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You start out poor, unskilled, and single, but over time you can become wealthy, a skilled farmer, and married. While Rune Factory manages to get a lot correct, there are some aspects of this game which could have been more polished. Nevertheless, the combat is reasonably entertaining and is passable as a new game mechanic. The inventory management system could have also been streamlined a bit more, especially given that the DS has touch-screen controls, since you will spend a substantial amount of time managing items in the game. The combat is actually quite important, since you fight through monster-infested caves to improve your character, obtain useful items, and even grow crops in them. Do not expect a fighting system as polished as, say the Legend of Zelda, since combat is actually quite rudimentary. For those gamers who don't know what a Harvest Moon game is, they are basically farming simulation games, where you manage a farm by growing crops and tending animals. There are also a few translation issues in the game (which is actually quite common amongst Harvest Moon games) which, while not fatal to the gameplay, are still distracting.
The main storyline of the game easily packs in dozens of hours of gameplay, and after you finish that you can spend an indefinite amount of time playing more. The main characters all look detailed and interesting, but the monster models are mostly bland and generic. If you're a fan of Harvest Moon games, give Rune Factory a try. Most Harvest Moon games are more cartoonish and child-oriented, but this game seems to be inspired by more mature anime. There are also various events, such as holidays, which periodically occur to add some variety to the game.Rune Factory is a Harvest Moon game with an additional twist - there is a combat component in the game. If this all sounds somewhat strange, rest assured, this game is enjoyable and entertaining if you are into games which allow you to steadily improve the skill and power of your character.
The art style of this game is also notably different than typical Harvest Moon games. The graphics are also in 3D, instead of 2D, and for the most part look great. While Rune Factory isn't the best designed game out there, it manages to do everything well enough to keep the main draw of the game - improving your character and establishing a life on the farm and in the local town - entertaining and enjoyable. The combat system is somewhat odd, but the core of the game is still similar to previous games in the Harvest Moon series.
I really don't think this game is much. The monsters terrify me and the storms blow in so much stuff it takes forever to get it out.Finding a girlfriend is pretty easy but just upgrading your house takes 2,000 pieces of wood and 200,000 g. So, if I were you, I'd go and play a game with more to it and things that are cheap and things that don't terrify you.
Only down side, if you could call it that, is that i would like to be able to choose the sex of the main charactor. This game is very cute, mostly non-violent, and very addictive. It definitly teaches time management and how to use the resources you have at hand. You probably want to look up a walkthrhough online to go with the game (Or if you have money to burn, buy one). It's definitly helpful to have a list of seeds, seasons and growth periods, along with what items are available for sale on what day.
Once you reach it, you can choose to continue playing for the fun of it or you can retire in triumph.In order to advance the plot you have to explore caves teeming with monsters that you can "befriend", no cow/chicken/sheep buying necessary, and no endless digging to be done (which got boring fast in the other Harvest Moon games).Similar to the other Harvest Moon games, you can court a girl (you have to play as a guy), marry her and have a child. I actually picked this game up on a whim and now I'm glad I did. The Rune Factory games are now my favorite.Unlike the usual Harvest Moon games which can drag on painfully to no certain end, this game has a storyline and a specific goal you are working towards. You work your own farm, buy and sell, collect items, hobnob with the different characters, fish, whatever you want.An enjoyable RPG that is a successful mix of dungeon crawling and farming simulation. Highly recommended for both Harvest Moon fans and non-Harvest Moon fans.
Also, the main difference between HM games and Rune Factory was the addition of dungeon crawling, and frankly I found that whole side of the game boring and annoying. When I first heard about a 'fantasy' Harvest Moon game I was really excited, since I've been a long-time fan of the Harvest Moon series. but not as much as I enjoyed playing some of the other Harvest Moon games.Sure, the graphics are way better - less cutesy, bright and colourful than, say, Harvest Moon DS, but still eye-catching and a pleasure to look at. The characters in Rune Factory were less likable and quirky than the characters you find in HM: AWL and DS, and I found myself struggling to select a girl for my character to marry (unfortunate, as marriage always plays an important role in HM games). That turned out not to be the case. The music's fine, and some of the typical activities of Harvest Moon games (sowing seeds, ploughing, watering, caring for animals etc) carry over well from previous Harvest Moon games.
And since the monsters regenerate every time you leave a dungeon and re-enter it, the whole exercise felt pointless anyway.Summing up, I'd have to say this game is perfectly good, and has many enjoyable features, but it is probably not for everyone. And as I started playing Rune Factory I enjoyed myself. I didn't want to spend all day down in a dank cave, slashing away at monsters and using up all my carefully hoarded energy points. But all in all I felt the game was missing something. It just didn't have the appeal for me that Harvest Moon DS, or Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life had. I thought that, since I loved Harvest Moon, I'd love this game.
What I loved about Harvest Moon (caring for animals, growing crops, building relationships with villagers) was still to be found in Rune Factory, but not to the same degree; the addition of monster slashing, which probably made this game for some players, was a disappointment to me.
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