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[RuneFactoryFanboy]

Nintendo Wii
Developer - Neverland Co
Publisher - (JP) Marvelous Entertainment, (NA) XSEED Games, (EU) Rising Star Games

Release Dates
Japan - November 27, 2008
North America - March 17th
Europe - October 2009

Suggested retail price - $49.99

Supports 16:9 Widescreen and 480p

NA and JP Box Art

RuneFactoryFanboy's FAQ

What is Rune Factory?

Rune Factory is an offshoot of the Harvest Moon series. It takes all the aspects of that series, such as Farming, Marriage, Festivals, and combines it with a Hack'n'Slash RPG. This creates a wonderful gameplay cycle as the two gameplay types build on each other.

Do I need to play the previous titles?

I would say no. This title does seem to be a sequel of some sorts from the first DS game, but I wouldn't say its crucial to play it.

I hated Harvest Moon, will I enjoy Rune Factory?

Perhaps. The action RPG sections of this series does make for a more interesting, more fun game, but you can't avoid the farming. A lot of game time will still be spent farming, raising animals, courting beautiful women just like in Harvest Moon.

I was a fan of Harvest Moon back in the SNES and N64 days but recent HM games were lackluster and stale, is Rune Factory any different?

Dear goodness yes. As a big fan of the original I felt many of the sequels that followed failed to capture that addicting, interesting gameplay I came to love. Within a few hours of playing the first DS game I said out loud "finally, this is the HM sequel I've been waiting for". If you were a fan of the original games and have lost interest along the way then you need to check out Rune Factory. There is a reason my username is RuneFactoryFanboy.

From the official site

Story

A familiar face in an unknown land…
In search of a missing girl, our hero stumbles upon the frontier town of Trampoli. Here he finds the object of his search but his task doesn’t end there. In this mysterious town inhabited by spirits called Runeys and shadowed by a gigantic flying whale island, he must start life anew.

Farmer, explorer, warrior…
In this idyllic setting our hero can pursue various trades (farming, forging, crafting, cooking, etc.), explore the town and the floating island above, or seek out adventure in the dungeons. Over time the town will grow, as do the number of inhabitants. Shopkeepers, farmers, tavern masters, and craftsmen; all are ready to be our hero’s friends, enemies, and maybe more. However, trouble in the sky above soon interrupts our hero’s new life. What is this ominous power that threatens such a peaceful town? How will he protect his friends, his love and the village that has become his home…

World

Trampoli

A rural village of the frontier founded by Sister Stella. Trampoli may be a countryside town, but it boasts stores, an inn/tavern, a blacksmith, a library, and many other facilities. Charming and imbued with a sense of peace so tangible that it takes the form of Runeys, it is an ideal place to call home​

Whale Island

Features of Whale Island
There is a mysterious island that floats above Trampoli. On this flying marvel of nature are many fierce monsters and hazardous terrains, so it is designated as a dangerous place.
How to go to Whale Island
Located somewhere in Trampoli is a tiny sprout with big potential. If watered, it can grow to become a giant beanstalk and will open the way to Whale Island for your exploration.
Passage of Time on Whale Island
Excluding special situations such as boss fights, time will progress normally on Whale Island. However, when it becomes 5AM, you will be forces back home and it will be 10AM on the next day when you wake up.​

Features

Life-like Interactions – Pursuing relationships with NPC characters may lead to friendship, or even love and marriage. The more you interact with the townsfolk the more prosperous the village becomes and the more newcomers will be attracted to it.

Dynamic Ecosystem – Cultivate and harvest crops on fields strewn throughout the game. Growing crops attracts Runeys (spirits) which live symbiotically with fertile land. Catching Runeys and releasing them on your land and around the town creates an interactive environment that will affect the growth time and quality of the plants you produce

Dungeons, dungeons, dungeons – Varied dungeons are secreted about the game area and a very special one soars right above your head if only you can reach it… Filled with areas to explore, creatures to fight or tame, and rare items to collect, they can be an adventurer’s dream or a brave farmer’s greatest resource for special crops. Seek your fortune or battle to your heart’s content.

Intuitive Wii Controls – Use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to do everything! Till the land, swing your sword, even knock on your neighbor’s door. (Also compatible with the Classic Controller.)

