Preview – Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon

Game Profile

Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon

Developer: Natsume
Publisher: Natsume

Release Date: Late 2010

ESRB: RP

Genre: rpg
Setting: fantasy
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Hearing the title Harvest Moon usually puts a massive grin on my face. It takes me back to my Super Nintendo days. When most games focused on and continue to focus on violence, Harvest Moon was a breath of fresh air. It taught gamers about the joy of gardening and chilling out. Years later, I got my hands on Rune Factory: Frontier. It was a blast. Now, Natsume is trying to outdo itself with its upcoming DS game: Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon.

Rune Factory 3 follows a young man by the name of Micah. And he’s just moved into the giant tree on the outskirts of town. He’s half human and half monster. How the plot plays out is unknown at this time.

But it still seems to be great fun. What made Frontier a blast is retained in this version. This time, it is portable. You can farm, interact with the villagers and explore the countryside and its dungeons. Furthermore, Micah’s skills increase the more he uses a weapon type. Each action (outside of lifting items and putting them away) uses so many rune points. If he runs out of RP, it’ll drain his health. When his health runs out, Micah will collapse and end up in the doctor’s house. This time, the game seems to be more forgiving. He doesn’t lose a day’s worth of work, and a fraction of his money will be taken for medical costs. And if he has a strong enough relationship with a villager, that person can join him on his adventures. Rf3_20_8_

Rune Factory 3 controls almost the same as the Wii game. The d-pad moves Micah around while the Y button attacks. Equipping items is a bit confusing as the stylus is needed to switch between the various tabs. Thankfully, it feels right. What I enjoyed about the Wii game seems to be retained in this incarnation.

Graphically, the game retains the cute anime style of its siblings. It is a cheerful world with the characters living out their daily lives. Locations and the characters living there are cleanly laid out. Most importantly, it moves smoothly and nothing looks out of place.

Overall, Rune Factory 3 seems to be great fun. And I want the full version in my hands now. The system seems to be ready for everyday playing. Of course, it is best to wait for the game to be “perfected” than rushed. Rune Factory 3 will be released sometime this year. For more information, visit www.natsume.com.

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About the Author, Evan Csir (A.K.A Psychphan)

Hi, my name is Evan. I’m an RPGaholic and hard core gamer. I graduated from college in 2007 with a BA in English (Gasp!) and psychology. I’ve been playing video games since the age of three. My first game, ever, was Super Mario Bros. So yeah, I’m pretty darn good at this video game stuff. And persistant. I like RPGs the best because I can look at it as literature. This is especially true for the Shin Megami Tensei games and The Digital Devil Saga. I enjoy horror games due to their psychological nature, like Silent Hill 3. I don’t like FPS or anything that relies too much on the first-person perspective; they make me dizzy and nauseous. Ironically, I love Metroid Prime and Half-Life 2. Hmm... Where’s Alanis Morissette when you need her? I really like it when games are creative and technically pull everything off. In this case, my favorite game is Ico. I loved it due to the presentation and the way the characters interacted with each other. Yorda and Ico didn’t speak the same language, so they had to rely on gestures and other forms of communication. I also occasionally enjoy bouts of Mario Kart: Double Dash and Smash Bros. Melee. Overall, I’m rather boring. I stay home, read my homework, occasionally write, fool around on the computer, eat, and sleep. Except for those days that I travel to school. I sometimes am inspired to write poetry (if you really want to read it, just ask). I play piano from time to time. And my favorite book genres are psychology books, occasionally poetry, and most of all, mysteries. And I’m “addicted” to herbal teas and Starbucks coffee.