Have you ever wanted to leave it all? Just pack your bags, move to a completely new place and start a brand new life? If you've ever wanted to see what it's like to start fresh, now is your chance with the release of Marvelous' latest farming simulation title, Story of Seasons.
As was outlined in our recent review of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, long-time publisher Natsume owns the rights to the Harvest Moon name, so Marvelous was put in the position of having to rebrand its long-running series with this new release. Not only does Story of Seasons provide a strong showing for what may be a standalone oddity, but it also paves the way for a potential series of its own. Whatever this new game may end up being, it is at the very least an excellent place to start for players new to the genre.
Arriving to Oak Tree Town as a greenhorn, your character has decided to answer a flier requesting individuals interested in running a farm. The townsfolk are well aware that you have no prior background in crop or livestock maintenance, but they decide that you're the right man or woman – your choice – for the job. Shortly after moving to your new home, it's revealed to you that the real reason the town is seeking new residents is to stimulate the area's economy and develop trade routes with surrounding countries. Community is a big focus in Story of Seasons, and part of this is opening your region to those around you.
The plot's focus may be on community, but the gameplay here is still all about growing crops and earning your keep. Farming in this game has been condensed by having you work on 3x3 plots of land rather than tending to each crop individually. You are still responsible for selecting the correct tools from your bag and making sure that you don't accidentally destroy your precious greenery with a sickle rather than sprinkling them with your watering can, but the time consuming and repetitive nature of the gameplay has been reduced. To make up for this simplified farming, your character's stamina has been adjust to deplete more rapidly, meaning that while there may be less work to do this time around, there is also significantly less energy to do it with. This new system works well and greatly reduces the tedium that was a major complaint in Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley. On top of that, newcomers to the series or veterans who simply want a more relaxed experience can select to play on Seedling Mode, a version of the game that retains all of the major elements but allows players more stamina and reduced prices in the shops around town.
Coupled with the streamlined gameplay is the intuitive control scheme. Character movement is controlled with the Circle Pad while all actions are performed with the lettered buttons or icons on the touchscreen. Tools and items can be switched out by opening the main menu with the X button, or by pulling up a quick access menu with a tap of the R shoulder trigger. Swapping tools isn't as easy as it is in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, where the left and right buttons on the D-Pad are put to good use, but the quick access menu does well to make up for the lost time.
A major element of the Harvest Moon series that makes an appearance here is the inclusion of a romance system, allowing the game to work as more than just a farming simulator. There are several eligible bachelors or bachelorettes – depending on your character's gender – all of which can be romanced through gift giving and eventually married. The focus in this is obviously to find a marriage partner, but you can also become close with other members of the community through similar means as well. Growing relationships around town means that more items will be available in shops and the community will generally be friendlier towards you. It's surprisingly satisfying to earn the respect of particularly prickly characters, and learning more about the residents is one of the more interesting aspects of the game. The characters all feel unique from one another and stand out as individuals who have their own stories to tell.
Going back to the idea of growing community, a major new aspect to Story of Seasons is the Trade Depot. Rather than having a shipping bin or a regular place to sell your crops and products, all trading is done with different countries at this plaza in town. The more you purchase, trade, and fulfil requests, other countries with different products will take notice and eventually come to trade in your town as well. There is a bit of frustration that comes along with not having a shipping bin always available when you need the money, but this new arrangement places an emphasis on the importance of paying attention to the trading system and developing your trading partnerships.
The art style present is similar to that which has been found in many recent Harvest Moon titles. The gameplay boasts a cute and cartoony element while the dialogue features detailed motionless illustrations of each character as they speak. The two styles work well together to create the impression that, despite being a lighthearted and charming game, it is still rooted in the reality of everyday life. Though the style chosen may work well, that's not to say that the visual presentation is without its flaws, some of which are more irksome than can be ignored. The console's 3D effect is put to use, but it doesn't provide any significant improvements to the game and can sometimes be disorienting. When turned on, the biggest use of the 3D is to provide depth between the background and character illustrations, but it mostly just accentuates some of the environment's more jagged lines. There are also certain areas of the map that incite a noticeable drop in frame rate.
