simply the turnips, Rune Factory 4's inviting world will draw you in and give you plenty of reasons to stick around for many, many seasons to come.
Comments 75
Meh, don't know anything about this series. Sounds fun though~
Will definitely obtain a copy of this come end of the year. It is sounding really good. <3
@Morgan Is this a good entry title for the uninitiated?
I never got a crack at the original Rune Factory for DS. I expect to get this one at some point.
Can't wait when it comes to Euro! played all 3 DS games and the Wii version. I would recommend it! it was very additive to play.
Looks interesting, I have played a Harvest Moon game before, and the idea of adding Zelda-style combat to that sounds very appealing! I will likely end up getting this game in the future as I enjoy simulation-type games.
Since Sonic was a bust and if Batman doesn't do to well ill probably pick this up by years end! Just want all the good games for this system I can get! Enjoying this year by far!
@NlmH
It definitely is. This game gives you tutorial after tutorial about the game's mechanics, so you'll definitely be good to go. I would definitely pick this one up if I were you,or if you were looking to save money, RF3 is amazing as well.
This will be my first take on the series.
I made the mistake of getting this game 2 days before I got Pokemon Y. Consequently I have had no life, and I've been wanting both gameplays to somehow be merged lol. They are both fantastic titles, I would highly recommend Rune Factory 4.
@NImH Definitely! It was my first one and I'm hooked! It's easy to get the hang of (especially if you've played a Harvest Moon game before), has a great interactive (and actually interesting!) tutorial system, and the story's totally self-contained - the references to the earlier games are just fun little connections & easter eggs.
Great! I'm going to pick this up when the dust settles from xy... in a few months. By the way, are same sex relationships possible in this game?
The Dating Sim part of it puts me off. (Quite like the idea of the rest of it. More than Pokemon anyway).
@Pixel-Perfect Sadly not; they did try to implement it in a previous Harvest Moon game, but they got a lot of crap for it before the game even went international (not because it had same-sex relations, but because of how they treated it as something childish and worth-undermining). Since Natsume/Marvelous knows just how backwards the rest of the world can be at times, they chose to play it safe on that front.
I'm gonna get this game for my wife for xmas. She loves Harvest Moon and Final Fantasy, so this game sounds like it'd be great for her.
So long as it's better then Tides of Destiny </3
This has taken much of my needed pokemon time away from me...
Great review, Morgan. I love this game (I also loved Rune Factory 3 (DS), Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny (Wii and PS3), and Rune Factory: Frontier (Wii)).
Whichever console gets the next Rune Factory game will be the console I buy. If it's the Wii U, I'll finally buy a Wii U. If it's the PS4, I'll buy my first Sony console.
Huh, interesting, I'll keep an eye on this.
Excellent review. I love every game of the series that I've played (1, 2, and Frontier..except for those damn runies.) and I have been looking forward to this game since I heard of it's release in Japan last year. I'm not sure why I haven't ordered this yet. Even before reading this review I knew it was going to be great, this just makes me want it that much more.
@GuardianKing I see, thank you.
@Pixel-Perfect Trust me, I wish games were more progressive as well, but what flies in Japan often doesn't elsewhere...
cool... Glad a good 3ds game came out after sonic....
@Big_Boy_Chubs
@GuardianKing hey hey hey.... calm down.... just a comment...
@Big_Boy_Chubs This is calm. I was merely recanting facts and opinions of mine.
Looks cool.
Very interested! Will get it when it's out over here in the old world.
...Amber asked me once if she looked juicy to me....even better, this happened when she was in her swimsuit. xD
...That said, stay away from Amber, she's mine.
I've only played one Harvest Moon game (DS Cute) and loved it. A fantasy Harvest Moon with more RPG fighting elements is definitely something that piques my interest but I was worried it would feel too much like a "been there, done that". This review put my fears to rest, I'll definitely have to add this to my library when I get the opportunity.
Shame there's no same sex marriages in this one, would have liked to have taken advantage of that to add more replay value. Guess I can always just do a second run through as the male main character.
OH hallejuah. I went ahead and downloaded this without waiting for reviews, (it was my honeymoon, I deserve a treat too!) and hoped it wouldn't somehow turn out to be the worst one, or some such. Glad to see others are loving it!
I never played the DS games, but Frontier was great!
Good to see they made it even better this time! Definitely getting this!
This sounds... GREAT. I've never played a Rune Factory title (hell, I've heard about them for years [as well as the Harvest Moon titles that I've also never touched]), but this sounds awesome. I have money in hand, I'm definitely considering it now. :B
This game actually sounds like it would be fun to play, and after watching the video of it on the Nintendo eShop, I can say that I am genuinely interested in trying it out. I'm not sure when though, since Animal Crossing New Leaf has kept me pretty busy since June.
@GuardianKing Secret Rings was actually pretty good. And the critical reception wasn't too bad, either.
Looks really good!! Never played one before, but just may have to pick this one up! Awesome news
This is definitely my favorite Rune Factory in the series, (including Frontier!) so it's great to see it receive such a good review!
Sounds really good! Don't know if I'll be able to get to it, though...
@Pixel-Perfect Kind of! New Game+ Allows you to sprite swap with another character (i.e. you can look like a girl but still be a boy). So, yeah, kinda.
@Yukari_Sendo
Ah man, I've had that happen too. Needless to say I was actually kinda afraid to find out where they were going with that one. Not as bad as Pico trying to get Dolce to wear a see-through swimsuite though.XD
@Zombie_Barioth Ok I don't need to have perverted thoughts about these RF girls, already having a hard time not thinking about Amber. xD
@Yukari_Sendo
Ok, then how about Porco?XD
@Zombie_Barioth He scares me sometimes, lol
@Yukari_Sendo Okay, so you actually went for Amber... I dunno, she always seemed too childish for my tastes. Whenever I pass by with Forte, she goes "Aww... That looks like fun!", something I've never heard any teen/young adult say, ever. Amber's character should be loved more as a child than a bachelorette IMO.
@GuardianKing I dunno, I think its the hair...first anime girl I like was Eureka, switch over to video games and loved Isabella from Advance Wars: DoR...and now Amber, all 3 have green hair. xD
Then again, I also love Yukari and Francesca, and they're both 12/13 year old, lol
@Cyb3rnite That sounds interesting, but I don't think a sprite swap would really be the same. Can you swap with anything else besides the other MC?
This game has been sitting on my desk, taunting me, but Pokemon's been eating up most of my free time...
@Pixel-Perfect I'm almost convinced it can be done with literally anything.
@CanisWolfred Do it, do it, do it, do it!
Fantastic review, Mr. Sleeper.
@Yukari_Sendo
Haha, between him and Volkanon I really don't what to say. The guy reminds me way too much of major Armstrong though, which is a good thing imo.
@Zombie_Barioth Oh, so I'm not the only one who thought of that!
Looks like a fun exciting game, may be getting this one at some point in the 3DS lifespan.
Oh gawd Armstrong, I feel bad for Ed and Al having to deal with him here and there. xD
Looks interesting. I might try it out.
Great game, it may end up my favorite in the series.
If you are at all interested I strongly recommend giving it a try. You'll be surprised at what you've been missing.
Why cant nintendo put awesome games like this on wii u i can dream i can dream
@Pixel-Perfect Sometimes opposite gender dialogue shows up. Just the other day, one of the other guys was hitting on me.
I've never played any Rune Factory or Harvest Moon, only regular RPGs, but this review makes me really want to try this one out!
It's going to be very hard to decide between this and Hometown Story.
Wow, 9! Lots of praise for this game, I may have to pick it up!
I really need to snag this one.
Maybe RuneFactory 4 will be the one to grab me. I have both wii versions and get really frustrated fast when I play them. It's just a me thing really. I will more than likely pick this up for the Christmas season
@Spoony_Tech Don't forget and I know you haven't Bravely Default Early next year
@Windy: I love this game, you should check it out dude. I've been playing this instead of both Pokemon games, no joke. I found it used at GameStop, and grabbed it. I can't believe there were 2 copies there! I must have put 20 hrs in at least so far!
This game INDEED isn't for everyone. It's kind of love it or hate it. Once have said this...
I planned on getting, and currently playing this instead of pokemon. I like it a lot... There is ALWAYS something to do, and I tire out before getting bored... The story is lenghty, the characters have a lot of dialog instead of two or three generic lines, as pointed in this review some item descriptions are absolutely hilarious... There are a lot of references to previous games (My favorite of them are those that unlock by completing the second part of the main story!)
Talking of the review, I agree that the menus are pretty well organized, given the sheer amount of items and data it could have been a mess... But hey, it isn't! This implementation is amazing!
The only fact that i really, really hate is the underused, lackluster, terrible 3D. It's used pretty well here and there, but that's it... Otherwise this could have been near perfection.
Is this game going to get a UK release? I can't seem to find it on the usual online stores in the UK…
I'm starting to look forward to the Harvest Moon spinoff more than Harvest Moon itself.
@KnightRider666 I will add it to my Christmas wish list. I put about 3 games a year on that list and Runefactory will be 1 of the 3
@Windy: You won't be sorry bro;)
@KnightRider666 Haha! picking this up today after work Tips were good today! I love my Job!
@Windy: Cool beans:) Let me know what you think of it. I'd say the game is like Secret of Mana & Harvest Moon combined.
Have waited so long, getting it in December, so excited!
I wasn't sure about this game, I tried it and I really think it's a great game. It also felt like a perfect game for my eldest daughter (age 12- a tough age to shop for). This game has been nothing but shear joy for her. I don't think I could count how many times she's broken out in laughter playing it.
@gregrout That's awesome to hear! I think RF4 is such a breath of fresh air, it's friendly, funny, and just has a ton of heart. I keep coming back to this one in-between all the other great games this year, and I know it'll be in a few people's stockings this Xmas from me too =D
I got this about a month ago and I LOVE it. Games with dating sim elements are so fun to play, especially if it is not the focus of the game. All of the characters come to life, and I never expected to like Arthur as much as I do. Then again, intelligent, kind men are very attractive;) and Arthur fits that description and then some.
Tap here to load 75 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...