Rune Factory: Frontier Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Thus far, Rune Factory: Frontier is probably the best in the Harvest Moon/Rune Factory series of games.In fact this game is held back from true greatness only by some seriously questionable and very annoying "features."In the end, the good outweighs the bad by a good margin.

If you've never played a Harvest Moon or Rune Factory title, the premise is really basic.You move into a town, you start a farm, you interact with townsfolk, go fishing, raise monsters, cook foods, go mining, craft items, do some adventuring, and try to start a family.It has a very open ended design allowing you to play in whatever style you prefer.In fact, the game allows you to do so much it is almost overwhelming.If you like farming you can stick to farming.If you like dungeon crawling, go for it.As the seasons change and the years go by, more and more the game gradually opens itself up to you.

THE GOOD:
+++ Addictive gameplay.Several times, long after I should have gone to bed I've said "I'll just play through one more day..."
+++ The graphics are simple yet beautiful.Lush colors are used throughout the game to good effect.
+++ Huge amount of variety.Sometimes there is too much choice it seems, but there is nothing in place that really keeps you from going back and doing other stuff in the game as long as you've unlocked a feature.
+++ Deep RPG experience that allows you to steer your character's life the way you want to.There is a lot of strategy for those of you who want to look for that depth, or you can just plow through it headlong.Either way the game will let you succeed in your own way.

THE OK BUT COULD BE BETTER:
=== The relaxed gameplay flow can get repetitive.You only have so much time each day to accomplish tasks and so much energy before you collapse.Because of this it isn't uncommon to take days of time in the game to accomplish a goal.

=== The game map is made up of independent sections or districts, such as Church District, Homestead, Business District, etc.This isn't bad or good in of itself, but learning the layout of the entrances and exits to each section honestly takes far longer than it should have when it should have been absurdly easy.

=== Music is sometimes excellent and other times annoyingly repetitive.

=== The "Runey System"... I'm really on the fence as to whether I hate the Runeys or think they are a good idea.Basically you use the Runey System to help keep the environment in the different areas of the town in balance.On the surface, the Runey system works, but... see later in the review for some harsh criticism of the Runey system.

=== What voice acting exists in the game was done by some good voice actors, but with some really awkward scripts that didn't make it through the translation from Japanese to English so well.

=== Controls are functional and tight, but questionable design decisions keep them from being great.For example, it is too easy to accidentally pick items up instead of performing special actions because pick-up is mapped to the trigger (B) and special actions are mapped to A+B.This also causes extra strain on your hand while farming.The good news is that the Classic Controller is supported on this game, which is very nice and reduces hand fatigue.The bad news about the Classic Controller is that you can't knock on doors because that action is mapped to shaking the nunchuck.THE BAD:
--- Fixed camera angles.The player has absolutely no control of the camera which results in spending a lot of time running towards the camera.

--- Load times... lots and lots of brief four and five second load times.Every time you go though a door or move to a different section of the map you will be greeted with a load screen.

--- Lack of logical direction regarding some of your tool locations and plot devices, such as the Axe.Why does the nun have the axe?I have no idea.Why do you not get the axe until after you've used the hoe 40 times?I have no idea.Why is the Pet Brush tool acquired randomly from a conversation with the carpenter?Absolutely no idea.What's worse is that the game doesn't give you any decent hints to speak of.Luckily the internet is the perfect solution and some folks have already written excellent tutorials on how to quickly get all of the tools in the game.

--- The Runey system is good idea gone bad because of a few really bad game design decisions.While not completely broken, the Runeys are dealt with very clumsily almost every step of the way.1) The game explains the Runey system very poorly.I still don't understand it, but I have found out the hard way that neglecting the Runeys and allowing them to go extinct will cause your crops to stop growing.2) Collecting Runeys is slow, time consuming, and kind of random.3) Distributing Runeys is also slow and time consuming, but at least it isn't random.4) Checking on the status of Runeys in each district requires you visit a specific part of town instead of just going to a simple menu option.Status checking is probably the worst design flaw of the Runey system.Luckily, if you focus on the runeys about one day out of every two weeks or so you should be able to keep a lid on it.

