Nintendo DS

Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon

Series fans will find that Rune Factory far exceeds their expectations. The inclusion of combat, magic, and other RPG elements greatly expand on an excellent game design that will feel familiar, if not significantly improved, to many players. With so much to uncover, the game is vastly deep and endlessly fun. Even for those who aren't already hooked on the Harvest Moon series, gardening, dungeon-crawling, and befriending (or defeating) all manner of cute beasties doesn't get been any better than this. This is Harvest Moon like you've never seen it before.

Theres plenty of graphics to indicate what youre buying in the game so shopping shouldnt be too much of a problem and, youll eventually figure out what each place in town offers. What you will miss out on is the different lines of dialogue each character will use as you get to know them better and the story of course. At the time of writing this, Rising Star Games claims they will be releasing an English version of the game in Q1, 2007 Europe so you may want to wait for that.

Rune Factory is composed of many well-designed elements; the game is great because it takes these disparate elements and weaves them together into a single, cohesive quest. This game earns a spot next to Advance Wars DS and Castlevania: DoS as an essential title in the library of anyone who enjoys top-notch single-player experiences on DS.

It’s unlikely that Rune Factory is going to make converts out of anyone who doesn’t already enjoy the series but it will certainly please longtime fans, especially those who felt like the series was growing stale.

The good news is Rune Factory is long on farming, exploration, and relationships and short on the sillier aspects of the franchise. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the game is long, varied, and a great deal of addictive fun to play. Pick this one up especially if you have a long trip coming up.

In the end, this meshing of two different styles of gameplay is what makes Rune Factory a worthy pickup for previous Harvest Moon-ers. While it isn't a total re-imagining of the series, it still feels like a solid evolution. Also, if you've never played one of the Harvest Moon games before, this is probably the best place to start. The only thing that is going to keep people from truly enjoying the game is the monotonous daily rituals that you'll have to go through until you have enough monsters to do your dirty work for you. If you can gets past that, there is a lot here to enjoy.

Rune Factory might not be perfect, but it's the first Harvest Moon game to be released on the DS that doesn't feel old hat. In fact, it's anything but, with some many new additions to the series that once can't help but grin from ear to ear. If you're a veteran to Harvest Moon, you'll feel right at home with the majority of the game and grow to embrace the newness, though novices to the series will discover a bountiful harvest of fun. Rune Factory is a step in the right direction for the series and quite honestly, you can't go wrong with the game. It's simply fun and incredibly rewarding.

Given that there's so much new in this long-overdue sidestep from the Harvest Moon canon, is this the game to get you non-believers into the series? The answer to that is an emphatic "Maybe". There's more to do than usual, it has lovely looks and you can choose how you spend your time to a much larger extent than in previous games. If you're bored of tending plants, there're monsters to be captured and people to be seen - but Rune Factory is far from accessible. If you're not already familiar with the basics of farming it might take even longer to get to grips with than it did for us.

Things like Wi-Fi and wireless support, as well as the screenshot editor and added non-farm aspects of the game make for a more rounded experience overall, but the game still has that niche, “Harvest Moon Club” mentality where you’re either part of the fan-base or you aren’t, and we don’t really see the game capturing a ton of new users in its design change. It’s still a farm RPG first, dungeon crawler and adventure game second. For long time fans of the franchise (or the adventurous new wave of DS players) that are looking for a true Harvest Moon experience over ten years after our first taste Rune Factory is sure to win you over. Simply put, this is the Harvest Moon experience you’ve been waiting for.

That's the joy of Rune Factory. Gentle prods every now and then steer you into making your farm more successful and venturing into the dungeons, but how and when you go about it is left entirely to you. Spend all day in the pub, see if the game cares. Spend all day flirting, or fishing, or even idly moistening the feet of the town doctor with your watering can. The game won't give you grief for it - it'll delight you and entertain you, entirely at your own pace.

Rune Factory does a good job of changing up the Harvest Moon formula many have grown bored with. Veterans may not like the changes at first, but give them a chance and you’ll likely find yourself enjoying it.

Overall, however, even with the revamped visuals and combat, Rune Factory is still very much a Harvest Moon game. The new elements all mesh perfectly to provide a more well-rounded farming RPG experience, and, as odd as that sounds to non-fans, this is an excellent DS adventure.

As with its predecessors, you could wile away dozens and dozens of hours in Rune Factory. It's a pleasant spin on the tried-and-true Harvest Moon formula, and the combat integrates surprisingly well with the farmwork. For better or for worse, though, this is still very much a Harvest Moon game, which is sure to please fans, but probably won't mean much either way to those who missed the appeal of the previous games.

Of course, if you're already a fan of Harvest Moon, the dedication required will only make you love the experience even more. This is the sort of game you could play for a hour every day for a year. For those of us with less available time though, just discovering who you're supposed to see to gain an axe or the creature friendship glove proves to be a frustrating experience. After all, while some people enjoy growing their own potatoes, most of us are happy to buy them from the supermarket. Still, if you fancy the outdoor life, this offers it all.

Rune Factory is worth a look for casual gamers who crave more depth than Animal Crossing or Brain Age provide and Harvest Moon fans who think change is good. Fans of the series will also be refreshed by its approach; however, it is tucked away behind many barriers of entry, so buyers should be certain that they know what they're getting into if they plan to purchase it.

The multiplayer mode doesn't let players visit each others' villages ala Animal Crossing. It's only a fast way to level up such elements as seeds and weapons, that can be sold back and forth increasing their statistics and value. Available both in local network and Wi-Fi, multiplayer requires each player to own his or her own copy of the game. Sure, it's another way to put DS features to use, but we would have preferred a more intensive use of the stylus instead. Rune Factory is a good experiment which introduces new concepts and refreshed gameplay , but it doesn't do a good job of using the DS' many capabilities.

In the end, Rune Factory is just way more trouble than it’s worth. Harvest Moon fans should just wait for the upcoming Wii game or the already-announced DS follow up. After all, when a series competes with Mega Man for overexposure, you can afford to wait another five months for a chance that things might improve.

Rune Factory is still a Harvest Moon game, which says it all. The gameplay tends to focus more on the micromanagement of your rune points and farming, something that veterans will love. However, it's hard not to feel as though this franchise has become yet another cash cow, whose udders are beginning to run dry. Even the "dramatic" addition; the fighting system, ends up feeling tacked on to the tried-and-true farming system. This is still a worthy entry into the Harvest Moon series and although it suffers from the same monotony the series is known for, it can still be enjoyable for those who like running a digital farm. It's consisted of the same formula for years and for anyone interested in micromanagement, this is a great game. Those looking for exciting adventures or interesting gameplay need not play Rune Factory. It too quickly becomes a minutia-filled snore fest that does little more than play like every Harvest Moon title before it.