Site News: So, Where's Our Harvestella Review?

Well, then... Where is Needy Girl Overdose/Needy Streamer Overload review?

You know what, I respect that approach. Take your time, put out a proper review unlike all of those Nintendo focused Youtube channels that play the first 5 hours of a game and churn out a video for the algorithm. We all know you didn't finish the game... you're not fooling anyone.

@Rika_Yoshitake Its why i stopped doing reviews myself, dont have the time to finish every game, so didnt feel comfortable with reviewing something half done as you say.

With NL though, they have a team, are a respectable Nintendo outlet and assume do very hansomely from advertising. So really think they could be doing better for their audience, thats all.

People will want a review day one. If they cant get it here, they'll go elsewhere.

Well I hope you go into detail about how the relationships are in this game, because what I've read in an interview with the developes was very concerning. A farming fantasy life sim without marriage is personally a no go for me and I'd rather play a fully fledged farming simulator or fantasy game in that case.

Long-form games like this (and stuff like Animal Crossing, Xenoblade Chronicles, etc) I think it's totally ok to have a review come out later. Often times, companies get review codes late and only a few days before launch, it's really not fair to crunch a full play through and review in just a few days and it does not give an accurate picture of the game. But at least provide a temporary rating of the game so far when the review embargo lifts.

Also considering late October/November has been filled with a massive launch of games (usually to meet the holiday sales & Game Awards recognition). So this is usually the busiest time of the year for reviewers alongside E3 Season.

@SwitchedOn_Games "Having a team" still won't help in cases like this where a very meaty game is put on the selected reviewer's plate. However, I think writing a short piece like this, gets the attention of those looking for the review from this site, as well as informs the audience of the demo that they might not have known about beforehand.

People might look other places for a review after this, but at least they'll know that a NintendoLife writer didn't have to slave away 20+ hours a day for 5 days to get a proper review out the door.

@SwitchedOn_Games as others said, this feels unfair. RPGs take time to play; reviewing them will take longer still. It's refreshing to see an article that explains the review is coming but not ready yet. Few sites do this, and will normally just publish it when they're ready.

Picked it up this morning reviews be damned
Take a risk in your life, it won't kill ya. (I'm joking... mostly)
I love both of those genre's so there was never any doubt for me.
Can't tell you how it is though, since I'm still playing Doraemon story of seasons 2 (which is great)
I'm happy they are taking their time with the game so they don't burn out or are judging the whole game based only on a couple of hours.

I know a small youtuber Play with Josh only got his code a day before the game came out, it might be the same for them. Give them a break!

@SwitchedOn_Games Wow you’re very needy

@SwitchedOn_Games do you want a thorough review?

@SwitchedOn_Games bitching like that is why quality in general goes down and we end up playing unfinished games

@TheCrabMan Yup, here i am looking for a review. Go figure!

@BabyYoda71 Hows that? Needy??? lol

I’ll be waiting for the review then. I’m busy with Xenoblade 2 and 3 either way though, not mention Rune Factory 4.😅

NintendoLife you guys have missed the updated Ark Ultimate versions release and no news, reviews, comparisons (to the first switch version)? I bought the game day one just to support the devs as they should be rewarded for the time, effort and money spent to make their game better and then giving it away for free! The updated game is great with great visuals and an open world! Not too mention if you pay $30 for the DLC packs you'll have more content for over a year!

@SwitchedOn_Games I very constantly see people complain that reviewers are making a review for a game they “clearly didn’t finish” and I’m sure if not for that NintendoLife would consider going that route. Which do you prefer? A day one review about only part of the game or a review not on day one that’s about the game as a whole?

Probably going to skip this. Stardew is the only farming sim I really need. I might get A Wonderful Life because it was my first.

I'm wondering if they weren't provided a review copy or weren't timely provided one. But agreed: With a game such as this one, I'd rather wait for a review based on a thorough play-through.

Had it pre-downloaded and have been playing all morning. The time element is vastly improved. Fishing is quicker. Things move pretty quickly after you finish the demo and really open up more.

It's not Stardew Valley. It's not Rune Factory. It's Harvestella. I'm enjoying gameplay by not expecting it to be something else.

I've seen SwitchUp's review & confirmed my suspicions... This might be something I pick up in the sale when they've taken on board some more player feedback as it looks like the mechanics are not in synch with some weird design choices that impact fun.

Used to read the review sections in monthly mags whose publication would more often than not be completely out of sync with the release dates of the games they were reviewing. The ‘launch day review’ was not really a thing.

It’d be nice if games companies provided ample time for reviewers to play through games before release, but in cases where that doesn’t happen, I fully support not rushing out ‘Day 1’ reviews for the sake of it.

The site generally provides enough material in the form of previews, footage, and general impressions for most people to make up their mind about whether the game is for them. The review itself should be thoughtfully written and fleshed or so that people can refer back long after the game’s release.

As the great poet Shiggelgio Miyamissimo famously said, “that written in haste is hastily forgotten, while a carefully woven text may bear the great weight of time.” Let us heed Master Miyamissimo‘s wise words.

@SwitchedOn_Games Come join us at r/patientgamers, no more FOMO, no more frustration because of late review, no more unfinished games. We welcome you with open arms 🤗

Take your time @Nintendolife. Thank you for informing us.

@SwitchedOn_Games "With NL though, they have a team, are a respectable Nintendo outlet and assume do very hansomely from advertising."

That's a mighty big assumption to make, lol

Like with any media im more than happy to wait for a review if it improves the quality.

With games it does help when a review is done after the game has been finished since it gives a good idea on whether a game is able to keep its momentum, since there are quite a few games which put their best foot forward and stumble towards the finish line but also games which can be a super slow burn but end on a high note (tbh i prefer the latter since the climax of a game is what sticks with me)

@SwitchedOn_Games Needy means needing something… you act like you need this review more than you do, so that’s the definition of needy.

A delayed review is eventually good, but a rushed review is forever bad.

I don't love that some people are so quick to make excuses for a late review with no actual knowledge about what's going on. At the same time, I agree that a good review released late is better than a bad, rushed review. I know, nuance is hard.

"the much-anticipated farming RPG"? Certainly not the reaction I got from it's unveiling.

Unfortunately, I don't think this game will score higher than 7. I hope I'm wrong, but I've always thought that this game needed more time to be properly cooked. No idea why they rushed it.

@Rika_Yoshitake exactly. People care about speed and presentation over content. I want something that truly tells me if I'm gonna be happy spending my sixty bucks on this game, not some knee jerk review.

When I see Harvestella I can only think about "one word" LAZINESS. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT A MODERN GAME FROM A WORLD TOP VIDEOGAME COMPANY NOT HAVING VOICE OVERS? Sorry but SE is getting lazier with each new release. I have supported SE by buying a AA game like DIO FIELD for the price of a AAA game, but this time I'll pass. I am not going to buy any new SE game unless SE gives proper respect for its customers, delivering a mediocre game is disrespectful SE. Sorry, but I need to tell you the truth, my first SE games were Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy for the NES (1986/1987). So I am a great supporter for SE for over 30 years, but this is not acceptable anymore.

No major outlet has dropped a review yet. So either EVERYONE is waiting to put more time into the game, or there is an embargo and NL is full of it. I'm thinking the latter is more likely.

I thought they'd say the main feature of the game wouldn't be ready until a few days, but they're reviewing it anyway, and they're giving it a 6.

@Cross_eyed_oni a review or no review will not bring voice overs. Don't support LAZINESS and MEDIOCRE productions.