The good definitely outweighs the bad in this game.While it may look like I don't like the game based on the number of criticisms I have, I would like to emphasize that this game is VERY fun and most of all, addicting.I can easily see the most obsessed gamers getting well over 100 hours out of this game and more casual gamers could easily break the 40 hour mark.If you enjoy Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, or The Sims and you haven't burnt yourself out on life simulation games yet, pick this game up.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Rune Factory: Frontier

Product Description:
From the creators of Harvest Moon and Rune Factory for the DS comes the first installment of the Rune Factory series for a home console. Developed exclusively for the Nintendo Wii, Rune Factory: Frontier is a singleplayer adventure that features all the popular life Sim gameplay and hack and slash role-playing fans know and cherish, but now with the stunning graphics and flexibility of the Wii's unique control system to fully immerse players in the Rune Factory universe.


Breath life into the land.
View larger.
Dungeon crawl for baddies.
View larger.
Make game changing decisions.
View larger. The Story
Our hero enters the frontier, where no one dares enter, to cultivate the unforgiving soil. As time passes, his lonely town of one becomes a town of two, three...until it grows into a town to behold. The town is not the only thing to behold. Among the newcomers are beautiful ladies who have moved to the town to start a new life. Which one will be our hero's lucky lady? However, our hero is soon faced with a problem. Creatures of the frontier, many of them hostile towards humans, pose a great threat to the safety of his townsfolk. To find a way to live in peaceful coexistence or perhaps destroy them along with the danger they bring – the decision is up to our hero.

Gameplay
As with previous related games, Rune Factory: Frontier featuresa myriad of Life Sim activities like farming, raising livestock, buildingrelationships with NPCs, etc., as well as role-playing elements like dungeoncrawling and item collection and leveling, but in structuring gameplayit goes to great lengths to incorporate an open-ended structure that allowsplayers to choose the type of game they wish to experience at all pointsin the game. This means that although at the beginning of the game playerswill find themselves presented with the familiar opportunity of startinga farm, selling their crops at market and by doing so improving the overallprosperity and size of their town, they are not necessarily tied to theland. Although farming is an excellent way to finance adventuring, therich RPG elements of the game can be pursued at any time. These elementspresent themselves mostly in the form of battling monsters and bossesthat have found their way into the land, but seem to be coming from themysterious 'Whale Island,' which floats in the sky above your town. Playerscan either battle the monsters or make friends with them, raising themas a kind of livestock. As with everything in Rune Factory: Frontier,the choice is yours. Whether it's growing crops, expanding the town, fighting(or befriending) monsters or even falling in love, the experience is uniqueto each player.

Key Game Features:

Lifelike Interactions - NPCs will come and go based on theplayer's actions. Want to get along with your neighbor? Want to givefellow townsfolk something they might hate? Go ahead, but they may getupset and leave the town. Be nice to attract more newcomers.
Natural Ecosystem - Breathe life into the barren wilderness by cultivating it and planting crops. Small creatures (spirits) will gather first, triggering a food chain to later attract larger and rarer creatures. You are responsible for bringing more fertility to the land.
Floating Island to Explore - There is an island that floats in the skies. When you see it, you must quickly find a way to get on it as new discoveries await.
Intuitive Wii Controls - Use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to do everything. Plow the land, shake hands with townsfolk to strengthen relationships, or even wave it around when you're on a date with a girl. (Also compatible with the Classic Controller.)
Open-ended Play Structure - Whether you prefer Life Sim gaming,Action RPG action or a mix of both, Rune Factory: Frontier letsyou game as you want, when you want.
Console Debut - Frontier is the console debut of the popular Rune Factory series.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Rune Factory: Frontier now ?