Build Friendships, Farm, Fight and Tame Monsters!

Rune Factory 5, by Marvelous (XSEED), released on the Nintendo Switch in America on March 22nd, 2022 and in Europe and Australia on March 25th, 2022.

Since hearing the news back in 2020, and waiting such a long time since the release of the previous game in the franchise Rune Factory 4 on the 3DS in 2013 (although now there’s a Special Edition for the Switch), it stands to reason that fans are nervous with exactly what has and what hasn’t changed with this beloved Story of Seasons (formerly Harvest Moon) spin-off series. Well, after playing countless hours of the JRPG/farming sim mash-up, I’m here to tell you what to expect before buying!

Rune Factory 5 VS. Rune Factory 4

Rune Factory 5 starts you off with the same amnesiac trope as usual as you’re brought to a small, quiet town called Rigbarth. Rather then issuing “Orders” as a prince or princess in Rune Factory 4, you’ll become a ranger for the organization, SEED, by protecting the town from monsters. In the same way, you’ll be able to spend these reward “points” toward town festivals, storage upgrades, and more! Moreover, you’ll be farming on the backs of a total of 5 Farm Dragons! See below for other such changes that might interest you!

• Fully 3D environments. However, no top-down camera views or grid lines for placing items.
• Same-sex marriages! Your choice between 6 bachelorettes and 6 bachelors regardless of your own gender.
• Items on the ground can be automatically added to your inventory. Or you can manually pick up several of the same item while running.
• Location markers are visible for all main quests and notable interactions, including scenes with marriage candidates.
• Several fast-travel locations within the town, as well as new outside areas. In dungeons, you can travel to any newly uncovered floor.

Available Now on the Switch

Although Rune Factory 5 suffers from some rather extreme lagging and loading issues and minor quality-of-life inconveniences, it’s still a welcome step in the right direction for future iterations of the series! Let’s us know what you think of the game so far! If you haven’t already, get Rune Factory 5 on the Nintendo Switch here!