The main thing that puts me off of Pioneers of Olive Town is the lack of character portraits. I know there are other Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons without character portraits but I haven’t played those. They just give the characters so much emotion and life, it feels very plain without them.
Yeah the lack of portraits really bothered me at first, but the addition of first-person view camera kind of helped that because then you can see their expressions in real-time. It's still not the same though.
Love the game. Bought it on Steam since I'm getting too durn old to play them on hand-helds any more. For me, it's the best "official" Harves....sorry, Story of Seasons, game yet, IMHO. I have no problem with 2-D pixel games, but find that the lush 3-D environments just seem more relaxing and immersive. It can be a bit clunky in the UI, and overwhelming in the amount of things to do, to the point where it could burn out or overwhelm players, but it's meant to be a casual farm sim. So just relax, do whatever you want that day, and just enjoy it at your own pace. You'll enjoy it so much more. Screw the mayor. I'll get to it when I get to it. Right now, and maybe for the rest of the friggin' day I'm goin' fishin'!
Yeah that's very true! You absolutely don't have to do EVERYTHING all in one day. I just hate leaving things undone, but that's definitely more of a "me" problem.
I’m a year late to this comment, but I feel like a LOT of people forget this, especially when it come to farm sim games like this. My biggest hurdle with this game was comparing it to Stardew. Once I said to myself “this game isn’t Stardew. Play PoOT,” I almost instantly loved the game after. The only thing that really frustrates me is how horribly it runs :/
I wanted this game until I saw in the demo all the makers, way too many and it completely turned me off. Also the way they are placed so part apart and large, just very unattractive.
I've been on the fence for a long time about PoOT - I love the Story of Seasons games and want to support them, but I know there were a lot of issues at launch (that the devs have since addressed/patched). But I definitely agree that the DLC seems underwhelming for the price, at least as someone who doesn't have a huge connection to those returning characters. Maybe I'll wait for a deeper sale...
The dlc does include alot of outfits and costumes as well as a couple of story events with special requests to complete. It was worth it for me since I took advantage of the prelaunch discount. Most of the in game clothing is really hard to make and not even appealing to me. The marriage candidates are stupid since neither they nor your children participate in festivals with you.
That's true! I forgot to mention the outfits and forgot to mention that the DLC marriage candidates don't attend festivals. So yeah, just kind of a disappointment all around.
I usually think a lot of reviews tend to be too long-winded unnecessarily or their points don’t really hit the main points, but your review was REALLY spot on! The biggest disappointment for me was dialogue because I just played RF4 Special and there was amazing characteristic dialogue there and at the time that I was playing Olive Town, I was also playing the remake of More Friends of Mineral Town, and the comparison between the townspeople made me realize so much that I didn’t connect with ANYONE from Olive Town. Very sad because the storyline is so lacking and I would want a balance of farm and story to keep me engaged. Thanks for your review! I loved it! Will subscribe!
What I really like about this game is that it's not heavily focused on the story. Games like Animal Parade, A New Beginning, and Trio of Towns to name a few, a lot of the features in those games are locked until you progress though the story. In Trio of Towns, I was forced to waste money and materials on things that I didn't want, but I had to do it so I could progress the story and unlock things that I did want. What I DON'T like about the game are the festivals. Other than the Pet Derby and that lantern festival (forgot the name), I really don't care about the rest. I miss the Harvest and Animal festivals. Other than the extra money you get from selling them, I don't even see the point of raising star quality of crops or byproducts.
I was so excited for this game I preordered it with the expansion pass. I’ve played maybe 8 hours of it, it bored me to tears. Coming from someone who grew up loving harvest moon games and love stardew valley. This game was just so disappointing for me 😅 I hate how fast trees and stuff grow. I got so sick and tired of puddles and lakes. Just UGH so annoying.
I don't think it seems worth it. So it's a farm sim with crappy, boring background characters? It's not worth the listed price. I dont want to just farm. I want festival's and character interaction. I want immersion to feel like I'm in a real world. That's not what it sounds like.
@@MysticsLibrary I do prefer the older ones. The characters and world just feel more alive. I'm a little bitter with how this turned out bc I had pretty high hopes.
