Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon

"I like swords...Ooh, produce!"

Rune Factory, simple yet attractive name. It has come to my attention that this installment to the Harvest Moon series has attracted quite a bit of negative attention from the Harvest Moon fanbase. That given, the criticism lies within the blending of action/adventure into the Harvest Moon formula, and when that is said think of Zelda adventure. You are issued passes to explore caves and clear them of vermin of sorts. Other than the blend, I see nothing other than a few flaws keeping the game from reaching 9/10 and even 10/10. Onto the actual review.

Graphics 8/10: The color and lighting is bright and vibrant although the grainyness of polygonal sprites keeps the game from reaching a higher score, it is clear in some cases that the lines running along the edges of the characters flux in an animation at points. It doesn't really fit up to the rest of the surroundings. The sprites look a bit like apes with the stubby legs and long arms, it just doesn't look well with the rest of the game. I understand it's a style of characterization but when you're staring at the full image of your character at the name screen you make a double take. Besides that once it's easy to overlook the rest of the time. Another issue is dialogue it isn't clear who is speaking at what point unless you pay very close attention to the name-plates.

Gameplay 8/10: This is where the game both shines and also comes up short in some aspects. You're thrown into the game pretty quickly and the learning curve although not too steep can throw beginners off a bit. The farming mechanics are simple. Crops seem to be indestructable as you plod over them daily, just as long as you do not mow them down with a sicle. The daily care of crops is pretty relaxing, it's when you venture into the caves is where it becomes interesting. Keeping your character healthy and out of danger proves to be a challenge as you dodge swipes from tridents and stingers. Enlisting monsters to help on your farm also proves to be very worth while keeping friendliness high will keep the output high for yourself as well.

And trying to woo a potential bride on top of handling all of your dungeong diving and farming can prove a bit hard but it's all the matter of what you value most. It keeps the game engaging and interesting lest you keep dying. And dying in the caves is annoying at points especially if you haven't reached a save point to keep yourself going. Then again theres another bar to keep you from doing too much is the HP/RP. Keeping track is important using up HP all the way to a quarter health isn't fun.

Sound 7/10: I wasn't impressed with the opening sequence sound as it sounded grainy and recorded in front of a speaker. The ingame music is tranquil and easy to zone-out to, the only thing to worry about here is the voice overs are a win/lose situation you either like or dislike the voices and that can be a problem if you like listening to backround music. There aren't many though and you can turn down the volume. Other than that the game offers very little else to help immerse you with sound. Rain is still very nice to listen to.

Control 8/10: The controls are responsive and easy to learn save for combat and stylus functions. The main concern with the stylus is that when using the stylus for farming you have the option to select plots of land with the stylus after selecting your tool with it. Though the character will only use the tool from the bottom and never from the sides or tops of the square plot. This presents a small problem when an obstacle is below the plot and the character will become fixiated on it and won't use the tool from the sides or top. It is remedied by using the d-pad and regular controls after disengaging the stylus functions. Battle can be a hassle in caves as some weapons are slow and if you are caught in between two enemies simultaneously firing at you the controls sometimes freeze and that can lead to a quick death. Then again the objective of battle is to avoid being boxed in.

Personal Lean and Closing 9/10: This is a decent step forward for the Harvest Moon series combat needs brushing up and stylus functions need to be cleaned and furnished as well. Story was a bit corny but the overall game was very enjoyable. Growing crops still is relaxing and easy to zone out to along with the music. The voices are something I could have done without though. The final still stands I find myself absorbed into the game and before long I notice it's been hours. It's a keeper if you like a little action mixed with your relax time.

Rent or Buy: I say buy it. Renting does not do it justice.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/21/08

Game Release: Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (US, 08/14/07)