Rune Factory 3 Special Review
by Srinithi | Updated Sep 06, 2023
Rune Factory 3
Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon is a simulation role-playing video game originally developed by Neverland for the Nintendo DS in 2009. It saw releases in Japan, North America, and Europe in subsequent years.
As part of the Rune Factory series, it combined farming simulation with RPG elements. In March 2023, a remastered version titled "Rune Factory 3 Special" was launched in Japan for the Nintendo Switch, with a global release on both Switch and Windows in September of the same year.
Rune Factory 3 Special Review
A Faithful Remake: Rune Factory 3 Special remains true to its Nintendo DS predecessor, offering significant graphical improvements while sticking to its original gameplay. Developed by Marvelous Inc and XSEED Games, known for their contributions to the Rune Factory and Story of Seasons franchises, the game maintains the core storyline where players, suffering from amnesia, find themselves in a mysterious world embroiled in a conflict between monsters and humans.
However, it lacks the option to play as a female character, a missed opportunity for inclusivity.
Daily Activities:
The game's blend of farming, crafting, romance, and dungeon crawling provides players with a variety of activities. While it starts slow, the gameplay loop becomes satisfying as players tend to their farms, complete quests, engage with NPCs, and explore various skills. However, some activities may feel repetitive.
Control Concerns:
Rune Factory 3 Special's controls could use improvement, particularly in inventory management and item equipping. Combat controls remain largely unchanged but offer enjoyable engagement with unique spells, special moves, and the option to fight as a monster. The introduction of the Hell difficulty setting adds to the challenge.
Engaging Characters:
The game shines in its character development, featuring well-defined and unique townsfolk. Updated graphics and voice recordings enhance the experience, although it lacks same-sex marriage options. Newlywed mode offers additional quests after the main story, adding depth to in-game marriages.
Visual Enhancements:
Rune Factory 3 Special presents an immersive world with improved graphics, creating beautiful and stylized environments across various biomes. Despite occasional glitches, the combination of new portraits, crisper visuals, and a captivating soundtrack enhances the overall fantasy experience.
Final Verdict: While Rune Factory 3 Special remains faithful to its source material and offers visual improvements, it falls short of innovating beyond aesthetics. The addition of Newlywed Mode and the Hell difficulty setting provides some value, but it feels more like a reskinned version of the original game. Nonetheless, fans of the series may still find enjoyment in this release.
Rune Factory 3 gameplay
In Rune Factory 3 Special, players embark on a journey as Micah, a protagonist burdened with amnesia, who arrives in a quaint village. His first encounter is with Shara, a welcoming local resident. Set against the backdrop of this serene town, players are entrusted with the responsibility of managing and nurturing the town's farm, offering various avenues for income, including crop cultivation, fishing, and resource gathering.
Delving deeper into the game unveils expansive dungeons filled with formidable monsters. Micah takes on these adversaries, and intriguingly, some can even be tamed and befriended.
This special edition introduces significant enhancements, including an advanced AI system with dynamic schedules, fresh combat commands, and enriched NPC interactions. Among the notable changes, players can transform into a golden Wooly, unearth crops beneath a unique tree within Micah's dwelling, and enlist villagers as valuable combat allies, expanding strategic possibilities.
The game also introduces a multiplayer mode accommodating up to three players, fostering collaborative dungeon exploration, encounters with rare creatures, and the pursuit of elusive treasures in a more engaging and interactive manner compared to its predecessors.
Rune Factory 3 Plot
Micah's arrival in the village unveils a perplexing predicament—the colossal Sharance Tree has remained barren for five decades, causing widespread land degradation. His journey involves restoring the tree's vitality while managing the farm around it. An unexpected revelation dawns upon him—he possesses the extraordinary ability to transform into a golden wooly and harbors a half-monster lineage. To safeguard this secret, he conceals his true nature from the villagers.
During his adventure, Micah encounters the Univir, a desert-dwelling civilization with a strained history. Despite their once-friendly rapport, tensions arose, resulting in estrangement. Determined to foster reconciliation, Micah earns the trust of both factions and unveils sealed memories, hidden within enigmatic orbs. By defeating formidable adversaries and unveiling his true identity, Micah successfully mediates between the villagers and Univir, rekindling their harmonious coexistence.
However, Micah's joyous wedding day takes an unexpected turn as his beloved mysteriously disappears. He embarks on a perilous journey into ancient ruins, where he confronts Aquaticus, a formidable water dragon.
Aquaticus initially opposes their union, believing that humans and Univir should remain separate. Yet, Micah's unwavering determination touches the dragon's heart. Aquaticus reveals that his actions aimed to unite the two races, essential for restoring the Sharance Tree and averting impending catastrophe. The game concludes with Micah's triumphant marriage and the Sharance Tree's magnificent resurgence, symbolizing renewed hope and unity.
Rune Factory 3 Trailer
Rune Factory 3 Special Review- FAQs
Rune Factory 3 Special offers significant graphical improvements while staying faithful to the original gameplay. It introduces enhancements such as advanced AI, dynamic schedules, new combat commands, enriched NPC interactions, and multiplayer mode.
Rune Factory 3 is a simulation role-playing video game initially released for the Nintendo DS in 2009. It combines farming simulation with RPG elements.
Rune Factory 3 Special was launched in Japan for the Nintendo Switch in March 2023, followed by a global release on both Switch and Windows in September of the same year.
No, the game lacks same-sex marriage options. Players can engage in heterosexual marriages with the available bachelorettes.
The game's plot revolves around Micah, an amnesiac protagonist who arrives in a village with a barren Sharance Tree. Micah's journey involves restoring the tree's vitality, managing the farm, mediating tensions between villagers and the Univir, and embarking on a quest to rescue his beloved on their wedding day.