That's definitely another one thing I want to see. For all its jank RF5 still has a lot of good QOL features like the convenient teleportation system and I hope the devs have take cues from that.
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News Harvestella (farming simulation RPG from Square Enix) announced for Switch and Steam, out November 4
- Thread starter Dunban
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Ahmed
Koopa
Thanks for this!
It also seems like the house isn't expandable/furnishable? At least, it seems like you're just given the house and it's already pretty big and has everything in it. I honestly prefer to expand it myself with all the required furnishings.
They also haven't talked or shown any farm animals either, which makes me think that's another mechanic that won't be in the game.
I think I recall them saying you can cook food for others, I hope that means you can also give them gifts. And hopefully have some affinity with other npcs. Since there is no romance, I hope that's at least in.
There’s a little recess with a sewing machine, so I assume you can indeed expand your house and it just adds little pockets of space for the new stuff. But yeah the house looks pretty big from the get go.
Good catch. Might be that you need to farm monster drops for animal produce, which wouldn’t be the best. I do hope you can tame monsters, though.
Cooking seems to be a big part of the game, they have crazy good illustrations for the dishes you can cook.
I’m also fine with no romance, but part of the appeal of socialization is that it’s another objective to juggle. At the very least the important villagers seem to have fairly detailed backstories, so I feel like the socialization will be one of the strengths of this game.
- Pronouns
- he/him
I wish the produce were more outlandish/fantasy like the ones from Legend of Mana
mana.fandom.com
I want to see mushrooms that look like houses and apples that are socks!
Produce (Legend of Mana)
See also: Seeds (Legend of Mana) Produce can be grown and harvested in the game Legend of Mana in the orchard behind the player's house. After this, the player may feed the produce to a Pet and the fruit will either alter its status, personality or both.
mana.fandom.com
I want to see mushrooms that look like houses and apples that are socks!
I agree because that way I can accept names like checks notes “Strawbuddy” and “Carrop”
OP
OP
Dunban
Riki may well be the softest of all Nopon
- Pronouns
- He/him
I think they've already shown the MC petting monsters so that is likely. What they can do is the next question I guess?
- Pronouns
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I don't know a ton about most farming/life sim games as I've only played very few of them, but from what I've seen, I get the impression this game seems to be more in the vein of an Atelier game, maybe? Like, less crafting/alchemy and more farming/cooking, but similarly emphasizing combat a bit more than most life sims do. Correct me if I'm wrong! I don't have a lot of experience with either type of game, that's just what jumped out at me.
RenHojo23
Octorok
The time mechanics kinda remind me of Atelier: it consumes an hour to do a specific activity (they show repairing the ladder)
I don't love the running animations, and i wished more things were animated or added sound effects like when she opens a treasure chest, but maybe they will be added in future builds. Other than that it looks great.
I don't love the running animations, and i wished more things were animated or added sound effects like when she opens a treasure chest, but maybe they will be added in future builds. Other than that it looks great.
Yeah, my impression is that this game seems somewhat more combat-focused than the usual farm sim. They showed a lot of the exploration, job classes and combat, with relatively quick overviews of the farming and shipping and the town. Of course this could only be because that is what they wanted to focus on on the Treehouse stream, because let's face it, farming/crafting don't demo well for anyone not interested in that stuff in the first place.
I checked back to the initial reveal and yep, animal taming is in. Taking care of them apparently gives out "rewards" which might just be a weird translation thing.
Dekuman
Kremling
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I think it's inherently difficult to show a 30 minute segment of a game like this, but what they did show looks ok/good.
I like how farming doesn't have to take up most of your day. The incremental dungeon exploration is also interesting. I'm perhaps a bit disappointed the dungeons feel something ripped out of a PS2 era game. Not sure what I was expecting, but perhaps I was expecting something less boxy and more open world.
I like how farming doesn't have to take up most of your day. The incremental dungeon exploration is also interesting. I'm perhaps a bit disappointed the dungeons feel something ripped out of a PS2 era game. Not sure what I was expecting, but perhaps I was expecting something less boxy and more open world.
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- Pronouns
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I do wonder if only the three animals mentioned here will be tameable, instead of everything like in RF.
- Pronouns
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Demo's up on the eshop, I'll post impressions hopefully later today if I get the chance
2nd Trailer
Ampharosophy
Rattata
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Demo is out!
OP
OP
Dunban
Riki may well be the softest of all Nopon
- Pronouns
- He/him
Man, that's the most Go Shiina-esque music I've heard yet! And the game looks pretty too!
Lelouch0612
Growing Install Base
- Pronouns
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Looking forward to reading impressions !