Screenshots
(Excuse the crummy quality, for some reason IGN has taken some horrible quality shots of this game)

Videos

FMV Opening (with catchy intro song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTAtKCXiSHM

Official Japanese Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y--8OdW6KwU

Official US Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKw8cquUYcU

Battle Gameplay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTJ6gocgwT4

Character Interaction Gameplay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjyjlg4qzhE

Anette - She is the villages postal carrier/delivery girl. She is often very cheery and is noticed more-so thanks to her trademark delivery bag (that sometimes looks as large as she is). On her routes, she tends to be bullied by the monsters along her paths due to her small stature. Maybe you can straighten them out for her sometime?

Bianca - She is the daughter of the renowned millionaire named Viviaju. Over the years she and her maid, Tabatha, have grown quite the friendship even though she is slightly jealous. Reason being, Tabatha could always make friends more/better than her. She isn't really fond of any items whatsoever so the only way to befriend Bianca is by talking to her each day.

Black Iris - These two have the ability to communicate in a special way through the power of song. She has the same name and powers as her lighter counterpart. Her whereabouts and existence is shrouded in mystery.

White Iris - These two have the ability to communicate in a special way through the power of song. She has the same name and powers as her darker counterpart. She loves flowers.

Cinnamon - She is a girl with few words, and has a family which has been full of scholars for generations. When she was a child, she had an amazing intellectual talent, but over the years she has grown rather lazy and slightly lethargic, causing her to lose parts of that talent she once had. She is still, none-the-less, very intellectual. She lives in town with her little sister, Candy, and grandfather, Kanro. Not very personable.

Eunice - She is the daughter of the inn owners, Turner and Rita. She loves to cook and clean and has a large respect for her parents. Her body image is a little complex however due to her sensitivity of others opinions. Telling her yours will affect how she looks in the future!

Lara - She is both a nurse at the hospital, and a sister at the church. She is very friendly and knows that Raguna can become stronger if he tries hard enough. She saves you whenever you collapse in a dungeon or out in the open. You can buy medicine from her too.

Melody - She was once on a journey around the world to enjoy the hot-springs and what they had to offer, but finally decided to start up her own in your village. Many people have come to adore Melody, and many come from other places to enjoy her hot-springs. She doesn't remember her parents and is possibly unaware "at first" that her own grandfather/uncle is using her springs as well.

Mist - A beautiful, caring, but strangely air headed girl who has a unique behavior. She now lives in Trampoli.

Rosetta - She is Mist's childhood friend and is the daughter of a general store owner, which is partially why she has grown independent of others and now runs one herself. She has a basic friendly nature but will have a tendency to say harsh things to both you and Mist on a rare occasion.

Selphy - A "bookworm" who works at the library. She is soften spoken and gentle.

Tabatha - She is Bianca's maid and is a very benevolent woman. She loves to draw monsters in her spare time and is the only person Bianca truly trusts due to their lifelong friendship with one-another. She has a dream that one day both humans, magical creatures, and monsters will come together and be friends.

Uzuki - A spunky young girl who goes everywhere with Tsubute. Don't be fooled by her appearance, she is a skilled fighter. She came to town searching for her older brother and speaks with an archaic samurai accent.

Famitsu - 8 / 7 / 7 / 7

Nintendo Power - 7.5/10

Frontier isn't for everybody, but it delivers on its promise of providing a deep, engrossing experience while letting you live a relaxing life

IGN - 8.3/10

The visuals are beautiful, the world itself is well-crafted, and the design is as deep and addictive as the best titles in the Harvest Moon/Rune Factory series. The designers could certainly be nicer to players in the future, making it easier to figure out where to get the starting items and exactly what’s needed to expand the story, but as far as “do anything” gameplay goes, Rune Factory dominates on Wii.

IGN's Video Review

GameZone - 90/100

This is one of the best games I’ve played on the Wii since we’ve gotten it.

Cheat Code Central - 84/100

There's simply so much to do that it will take many months to fully explore Rune Factory's true depth. The best part is it's fun to do so.

Gameinformer - 68/100 (these guys didn't like the first 2 Rune Factory games)

Even when it fails, though, Rune Factory: Frontier is packed with so many other activities that there's always more than enough to do.

Interviews

Fellow forum member zigg's interview with Yoshifumi Hashimoto
http://www.n-sider.com/contentview.php?contentid=3823


NeoGaf Quotes

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The more I play this game, the more I really think this is the best Harvest Moon experience I've had.

Very fun, liking this a lot more than the original.

I've played a lot of HM and for me this is the best HM experience hands down.

Yeah, it's been the best Harvest Moon experience for me since Friends of Mineral Town (which is great) or Harvest Moon 64 (which is my favorite in the series).

I bought this and I'm absolutely addicted

Got to the first dungeon area thing just now, sooooooo much fun. Loving this game!

