Rune Factory 4 is a role-playing game developed by Neverland Co. and published by Marvelous AQL for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in Japan in July 2012 and later localized and released in North America in October 2013. The game is set in the fantasy world of Selphia, where players take on the role of a young amnesiac protagonist who becomes the prince or princess of the town after accidentally stumbling into a dragon's path. As the ruler of Selphia, players are tasked with managing the town, growing crops, raising animals, and forging relationships with the townspeople. One of the unique aspects of Rune Factory 4 is its focus on both farming and combat.
Thinking that the protagonist was only pretending, the arrogant soldier threaten to toss them off the airship, and the oblivious, dumb soldier accidentally knocks them off for real. The protagonist falls a great distance, onto a large dragon's head. After the Native Dragon, Ventuswill, and her loyal butler Volkanon confirm that they have amnesia, the protagonist is mistaken for a member of the royal family that is being sent to rule Selphia, and is given a room in the castle to sleep in.
Going through the path, the protagonist hears flashbacks of the first three Guardians--Amber, Dylas and Dolce--just as they are giving up their lives to become Guardians to save Ventuswill. After finding and infiltrating their hideout, the protagonist comes face to face with Ethelberd, Lord of the Sechs Empire, who reveals that he has stolen the Rune Spheres that were placed and were using their power to recreate the Native Dragons.
One of the unique aspects of Rune Factory 4 is its focus on both farming and combat. Players can engage in real-time battles by exploring dungeons, fighting monsters, and mastering various weapons and skills. The combat system is fast-paced and offers a good amount of depth and strategy.
Rune Factory 4 Special Review
I am quite enjoying this current trend of titles (or franchises) that don’t normally feature on the Xbox, making their debut on the Xbox Series. It has made for an illuminating year of discovering new gems on the Microsoft monolith, and I am happy to say that this includes Rune Factory 4 Special.
Rune Factory 4 is a farming sim that has dating and 2D dungeon crawling, played in a top-down view. Each session is divided into days in which the player has a RP meter limiting the number of actions that can be taken. This meter that can be topped up by eating food and herbs or sleeping until the next day. All actions impact that meter, be it sowing seeds, chopping wood, cooking meals, going on quests etc.
Similarly, every action has an impact on a levelling system – walking, picking things up, hitting things – everything that the player can do has a corresponding statistic that will go up the more the player does it. I am not ashamed to say that there was a lizard-brain level of satisfaction in seeing a ‘Level Up!’ prompt after watering my plants, or preparing some pickled turnips, which is good because this happens a lot.
It happens a lot because Rune Factory 4 has a lot of things going on. Fortunately, the game does a really good job of guiding the player through the early stages by limiting what it expects them to do. The staggering of tasks helps with not being overwhelmed. By the time Rune Factory’s lengthy tutorialfinished I felt ready to tackle anything I wanted to.
For those reading that have played Stardew Valley, or Harvest Moon, this might seem very familiar and wonder what RF does differently. Rune Factory distinguishes itself by having both a solidly written story to follow and a reasonably deep combat system. The story follows the main protagonist (it is possible to choose between a male or female lead) as they are kicked out of an airship. The fall causes them to land on a dragon and develop amnesia. The dragon claims they are the chosen prince with a gift for gardening. The English translation is deeply tongue-in-cheek and what looks like a ‘chosen one’ story of the divine right of kings is turned on its head when the real prince shows up. All of the dragon’s pomposity about the character’s innate ability to be the best at being a prince turns out to be nonsense. The rest of the story maintains that level of ‘wink, wink’ charm.
The combat in the dungeon sections is surprisingly involved, as a player uses one of the weapons – ranging from gauntlets to spears – they will have access to different move lists, and unlock new moves as they level it up. There are also a number magic spells that can be used, at cost of RP, that can turn the tide of battle. These include uppercuts that can be used to juggle enemies and fireballs that, well, set monsters on fire.
People looking for a long and elaborate game will find plenty to enjoy; I’ve not even mentioned the festivals, or the fishing, which can take hours to get going.
Now for the obligatory ‘but’ section.
The “Special” part of this release is a visual upgrade from the original 3DS to current gen. While the hand drawn stills during dialogue are crisp, and the 3D models are jagged but readable as characters, the backgrounds have suffered during this up in resolution. It is hard to describe what seems to have happened but most of the décor and outside representations look like they were made out of plasticene and then squashed and smeared. It is reminiscent of the embarrassing ‘smoothing’ effect that a lot of 16-bit titles went through during the X360/PS3 era. I am baffled by this decision and can only rationalise it as a solution for having them render in 1080p+. There is no option to use the original art and resolution so RF4 Special feels hindered by this choice.
This is a shame because apart from this blemish, the game is excellent.
In addition to farming and combat, Rune Factory 4 also features a dating and marriage system. Players have the opportunity to court and marry one of the twelve eligible bachelors or bachelorettes in the game. Building relationships with the townspeople is important, as it can unlock new events, quests, and even additional storylines. The game also offers a variety of side activities and mini-games to keep players engaged. These include fishing, cooking, crafting, and participating in festivals. There is always something to do in Selphia, and the game provides a good balance between the different activities. The graphics in Rune Factory 4 are colorful and charming, with detailed character designs and beautiful environments. The soundtrack is also enjoyable and matches the whimsical and adventurous tone of the game. Overall, Rune Factory 4 is a highly addictive and enjoyable game that combines farming, combat, and relationship-building elements in a seamless and engaging way. It offers a lot of content and replay value, making it a must-play for fans of the genre..
Reviews for "The Crafting System of Rune Factory 4: Creating and Upgrading Weapons"
1. John - 2 stars:
I found Rune Factory 4 to be somewhat redundant and lacking in innovation. The gameplay felt repetitive as I found myself doing the same tasks over and over again without much variation. The story was also lacking depth, and the characters felt generic and one-dimensional. Additionally, I encountered several technical issues and glitches that negatively impacted my overall experience. Overall, Rune Factory 4 failed to captivate and engage me as a player, resulting in a disappointing and underwhelming gaming experience.
2. Sarah - 2.5 stars:
While Rune Factory 4 has its charming aspects, such as the colorful visuals and cute character designs, I found the overall gameplay to be quite tedious. The farming mechanics felt monotonous and time-consuming, and the combat system lacked depth and challenge. The pacing of the game was also inconsistent, with long periods of repetitive tasks followed by abrupt story moments. The lack of character development and meaningful relationships further detracted from my enjoyment of the game. Perhaps this title would appeal more to fans of the series, but as a newcomer, I found Rune Factory 4 to be underwhelming and repetitive.
3. Alex - 3 stars:
Rune Factory 4 had its moments of enjoyment, but overall, it failed to meet my expectations. The combat system felt clunky and imprecise, making battles frustrating rather than engaging. The character interactions and dialogue were often repetitive, and the plot lacked a strong central narrative. Additionally, the graphics and visuals, while charming at first, started to feel outdated and lackluster. While I appreciate the concept of a farming simulation combined with RPG elements, Rune Factory 4 fell short in terms of execution and failed to provide a truly immersive and captivating experience.