Oh, to live in a world without hunger, moral ambiguity and venereal disease! As I entered the world of Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility, I found myself transported to a land that stands in stark contrast with my life in Los Angeles. There are doe-eyed, cutesy critters, four seasons and nary an alternative lifestyle in sight.

First I chose a name and gender, and after reading a colorful brochure about life on a small island, I decide to pick up my former life, move to the thriving community of Waffle Town and become a rancher. The townsfolk look overwhelmingly friendly, the countryside is pristine and I vividly imagine the soothing sounds of running water following me nearly every place I go. Such an idyllic existence! Unfortunately, on my arrival I find that I am the victim of a bait and switch scam. The town once bustled with activity, but when the Mother Tree died, many of its residents left for greener pastures. The mayor himself created the colorful brochure that lured me in, hoping to draw in new blood and revitalize the island. Perhaps I should stay and help the residents that remain restore their beloved home to its former glory while creating a new life for myself?

The mayor arranges for a place to stay while I wait for my humble home to be built. It is here that I learn the ins and outs of farming — I pull weeds, prepare the soil with a hoe, plant seeds, water the plants and eventually harvest a crop to thank the family with whom I’m staying. These tasks are timed, and I really enjoy trying to complete them as quickly as possible. I had hopes of receiving some sort of performance bonus, but alas, my energy expenditures and scrambling were in vain. All I need to do is finish within time limit — not bust my behind.

Once my home is built, I move in and begin to eek out a living in any manner I choose. I can fish, farm, raise livestock, mine, cook, work part-time jobs in town and even run around gathering valuable items I find laying about. Each of these tasks requires a significant time investment. I can spend a whole day walking from the lake to the river to the ocean with my fishing rod in hand, trying to catch something. I have to be careful — if I run out of energy, I collapse and end up in the medical clinic. Luckily, as my skills improve, tasks require less stamina. I also regain energy with a trip to a hot spring or by eating something yummy. Throughout the four seasons and a variety of sunny, rainy and snowy days, I am invited to several social events and even pursue a few love interests.

Beyond all of these activities that allow me to make money, upgrade my home, build chicken coops and animal barns and even get cool stuff to decorate my house, I also can progress the storyline if I so choose. It seems that the Goddess of the Mother Tree may still be alive — but only just barely. If I complete a series of tasks, I may be able to bring her back, which would restore and revitalize the island.

The controls in the game are relatively responsive and very simple. The Wii-mote can be used to simulate an activity, or you can simply mash a few buttons as an alternative. High degrees of speed and accuracy are not required.

The latest in the Harvest Moon series is both relaxing and infuriating. Frequent loading screens became the bane of my existence — it seemed that every place I turned I ended up waiting. And waiting. There also were far too many barriers to my success. It takes an eternity to level up your stamina and skills to a point where you can make enough money to do anything significant. Farming and raising livestock takes ages. I longed for the very first minigame where I farmed for the family with which I stayed. It felt like a tease when I discovered my stamina drained quickly once I farmed on my own — during the minigame, stamina didn’t hamper me in the least.

It would have been much more fun to start with a higher skill level and have things progress at a more rapid pace. The part-time jobs became tedious as they involved passively watching my character complete a short series of tasks in cutscenes. I would prefer the opportunity to participate substantially and be rewarded for my level of effectiveness. There is a lot to enjoy about the game, but these barriers put a major damper on my overall experience. Instead of hampering my progress to make the game take longer, I would like to see more content.

Adorable island creatures were few in number but big in cuteness. The storyline was sweet, and the experience was genuinely relaxing when I wasn’t muttering “come on, come on, HURRY UP!” at the accursed loading screen. Once I made it to the winter of year one, I began to have real fun. I was finally making money, buying things and getting my flirt on with the island doctor. The hours spent nurturing my skills, plants and animals began to pay off.

Overall, the loading screens and slow progression are tedious. But, if you don’t mind investing a lot of time in repetitive tasks, you can enjoy cute creatures and the laid-back lifestyle of a rancher. Be forewarned that it may take a year (in game time) to really enjoy yourself. I recommend trying it as a rental — but only if you don’t mind doing things at a slower pace.