- Pronouns
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I feel like this game is going to maybe get overlooked with so much other stuff coming out this fall (a lot of it from SE themselves!) but damn if it isn’t the exact sort of game I think SE should be making and I’m glad they are making it
9-Volt
Adept
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Overlooked? Check the eShop bestsellers list, number 2 and 3 are farming sims, Ooblets and Disney Dreamlight valley. Mainstream are crazy about games like that, being bigger and better than those two, Harvestella is sure to be out of gate success.
Ooblets is cheap and Dreamlight has the disney branding, and there's no guaranteed that this game is going to be better then them.
9-Volt
Adept
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Well, those were just two of the examples. Rune Factory 5 also was in eShop top sellers list and it was NOT cheap. Harvestella is getting much more publicity than RF.
minimalism
floofer appreciation specialist
This game fascinates me in all the right ways. I'm really looking forward to it. Really has a fairy tale feel that's unique to the rpg/farming genre as far as I can tell.
Comic Obsessed
Chain Chomp
Played for a while. Clearly a budget title, there are some performance issues but at least nothing major in terms of combat but aside from that, this is very well-made for the genre. Is basically what Rune Factory 5 should have been.
Rune Factory is kind of an established series though, and a lot of fans thought the series was kaput so I’m not surprised lots of people bought RF5.
Harvestella looks really good but it is a new IP. Here’s hoping it sticks the landing!
How is the gameplay loop? I currently only have weak internet so I haven’t downloaded the demo yet.
- Pronouns
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Played a bit, the game definitely has a bit of a slower start but I'm liking it quite a bit so far. Atmosphere is very charming and the story setup is actually fairly neat. Characters seem like they could have some depth to them as well
Gameplay feels good enough, though combat could stand to be a bit smoother. Really wish they'd go more out with these "Rune Factory-likes" combat systems, this kinda just feels like Rune Factory so far, which isn't a great thing in my book. But maybe the job system will add some spice, I am very early on in the game (haven't even unlocked anything for the starter job, which I know is something you can do in the demo).
Enemy design is neat so far though, and the game looks generally very nice visually. Performance also seems solid enough to me but I have a very high tolerance for performance issues so I'm not the best judge.
Looking at the encyclopedia, I am mildly worried that the game will end up somewhat lacking in content compared to something like RF, but I suppose it should be enough variety to carry through the story. I don't think it'll be an issue for me since I rarely stick with games long enough for that sort of thing to sink in, but for others who get deeper into games in the genre I have a feeling this well will run dry sooner rather than later.
An isekai where you're not playing as the isekai'd character is a neat enough concept, and that's not including the fact that it's not a straight isekai. The Mystery Girl (Aria, based on prerelease materials) seems to be from a more futuristic version of our world, and there's also other futuristic people wandering about it seems. I think this could have some pretty interesting story potential in the end
Gameplay feels good enough, though combat could stand to be a bit smoother. Really wish they'd go more out with these "Rune Factory-likes" combat systems, this kinda just feels like Rune Factory so far, which isn't a great thing in my book. But maybe the job system will add some spice, I am very early on in the game (haven't even unlocked anything for the starter job, which I know is something you can do in the demo).
Enemy design is neat so far though, and the game looks generally very nice visually. Performance also seems solid enough to me but I have a very high tolerance for performance issues so I'm not the best judge.
Looking at the encyclopedia, I am mildly worried that the game will end up somewhat lacking in content compared to something like RF, but I suppose it should be enough variety to carry through the story. I don't think it'll be an issue for me since I rarely stick with games long enough for that sort of thing to sink in, but for others who get deeper into games in the genre I have a feeling this well will run dry sooner rather than later.
Comic Obsessed
Chain Chomp
Is basically your typical RF game except with a bigger emphasis on combat I believe and the combat is better handled than in RF thanks to the Job System (also it gets surprisingly hard at times, died a couple of times already and dying here is problematic since it makes you waste a day or so).
AerialAir
Octorok
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I played the game for about an hour, but then I had to stop. I was enjoying what I was playing, but some things still worry me and I wasn't able to check out:
1) Is there any nuance to combat, or do you simply mash Y to win every battle?
2) How's exploration? I explored a bit of the first dungeon, but couldn't get a sense of how big it was.
- Pronouns
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Definitely some mixed impressions on this one after playing through the demo. I'm surprised how interested I became in the game's story, which almost immediately introduces some pretty heavy sci-fi fantasy elements. The hard mix of town life game and JRPG is interesting. I like how you strafe when you use your farming tools, and you don't ever have to fill your watering can/gun! That's nice. The farming side of things feels pretty expected, you hoe the land, plant seeds, water 'em, slap 'em in a shipping box (or refine them further through crafting or cooking). You can choose to idenify as non-binary, which I tried out! Seems like it always changed pronouns in the dialogue when appropriate, which was nice to see.