 

[Mejilan]

Daaaamn. VERY nice OP. It's about time a niche series like this gets the full-blown GAF OP treatment.

Well done.

I'll probably buy the game day 1, but I have no idea when I'll have time to actually play it. Probably after I finish RF1 and RF2 for the DS, both of which I bought and left on a shelf. :/

 

[Volcynika]

Good thread OP! I'm not one to give tips on stuff, but you have a good foundation set up.

About the game itself: I've been sorta on/off wanting this game, but I'm gonna see how much I will have to spend for my dad's birthday before I can even consider picking it up.

EDIT: Also, this thread shouldn't come from any other user than you!

 

[Jaded Alyx]

Yeah, very nice OP. If Gametrailers bothers to review the game, you should add their score. Xplay too I guess.

I'm still not sure if I should get this game however. I tried the first DS game, and I found it really tedious after a while unfortunately.

 

[Hero of Legend]

Fantastic job!

By the way, Nintendo Power gave the game a 7.5, but also gave both DS games a 7.0 each. Question is, who reviewed each? :/

 

[Mejilan]

I'm still not sure if I should get this game however. I tried the first DS game, and I found it really tedious after a while unfortunately.

Supposedly RF2 featured many welcome improvements that refined the formula quite a bit. I would hope that RFF similarly benefited.

 

[Wyndstryker]

I want this game. I loved the DS one so I expect to enjoy this one thoroughly. I just hope it doesn't disappoint.

 

[Valtor]

Ok, I might be in the wrong place to ask, but I've been interested in the Rune Factory games since the first one came out on DS. Having all those options in front of me, should I get Rune Factory DS, Rune Factory 2 DS or Rune Factory Frontier? It seems like RFF is kind of a port of RF DS to Wii, so I was wondering if it wasn't a better option to get the second DS game?

 

[slaughterking]

Release Dates
Japan - November 27, 2008
North America - March 17th
Europe - October 2009

RSG is sooo slow. D:

 

[Amir0x]

Just a correction for your FAQ:

I hated Harvest Moon, will I enjoy Rune Factory?

Perhaps. The action RPG sections of this series does make for a more interesting, more fun game, but you can't avoid the farming. A lot of game time will still be spent farming, raising animals, courting awkward loli pedobait just like in Harvest Moon.

 

[Nekobo]

Nice OP. I've never played a Harvest Moon game...would I be lost if I picked up this or Rune Factory DS?

 

[CTLance]

I just noticed the distinct lack of boobs. RF2 had a very varied cast, this seems like a step back. Possibly, at least. It's not like I demand big mammaries, but having the OPTION would have been nice.

Oh well, not like I'm gonna shun the game because of it. Nice OP, looking forward to the game. RF&RF2 were great games, so I'm kinda hyped.

 

[Wilsongt]

NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM.

 

[Olaeh]

Wonderful OP for what looks to be a wonderful game. Will be picking this up this week for sure~

 

[jeremy1456]

Screw Resident Evil 5 and Madworld - it's this and Suikoden Tierkries that are going to own March.

 

[CTLance]

Nekobo: No need for any HM-related knowledge. While it helps if you know the game mechanics, NOT knowing them adds a bit of fun IMHO. Also, much - but not everything - will be explained in-game (at least with the DS games). You'll certainly be able to play the game without intricate knowledge of the game mechanics, and to be honest, reverse-engineering/spoilering gameplay mechanics beyond obvious stuff in this kind of game hurts the enjoyment you'll get from it IMHO.

NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM.

I knew I should've gone with that instead of rambling on about boobs.

 

[Akai]

Oooooh, lovely thread...Hopefully it gets more people to buy it...

I don't really have the time to play the game right now, but I'll be picking it up by the end of the week regardless!

(Totally going after Chubs...:lol )

 

[zoku88]

Heh, I like the American box better (even if they are both almost the same.)

Cute bachlorettes too.

I've never played a Rune Factory game before. They're kinda like an RPG version of Harvest Moon right?

EDIT: duh, in the OP as well.

EDIT2: How is the DS one? I might get that one first if it's good.

 

[Olaeh]

Cute bachlorettes too.

Yeah; think I'll go for either Selphy or Tabatha.

 

[CTLance]

Having all those options in front of me, should I get Rune Factory DS, Rune Factory 2 DS or Rune Factory Frontier?

I'd go with Rune Factory 2. The original itself is pretty fun, but the sequel is simply better IMHO. No clue about Frontier since I obviously haven't played it yet.

