Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon

"Harvest Moon EVOLVED"

I have been a huge fan of the Harvest Moon games over the years, I have always been captivated by the various ways you could play the games, along with the Dating and Resource management. I originally started playing Rune Factory 1 when it first came out, but it was lacking in places. Now here comes Rune Factory 2 and I am very happy to say that it VASTLY exceeded my expectations! Anyways on with the Review

Story
Harvest Moon games were never renowned for their Epic Story lines, It usually ends up something like "Boy loses memory, Boy wanders into village, Boy gets a Farm" But in Rune Factory, they decided to up the Gear a little, you actually feel for the Main character Kyle (or whatever you decide to name him) He often has a good chat with the Various Villagers and the Plot is very well written. I won't spoil things too much but later in the game it gets VERY intense. The Villagers also deserve a Special Mention. A good 60-70% of the Villagers are well remembered, my personal favorite is a Fortune Teller name Alicia, I built up quite a Bond with her as I played the game.
8/10 Refreshing for a Harvest Moon Game

Graphics
The Graphics are nothing short of Spectacular! From the Cherry Blossom filled Spring to the Snow covered Winter, everything looks lovely on the DS. The Characters look a little Shabby and Pixellated at times, but this is made up by the fact that there is some totally adorable 2D Anime Artwork for each character. Just watch Mana when she is Angry, totally Cute! The Framerate can take a dip from time to time, but this is only really during Festivals and shouldn't detract you from the overall experience.
9/10 Crisp and Clean.

Sound
1 of the only major gripes I have about the game. First things first, the Music, For most of the "1st Generation" you will hear the same annoying Village theme as you go about your day meeting the Various fun Villagers, the Dungeon music is quite nice though. The Trieste Forest makes you feel very happy when you water your Crops there. Now onto the Voice Acting. For the most part it is Above Average (Mana has a very cute Voice) but then there are some characters with voice that don't even suit them! Take Cammy for example, she's supposed to be a young girl, but the Voice Actor makes her sound like a 40 year old Woman! Another Gripe I had was the fact that just before you decided to go to bed, Kyle actually says "YAWN!" out loud, Who exactly would say that in words? You get the picture lol
6/10 Not exactly memorable but OK.

Gameplay
Now for the main part of my Review. I'll be splitting this into 2 Parts. The "First Generation, and the "Second Generation".

FIRST GENERATION
The first 10-15 Hours of the game will be mostly doing what you do best in a Harvest Moon game. Planting Various Crops to make some serious cash. 1 very neat feature of this Game was the "Seasonal Dungeons" There are a Grand Total of 4 Dungeons in this game each with a Season assigned to it. So Trieste Forest for example is Spring. You can Plant Crops from that Season in the area (The Shopkeeper Douglas sells Seeds for all Seasons in his store) The catch though is that Growth can be up to 50% longer, but you can Plant Multi-Harvesting crops all year round without Penalty. Also you will be making friends with the Various Villagers by talking with them and giving them their favorite Items. Eventually you will be able to marry your Girl of choice, the Sequences which follow this actually made me shed a Tear it was that emotional! Soon after this your wife will have a Child which you can name. Then the real fun begins!

SECOND GENERATION
The Second Generation totally took me b surprise. The game was suddenly opened up to almost limitless potential! You now play as your Wife's Child (Either a Girl or Boy, you are asked this during the pregnancy) and now you must attend the School which Kyle managed to get built in the first Generation. Now would be a good time to explain why I prefer Rune Factory 2 to most Harvest Moon games, The Combat! Yes, the game features a fully fledged Combat mode which plays a lot like classics such as Zelda. You are assigned what is known as Rune Points each day when you wake up. These Points are spent every time you do anything Farming or Weapon Related, Rune Points are also used to use Magic (I'll get to that later) If the RP Gage runs out, you will then be using your HP which can prove dangerous in he Dungeons. The Combat is quite fun with Various Weapons including Swords, Hammers and Staffs. The Magic System also deserves a mention. The great thing about this game is that there is no Real Sure Fire way to kill a Enemy, you can do it any way you wish. Using Magic from afar or just going all out Hand to Hand. Then we come to the Various Skill Levels you can earn in the game. You can increase these Skills by performing the Tasks assigned to them. So for example, using your Watering Can would boost your "Farming" Skill. The higher the Level the less RP it will cost to perform the actions!

Another feature I love is the fact that you don't "BUY" Animals. Instead you have to Tame them in the Dungeon using a Special Glove. So there is a monster called the Cockodoodle which is the Chicken, the Wooley as the Sheep etc. This adds extra depth as you only have limited Space in your Barn to store the Various Monsters and the Animals only Produce every 2-3 Days (This confused me with the Chickens) Also you can take the Creatures into the Dungeons to help fight by your side, you grow a Bond with your Monster, knowing that each hit could Spell trouble later on.

Also in the Second Generation, you attend a School run by Mana, in the School you learn Various Recipes, How to create Weapons, Accessories, and Armor, also she can help you Upgrade your Various Spell Books. Also the School comes equipped with a Kitchen, Pharmacy and Forge (Which you buy separately) to create these fabulous Items to use on your Quest.
10/10 Almost Limitless.

Lifespan
This game will last you Months, the amount to see and do is simply Staggering! If you are a Completionist then this game is perfect for you as you can Make every single thing in the Game. I have clocked over 150 Hours already and haven't found everything yet!
10/10

Overall 9/10
If you love Harvest Moon games and want to enjoy something a little different then Rune Factory 2 is for you! If you are new to the series and want a great long lasting Adventure for the Xmas Period then this is for you!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/14/08

Game Release: Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (US, 11/18/08)