Video Game Review: Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma

Developer: Marvelous Inc.
Publisher: XSEED Games
Genre: Farming Sim / Action RPG
Reviewed for: Nintendo Switch
Also Available On: PC, Nintendo Switch 2

When fans of the Rune Factory series think of Rune Factory 5, it’s hard not to think of anything but the technical shortcomings. Some players could forgive these shortcomings, but there’s no denying that the game ran horribly. It also didn’t do enough to innovate the series, and many began to wonder if it was past its prime, much like Harvest Moon. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma marks a return to form for the long-running series, which is a huge relief. This new installment tightens the experience with streamlined systems, new mechanics, and a structure that blends farming sim progression with modern RPG design. While the game still runs into limitations on Switch, the overall experience is charming and gives tons of hope for the future of the series.

You play as an outsider who has already spent six months living in a struggling village. Rather than starting from scratch, the story builds from this midpoint, with early quests involving repairing broken village infrastructure and healing the land. A god of the village reaches out through dreams, guiding the protagonist to purify the lands and restore them to their former glory. The cast features some of the usual archetypes, like the kind and soft-spoken shopkeeper and the loud and fiery warrior goddess, but a lot of the characters are still easy to love.

The game isn’t heavy on fanservice either, which is great for any game that targets this demographic. Yes, there’s a “buxom” goddess comment early on by an elderly man in which the player is asked by a child what the word means, but otherwise, this is a game that doesn’t deal with all of those annoying tropes you expect.

Farming in Guardians of Azuma combines traditional Rune Factory (And general farming simulator) mechanics with a few wonderful features that streamline the experience. While players still grow crops like turnips and manage their land, they now need to restore fertility to individual tiles before planting. This change adds an extra layer of resource management, as you must gather the right materials, like specific types of soil to use with the tiles. This should be annoying, but it isn’t, and it feels like a natural way for the players to progress the size of their farms.

What makes the farming loop shine is how little friction there is. Tools now auto-equip when interacting with the environment thanks to a magical tool that does it all, so players don’t need to fumble through menus to switch between their hammer, axe, or watering can. This may sound small, but daily tasks are no longer long and laborious. The addition of village jobs means players can assign NPCs to help with farming, logging, or mining so they have more time to do the things they love. The blessed tools that are acquired through progressing the game, that are used for combat and purifying blight, also sometimes have farm uses, like a drum that can be used daily to speed up crop growth, or a fire sword that burns the crops but gives upgraded seeds to make future harvests more profitable.

Village-building also layers neatly on top of the farming. Although construction is limited to certain zones, there’s still plenty of freedom to personalize and upgrade your spaces. It’s less about micromanaging a huge farm and more about restoring and enhancing the community. Players won’t find tons of depth in either mechanic, but everything holds up well throughout the game.

Combat is simple but functional. A dodge-roll system feels like Breath of the Wild with its brief time-slowing mechanic, and bosses include a stun meter beneath their HP bar that forces players to bonk them a lot before actually hurting them. A larger health gauge would have sufficed, but it’s fine. Just don’t expect the depth of other stun mechanics like “Stagger” in Final Fantasy, and you’ll be okay. The early sword is soon joined by a bow, daggers, and magical talismans. They all offer unique ways to approach combat. While the depth isn’t enormous, the variety of weapons and party member interactions keeps things interesting.

Menus are snappy, and warping to save statues makes movement painless. Even small touches like being able to wear gear cosmetically or not (hello, silly hats) help improve the flow of play.

While the world isn’t open, players will explore many small regions across different floating islands. The game still feels big, and exploration always offers something rewarding. The request board system is another strong inclusion, offering short-term goals and progression alongside the main story.

On a technical level, Guardians of Azuma is a big step up from Rune Factory 5, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. The character models and environments look more polished, and the game generally runs smoother. For the first time, it feels like this engine can carry the series forward. That said, visual hiccups are still present. Textures often fail to load right away after cutscenes or fast traveling. Distant enemies and NPCs animate in a stiff, stop-motion style that just looks silly (And kind of endearing if I’m being honest). Maybe the Switch 2 version can alleviate these shortcomings, and we can have excellent performance for the series going forward.

Voice acting is limited, but dialogue is frequent, and it’s nice to see the protagonist speak more often than in past entries.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is the game the series needed. Its performance on Switch may not be perfect, but the mix of smart systems, streamlined design, and cozy progression makes this an excellent cozy RPG. It won’t win over action fans with its combat, but the charm and momentum of the world keep everything moving. This is a great refresh for longtime fans and an excellent entry for newcomers.