An action-RPG with a unique twist, Rune Factory Frontier takes the familiar gameplay of the Harvest Moon series, throws it into a fantasy world filled with monsters and spirits, and liberally sprinkles elements from a dungeon crawler. The result is a series that no one else is even close to emulating.
Players will settle down in a remote land and, in true Harvest Moon style, set about creating their farm, meeting their neighbors, and wooing the local girls. If they get tired of the country life, though, they can grab their tools and go dungeon hopping for treasure and companions.
If they do their job right, the village will grow in number and happiness. If they don't, the village will be wiped off the face of the planet. Literally.
General Information
Genre: RPG
Release Date: USA- March 17, 2009
Japan- November 27, 2008
PAL- October, 2009
Publisher: X-SEED/Marvelous Entertainment
Developer: Neverland
Platform: Wii
Story
After the events of the first Rune Factory, main character Raguna goes on a quest to find Mist, a girl who is also from the original game. He finds her in the opening moments of Frontier, in the village of Trampoli, and he decides that Trampoli is as good a place to settle down as any. There is, however, one small problem...
Above Trampoli there flies a whale-shaped island which is afloat by the Rune spirits of the mainland. These spirits have started to vanish recently, and if enough of them leave the magic keeping the island afloat will vanish with them, causing that island to crash into the mainland below and kill all its inhabitants. Somebody has to make sure that doesn't happen...
FAQ
So why should I buy this game instead of any of the Harvest Moon games?
If you want to buy both, then more power to you! However, most of the team behind the original Harvest Moon games has moved on to other projects, most notably the Rune Factory series, leaving the Harvest Moon titles to the C-listers. Basically, Rune Factory has most of the developer talent and caring that made you fall in love with Harvest Moon in the first place, while Harvest Moon...doesn't.
Alright, so besides the setting what makes this different than Harvest Moon?
While you'll still be raising crops for cash and trying to bed the local ladies, Rune Factory doubles as an Action-RPG in the myriad of dungeons it contains. These places not only help advance the story, they also let you capture some of the monsters you find down there. Captured beasts can be tamed on your farm, eventually allowing you to ride them about, escort you in future dungeons, or do work on your farm. Think of it as legalized slavery! Also, you'll be able to capture the spirits in the area and release them in new areas. Since each spirit has its own effect on the world, you'll basically be terraforming the village as you see fit.
I'm not really into the whole "physical labor" thing, and the prospect of swinging the remote like a hoe for hours on end isn't very thrilling.
Not really a question per se, but I have some good news! Not only does the standard control scheme devote tons of things to button presses rather than motions, this game also supports the Classic Controller, so if you don't want to do any waggle at all, you don't have to!
What if I like, say, the fighting part, but am not really into farming? Or vice-versa?
Unlike its DS counterparts, the Wii version is built to be completely open-ended. You can use your starting cash to buy a weapon instead of farm tools, and play the game almost like a pure Action-RPG. OR you can play it like a Harvest Moon game, with combat occuring sparingly. Or you can go in-between. Or you can just screw it all and spend your life socializing and fishing. Or...well, you get the idea.
It's a JRPG with a WRPG's openess.
So where does this game take place in the Rune Factory series?
It's set shortly after the original Rune Factory (and even shares several characters with it), but before Rune Factory 2.
So what else have the people behind this game worked on?
Well apart from the other Rune Factory titles, and the Harvest Moon games that preceded them, the folks making Frontier have been part of No More Heroes, and are working on Little King's Story.
Do you recommend the latter title?
F*** yes.
What does that have to do with Rune Factory Frontier again?
Not a goddamned thing.
Boxart
Screenshots
Videos
Impressions/Reviews
Nintendo Power: 75/100- "Frontier isn't for everybody, but it delivers on its promise of providing a deep, engrossing experience while letting you live a relaxing life. [Apr 2009, p.88]"
Famitsu: 8 / 7 / 7 / 7
IGN: 8.3- "What makes Rune Factory so dangerous though, is the fact that there's just so much to do...This game is massive; if it had online connectivity for multiplayer it'd be a serious Animal Crossing killer for the more hardcore crowd."
VGChartz: 8.6- "It's a shame that the beginning of the game will probably turn off a lot of new players, particularly since this is the series' debut effort on the Wii, but whether you want to dive into the farming, combat, crafting, or socializing, areas or any combination thereof, there's a lot to enjoy here and you won't be disappointed."
Gamezone: 90 - "This is one of the best games I’ve played on the Wii since we’ve gotten it."
Cheat Code Central: 84 - "There's simply so much to do that it will take many months to fully explore Rune Factory's true depth. The best part is it's fun to do so."
Game Informer: 68 - "Even when it fails, though, Rune Factory: Frontier is packed with so many other activities that there's always more than enough to do. [Apr 2009, p.85]"
n4g.com: 82 - "Over time though you will realize that this is one addictive and deep game, with the farming, combat, and everything else playing into it, making it a rather engrossing experience. For RPG fans, this is well worth checking out on the Nintendo Wii"
Worth Playing: 80 - "There's a lot to see in Rune Factory: Frontier, and while the premise might sound a bit boring, it's well worth taking a look at."
Green Pixels: 60 - "Sarcasm aside, it’s this type of aimless wandering and trial-and-error gameplay that ultimately ruined the game’s charm for me. Add on the crawling pace and uninteresting combat, and you have a game that’s massive in scope, but fails to deliver a great experience."
Nintendo Now: 90 - "Rune Factory: Frontier is a very engaging game and one that gets better the more time you spend with it. There is so much to do in this game that it could be overwhelming for some, but once you fully understand the mechanics, the game is quite simple."
Links to members' reviews
P.S. This is my first "official" thread, so any and all feedback is welcome.
