One of Nintendo's biggest success stories on the Switch has undoubtedly been Animal Crossing, with the title receiving critical and financial acclaim. Back in the Gamecube era, though, Animal Crossing had a huge rivalry with Harvest Moon.
Now known as Story of Seasons, Victor Interactive Software's series of homestead simulators hearkens back to the SNES and boasts numerous entries. In the 2000s, it also gained a spinoff: Rune Factory. These fantasy JRPG mashups of the Harvest Moon formula have proven to be just as popular, with the newest title, Rune Factory 5, being announced in the latest Nintendo Direct. While the series might be similar to what gamers grew up, Rune Factory offers older fans several features that its progenitor didn't.
A Different Side of the Moon
The Rune Factory series began in 2006 with the release of Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon on the Nintendo DS. The game stayed true to the general gameplay of its parent franchise, but with a twist. Raising livestock has been replaced with battling monsters in dungeons, coupled with gameplay mechanics very similar to the classic top-down perspective games in The Legend of Zelda series. Following the first entry, the nominal connection to Harvest Moon was dropped so as to allow the series to develop on its own.
The general feel of Harvest Moon remained, however, with non-combat gameplay being comprised of growing crops, building and upgrading the player's farm, and getting better tools and equipment. The monsters fought in dungeons can also be befriended. From there, they can work for the player by tending to their crops or even helping them in battle. The series has developed into its own successful franchise, having now reached its fifth main entry, as well as having released two spinoffs in the form of Rune Factor Frontier and Runes Factory: Tides of Destiny.
Teen Factory
As mentioned, the addition of combat adds a slight edge to the series that's not found in the more cutesy mainline games. As opposed to the more chibi art of Harvest Moon, Rune Factory's designs look closer to a traditional anime, complete with animated cutscenes that are sure to please fans of any fantasy isekai show. There is also the fact that relationships and marriage are a huge part of Rune Factory. While this feature is present in Harvest Moon, it's almost more of an add-on then a real feature. Marriage in Rune Factory is much more fleshed out and resembles the Social Links of the Persona series.
The previous entry, Rune Factory 4 Special, was also rated Teen. While there's nothing particularly gory or salacious about the game, this shows how its target audience skews a bit older than the original series. Rune Factory 5, having just been announced, is not yet rated, but it will likely follow its predecessor's footsteps. While some fans may have moved on from the slightly more saccharine Harvest Moon, especially in light of current entries, the Rune Factory series is sure to offer everything that they loved about Harvest Moon, plus something to sate their older sensibilities.
Developed by Marvelous, Inc., Rune Factory 5 will release in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch.