QCF: Rune Factory 4

ou may think it impossible. You may think it absurd. You might think that you're dreaming. But I have, in fact, recently traded in my intergalactic space fighter (an ' 86 vintage Hyperion Sentoki Beta, if you must know) for a farm--Oh, and a sword (Well okay, maybe loaned out for the week.) Regardless, what I'm trying to get at here, in what can only be described as an ultimate oxymoron, is that I've been losing sleep by relaxing hardcore to a farm-sim--with dungeons.

I've never played a Harvest Moon game before, but I've watched literally dozens of them across various series, systems - and even generations--being played by Daeruna and of them all, the Rune Factory series is one that I felt most closely resonated with me. Recently, Rune Factory 4 was released to the 3DS and at the urging of a friend, I decided to check it out. At first, it was no big deal. “Oh cool, I got a hammer. Not I can bust up these rocks. Oh neat, a cheap axe to take away these tree stumps. OK, that woolly-sheepy thing dropped some fur worth seven gold” but, after investing an hour into Rune Factory 4? Oh boy, get ready.

In a nutshell, Rune Factory takes two parts of the traditional Harvest Moon formula and infuses it with one part dungeon-crawling RPG, complete with a traditional action-RPG quest revolving around a main protagonist (who does have a name which I replaced immediately) and the townspeople of Selphia that he literally drops in on unannounced. And he becomes Prince immediately. Yes, there is memory loss involved. Despite this, the farming and social aspects of the game make for a less-than-hackneyed experience thanks to a diverse cast of characters, including a line of six bachelors for all you lady players and six bachelorettes for you guys out there looking for virtual love in all the right places. And, because there's so much to do, it makes for a game that can be played in many different ways.

Taking the role of Prince of Selphia, your duties require accumulated points called Prince Points to pass orders for better infrastructure and hosting additional festivals. The more tourists you can attract through your princely powers, the better your rank. Prince Points are typically awarded through main levels and efficient farming and shipping of various crops and materials. As sort of a sub-sub-task, and a request box has you attempt various tasks with various rewards as incentive. Rewards include additional items being sold in shops, money, food and Prince Points.

Experience is gained for doing pretty much everything, from sleeping to mowing down those pesky apple creatures outside of the town. Unlike vanilla Harvest Moon, your protagonist has an HP gauge and an RP – or Rune Point – gauge, which governs your special abilities and tasks and. The higher the level, the more you have of both HP and RP. Combat is free-of-charge but spells and special attacks require Rune Points to activate, in addition the points being deducted for stuff like clearing tree stumps, tilling fields and other, more intricate activities such as crafting new weapons, armour, accessories and cooking. As your skill level increases for any of these activities, it will take less RP to accomplish what you're trying to do, and thus more can get done in a day. 

Thankfully, there are also a number of ways to recharge your RP to get more done at lower levels. At the outset, you have access to a certain number of bath house visits which will refill both your HP and RP when you take a dip. Special rocks can be smashed and special flowers cutout in the field and dungeons for a small recharge as well. Knowing your limitations will keep you from passing out (and often charged for medical services) and missing time as a result, which leads us to monsters. Any of the regular monsters you encounter are tamable (usually with grass plants or food of some kind) and can not only help around the farm but also be ridden, entered into certain festivals and produce food items and materials. With the help of monsters though, you can assign farming duties so long as you have the seeds and funds for it. Watering is usually the best thing to have them do though, since it costs nothing and gives you better control over where your crops are going.

When it comes to crafting, things get a little bizarre; your gain new crafting recipes from different types of “recipe bread,” which is eaten and yields new creation blueprints, provided you have a high enough level. When nothing more can be learned, the bread is not actually consumed and can be used later. Of course, practice in any crafting art will allow for the best stuff to be made with less RP required, though a recipe doesn't necessarily need to be used. Engagement rings, for example, can be stumbled upon rather easily, even at a lower crafting level. You can buy new weapons and tools, but crafting them is faster and cheaper once you can. 

But it doesn't even end there. Rune Factory 4 also allows you to take townspeople, collected monsters and even love interests out into the field for support as well. In the case of townsfolk and friends, sometimes support healing and extra damage is just what the doctor ordered when it comes to defeating some of the tougher enemies and bosses, and they can be equipped with various weaponry and armor in the form of gifts. The friendship level the better!

Of course, the main quest is not the only draw here. There are multiple years in-game which the full game can take place, and all sorts of neat events, story branches, relationships and so much more can continue after the credits roll, just like earlier Harvest Moon games like Back to Nature (PSone.) My guy is at Level 76 and I'm still playing like the credits never happened to see how high my shipping payouts can soar and how quickly I can get married to this one broad I somehow smooth-talked up to level 14 affection. It's all really freaking addictive, something I never thought would happen, given my bullet-swarmed history and reputation.

Speaking of dating and level-14 affection, the dating in Rune Factory 4 is a bit different from all of its predecessors. Instead of just getting the affection level of your sweetheart up to get hitched, there is an extra phase by which you are required to progress through; the boyfiend/girlfriend phase in which you can date your would-be lover at a variety of locales. In addition, certain festivals can greatly boost your affection rating. On the whole though, it's really tricky to get a girl to even take you seriously, so some serious care, perseverance and a bit of luck is needed if you want to take things to the next level with a potential mate. 

All of this fairly great gameplay is complimented by an equally great presentation. Each bachelor and bachelorette has an anime cut scene for your first meeting with each of them whether your male or female. The level of detail is also pretty nice to look at as well, given that most of the game is actually 2D. The 3D models for each character also sport some nifty features, such as wearing random gifts that they have received from you. The OST is also really strong, with nicely sampled music and even a few tunes that sound just like a PC Engine game! Great stuff.

Rune Factory 4 may not have the best main plot around, but the cast of characters you'll meet and the almost-eternal wellspring of gameplay it contains makes for a satisfying, laid-back experience that will last over a hundred hours or more. Rune Factory 4 is available on 3DS at retail and 3DS eShop now for $39.99. It may not be for everyone, but let me tell you; if you even had fleeting thoughts that a Harvest Moon game might have only kind of maybe interested you at some point perhaps, then Rune Factory 4 is a guaranteed must-buy. I hope my Hyperion Sentoki Beta doesn't get any scratches...