@@jual-rakid Fire Emblem Three Houses and the entire Rune Factory series has battle and deep character interaction. RF is Harvest Moon plus battle and they honestly improved on even the farming aspect. Factory 4 Special is the best of the RF series. Any of the Dragon Age series is awesome. Harvest Moon AWL is pretty immersive and has time progression and death. All of these games have great character interaction and immersion.
the one thing about the dlc part ( maybe if it was a lot cheaper ) is that the bachelors/bachelorettes and villiagers might be more interesting. But 20 dollars is a bit much for a 40 dollar game, not even sure why dlc is a thing now. It just seems wrong to not have a complete game when you buy a game. Even 40 dollars I think is a bit much for the game, but I would say that for any of the games in the genre. I think friends of mineral town is better because it seems less stressful. Yes i find Pioneers a bit stressful at the start. It is a fun game, and it is better then the some of the older ones. The newer ones seem to have better friendship leveling, not great but a lot less tedious then the older ones. The characters seem a lot more interesting I think then they were in the older games. The older games seemed to fall into character tropes and not very good ones. Though I am hard pressed to find one bachelor I really like in Pioneers, but mostly I am not giving the most loved gifts. Wish the organization was easier and less machines. I wish the clock would slow down a bit, i find it hard to do everything and visit/gift during the day/night.
Tbh if animal parade didn't exist back then, this game will be fantastic And i hope they will make updates that give this games more festival and something that actually can be done in expansion pass isle ( you know like store that sold exclusive seed or furniture that only available in the isle to buy or something similar )
i've recently bought this on steam and i enjoy it sure it has it's faults and some of the glitches i've encountered are very frustrating, but it's a good farm sim.
Great review! How long have you been playing it? I was playing the free trial on Nintendo switch and made it to Autumn, enjoyed the game but worried that I’ll pay the $35 for a game I’ve already milked the enjoyment out of it
I've been playing it since it released on the Switch in March! I have, however, taken a break from it as, like you said, I've started to get a bit bored.
@@MysticsLibrary thanks for the reply! Hearing that you played for that long has helped me decide to purchase the game for the sale price. I really liked having a pretty little farm on my switch that I could just pop into n enjoy cute moments
I really enjoy the game & DlC so far & it really fun & experience & adorable & emotional all at the same time & I met the other marriage candidates & I find a perfect match just for me ☺️ & I hope you enjoy your day today
I know a lot of people dislike the game. I got it before I knew that, because I used to love the Harvest Moon games and I hadn’t played one in ages. I figured I’d just get the latest game. I bought it this morning and I am a good 8 hours in now. I was not able to put it down and played my way through the entire spring of year 1. Yes, the dialogue is boring and repetitive, but in all honesty, I never really read dialogue much anyway 😅 Also, I have noticed the lag maybe once, so far. And my Switch is old and full (I had to delete some old saves to even buy the game!). So I would have expected much worse 😅
This is a great review. I totally agree with your pros and cons. I love many aspects of the game, like the secret villages and mystery areas, cut scenes, and characters. The biggest drawback for me is that each real-time second equals one minute in the game. With all the things I have to do daily, my character literally runs *everywhere* all day long, and still hasn't done everything by nighttime. The animals and pets are adorable, and because of the frantic pace, I I don't have enough time to interact with them. I learned from another video that even when you marry someone, the interactions with them remain very much surface-level. This is really disappointing, and I've decided it might not be worth it. Overall, while I hope they make some playability updates, I really enjoy the game. Also, I love your livestock names! How Now brown cow made me laugh out loud!
Thank you! And yeah I always try to be creative with my animal's names. My chickens are all named after dishes made from chicken (nugget, kung pao, teriyaki etc)
I agree with the title of this video. I like and hate so much about this game even after all of the patches. One of my favorite things is the skill achievements. It's sad that so many things I looked forward to were such a disappointment like the photography.
It is a great game review! I started playing this game and feel like there is to much to do daily and so little time. I have to write down what things are requested. This is sometimes to overwhelming at times for me since this is my first story of seasons or harvest moon. Can u do a review on story of seasons of mineral town?
So with the new wave of discounts we got as of end of September 2021, I've been thinking on trying out another types of games. Since farm Sim is not my jam mostly, I was waiting till discounts hit the store and was thinking on buying either SoS:PoOT or Atelier Riza (I know Atelier is not a farm sin but it has some aspects among RPG and other elements) My problem is that I've been surfing RUclips vids trying to find a honest review of the game after its release now that all the DLCs and updates are out, and I am glad I found yours among the sea of good reviews it got from months ago. Thanks for all the info! Guess this time around I'm gonna try out the Atelier series instead since SoS seems rather lackluster as the only other farm Sim I have played is Stardew Valley.
