Rune Factory 3 Special blends farming, fantasy, and dungeon crawling to create an amazing RPG

Many years ago, when controllers still had wires and dinosaurs roamed the earth, there was only one farming series on the scene: Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon series was incredible—I loved tending crops, raising livestock, and chatting up the locals. But there were times when I wanted something more. What would it be like to play a farming game with a different setting? What if there was a game where I could whack weeds and slay monsters?

In 2006, Rune Factory brought all those fantasies to life. This Harvest Moon spin-off had all the things I loved about the original series, like streamlined farm management and social simulation, but it also had new elements, like a fantasy storyline and combat. The first Rune Factory game wasn’t perfect, but it felt like a breath of fresh air, and it made me fall in love with farming games all over again.

By the time Rune Factory 3 released for the Nintendo DS in 2010, the series had perfected its reinvented formula. Earlier titles were a little uneven, but the third entry struck the perfect balance between slow-paced farm life, high-stakes monster battles, and fantasy storytelling. It was packed to the brim with things to do, but despite the in-game clock, there was no real time pressure. I could spend my days farming and fishing, battling and befriending monsters, or exploring to my heart’s content.

If you haven’t played Rune Factory 3—or if you’ve never played a Rune Factory game in general—now is the time to jump in. Rune Factory 3 Special, an upgraded and remastered version of the original game, is set to release this September. It still has the same spectacular gameplay, but it also has enhanced graphics and character models, new story content and questlines, and a super-tough optional difficulty level for players that are craving a challenge. Rune Factory 3 is a perfect combination of farming and RPG grinding, and this remaster is a great way to check it out.

So what makes Rune Factory 3 so great? The farming is addictive, and the action RPG combat is solid, but what really makes the game special is that it’s full of surprises. Like in most farming sims, the gameplay involves a lot of repetitive tasks. I start off most days by watering my plants, and I typically talk to the same locals over and over again.

Keeping up with daily chores might sound boring, but since Rune Factory 3 has such a wide range of skills and activities, it always feels exciting. When I'm bored of life on the farm, I can go fishing, tackle a quest, or explore a dungeon. Every time I think I have the game figured out, it shows me something new, like an awesome boss fight or a search point that spawns free ice cream.

Not only is the day-to-day gameplay addictive, but Rune Factory 3 also has a surprisingly engaging story. Micah, the protagonist, has the mysterious ability to shift between two forms: an ordinary human and a sheeplike monster. Since he has amnesia, he’s not sure why he has this ability or what it means. It’s a lot to deal with, but thankfully, he has a farm and plenty of locals to keep him distracted.

It’s not exactly a groundbreaking narrative, but the story is told well, and there are lots of little details that make it more involving. When Micah shows up in town, he’s invited to live in a massive tree.  This giant tree contains a cozy little house and a built-in farm. Waking up, climbing down a ladder, and checking on my crops never gets old.

Every social sim needs a solid cast, and thankfully, Rune Factory 3 also has a charming and lovable cast of characters. Pop into the blacksmith shop and you’ll usually spot Gaius, an easygoing dwarf with a weird sense of humor, and Raven, an antisocial girl who’s secretly really lonely. Wander into the forest, and you’ll eventually stumble across Daria, a passionate Elfen artist that loves working on her rainbow garden. You might find certain characters more interesting than others, but everyone is fun to talk to.

It helps that the game has a character event system that essentially gives every cast member their own questline. This system gives every character some much-needed depth.  Initially, some characters might seem like stereotypes, but if you get to know them, you’ll discover there’s more to them than meets the eye.

Rune Factory 3 is the complete package. It's got everything you could want in both a farming game and an RPG. There are animals to raise, festivals to attend, ladies to romance, dungeons to explore, and giant monsters to battle. It even lets you craft items like armor, weapons, and potions so that you can prepare for the next big fight!

Based on what I've seen of Rune Factory 3 Special, it seems like it'll be the best possible version of an already incredible game.  If you’re a farming game fan or have always been curious about Rune Factory, make sure you keep this title on your radar. I’ll be back with a review of the game next month.