 

[zoku88]

Yeah; think I'll go for either Selphy or Tabatha.

I wonder if you get both of the twins at the same time, ku ku ku

Zettai ryouki <3

Spoiler

I'm guessing that's a no

 

[Olaeh]

I wonder if you get both of the twins at the same time, ku ku ku

^_~ Mmmm. (lol)

Actually, judging from the description I bet you do get them both. I bet they are actually one in the same~

 

[SilverLunar]

I played the first, loved it to death, never found the second one though.
I will get this for sure, but the problem is time

 

[Metal Goomba]

It's good to see an official thread for this game. I haven't played a Rune Factory game yet but I'm a fan of Harvest Moon and adding an Action RPG to it can only be good. The reviews for the DS games seemed good and better than the harvest moon games so I'm hyped for this one.

 

[Quixzlizx]

Anyone know if there is also Gamecube controller support?

 

[grandjedi6]

Just a correction for your FAQ:

To be fair, the male lead also manages to be "loli pedobait" so it probably all evens out in the end.

 

[jrricky]

:lol at the OP's username.

And why is this coming out now. I dont have any money and I want to play. I have Madworld to finish, GTA CTW next week (this week), Pokemon the week after and RE5 ending off the month, April wouldve been better. Will get in April anyways.

 

[RuneFactoryFanboy]

Thanks for the complements everyone. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have an agenda making this thread to interest more people in Rune Factory.

The sad part is I won't be able to buy this game till at least Saturday because I have a Canadian FutureShop giftcard I'm going to use to get it. I have a backlog of 15 or so games but my love for Rune Factory conquers all. So no impressions untill then.

By the way, Nintendo Power gave the game a 7.5, but also gave both DS games a 7.0 each. Question is, who reviewed each? :/

Thanks, I added Nintendo Power's score as well as Famitsu scores. It's weird the game comes out tommorow and none of the big sites have reviews up.

I encourage anyone to not focus so much on review scores that come in and to give this a try. Like was said in this thread, Harvest Moon/Rune Factory games are a niche genre and will never nab those high scores that your mainstream games do.

(Totally going after Chubs...:lol )

She is really cool because as she falls more in love with you she loses more weight. By the time you marry her she is as skinny as the rest of the girls.

 

[Vorador]

Pretty good OP. I'm on the fence on this one since i don't want to buy a Wii yet and work is not going well, but i loved Rune Factory DS...

Decisions, decisions....

 

[GPsych]

Is March 17th the shipping date? Anyone think it will be available tomorrow or is Wednesday more likely?

 

[jeremy1456]

Is March 17th the shipping date? Anyone think it will be available tomorrow or is Wednesday more likely?

Wednesday is much more likely, though I think it depends on where you live.

 

[CTLance]

She is really cool because as she falls more in love with you she loses more weight. By the time you marry her she is as skinny as the rest of the girls.

So in the end you are restricted to marrying someone with a body of a 14 year old

Spoiler

boy ( )

no matter how you choose. I call that false advertising. Booo.

Oh well, it's how the RF artstyle works. It's creepy, but the rest of the game is beautiful and fun enough to make me ignore that aspect. And to be honest, at least it's a change from the usual shameless videogame boobfests. So... Reggie_shrug.jpg

 

[EvilMario]

We'll see. The first Rune Factory bored me to death compared to Magical Melody. The concept is good.. but it has to executed better.. and of course, the characters in the original were shallow in their personalities.. even by Harvest Moon standards.

Screen shots and an awesome OP have me excited though.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

I would've been very disappointed if the GAF official thread for this was NOT created by RuneFactoryFanboy.

 

[bryehn]

I'm in, should ship from VGPlus this week with Suikoden

 

[zigg]

I got it today.

Played my first game week, posted impressions. Man, is the town beautiful. Winding paths everywhere, I got a little lost a few times—in a good way.

There's a number of improvements I've seen thus far (and a few things to pick at as well—particularly the lack of pointer controls in the menus!), but I'm only one game week in, so I don't know a whole lot yet. It is definitely moving quickly thus far, though; there's no return to the need to grind a bunch like the original RF.

I have other games to tackle that arrived today too. I wholeheartedly expect there to be several people flying past me in this thread before I'm able to catch up.

P.S. RuneFactoryFanboy: link my interview with Hashimoto!

 

[TheChillyAcademic]

I expected something absolutely atrocious given the OP's name, but I was pleasantly surprised. The OP is simple, but clean and beautiful. Seems to be an interesting title eh?

 

[Hero of Legend]

I got it today.