Thankfully these areas mostly just act as corridors to get from one major part of town to another rather than being centres of activity, but the issue remains. It feels as though a lot of care was put into achieving the desired aesthetic in Story of Seasons, but a final polish was not performed over the completed package.
For as good a job as these games do in providing life simulations that promote the importance of community, the one thing that the Harvest Moon series has never perfected is multiplayer, and that rings true in Story of Seasons. After spending a certain amount of time on your own farm, the options to activate both StreetPass and multiplayer elements become available. Multiplayer allows you to visit other players' farms either locally or over WiFi and exchange gifts, while StreetPass "collects" players who you have passed by so you can check out their farms' stats. We'd love to say that there's more to it than that, but the reality is that these features are very limited and, quite frankly, underwhelming.
Conclusion
Story of Seasons may rightfully belong in the Harvest Moon family, but it's a strong enough entry to stand on its own. Taking familiar gameplay elements such as farming and the romance system, this title uses the framework that came before it and expands on that in many positive directions. It may not be the most polished game, with its finicky frame rate and an underwhelming 3D display, but the charming characters and satisfying gameplay make this a game worth any Harvest Moon fan's time. If you're looking to start a relaxing new virtual life full of charm and charisma, look no further than Story of Seasons.
Comments 54
Having bought Rune Factory 4 now, I don't know if I could ever go back to playing a 'harvest moon' game.
Better than the other HM game that's coming out.
Seems nice, I might just have to buy it. I can't believe that I hadn't noticed this game before.
i was kinda worried about this one but ill take a 7 better then nothing,
happy about this one getting that 7/10 then a 4/10
So glad its not ...terrible. An 8 or 9 would have been great, but alas.
I'll likely get it boxed or used on sale. I was burned too badly by the digital version of Bravely Default (I've broken 3 bones in my life, and I'd rather re-break the last one than re-play the last 10 hours of that game again), along with Hometown Story.
For anyone concerned about the score, keep in mind that a 7 on our site means this game is good. There were a few flaws that held it back a little, but I was very torn between rewarding it at 8.
I've played a whole lot of Harvest Moon games in my life, and this is easily one of the best.
I was wondering if the 3D effect was more like Harvest Moon A New Beginning, or like Two Towns. I liked the effect in New Beginning, and thought it was terrible in Two Towns. It may sound weird, but that's a deal breaker for me. Even though the reviewer mentioned he didn't care for the 3D, I"m not sure if that would be the case for me. Because if it's like New Beginning, I'm good. But, there seems to be no way to test that without just buying the game. Even the preview on the E-shop does not display in 3d. Can Ron or anyone let me know? Thanks!
Great review. I will be picking up this game at some point. I can't resist a Harvest Moon game.
Does anyone know if this game has an UK release date yet?
Juuuuuuuuuuust picked it up. Literally, five minutes ago. But my Road to the Show season in MLB is picking up on Vita, so maybe I can get to Story soon...
@Alundra-1998 it's still TBA at the moment for Europe.I'm dying to play it too!
preordered this back in august and am just waiting for ups to get here
A very accurate, and precise review. Had they done anything useful with the multiplayer, other than tokenize it, as simply "being there", along with the minimalistic use of the 3d, this would have easily deserved a 9 or even a 10, but they neglected 2 of the MAJOR functions of the platform it was created for, so honestly a 6 or a 7 is more than fair. Regardless, if you want harvest moon... this is the true one of the year.. everything you would expect from HM is here, only better. So true HM fans.. prepare to lose many hours on this title.
@Ron_DelVillano So it's a "strong 7" then, good to know. I'll definitely be getting it! Can't wait! Great review!
I'm pleased to see this did so well.
