Video Game Review: Rune Factory 4 Special

XSEED/Marvelous

Genre: Simulation, RPG

PlayStation 4

Also On: PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

After Harvest Moon‘s peak, but before Stardew Valley, there was the Rune Factory series. Rune Factory took everything that made Harvest Moon great and added some entertaining role-playing and combat. The game’s combat would later influence Stardew Valley, but even the best game in the genre doesn’t have combat as satisfying. As great as Stardew Valley is, Rune Factory being mostly absent since the release of Rune Factory 4 in 2012 has led to a small hole for those wanting a little more action in their farming simulators. Fortunately, Rune Factory 5 will release in 2022, and until then players can enjoy Rune Factory 4 Special.

For those who aren’t familiar, Rune Factory 4 uses the same formula that makes farming simulators so special. There are a few differences, and most of that lies in the game’s role playing and combat elements. Through the game’s action-based combat, players can progress through a story that involves an amnesiac protagonist. Players can explore dungeons, fight monsters, make decisions to help the city of Selphia grow, and of course, live their best lives. Players who want a little extra fantasy and dungeon crawling will find that Rune Factory 4 has almost everything they need.

Through a solid balance of farming, building relationships, and dungeon crawling, Rune Factory 4 Special delivers an enjoyable experience from beginning to end. The town of Selphia is full of charming characters, even if they all tick some boxes when it comes to tropes and archetypes. Players will be given tasks and quests that range from beating monsters and liberating dungeons to bringing characters their favorite meal. While exploring, players can recruit villagers that they grow close to for their party to help with combat. The end result is an experience that just about fully realizes every genre that it sets out to.

For those who want romance, there are 6 bachelors and bachelorettes to woo. Unfortunately, same-sex marriage isn’t a thing in Rune Factory 4 (But look forward to that in Rune Factory 5). The role players will love all the of leveling and skills. The combat is a satisfying amount of hack and slash. It isn’t too complicated, but it’s still enjoyable. The game can be as deep as players want it to be. It can also be casual if players don’t want to develop all of their skills. It’s a game that players can just sit back and mostly enjoy it as much as they want.

Admittedly, it doesn’t feel quite as free as the modern Stardew Valley. Rune Factory 4 still is a roleplaying game that emphasizes progression. If players don’t push forward with the combat, the game will get stale quickly. Fortunately, Rune Factory 4 isn’t too difficult, so anyone can progress through when needed. Of course, if one doesn’t care for combat, this probably isn’t the game for them.

It shows its age in some ways, but Rune Factory 4 Special is still a fantastic experience for fans of the genre. It’s a great opportunity to see what makes the series great before the proper modern Rune Factory game releases next year.