@@MysticsLibrary sorry sorry for the late response, for some reason today RUclips notified me that I got a message and a like from ya. Well what can I tell ya, it is an amazing game! There is a little bit of farming to get the best stuff in the game via seeds you plant but that's for late game. Before it is just getting to understand how the game works, mechanics and behaviour of the enemies so the gameplay is rather simple and at the same time quite complex. It all depends on your own skill and the difficulty you play in. The story is really well written, like no joke it's been a hot minute since I have read something that good. Having played both games, Ryza 1 is a journey of growth and companionship. Of maturing and leaving the nest so while corny at times, it was really a breath of fresh air to see how the characters developed during the story of the game. Like no joke, I don't wanna spoil but the characters do grow and change as the story moves on from one chapter to another, my only problem with the first game is that they play the role of the silent hero, ya know those who save the day but keep all in secret. Having said that, the story moves along quite nicely with some ups and downs here and there but I cannot complain when even the side quests really go from emotional and engaging to just silly and fun to deep and complex. Some even make you think about things and I really love a game that makes you ponder about sensible topics with grace. Is a really lighthearted game with lots of twist and at the same time with a really complex and deep story under the waters. Ryza 1 is all about enjoying the gorgeous world. In a normal Switch the game is a beauty but in Oled or PS4/PS5 the game is just breathtaking. Very vibrant and colourful and the music of its soundtrack is remarkable! If I were to give it a grade is a 8.5 or a 9 out of 10. I won't give it a 10 because while good its major flaw comes from the fact that the game really becomes stupidly easy when you understand and abuse alchemy. Difficulty makes the AI of the enemies go from fish brain to predator brain on the hardest difficulty so the challenge is indeed in there but when you master alchemy and that can happen relatively early in the game, you can make even the most basic of equipment OP which in my opinion is a big flaw because, what's the point of having such a beautiful AI that can adapt to how you play the battle if just by mastering alchemy you can make equipment that renders all their attacks useless and weapons that kill them in 3 to 5 attacks? Like no joke, endgame on the hardest difficulty the final boss and post game bosses have trillions of HP and the AI is ruthlessly and incredibly smart, heck even a slime can kill you with ease but with a good enough understanding of alchemy you can make armour that render all of their attacks to 1hp and you can in return deal absurd amounts of damage. So if ya wanna try Atelier Ryza 1, don't focus on mastering alchemy at least until you reach almost the end and play it on hard instead of easy so you can taste how smart can the enemy AI become. Then since you unlock hard+ and hard++ before the final boss (you can change difficulties at will without penalties), I'd advise you to try it out so you can challenge yourself to see if you have indeed become a master alchemist or nope. Ryza 2 fixes the alchemy flaw that allows you to abuse it and become a god relatively early in the story. Alchemy still works the same so if you master alchemy in Ryza 1, Ryza 2 will treat you well and it can even spoil you because it was refined and expanded to the point it is such a bliss to do alchemy. No joke, in my opinion I had more fun doing alchemy and gathering stuff than fighting and fights are better than Ryza 1 which is crazy! Unlike Ryza 1, Ryza 2 takes the story with a better approach so the pacing feels better and more adequate to the topic it tackles as now we are finding our place in the world, seing how our friends matured as the game takes place 3 years later and we all continue to grow, it was a nice topic to touch since we as Ryza are also trying to find our purpose in life alongside new friends as well. The story is darker because the villain from 1 returns and is more of a threat in Ryza 2 but overall, the writing is still top notch and even the most mundane side quest is really enjoying and touching, some can make you cry a tear or two. And now since the alchemy is locked behind a talent tree, you cannot rush the game with op gear as soon as you finish the first chapter. In all honesty while alchemy is better, having it locked behind a talent tree feels awkward at first but it was a much needed change in order to experience the beauty of the enemy AI and the game as a whole. You can still become a God rather early but for that you need to reach mid game which is a stark contrast to Ryza 1 and quite frankly, becoming a "God" is a misleading argument since you can only become a "Demi God" at best, becoming an untouchable God that's only possible once you reach the final chapters so if you play on hard the challenge will be there and it will reward you handsomely if you know your stuff. Ryza 2 is without a doubt a 9.5 out fo 10. Is a great game, both of them are but it hurts that in some cases you need to play the DLC of Ryza 1 to get some context as there some extra story that while not incredibly important in Ryza 2, it helps you understand the motivations of the main cast in the sequel since some of them returned after the end of Ryza 1. You can play it without dlc but if you are in love with lore, it is recommended. Other than that, it was worth my money! Now I'm waiting for next discounts in order to play the other games since next year they will continue one of the old sagas (Ryza is a brand new chapter called the Saga of secrets) and on 2022 the Saga of Mystery will continue with their 4th entry, there are 5 sagas with more of 20 games from what I understand but you don't need to play other sagas to understand Ryza, but if you love it. Atelier Sophie 2 is coming out next year and there is a bundle with all the 3 Mysterious games so players can get ready for 2022. Hope I didn't take too long to explain but yeah, I completely recommend Atelier nowadays. I never knew I was missing so much and as an RPG with a wee bit of farming and other genres in it, it seriously satisfied my urge of playing a new game for the last couple of weeks. I have played it non stop until now since I discovered the Ys games and I'm actually rather impressed with it!