After playing Natsume's HORRIBLE attempt at the only thing keeping them alive, I'm so happy to see XSeed bring the ACTUAL series over. Natsume won't be getting another penny from me. I deleted HM:TLV from my microSD card. Story of Seasons forever!
Looking forward to getting it today. Anyone who wants to play online is free to add me. I guess I gotta get some pants on so I can go to Gamestop.
@Dooyoo To be honest, I haven't played ToTT or ANB in a while, so I'm not sure which to compare it to. Does anyone else want to weigh in?
Considering my Wi-Fi is finicky at best, and I can't play it in 3D anyway (2DS owner), looks like this'll be a pretty awesome game! Now I just need to wait until I have the funds xD
Why did this get a lower score than A New Beginning?
I'm really disappointed that the Harvest Moon series, and genre in general is just so limited in scope. When was the last time we got a great game in the series, ie. 9/10 or 10/10 material?
...Sooo, wait...what happened to Harvest Moon exactly? The whole thing confuses me. xD
Anyways, still hoping they'll be able to continue Rune Factory. :c
So if the wireless options and the 3d don't matter its an 8/9?
@Ron_DelVillano that last parts good to know, i too have played just about every HM game except lost valley. It's shipping right now so should be here any minute.
@Ryu_Niiyama If you don't care about multiplayer or 3D effects and you are a fan of the Harvest Moon series, there is a very good chance that you will enjoy this game.
@Ron_DelVilano Hey thanks for the response! I'll pick it up after work today.
MAy have to snag it. Always wanted to play a HM game.
So this is the 'real' new Harvest Moon then?
Just got my my copy, Spring Break is going to be fantastic! The plushie is super cute too. Little smaller than I thought it'd be, but hey I can't complain. Xseed, did a great job with RF4, so I have high expectations for SoS
Not touching another Harvest Moon game until I finally dig into Rune Factory 4.
I bought off ebay and received my game on my birthday, the 26th. This one is much better than AToTT. I like it better than ANB, too.
I think one of the reasons for lack of multi-player options is it was so exploited with ANB: many players didn't do anything on their own but merely went online almost immediately to beg for crops, animals, and forage items that shouldn't have been available until much later in the game.
I am just about thru the yr 1 Spring, and yeah, it takes some time to get used to no shipping box, but now it feels right. The characters are well rounded, too.
I give it a solid 8.5.
Once you play rune factory harvest moon is ruined for you.
@Flowerlark
Actually, ANB's month-old tutorial was much worse. Here, after the first 3 days, you can leave Eda's home and start foraging. It isn't wasted time, at least. You want all the twigs and rocks you can get.
This sounds solid. Seems like the perfect time to start playing this series. I was going to start with Lost Valley, because it looked promising, but this seems like a far better option.
So I'm confused? Was this meant to be a Harvest Moon game then?
Cool, I was hoping for a score of around 7 for this game. After the very disappointing "Lost Valley" game, this should be a welcome relief.
@Geonjaha
The highest scoring game on Metacritic is Magical Melody at 83, next in line is FoMT and Back to Nature. Its the handheld ones that seem to score the lowest. I don't know what it is, but they don't seem as good at making handheld games for some reason.
On the brigh side, most don't drop below 63 either, only Puzzel de Harvest Moon and Lost Valley do, at 41 and 43 respectively.
@Dooyoo The 3D looks just like ANB (to me, at least) and I personally have no problem with it.
I picked it up yesterday after work and played for an hour or so but the insanely-long tutorial eventually got to me. I'll be playing again tonight to push through the last bit of the tutorial and finally start playing the game, which looks amazing!
The little differences in farming mechanics are cool so far and I can't wait to see what else they've tweaked. This is way more of a real Harvest Moon experience than whatever that thing Natsume released was.
Is there mining? Unless I missed it in the review. I love the mining parts.
@sonicmeerkat I have to disagree with you there. I'm an avid fan of both RF and HM. They are both similar and different. RF is more rpg with farming whereas HM'S farming is much more in depth and way more options.
