Though landing on Ventuswill saves the player’s life, it’s not enough to thwart the cultivation of a tried-and-true JRPG trope: amnesia. Thankfully, the landing is softened by Ventuswill – a Dragon God of great importance to the world, though particularly the town of Selphia. Being ill-equipped to combat the sheer number of usurpers onboard, the player is overwhelmed and thrown overboard to the lands below. The story begins when our protagonist – player chosen male or female – is ambushed while making a delivery via an airship. Story and Story-Centric Gameplay Components It has some issues – potentially significant ones for some – but from a sheer enjoyment standpoint, Rune Factory 4 has crazy potential to consume your gaming schedule much like it has for me in my 60+ hours played thus far.

Like December’s Star Ocean: First Departure R, I’m now kicking myself for not giving this action RPG / life / farming sim a go sooner. That brings us to today, and the Rune Factory franchise – a long-running spinoff to an even longer running series, Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons. In my brother’s eyes, this was a betrayal beyond measure – why would anyone trade this fancy new action RPG for a freaking fishing game on a near decade-old handheld system? Though I may not have a logical reason for this decision, I will say this: Legend of the River King introduced me to the world of Natsume, and eventually, the Harvest Moon series. My 12 year old self took a recently purchased copy of Brave Fencer Musashi and traded it for the action packed classic Legend of the River King. A schism occurred back in 1998 – a divide resulting in wounds that have yet to heal, even to this day.

Rune factory 4 bean toss