


All Rune Factory games have a plot, but, by far, Rune Factory's is more tied into the gameplay. Now, let me tell you how Rune Factory 3 incorporates all this better into its gameplay than any other game in the series. In Rune Factory, these include mining, foraging for items, fighting monsters, crafting, forging, brewing potions, talking to townspeople, giving gifts to them, participating in festivals, falling in love, going on dates, getting married, and having children. You have the freedom to take it at your own pace, and the games give you plenty of other stuff you can do to pass the time instead. Harvest Moon and (by extension) Rune Factory are all about young adults (usually males) moving to a new town and fixing up a dilapidated farm.

Honestly, this game met and surpassed those expectations. When I got Rune Factory 3 as a present and saw the tagline, "A Fantasy Harvest Moon," that came with a lot of expectations. I played Harvest Moon SNES first, then Rune Factory 3, then 4, 1, and 2. However, in my opinion, this is the definitive Harvest Moon / Rune Factory game. I'll admit, I have a lot of bias towards this game.