It really depends what you want. But for me both RF and HM ate different games and I enjoy them both.
@Hy8ogen If what you say is true you are the chosen one.
@sonicmeerkat More like I waste too much time playing these Sims.
@Hy8ogen And the combined rune factory and harvest knowledge will one day save the earth chosen one.
@Dooyoo That really bothers me too, when there's no way to preview a game's use of 3D. It's been a few years and it's still rare for the eShop to properly display 3D screenshots of games!
This is such a strange nitpick. I got mine bundled with the preorder bonus, which was shrinkwrapped to the game. The plushie is fine, but the plastic covering looks melted on the back and when I opened it up, it has the WORST chemical smell. Like, wood varnish bad or epoxy glue bad. I like to display my game cases, but I think this one is going in the trash if it doesn't dissipate soon.
I've been playing this since yesterday and it feels a lot like a sequel to A New Beginning. You can collect blueprints and build tools, farm additions, decorations for you and the town, etc. like in the previous title. They've also thrown in the Requests from A Tale of Two Towns, but they are now optional.
It really seems like they took the fun parts from the previous games while cutting out a lot of the tedious stuff, or things that didn't work as well. My only complaint so far is that the bachelors are a little uninteresting. Hoping that changes with time!
@diastelo
Well, your not the only one with the shriveled up back! Mine doesn't (at least to the best of my smelling ability), smell like that so that is a little weird....huh. It is really annoying, just curious but did you order it from Amazon??? Mine came through Amazon so I wonder if it was a problem on their end...
@HandheldGuru97
Yeah, I got it through Amazon. I wonder if it started to melt in their warehouse or if the shrinkwrap job to get the preorder bonus attached melted it. I have the box airing out on the counter at home.
@diastelo
When did you get yours? I preordered from Amazon last year when it was announced and still hasn't come in. I have never gotten a preorder bonus before, so I am going to be sorely upset if my game doesn't come with it despite preordering it the moment I found it.
@Leafgreenmary
I received mine April 1st with Prime shipping (it shipped March 30). If your order already shipped or says it is preparing to ship, I can't see why you wouldn't have the bonus, especially as I only preordered my copy in February of this year. Amazon has run out of preorder bonuses for me without warning before (like with Lego City Undercover), but usually only when I ordered sort of last minute the week before the release.
Don't be alarmed if the box is really small. The plushie is only about the size of an egg. It's super cute.
@Sanya
Marvelous AQL creates Harvest Moon games, so they usually have Natsume localize it. This time, however, the company wanted to have XSEED games -a part of their company- to localize their game. BUT. Natsume has ownership over the title "Harvest Moon" in the US, so this harvest moon game had to change its name to "Story of Seasons." And the other harvest moon game, "Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley" is something created by Natsume itself...not a true harvest moon game in my opinion despite having the name.
For Rune Factory...you should know its fate. With Neverland bankrupt.............I doubt...gods forbid,but I must say the truth!...there will be another Rune Factory game. Though the Rune Factory developers have worked on another game. I believe its called "Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven." Though from what I see, it lacks the luster of Rune Factory 4, since it has regressed back to the time of having ONLY a male protagonist -even the name screams this. Though if you want to play it, the game should be localized some time this year.
@diastelo Thanks so much!!!! It came in just as you said.
@Leafgreenmary i ordered with 2 day shipping on amazon and got it on the release date
Friends of Mineral Town was amazing. After that the series died for me. The game didn't translate well to 3D. I'm not sure exactly what it is. Maybe maneuvering the 2D grids with full analog, or just poor game design in general. Speaking for the gamecube games and the first 3DS game, the town felt totally lifeless.
I just got this and my hands hurt from playing it so much. This is by far the best in the series that I have played since Friends of Mineral Town.
Can the version on amazon be played on a uk 3ds?
Tap here to load 54 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...