Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon Critic Reviews

Series fans will find that Rune Factory far exceeds their expectations. The inclusion of combat, magic, and other RPG elements greatly expand on an excellent game design that will feel familiar, if not significantly improved, to many players.

A great game with an overwhelming amount of things to do giving you a lot of freedom to explore the little world and follow the main story at your own pace.

This game earns a spot next to Advance Wars DS and Castlevania: DoS as an essential title in the library of anyone who enjoys top-notch single-player experiences on DS.

It’s unlikely that Rune Factory is going to make converts out of anyone who doesn’t already enjoy the series but it will certainly please longtime fans, especially those who felt like the series was growing stale.

The good news is Rune Factory is long on farming, exploration, and relationships and short on the sillier aspects of the franchise. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the game is long, varied, and a great deal of addictive fun to play. Pick this one up especially if you have a long trip coming up.

Rune Factory might not be perfect, but it's the first Harvest Moon game to be released on the DS that doesn't feel old hat.

In the end, this meshing of two different styles of gameplay is what makes Rune Factory a worthy pickup for previous Harvest Moon-ers.

For Harvest Moon fans, Rune Factory is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. The game balances a classic farming system (with some changes for the better) along with a full dungeon-crawling aspect, monster collection, and all the added goodies you’d expect from the franchise.

It might be old, but Rune Factory is still very, very good - a welcome reinvention of the Harvest Moon series by a developer who clearly loves it almost as much as we do.

Very fun indeed.

Exploring Rune Factory's rural village of Kardia is like shaking a snow globe; the town is small but nuanced, perfectly preserved yet dynamic.

A very entertaining game that was released in Japan in 2006 in Europe in 2009! Let´s hope the second part will be released sooner in the old world.

Rune Factory does a good job of changing up the Harvest Moon formula many have grown bored with. Veterans may not like the changes at first, but give them a chance and you’ll likely find yourself enjoying it.

The new elements all mesh perfectly to provide a more well-rounded farming RPG experience, and, as odd as that sounds to non-fans, this is an excellent DS adventure.

Rune Factory successfully implements an engaging dungeon crawling aspect without sacrificing, or even significantly altering, the core Harvest Moon formula.

Rune Factory is a great portable action RPG/sim with a vast array of activities and a great addictive vibe.

Despite its complicated start, Rune Factory rewards the player with a really charming role-playing experience.

Despite a totally different visual style and the introduction of combat, Rune Factory still delivers a relatively straight-ahead Harvest Moon experience.

Great for fans, hard work for everyone - it's not bad, just really heavy going.

Rune Factory is an impressive advancement for the Harvest Moon series but you have to be committed to get the most out of the experience.