i love the game but i agree there is to much to do that its been overwhelming and i never bought the expansion pack cuz it was to pricey for the little bit of crap that i didnt care about in it. lol. i cant stand how repetitive the dialogue is. the respawns have been driving me nuts lol
I like pioneers of olive town but it makes me wish they would port over the 3ds HM/SOS games or at least hope for remakes in the future. I miss pets having jobs, more hairstyles, clothes, customizing my house interior, character portraits, and the makers producing up to 99 items.
@@MysticsLibrary I've never played that one but hopefully they'll make a remake of it in the future. A New Beginning got me into HM/SOS. I love character customization in RPGs and sims.❤
Interesting thoughts, and great video! I think I might enjoy this. However, I already have too many Story of Seasons / Harvest Moon games, I think. :P These games cost a lot of time to play... and you can't really hope to ever complete them. :P
This review was spot on, especially about the organization part. This game goes on sale about every other month. Same with rune factory 5. It's on sale right now for another 10 days and I would check again every 3 weeks.
does anyone know what happens to your boy/girlfriends when you get married in the game, im trying to get everyone to 10 hearts and confess but do you break up with all of them when your married?
Do the days still go by super fast? I wish there was a free play mode. I was trying to play the one on Xbox game pass and it took me almost an entire in game day to run from my farm to the general store and back
The days in this game aren't super fast compared to Friends of Mineral Town. I feel like the timing is more similar to Stardew Valley (if you've ever played that a day is about 20 minutes long depending on when you go to bed).
I would say Friends of Mineral Town is more beginner friendly. There is a lot less to keep track of so it doesn't get too much to handle for new players.
Your review was super helpful, thank you! I'm new to the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons games and I can't figure out if I should get Friends of Mineral Town or Pioneers of Olive Town? Which do you recommend? ❤
I honestly really like both of them, but I feel like Friends of Mineral Town is a bit more beginner friendly as it doesn't have QUITE as much to learn.
with limited space to install decorations i hate that they don't give us freedom to rotate the decorations. also i feel like the fridge has a very limited space. the storage will scatter your items out when you're moving them. AND THERE IS NO SORTING BUTTON I HATE SEEING MY ITEMS UNORGANIZED😭😭
The main thing that puts me off of Pioneers of Olive Town is the lack of character portraits. I know there are other Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons without character portraits but I haven’t played those. They just give the characters so much emotion and life, it feels very plain without them.
Yeah the lack of portraits really bothered me at first, but the addition of first-person view camera kind of helped that because then you can see their expressions in real-time. It's still not the same though.
Love the game. Bought it on Steam since I'm getting too durn old to play them on hand-helds any more. For me, it's the best "official" Harves....sorry, Story of Seasons, game yet, IMHO.
I have no problem with 2-D pixel games, but find that the lush 3-D environments just seem more relaxing and immersive.
It can be a bit clunky in the UI, and overwhelming in the amount of things to do, to the point where it could burn out or overwhelm players, but it's meant to be a casual farm sim. So just relax, do whatever you want that day, and just enjoy it at your own pace. You'll enjoy it so much more.
Screw the mayor. I'll get to it when I get to it. Right now, and maybe for the rest of the friggin' day I'm goin' fishin'!
Yeah that's very true! You absolutely don't have to do EVERYTHING all in one day. I just hate leaving things undone, but that's definitely more of a "me" problem.
