Looking for a cozy fall game? Rune Factory 3 Special delivers the goods

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SHOULD I PLAY RUNE FACTORY 3 SPECIAL?

If you’re a farming game fan, you won’t want to miss this, especially if you skipped the original Rune Factory 3 on the Nintendo DS. Rune Factory 3 Special is a lovingly crafted remaster of one of the best games in the Rune Factory series. It’s a wonderful blend of farming, slice-of-life social mechanics, and action RPG combat. There are times when it feels a little dated, but overall, it’s a pretty fantastic package. It’s the perfect game to play while you curl up under a blanket on a cozy fall day.

TIME PLAYED

I played around six hours of Rune Factory 3 Special, which was enough time to build an awesome farm, clear the first seasonal dungeon, and get closer with the locals. The main story can be completed in around thirty hours, but since this version is packed with side content, it has the potential to keep me busy for much longer.

WHAT’S AWESOME ABOUT RUNE FACTORY 3 SPECIAL?

• Relaxing, cozy farming gameplay. Rune Factory 3 Special gave me a ton to do right from the start, but it also gave me the freedom to play the game my own way. Once I completed the first few quests, I could spend my days fishing, exploring in the dungeons, or focusing on story content. There are some calendar-based events, like birthdays and festivals, but there aren’t many time limits beyond that, so I could play the game at my own pace.

Every action I took, from swinging a sword to hitting a rock with my hammer, consumed a small amount of energy. That meant my daily activities were technically limited by my energy bar, but there were constant ways to get around that restriction. If my character was looking a bit tired, I could just head home and make some snacks, relax in a nice hot bath, or even munch on a nearby mushroom. I could take it easy and do the basics each day or maximize my efficiency and complete as many tasks as possible. I loved having that level of flexibility.

• Charming story and characters. Rune Factory 3 Special tells a tale of two towns: the human city of Sharance and Univir, a monster settlement. Your character can shift between a human and sheeplike monster form, making him the bridge between these two worlds. It’s a simple narrative, but it’s told well, and the fantastic cast of characters really bring the story to life.

Some of the characters in Rune Factory 3 Special might come across as gimmicky at first, but once I got to know them, I discovered they were deeper and more interesting than they initially appeared. It doesn’t hurt that the in-game dialogue is absolutely fantastic. Lots of lines are laugh-out-loud funny, but the more serious or romantic scenes are also deftly handled. The writing elevates the storytelling and makes it much more involving.

• Constant leveling up. Rune Factory 3 Special always gave me positive feedback, and that made the game much harder to put down. Defeating monsters gave me experience points, like in any RPG, but I also got stat boosts from virtually every in-game activity—even walking or sleeping. It felt like I was always making progress, even when I was wandering around and not doing much at all. 

• Newlywed mode. Rune Factory 3 Special has upgraded visuals, but the biggest improvement over the original is a brand-new way to play: Newlywed Mode. This mode introduces a side story for each of the eleven marriage candidates. Marriage in farming games usually feels a little underdeveloped, so I love that this game gave me a chance to enjoy married life with my chosen spouse.

WHAT SUCKS ABOUT RUNE FACTORY 3 SPECIAL?

• It could use some quality-of-life upgrades. Rune Factory 3 Special looks terrific, but there are times when it definitely shows its age. Basic tasks, like switching my equipped item or emptying items out of my inventory, could feel tedious. When I went shopping, I could only buy one type of item at a time, so sometimes I had to complete multiple purchases to get everything I needed. These are pretty minor annoyances, but they add up over time. It’s hard not to think about how much better the game could have been with just a few small improvements.

💬 Did you play the original Rune Factory 3? What’s your favorite Rune Factory game? Tell me more in the comments!