Rune Factory 4 Special is a complex and endlessly playable farming-sim RPG. It has a few small quality of life issues and can get repetitive, but the vast majority of my time with Rune Factory 4 was filled with charming fun and addictive micromanagement.
Rune Factory 4 Special
Developer: Neverland
Price: $40
Platform: Nintendo Switch (reviewed)
MonsterVine was supplied with a Switch code for review.
I’m always down for a relaxing game, but I have little experience in the farming-sim genre. I saw covering Rune Factory 4 Special as the perfect way to immerse myself in the genre (beyond Doraemon) while also getting to chill a bit after a busy couple of months. Rune Factory 4 Special served these two purposes quite well, as I was deeply engrossed and suitably comfortable for most of the time I spent playing it.
The story of Rune Factory 4 Special revolves around you. After being attacked by pirates and literally kicked off your airship, you fall on top of a dragon and become amnesiac. Unable to remember your identity or life, you take on the role of a Prince and set out to improve the town of Selphia while befriending its residents. Things eventually escalate, and you find yourself trying to recover mystical Rune Spheres in order to save a friend and keep the world bountiful. It’s not especially unique or memorable and can feel a bit slow, but the characters and basic narrative are fun enough to keep you interested throughout your playtime.
It’s Rune Factory 4 Special’s gameplay that makes it so appealing, as it perfectly blends RPG leveling and combat with deeply satisfying farming mechanics. As the in-game days go by, you’ll spend your time planting and nurturing various crops, which can be sold for cash or given away to build friendships with Selphia citizens. Progression through the game grants you access to new crops and resources, all of which require their own unique growing conditions. I never got tired of growing crops, even though it would typically boil down to the same group of actions. These crops can also be used to cook a variety of meals, which can restore your health and stamina, or be sold for even more gold. There’s so much to do with farming alone that I found myself devoting far more time to harvesting than I had expected.
“Getting EXP from battles while also leveling your skills makes every battle feel worthwhile, as your various skills are constantly improving just from playing the game.“
The other side of Rune Factory 4 Special’s gameplay is its RPG aspects. Throughout the course of the game, you’ll explore a number of dungeons to find items and fight bosses. Battles are done in real-time, where you and any selected party members hack and slash at your foes with weapons ranging from short and longswords to spears and fighting gloves. Like with farming, using different weapons increases your skill level with said weapon, giving you new attacks that are exclusive to each weapon. Getting EXP from battles while also leveling your skills makes every battle feel worthwhile, as your various skills are constantly improving just from playing the game.
Finally there’s the “Order” system, which focuses on improving the town through your royal decrees. Using Prince Points that are gained through doing pretty much anything, you’re able to host various festivals, expand your inventory and crafting systems, bring new stores to town, and much more. Performing Orders gives you a sense of power as the town gains more and more tourists and resources, though the resource requirements can feel a bit extreme at times. Still, it’s a minor complaint against what is largely an enjoyable system.
Though it was originally a 3DS game, this updated version of Rune Factory 4 looks and sounds quite decent. The visuals are clean and smooth, and the art that accompanies each character feels distinct and representative of their personalities.
The Final Word
Rune Factory 4 Special is a robust farm-simulator and RPG experience that, while occasionally dull, is a deep and truly relaxing experience. There’s no shortage of things to do from the get-go, and the detail put into combat and the various leveling systems will surely please even those who lean more into the RPG side of things.
MonsterVine Review Score: 4 out of 5 – Good
