Rune Factory 3: Harvest Moon with a Plot!

So with all the traveling I've done these past few weeks (and being locked in because of a hurricane), I found myself replaying an old game that I absolutely fell in love with; Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon.

If you like Harvest Moon and action RPGs, this game is for you. 

At first glance (or even from the screenshot), one could be turned off by the rather pastel-ish art, but man. You would miss a true gem of a game.

The game follows an amnesiac monster/human who finds himself in a town of some quirky characters. You then live in the Sharance Tree, where you learn to farm, cook, forge, and even fish. You then make your way to befriending the entire town by giving them gifts or doing some minor quests, all while making a profitable farm and watching your assets grow.

What made this game so addicting was the action RPG elements added alongside the traditional Harvest Moon games.

Many many skills to level up, which contribute to your overall level.

You can travel outside of town, where you will find monsters and beasts that you can kill and loot, or whom you can also befriend if you'd like. There's even a natural storyline, where you'll be put up against bosses.

Building up my relationship with a potential wife ;

The thing I like about this game is that there's not a set way to play the game. While yes, some methods are more efficient and profitable than others, you don't necessarily need to farm to make money. Or you don't need to only fight monsters to level up. But the game also gives you the option if you'd like to. This eliminates the repetitive nature of the traditional harvest moon games, where you can choose to farm one day, then just to do something different, spend the entire next day fishing. While there still is a repetitive element to the game, you don't feel as rushed as other games, where you feel like you are required to partake in a schedule (where the first 2 hours of the day is lost to farming). For the most part, this game is pretty laid back and relaxed.

The surprisingly therapeutic (and profitable) fishing

Also, while there is and ending to the plot of the story, there is no real ending to the game itself. There's even a kinda meta-game dungeon that you can delve into for better loot, or just for fun purposes.

Hacking and slashing at an aggressive pineapple. Yes, a pineapple.

I remember the first time I played this game, I started on a car ride from Gainesville to Miami (six hours) and I couldn't put it down for the entire time. Then when i rediscovered this game a few weeks ago, the same thing happened. This game is just that addictive and fun.