Rune Factory 3 Special: A Masterful Remaster with New Features

Rune Factory 3 Special is a remastered edition of the third installment in the Rune Factory series, which first appeared exclusively on the Nintendo DS in 2011. After more than a decade of waiting, Rune Factory 3 finally does its return to Nintendo Switch and PC platforms. Sporting the qualifier “Special” in its title, this game introduces a few new features while preserving the classic gameplay formula that remains unquestionably relevant for contemporary gamers.

A narration seen and reviewed

The story begins with the fall of a creature reminiscent of a golden sheep fallen from the sky. She crashes in the village of Sharancewhere she is rescued by a young girl employed in a flower shop by the name of Shara. The next day, this creature metamorphoses into a young man with blond hair. In contrast to Rune Factory 4 Special, this game does not allow the player to choose the gender of the protagonist. The main character is revealed to be a young man with amnesia named Micah.

Visually stunning

The visual presentation from Rune Factory 3 Special, in reference to recent games from XSEED Games and Marvelous, reveals some aging. She embarks on a complex task of modernizing a 14-year-old game and merging two screens into one, a far from trivial challenge. However, a comparison with the original version reveals noticeable visual improvementsincluding more detailed character models and environments, as well as more striking character illustrations during the dialogues. More importantly, the game performance is now much smoothereliminating the slowdown issues that plagued the previous Nintendo DS version.

Regarding theaspect audio, significant adjustments have been made. There in-game music really stands out, rising to the top of the lineup of Marvelous games. Although several tracks are repeated, they have been favorably received and appreciated by our ears. THE sound effects when fighting and farming prove to be adequate, avoiding any excess. Additionally, the game features a voice dubbing in two languages, English and Japanese. While recent visual novel portions benefit from full voice acting, some portions of dialogue from older scenes in the original version remain unvoiced, a nuance we wish we had seen differently.

From a technical point of view, the game has also seen significant improvements that allow it to shine at its best. Despite its age exceeding the decade, this third installment remains a title that we warmly recommend among all the games in the Rune Factory series.

Love and friendship are in full swing

Just like in Story of Seasons, this game allows you to develop friendships and romantic relationships with the inhabitants of your new town. In their speaking regularlyoffering them their favorite things or by performing quests for them, Micah’s level of intimacy with these characters will increase. Once you reach an intimacy level of at least four, you can recruit them to that they accompany you in your adventures. There are eleven potential marriage candidates in the game, but of course you won’t be able to marry only one. To do this, you will need to have an extra bed in your home. A month after the wedding, your wife will ask you if you would prefer to have a boy or a girlbecause these kinds of things are decided!

The basics of interconnected mechanics

Micah has two essential parameters, namely its Point of view and his Rune points. These embody the character’s stamina. Both of these measures can be restored through the consumption offoodof reposof a immersion in hot water (like Stardew Valley), or by healing spells. Rune Points will continuously decrease as Micah engages in various activities, be it the field work or the confrontation with creatures.

From the beginning of the adventure, Shara will lead you through a learning session. You will be introduced to the different features of each corner of the house, such as the calendar, the refrigerator, the bed and the journal for recording game data. Afterwards, Shara will direct you to the farm land located under the Sharance tree, a space that you can use to grow your crops.

After completing the tutorial, Shara will give you your first quest, asking you to introduce yourself to everyone in the village. Thereafter, you will be able to accept new quests via the bulletin board in front of the flower shop or by the through the mailbox in front of your house.

The game, created by the same developer, shares many similarities with the Story of Seasons series, in particular thanks to its calendar system segmented into four seasons. At set times, the village comes alive with a multitude of festivities orchestrated by its inhabitants, giving you the opportunity to immerse yourself in these celebrations. Among these festive events, some offer entertaining mini-games to spice it up.

Convincing action gameplay as ever

Nevertheless, what distinguishes Rune Factory from the Story of Seasons series is its component RPG d’action. Alongside your routine focused on farming and social interactions, you have the freedom to venture into the outlying areas of the village to face fearsome creatures. You will then have a varied range of weapons at your disposal, ranging fromshort sword at thelong swordpassing through the lancethe choppedthe hammer and thedual sword. Each of these weapons is characterized by its own attributes, whether it is the attack powerfrom vitessefrom scope or some specific skills associated with them.

To engage in melee attacks, repeatedly press the B button to chain combos together, with each weapon providing unique attack animations. In addition to traditional weapons, agricultural tools should not be used for offensive purposes, as they inflict less damage. Along with melee weapons, Micah can also master essential elemental magic skills, namely the feul’eauthe terrethe ventthe light and the darkness, thus enriching its repertoire. However, it is crucial to note the fundamental element of theamourwhich is of central importance in the practice of healing magick.

What does the “Special” version of Rune Factory 3 offer?

This game has been enriched with a content update similar to that of Rune Factory 4 Special, including the introduction of a brand new mode called “Newlyweds”. From the start of the game, this mode remains locked. Thereafter, it offers the possibility of marrying one of the 11 women present in the portraits. To unlock this secondary adventure, you will need to seal unions with these characters during the story mode. This will pave the way for you to new animations and fully voiced dialogues.

The annoying point, ergonomics

Unfortunately, due to its faithfulness to the original formula, the game does not bring significant changes in terms of features or gameplay. The controls are still archaic, especially when collecting items where you have to manually place them in your bag, whereas more recent Story of Seasons games feature automatic collection. The menus also display unsatisfactory ergonomics. A point that could easily have been improved, given the possibilities offered by the new media of the game (the touch screen of the Switch, or the mouse of the PC).

Do we want to marry Rune Factory 3 Special?

By way of conclusion, it is essential to note that Rune Factory 3 Special marks the end of an era, bringing with it graphics inherited from the Nintendo DS era. However, this should in no way be a reason not to recommend it to you. In fact, this remastering is executed with such thoroughness that it manages to spark wonder. The graphics, bursting with color and detail, represent the pinnacle of this experience. Moreover, social interactions take on a new dimension thanks to surprising reactions when you have a good relationship with several suitors. Comments and jealousies enrich your conversations, giving rise to funny situations. However, it should be noted that Rune Factory 3 Special requires a considerable investment of time to explore each of its features. It’s complete, time-consuming entertainment, steeped in nostalgia, that’s sure to hold a place in your heart. Long live the brides!

Rune Factory 3 Special is now available today on PC and Nintendo Switch. The game is also on Nintendo DS.

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Release date (Japan): 05/09/2023

Release date (Europe): 05/09/2023

Developer: Marvelous

Consoles : Switch, PC The artistic direction The mastery of the action gameplay The social interactions The large number of activities The lifespan The ergonomics The absence of certain voiceovers The scenario that fits on a post-it The additional “Special” content a little skinny

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2023-09-07 21:48:07
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