Wii

Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility

Nothing comes easily or quickly in Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility. The introductory hours can be grueling as you save up for basic conveniences like cutting boards and calendars, but once your farm gets off the ground, the initial time investment begins to pay off big time. As I watched my plot of land prosper, I became addicted to the routine of tending crops, maintaining relationships with townsfolk, and upgrading my equipment. Like an MMO, Harvest Moon’s small rewards obtained over a long period of time add up to a satisfying sense of accomplishment. The minimal guidance and lackadaisical pacing will frustrate gamers who demand more structure, but as far as laid-back farming simulations go, Tree of Tranquility gets the job done.

While Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility will provide countless hours of fun for those only vaguely familiar with the series, there isn’t much new content here for those who have been with the series for the past ten years. Sure, exploring the island is great, and the new characters are always fun, but the game experience remains virtually unchanged from past iterations, which is my chief complaint. Still, if you are really into farming, and don’t mind the repetitive tendencies of the series, then Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility is a solid entry and definitely worth your time.

Despite these hang-ups, I still found myself playing late into the night to earn enough cash to buy that coop upgrade or put in another few days until my cow is fully grown. Even though it takes a crazy long time to get there, the ability to start a new game as your kid is a nice touch. Bottom line: if you expect nothing out of Tree of Tranquility except the same old same old, then this will do the trick.

Très classique dans son concept comme dans sa réalisation, cet épisode inédit d'Harvest Moon ne tire pas suffisamment parti des spécificités de la Wii. Les innovations proposées ne sont pas à la hauteur des attentes des fans et les mini-jeux sont bâclés. Toutefois, ceux qui n'ont jamais eu l'occasion de planter des salades sur leur console pourront sans trop d'hésitations se laisser tenter par ce jeu de gestion aux mécanismes bien huilés.

In the end, Tree of Tranquility is a decent -- but at times, weak -- first offering on Wii, and while we had a good time playing it, we couldn't help but think of the better times the series has already seen, and hopefully the better it has ahead. Die-hard fans should pick it up. Everyone else, give it a rent, or explore your options. There are a lot of them.

It's been a decade, and the core farming mechanics of the Harvest Moon series are still fun, but they are also unchanged. By combining bits and pieces of previous games, Tree of Tranquility is the largest game in the series, offering dozens of hours of gameplay. Newcomers will find plenty to keep them entertained, but if you've played even one game in the series before, this one may feel a little too familiar.

Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility provides a satisfying take on the farming-RPG formula, but it's not without its share of irritating flaws. It's perhaps best described as a good game with a lackluster delivery -- it'll get the job done if the Wii is your platform of choice, but otherwise, you'll want to turn to its DS cousins for a better Harvest Moon game.