Couldn't get much of a read on the combat during the demo time, though there was a decent amount of it. You do eventually unlock a skill tree that gives you access to some extra moves and so on. It felt weird not having, as far as I could tell, any type of dodge maneuver from the start. You really do just kinda sit there and hammer attack for a while. I trust the skill tree would eventually bring in some interest.
This game is rough technically, with an overall lack of polish to boot. Stuff like this normally doesn't bother me and I'm generally not picky about performance, but this is running noticeably below 30 FPS at pretty much all times. Some of the cutscenes, and particularly dense areas like the wooded patch behind the farming lot, tanked to what I would say was about 15 FPS. They're not quick dips either; it's chugging along. The image quality is quite low. And I noticed a handful of little oddities, like a character who reveals her name in a cutscene but whose dialogue box keeps saying "Girl" until she reveals her name a second time, in the following scene. Obviously not a big deal by any stretch, but I noticed a handful of stuff like that in my short time with the game.
I'm definitely rooting for Harvestella and think its particular flavour of this genre is interesting. But it feels like things need a lot of work, work I'm not confident will be able to get done in the six or so weeks before it's out.
Couldn't get much of a read on the combat during the demo time, though there was a decent amount of it. You do eventually unlock a skill tree that gives you access to some extra moves and so on. It felt weird not having, as far as I could tell, any type of dodge maneuver from the start. You really do just kinda sit there and hammer attack for a while. I trust the skill tree would eventually bring in some interest.
This game is rough technically, with an overall lack of polish to boot. Stuff like this normally doesn't bother me and I'm generally not picky about performance, but this is running noticeably below 30 FPS at pretty much all times. Some of the cutscenes, and particularly dense areas like the wooded patch behind the farming lot, tanked to what I would say was about 15 FPS. They're not quick dips either; it's chugging along. The image quality is quite low. And I noticed a handful of little oddities, like a character who reveals her name in a cutscene but whose dialogue box keeps saying "Girl" until she reveals her name a second time, in the following scene. Obviously not a big deal by any stretch, but I noticed a handful of stuff like that in my short time with the game.
I'm definitely rooting for Harvestella and think its particular flavour of this genre is interesting. But it feels like things need a lot of work, work I'm not confident will be able to get done in the six or so weeks before it's out.
- Pronouns
- he/him
1) Haven't gotten to this yet but you do apparently unlock a second class and a dash for your first class over the course of the demo
2) No clue, but judging by the maps it'll probably be pretty straightforward JRPG dungeons more than anything
Also the complaints against performance and visuals remind me that I'm woefully out of touch with technical people. As far as I'm aware the game looks and runs pretty great. But I am playing handheld so maybe that's contributing?
- Pronouns
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I think the overall look of the game is quite nice but based on what I played (also handheld), the game has some pretty serious technical issues. I'm not a technically-minded person at all really, and I am usually more than satisfied with the performance of Switch games. But I don't think you need to be an expert or watch a detailed tech breakdown for this one: the framerate is somewhat regularly in the teens! That's no good. Especially when you consider how many better-looking, better-performing games there are on the platform.
I'm confident they'll be able to improve on that aspect, even if it's a couple of post-release patches before we really get there.
AerialAir
Octorok
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Thank you for your feedback. The lack of a bigger over-world and complex dungeons kind of kills this game for me, unfortunately.
Comic Obsessed
Chain Chomp
Finished the demo and yeah, I'm pretty much loving this so far. It admitedly starts very slow but it quickly becomes much more interesting once you get the first job, that's when the battle system starts coming together and becomes much more fun, especially because certain enemies and bosses demand to be attacked with different styles. Also, the game is more challenging than I expected, died a few times and dying here can be kinda punishing because you waste a day and a half as I said before.
Funnily enough, the whole "farming" aspect of the game wasn't that prominent here so far, it was mostly done as a way to get some money but I guess once the game opens more you will get more options about it.
Overall, pretty satisfied with this. I also dug the Diofield Chronicles demo but Harvestella is where it's at.
Funnily enough, the whole "farming" aspect of the game wasn't that prominent here so far, it was mostly done as a way to get some money but I guess once the game opens more you will get more options about it.
Overall, pretty satisfied with this. I also dug the Diofield Chronicles demo but Harvestella is where it's at.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Played the demo for a bit last night and yeah, this looks very much like something I would enjoy. Besides the farming and combat, I'm also compelled by the story, which is rare for me. The initial set up is pretty intriguing.
I played on portable mode and didn't notice any frame rate issues, however the image quality might be the worst I've ever seen on the Switch. It's extremely blurry, especially in the town, to a point where it can be difficult to tell the NPCs apart. I haven't played XC2, but I think that might be on that level.
I'll try it on docked mode later today.
I played on portable mode and didn't notice any frame rate issues, however the image quality might be the worst I've ever seen on the Switch. It's extremely blurry, especially in the town, to a point where it can be difficult to tell the NPCs apart. I haven't played XC2, but I think that might be on that level.
