Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon sends the well known popular Harvest Moon series into the fantasy realm with an adventure that offers a familiar blend of simulation and role playing content for players on the Nintendo DS platform. In 2023 Rune Factory 3 was also revived with a special edition that transported the game into the newer Nintendo Switch platform. Released in 2010 this title is actually the fourth in the game franchise despite its name suggesting it is the third with a number of returning and new mechanics that provide a blend of what has made the franchise success so far while combining it with new ideas.
Your primary task in the adventure ahead is to develop a thriving farm near the magical Sharance Tree which is an ancient tree that has not bloomed for over fifty years as the land around it has decayed. Playing as the boy Micah who himself as a secret magical ability to transfer into a golden wooly monster you’ll seek to counter this decay while restoring the trust and relationships of those around you. While much of this means farming in an efficient manner players will also need to combat an array of monsters that come with their resources to further your game progression.
This gameplay loop is similar to that of the previous games in the series and has mostly been polished while adding some minor gameplay improvements to streamline your journey or add extra challenge. As noted above you’ll be controlling Micah for this game loop after he falls into a small town and found by the young Shara before branching out to help the other characters with their town problems.
Farming is the primary mechanic of Rune Factory and features a similar cycle one would find in a farming simulation title with players optimising their choice of crop, waiting for time to pass and then harvesting the yield for the next tier. Seeds are primarily acquire through dungeon exploration or stores once key milestones have been reached with each providing their own cost, sale price and days to grow. Central to your farming choice is also the use of specific seeds (spring, summer, autumn and winter) at the right time to optimise your income sources. Farming option in Rune Factory 3 include the likes of strawberries, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, carrots and everything in between with some fantasy themed options alongside these real world crops.
Seasons not only drive your choice of farming but also the fish you’ll be able to catch with your fishing pole from the local bay area that similarly have different sell prices or uses. Seasons also drive the festivals you’ll encounter which offer all sorts of opportunities to win important items or develop relationships. Festivals include a crop festival for each of the seasonal crops, mini game and fishing contests that also provide an attractive side objective for players to accomplish.
The third key pillar to Rune Factory 3 gameplay is that of the dungeon diving and monster mechanics where you’ll fight and tame an array of monsters while gathering special dungeon resources. In order to conquer these players will call on a range of weapon types and magic abilities that feature a similar progression curve to other game content. With literally dozens of diverse monster encounters both the combat and collection mechanisms provide greater depth than one might expect.
This combines with the other core mechanics of Rune Factory 3 to ensure players always have something new to craft or cook to push you to the next tier of options. This familiar Rune Factory game loop also pairs with a range of enhancements from improved AI, battle tweaks and a greater set of NPC interactions to create the fullest experience the series has seen to date.
Summary:
- Harvest Moon meets the fantasy genre with a familiar game loop of unlock, upgrade and relationship building.
- Plenty of new features compared with the previous games in the series adds new quality of life and challenge.
- Farm and fish throughout the seasons with each having its own specific resources to acquire.
- Develop relationships with townsfolk and even marry them once you reach maximum relationship levels.
- Simple gameplay that provides a surprising amount of depth across its game mechanics.
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Review Platform: DS
Starch
Rune Factory 3 was the first in the series that I’d played. It’s also, in my opinion, the best! It just has a pretty good balance of all of the elements it offers on the box. I did have good luck my first go around and had the game completed pretty quickly. In game and real life, bc I played the game for three days straight as soon as I got it! I couldn’t put it down.
Also you can bring your wife to go battle monsters??? What more do you want.