Richard Your comment on the video makes sense and made me excited more than the video itself
I’m a year late to this comment, but I feel like a LOT of people forget this, especially when it come to farm sim games like this. My biggest hurdle with this game was comparing it to Stardew. Once I said to myself “this game isn’t Stardew. Play PoOT,” I almost instantly loved the game after. The only thing that really frustrates me is how horribly it runs :/
I wanted this game until I saw in the demo all the makers, way too many and it completely turned me off. Also the way they are placed so part apart and large, just very unattractive.
I've been on the fence for a long time about PoOT - I love the Story of Seasons games and want to support them, but I know there were a lot of issues at launch (that the devs have since addressed/patched). But I definitely agree that the DLC seems underwhelming for the price, at least as someone who doesn't have a huge connection to those returning characters. Maybe I'll wait for a deeper sale...
Good idea! Hopefully it will have a bigger sale at some point.
The dlc does include alot of outfits and costumes as well as a couple of story events with special requests to complete. It was worth it for me since I took advantage of the prelaunch discount. Most of the in game clothing is really hard to make and not even appealing to me. The marriage candidates are stupid since neither they nor your children participate in festivals with you.
That's true! I forgot to mention the outfits and forgot to mention that the DLC marriage candidates don't attend festivals. So yeah, just kind of a disappointment all around.
That happens in Grand Bazaar too. Your spouse and child are locked in the house.
I usually think a lot of reviews tend to be too long-winded unnecessarily or their points don’t really hit the main points, but your review was REALLY spot on! The biggest disappointment for me was dialogue because I just played RF4 Special and there was amazing characteristic dialogue there and at the time that I was playing Olive Town, I was also playing the remake of More Friends of Mineral Town, and the comparison between the townspeople made me realize so much that I didn’t connect with ANYONE from Olive Town. Very sad because the storyline is so lacking and I would want a balance of farm and story to keep me engaged. Thanks for your review! I loved it! Will subscribe!
"Too much to do."
Oh yeah, this game's for me.
What I really like about this game is that it's not heavily focused on the story. Games like Animal Parade, A New Beginning, and Trio of Towns to name a few, a lot of the features in those games are locked until you progress though the story. In Trio of Towns, I was forced to waste money and materials on things that I didn't want, but I had to do it so I could progress the story and unlock things that I did want.
What I DON'T like about the game are the festivals. Other than the Pet Derby and that lantern festival (forgot the name), I really don't care about the rest. I miss the Harvest and Animal festivals. Other than the extra money you get from selling them, I don't even see the point of raising star quality of crops or byproducts.
Yeah, the festivals really could have been done better, I agree.
Also, love your avatar! Three Houses is such a phenomenal game!
I was so excited for this game I preordered it with the expansion pass. I’ve played maybe 8 hours of it, it bored me to tears. Coming from someone who grew up loving harvest moon games and love stardew valley. This game was just so disappointing for me 😅
I hate how fast trees and stuff grow. I got so sick and tired of puddles and lakes. Just UGH so annoying.
Oh no! Sorry to hear that. It's definitely not for everyone.
I don't think it seems worth it. So it's a farm sim with crappy, boring background characters? It's not worth the listed price. I dont want to just farm. I want festival's and character interaction. I want immersion to feel like I'm in a real world. That's not what it sounds like.
Yeah it's definitely not for everyone. If you prefer the older Harvest Moons then definitely play those instead!
@@MysticsLibrary I do prefer the older ones. The characters and world just feel more alive. I'm a little bitter with how this turned out bc I had pretty high hopes.
I agree!
@@boethia7367 recommend me a tittle, i was looking forward to this but it seems uninteresting
@@jual-rakid Fire Emblem Three Houses and the entire Rune Factory series has battle and deep character interaction. RF is Harvest Moon plus battle and they honestly improved on even the farming aspect. Factory 4 Special is the best of the RF series. Any of the Dragon Age series is awesome. Harvest Moon AWL is pretty immersive and has time progression and death.
All of these games have great character interaction and immersion.
the one thing about the dlc part ( maybe if it was a lot cheaper ) is that the bachelors/bachelorettes and villiagers might be more interesting. But 20 dollars is a bit much for a 40 dollar game, not even sure why dlc is a thing now. It just seems wrong to not have a complete game when you buy a game. Even 40 dollars I think is a bit much for the game, but I would say that for any of the games in the genre. I think friends of mineral town is better because it seems less stressful. Yes i find Pioneers a bit stressful at the start.