I'll try it on docked mode later today.
- Pronouns
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You should probably wait for the full game before passing judgement on how big the world is. At the same time I kinda get why a daily life farming sim can't have too big of a world because the player has to reasonably be expected to tend to their crops most days and then head out on adventure.
- Pronouns
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There's an airship they've shown in the trailer which will probably make that easier to manage:
- Pronouns
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Haven't tried it yet but it's unfortunate to hear about the graphics issues. I will need to decide for myself if I think it's too much of a problem or not. The thing is, PC is also an option for me, but switch would be the most convenient and enjoyable way to play.
Either way, I'm intrigued and excited by what's been shown so far. I've never really gotten into the farm sim/RPG combo before but this looks like it has potential!
Either way, I'm intrigued and excited by what's been shown so far. I've never really gotten into the farm sim/RPG combo before but this looks like it has potential!
- Pronouns
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Having now played a few days of the demo, you can already see the foundations for being able to warp around the map quickly to save time. The fact one of the first crafting recipes you get is the "warp back to farm" item, and they can also be bought cheap at the store, it seems SE really doesn't want players to stress over extending and not being able to get home.
- Pronouns
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There's also shortcuts you can build in the dungeons based on what was shown in the Treehouse segment, which is basically "pay time now to use less time navigating dungeon later" as you'll probably be making multiple excursions into each location.
- Pronouns
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I've stopped playing the demo because I'm sold and I feel like a farming sim, even one so heavily focused on rpg mechanics, probably isn't the best to have a 5 hour save that you come back to 2 months later.
- Pronouns
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Yea I had the same thing with the NEO TWEWY demo. The ability to carry your progression into the full game is great once the game is actuallly out, but a bit of a double-edged sword when the demo is released a month or more from the full game.
Finished the demo. I can see why some may find it a bit blurry in handheld mode as the AA is quite strong there, but I'd say it looks quite lovely docked. Some camera pans may judder slightly, but I certainly don't feel like I'm having a gimped experience because I'm playing on the Switch that's for sure.
Once I got into the rhythm of the game I found it quite enjoyable. The farming aspect seems like it's going to be quite basic since it's so far just a way to make money or cook meals (didn't get round to saving enough to try out the kitchen though) so just something to deal with at the beginning of each day before heading out, so if that's the area you'd want the most from, I'd suggest looking into one of the many other of farming sims that are coming to Switch non-stop.
Combat was serviceable enough. The most efficient strategy most of the time just felt like spamming attack so you can kill enemies as fast as possible. Even with the quick step maneuver attacks from monsters seemed to home in on you so there was almost no point in trying to dodge.
My one major negative is actually because of the demo, rather than the game itself - since the demo had a hard 12 day limit (I managed to complete it at the end of the 10th day, though I did "waste" time on some tasks not needed for the story) I did feel a bit pressured to not explore things as much like the village, which obviously wouldn't be a problem in the final game. Maybe things change in later chapters, but as of the end of chapter 2, nothing in the game seemed to indicate you had to hurry.
May not be there day one, but this is definetly something I'll keep as eye on for a quiet spell in my backlog.
Once I got into the rhythm of the game I found it quite enjoyable. The farming aspect seems like it's going to be quite basic since it's so far just a way to make money or cook meals (didn't get round to saving enough to try out the kitchen though) so just something to deal with at the beginning of each day before heading out, so if that's the area you'd want the most from, I'd suggest looking into one of the many other of farming sims that are coming to Switch non-stop.
Combat was serviceable enough. The most efficient strategy most of the time just felt like spamming attack so you can kill enemies as fast as possible. Even with the quick step maneuver attacks from monsters seemed to home in on you so there was almost no point in trying to dodge.
My one major negative is actually because of the demo, rather than the game itself - since the demo had a hard 12 day limit (I managed to complete it at the end of the 10th day, though I did "waste" time on some tasks not needed for the story) I did feel a bit pressured to not explore things as much like the village, which obviously wouldn't be a problem in the final game. Maybe things change in later chapters, but as of the end of chapter 2, nothing in the game seemed to indicate you had to hurry.
May not be there day one, but this is definetly something I'll keep as eye on for a quiet spell in my backlog.
- Pronouns
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Yeah, even before playing the demo my reaction was "2 months prior to release is way, way too early to release a demo with save progression carrying to the game of a farming sim" lol
If I don't play a Story of Seasons/Rune Factory game for more than a month, I completely forget what I was doing, who I was trying to befriend and how, which item/building was I in the middle of crafting, etc lol
AerialAir
Octorok
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I get that life sims can't have too big of a world if they want to focus on life in a location. From a game design standpoint, it makes sense. However, even if it's a sound idea, doesn't mean it's something that pleases me specifically.
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