Some of our readers on the Western side of the Atlantic may be anxiously anticipating Rune Factory 3 and its multiplayer charms, but over in Europe there's just one month to go until Rune Factory 2 does the rounds.
With more of the same mix of fighting and farming, not to mention a heavy amount of romance, Rune Factory 2 looks set to continue where its acclaimed predecessor left off.
Leading Japanese video games publisher Rising Star Games has today confirmed that Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon will be released exclusively on Nintendo DS on 8th October 2010.
The Rune Factory series takes all the elements from Harvest Moon and injects a hefty dose of RPG gameplay. Gamers can start a family with a choice of the female villagers they encounter, with over 12 potential wives to pick from. Gamers can play through two generations within the game, firstly as the father and then the son or daughter. There are also four huge dungeons to hone fighting skills and cultivate crops in, plus monsters can be tamed to help out on the farm too.
Reviews have been positive in the US and Japan, with scores averaging 80%, including 8.4 from IGN: "The Rune Factory design is full of depth and options, with so many things to see and do that you could easily find yourself playing it for 20 hours or more."
"Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon picks up where the last game finished," says Martin Defries, managing director, Rising Star Games. "It's full of farming, fighting and families - the winning Rune Factory combination that will have fans clamouring to get their hands on this."
Rune Factory 2 will be released on 8th October on Nintendo DS courtesy of Rising Star Games.
Comments 12
Need I explain how excited I am about this? I loved the first one and the Wii adventure too, so more of the same suits me down to the fertile ground.
Wow, Europe is a whole game behind. That's no fun. But hey, at least it's coming finally.
I personally don't see the appeal in this type of game, sadly. I got Rune Factory Frontier & I just couldn't enjoy it... Doing the same monotonous farming every (in-game) day & not getting anywhere fast. I also bought Little King's Story because of all the hype but it just didn't do much for me Anyone care to quickly explain why they love 'Rune Factory', 'Harvest Moon', 'Little King's Story' etc.? Maybe some of the love will rub off onto me as I truly would like to like this specific type of RPG.
I don't know whether I'll get this. I jumped in with Frontier just a few weeks ago and I'm still enjoying that...among other games!
But Rising Star..... please bring over Earth Seeker!
@WiiLovePeace
It depends, people like these series of genres for different reasons (though LKO isn't exactly Harvest-Moon-esque).
I, for one, see the monotonous farming the same as I see as leveling up characters in an RPG - except that I can control it more (in JRPGs it's almost randomized on how much EXP you get depending on the monster - in Harvest Moon/Run Factory games, you can farm as you like. There is no "best formula" when it comes to farming in these games, but there are obvious differences when you change your tactic). You see, people level up in RPGs to unlock new powers and to beat the next boss - in the same way, people farm to earn money in order to upgrade their houses and buy presents for their love interests.
The appeal is the "virtual reality" of a simple, farming life within a small community. You grow to love the characters and want to move forward with them - and you like to design your house to fit more with what you would prefer in real life. If you're not in it to grow and love the characters, then you may as well just play Farmville - as that game is just monotonous farming. Harvest Moon games allow farming as a lifestyle (heck, you don't even have to farm, you could just go fishing day in day out if you wanted).
As for LKO... LKO's fun isn't in the monotonous gathering of materials. It's the battles and the growth of your kingdom. Trust me, I got tired of the game like you when I was stuck trying to just build up to my next upgrades. After a break, I went back into it and was able to upgrade enough to build the stronger soldiers and specialized units - and then fun was to be had: Conquering land after land, seeing your kingdom grow, and growing to know each and every one of your peasants and followers like the back of your hand.
You can't play LKO like HM or RF, since there's a definite goal in that game. In HM and RF, there is no definite goal, you just play like you would like to live in that realm. ...personally my favorite Harvest Moon game was A Wonderful Life for the Gamecube because the characters really felt alive in that world - you can find yourself being sucked into it and allowing your character to just stare at the moon as the cherry blossoms fall, thinking of everything he has gone through to get where he was now.
It's a different type of immersion, really. Not like the typical action-packed RPGs out there (though Rune Factory has the blend of combat and monster raising to add spice to the HM flavor).
@WiiLovePeace
Oh, and if you're complaining about how you HAVE TO FARM ALL THE TIME AND YOU NEVER GET A BREAK - just take your time with it, you'll eventually learn your groove. Everyone has their own farming groove, and when they find it - they easily find time to do other things rather than just farm.
I, for instance, never farm except with vegetables and fruits that only have to be planted once -but can yield multiple fruit. Even then, I only farm 2 out of the 4 seasons. 1 season I just fish, fish, fish, and fish. The other season I don't do anything at all other than chill (though I still take care of the farm animals).
Some people don't even farm except for having fruit trees. Some just take care of their animals. Some just make perfumes. And etc etc.
It helps to cook your products, though. It can increase the price up to 10x the amount you get for just sending it in raw.
And yet they wonder why european people don't buy games!!! I don't buy old sh*t, when newer is already coming. Next time I will buy USA console. EU consoles are broken, as they have noticeably less games. I thought virtual downloads would have compensated this flaw a little, but no, its same situation there too! Which makes Varoennauraa very angry, especially when I hear complaints about european people shopping habbits.
@wiilovepeace and just in general.
WHY do people buy games from genres they don't like just because it has favourable reviews?
House of the Dead and Tetsunoko vs Capcom had great reviews ans I didn't buy them? Why? BECAUSE I DON'T ENJOY LIGHTGUN OR FIGHTING GAMES?
Why is it so hard?
Too bad it's not as good as the first one, but hey, at least it's coming out after it's been in the U.S. for well over a year.
@Amorous Badger
While true, A FEW RARE GAMES break that rule and are fun whether or not one enjoys the genre. ...people are just always trying to see if THIS game or THAT game is the very thing that'll be the one.
...for instance, I'm not a fan of minigame compilations at all... but I love WarioWare games.
Rune Factory 2 is a big big improvement over RF1 (but it's not as good as Rune Factory Frontier) so congratulations to Europe for finally getting this game.
why do we have to wait for the EU release before you guys review it?
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