Played my first game week, posted impressions. Man, is the town beautiful. Winding paths everywhere, I got a little lost a few times—in a good way.

There's a number of improvements I've seen thus far (and a few things to pick at as well—particularly the lack of pointer controls in the menus!), but I'm only one game week in, so I don't know a whole lot yet. It is definitely moving quickly thus far, though; there's no return to the need to grind a bunch like the original RF.

I have other games to tackle that arrived today too. I wholeheartedly expect there to be several people flying past me in this thread before I'm able to catch up.

P.S. RuneFactoryFanboy: link my interview with Hashimoto!

Just read it, nice impressions!

Question, does it support Dolby Pro Logic II? And are you able at all to snap a photo of the back cover to show us in advance?

 

[Hobbun]

I got it today.

Played my first game week, posted impressions. Man, is the town beautiful. Winding paths everywhere, I got a little lost a few times—in a good way.

There's a number of improvements I've seen thus far (and a few things to pick at as well—particularly the lack of pointer controls in the menus!), but I'm only one game week in, so I don't know a whole lot yet. It is definitely moving quickly thus far, though; there's no return to the need to grind a bunch like the original RF.

I have other games to tackle that arrived today too. I wholeheartedly expect there to be several people flying past me in this thread before I'm able to catch up.

P.S. RuneFactoryFanboy: link my interview with Hashimoto!

Thanks for the impression.

Now in your short review, you indicated the targetting controls for the tools are a bit awkward unless you use the d-pad. Obviously that is if you go with the classic controls.

If you decide to use the Wii remote, what is used to target? You have to move the actual Wii remote around as the analog stick is used for moving? If that is the case, I can see that being awkward.

 

[leroidys]

This is the best March for releases I can remember in a long time.

 

[Zihark]

So in the end you are restricted to marrying someone with a body of a 14 year old

Spoiler

boy ( )

no matter how you choose. I call that false advertising. Booo.

Oh well, it's how the RF artstyle works. It's creepy, but the rest of the game is beautiful and fun enough to make me ignore that aspect. And to be honest, at least it's a change from the usual shameless videogame boobfests. So... Reggie_shrug.jpg

Actually she goes on a diet-3 possible outcomes. Its a success-slimmer character model, its a failure, or she loses some weight/stops diet and is in the middle. During the diet-she'll refuse food-even her favorite thing which is some type of cake.

 

[momolicious]

I just want a game that has deep character interaction like Harvest Moon 64

 

[ronito]

I really enjoyed RF 1 and 2. Though I'll have to clear out a bunch of games from my backlog to get to this one.

 

[Sye d'Burns]

There might already be a thread elsewhere but Rune Factory: Frontier gets a 6.75 / 7,25 in the April Game Informer.

 

[Kevtones]

This or Broken Sword?

 

[Hobbun]

There might already be a thread elsewhere but Rune Factory: Frontier gets a 6.75 / 7,25 in the April Game Informer.

Yeah, but Game Informer wasn't a fan of the original Rune Factory, so that isn't any surprise.

 

[BrodiemanTTR]

I might have picked this up if last week wasn't MadWorld week. Too bad, as it looks great.

 

[BobJustBob]

We must know the instant this is in stores!

 

[zigg]

Just read it, nice impressions!

Question, does it support Dolby Pro Logic II? And are you able at all to snap a photo of the back cover to show us in advance?

Doesn't appear to. And I threw the box art on the scanner because you're such a nice guy.

Now in your short review, you indicated the targetting controls for the tools are a bit awkward unless you use the d-pad. Obviously that is if you go with the classic controls.

If you decide to use the Wii remote, what is used to target? You have to move the actual Wii remote around as the analog stick is used for moving? If that is the case, I can see that being awkward.

OK, I think I might have been a little unclear. You don't have the option of using the d-pad at all for movement. It's reserved for food shortcuts.

Both Classic and Nunchuk setups work almost identically. There is no pointer control at all. I was kind of hoping for a square-selection option like there was in the DS Rune Factory.

The awkwardness stems from it being troublesome to get lined up perfectly with the square you want to water (or harvest, or hoe, or hammer). There's a targeting cursor in front of you and my complaint was that I don't have the digital precision of a d-pad for movement like I did in the DS Rune Factories; with that, lining up was a piece of cake. I only have the one 3×3 plot of turnips thus far (thanks Mist) and I have to sort of fudge with it three times to get started on each row.

Also, it's certainly not a review yet. I don't know when I'll be able to review it. I spent so long on the last game.

 

[haowan]

Look at that, one whole year after Japan. One year.