Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon

Game Details:

This is the first installment in the "Rune Factory" series, released on the Nintendo DS platform in 2006. The protagonist, Raguna, is an amnesiac young man who begins a new life in a village after being rescued by the girl Mist. Players can farm, grow crops, and raise monsters, as well as enter dungeons to battle enemies, gather resources, and complete quests, gradually regaining memories and uncovering the secrets of the world.

Compared to the traditional "Harvest Moon" series, "Rune Factory" enhances the adventure and combat elements. There are multiple underground dungeons in the game, each corresponding to a season, with different types of monsters and loot. Combat is real-time, and equipment, skills, and levels all affect output and resistance.

At the same time, the social system is still retained. Players can interact with villagers, give gifts, and improve their favorability, eventually choosing a marriage partner and starting a family. The systems are interconnected, making the game both have a leisurely farm atmosphere and also have a sense of exploration and growth.

Editor's Recommendation:

If you like the warm daily life of "Harvest Moon" and also crave the combat and exploration of "The Legend of Zelda", "Rune Factory" is the perfect combination of the two. You can plant strawberries in the fields during the day and challenge the Boss in the dungeon at night; you can build a good relationship with the villagers, or you can raise monsters as combat partners. It is not only a new direction for "life simulation" games, but also a treasure trove that role-playing fans cannot miss.

As the first installment in the series, although the operation details of this game are slightly rough, the overall framework has laid the golden tone of the series. The diverse gameplay, rich systems, unique worldview, and warm interaction between characters all make this game stand out among many NDS works, and it is worth spending dozens of hours to savor.

Game Guide:

Step 1: Establish a Rhythm of Life

In the early stages, prioritize clearing farmland and planting fast-growing crops such as radishes and carrots. Use the initial seeds to accumulate funds, and upgrade your tools, prioritizing the hoe and watering can to improve efficiency. The basic cycle is to water the farmland + mine + gather in the dungeon every day.

Step 2: Explore the Dungeon, Don't Be Rash

It is recommended to explore the dungeon after reaching level 5 or above before challenging the first cave "Calvail Ruins". The monsters in the early stages are relatively strong, so it is recommended to carry recovery items such as herbs and learn remote skills such as "Fireball" to deal with multiple enemies.

Step 3: Tame Monsters and Combat Assistance

The pet gloves can be used to tame monsters, and different monsters have farming, production, or combat abilities. For example: field mice can help you water automatically, and bees can produce honey. Combat monsters such as wolves can be brought into the dungeon to assist in battle, but they need to be fed every day.

Step 4: Social and Romance System

Talking to villagers and giving gifts can improve your favorability. The female protagonists have different preferences, which can be understood based on the content of the conversation or trial and error. After improving your relationship, you can trigger exclusive plots and eventually get married. Improving cooking, forging, and other skills can make more popular gifts.

Step 5: Festival and Quest System

Actively participating in festival activities can quickly improve your relationship with villagers and obtain rare seeds or props. The tasks on the bulletin board don't have high rewards, but they can quickly increase favorability and skill experience.

Additional Suggestions:

• Make good use of the "Runey Points" system to learn new skills;
• Prepare seeds before each season to avoid shortages in the store at the beginning of the season;
• It is best to follow the plot progression for the dungeon order, otherwise it is easy to encounter difficulty jumps.

In summary, mastering the rhythm of life, reasonably arranging daily life, improving skills and combat power, and actively interacting with villagers are the keys to moving towards an ideal farm and a happy life. As long as you invest patiently, the world of "Rune Factory" will give you the most wonderful return!