Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (Nintendo DS, 2007)

I'll admit that I was a tiny bit skeptic about adding fighting to a harvest moon game. I thought that maybe the game developers would focus to much on the fighting system and not enough on the things that make a harvest moon game a harvest moon game. But I was wrong, Harvest Moon Rune Factory is undoubtedly one of the best harvest moon games to date, if not the best! The graphics are a large improvement over the sub par graphics of the other harvest moon games for handheld systems. Here's some of the cool new things they added to Rune Factory. Once you upgrade your house you can forge your own tools, weapons, food, and accesories, you can also get a kitchen. The way to cook in this harvest moon game is highly improved from all the other Harvest Moon Games. Knowing how to make medicine, weapons, and food is very simple because you can view the recipe while making whatever it is your making. Also new to harvest moon is the introduction of a strong plot that unravels when you make progress, but the story line does not make the game linear in any way. As you may have heard you must tame monsters instead of buying animals. You aren't restricted to taming cows, sheep, and chickens, but you can tame any monster (except for bosses of course) and make it your pet. Any monster can fight with you as you explore the one of the eight caves Carmite, Toros, Clemens, Mt. Gigant, Misty Bloom, Kasmir, Dannan, and Greed. Also some monsters can water fields and harvest crops for you. Overall this game ands a great new spin to the Harvest Moon games but still holds true to its farming roots (ha I think I made a pun...) Rune Factory has way more than what I've said here so if you have a DS buy this game!

You can farm. But you don't have to farm.
The game involves going through caves and fighting monsters - but it's one that involves going through the same path numerous times in order to achieve one stage of the game. Maybe some people can tolerate those ordeals - I, however, could not! Game progression is SO slow! Not to mention the graphics aren't as cute as I had anticipated for a Harvest Moon Game.
Farming is no longer as fun and the incentives in work seem less rewarding. Harvest Moon has lost it's essence in this game. They simply add monsters - which aren't that hard to capture - and they just follow you around on command. Seems like the whole "monster" idea was tacked on last minute.
In the end, the game seemed too long for me to finish. So I put it on eBay.

This is one Harvest Moon I really get into! I love it cause it's different and mysterous!

You still have to develop your character and run your farm and keep animals & crops going, but here you get to explore a variety of caves, fight or tame monsters and use some magic!

I don't want to reveal too much but if you like a good role playing game this one will not let you down.

Cute & Mystery come together well in this one! I just love it!

Rune Factory is a great game that I bought because I'm a long time fan of Harvest Moon in general. I'm mildly disappointed because of the lack of incorporation of the stylus in the game play. There seem to be a few attempts to incorporate it into things, but all in all it really isn't a necessary tool. You can easily play most of the game without ever touching the stylus. The annoying part comes in when navigating through various menus, and it is nearly impossible to do so without the stylus. It just makes for a lot of pulling it out, and putting it back.

The battle system for fighting monsters was a bit odd to get used to, and still frustrates me from time to time. I had expected something similar to the turn-based system from the Final Fantasy games, but battle is very real time, which has pros and cons. It's not necessarily a drawback, it just takes some getting used to.

The style of the game is really well done, and all in all it is a great time killer. I love breaking it out while in the middle of the day with nothing to do, or during my lunch break, or whenever.

One thing that did disappoint me was the lack of choice as to the main character's gender. You're stuck as a male which is fine, but as a woman I tend to enjoy the games where you're allowed to play a girl.

The plus side is that you've got so many marriage choices it gets confusing at times.

Anyway, I recommend this to any that enjoyed the classic Harvest Moon, as well as those that are completely new to the game.

It is an excellent game. Harvest Moon Rune Factory is undoubtedly one of the best harvest moon games to date, if not the best! The graphics are a large improvement over the sub par graphics of the other harvest moon games for handheld systems. Very nice.