It is a fun game, and it is better then the some of the older ones. The newer ones seem to have better friendship leveling, not great but a lot less tedious then the older ones. The characters seem a lot more interesting I think then they were in the older games. The older games seemed to fall into character tropes and not very good ones. Though I am hard pressed to find one bachelor I really like in Pioneers, but mostly I am not giving the most loved gifts. Wish the organization was easier and less machines. I wish the clock would slow down a bit, i find it hard to do everything and visit/gift during the day/night.
I agree. DLC tends to be something that probably should have been in a game in the first place.
This was really in depth and helpful. Thank you for the review.
You're welcome! Glad I could help!
Tbh if animal parade didn't exist back then, this game will be fantastic
And i hope they will make updates that give this games more festival and something that actually can be done in expansion pass isle ( you know like store that sold exclusive seed or furniture that only available in the isle to buy or something similar )
Agreed!
I think animal parade sounds better than this one tbh.
I’d love to see a remake of animal parade or tree of tranquility but i guess it’ll never happen :(
i've recently bought this on steam and i enjoy it sure it has it's faults and some of the glitches i've encountered are very frustrating, but it's a good farm sim.
Great review! How long have you been playing it? I was playing the free trial on Nintendo switch and made it to Autumn, enjoyed the game but worried that I’ll pay the $35 for a game I’ve already milked the enjoyment out of it
I've been playing it since it released on the Switch in March! I have, however, taken a break from it as, like you said, I've started to get a bit bored.
@@MysticsLibrary thanks for the reply! Hearing that you played for that long has helped me decide to purchase the game for the sale price. I really liked having a pretty little farm on my switch that I could just pop into n enjoy cute moments
I really enjoy the game & DlC so far & it really fun & experience & adorable & emotional all at the same time & I met the other marriage candidates & I find a perfect match just for me ☺️ & I hope you enjoy your day today
The game is nowhere near as good as other games like rune factory4 but i dont hate it i jist wish they did put more time into it
I know a lot of people dislike the game. I got it before I knew that, because I used to love the Harvest Moon games and I hadn’t played one in ages. I figured I’d just get the latest game. I bought it this morning and I am a good 8 hours in now. I was not able to put it down and played my way through the entire spring of year 1. Yes, the dialogue is boring and repetitive, but in all honesty, I never really read dialogue much anyway 😅 Also, I have noticed the lag maybe once, so far. And my Switch is old and full (I had to delete some old saves to even buy the game!). So I would have expected much worse 😅
This is a great review. I totally agree with your pros and cons. I love many aspects of the game, like the secret villages and mystery areas, cut scenes, and characters.
The biggest drawback for me is that each real-time second equals one minute in the game. With all the things I have to do daily, my character literally runs *everywhere* all day long, and still hasn't done everything by nighttime. The animals and pets are adorable, and because of the frantic pace, I I don't have enough time to interact with them.
I learned from another video that even when you marry someone, the interactions with them remain very much surface-level. This is really disappointing, and I've decided it might not be worth it.
Overall, while I hope they make some playability updates, I really enjoy the game.
Also, I love your livestock names! How Now brown cow made me laugh out loud!
Thank you! And yeah I always try to be creative with my animal's names. My chickens are all named after dishes made from chicken (nugget, kung pao, teriyaki etc)
@@MysticsLibrary HA! That's great!
I agree with the title of this video. I like and hate so much about this game even after all of the patches. One of my favorite things is the skill achievements. It's sad that so many things I looked forward to were such a disappointment like the photography.
It is a great game review! I started playing this game and feel like there is to much to do daily and so little time. I have to write down what things are requested. This is sometimes to overwhelming at times for me since this is my first story of seasons or harvest moon. Can u do a review on story of seasons of mineral town?
So with the new wave of discounts we got as of end of September 2021, I've been thinking on trying out another types of games.
Since farm Sim is not my jam mostly, I was waiting till discounts hit the store and was thinking on buying either SoS:PoOT or Atelier Riza (I know Atelier is not a farm sin but it has some aspects among RPG and other elements)
My problem is that I've been surfing RUclips vids trying to find a honest review of the game after its release now that all the DLCs and updates are out, and I am glad I found yours among the sea of good reviews it got from months ago.
Thanks for all the info! Guess this time around I'm gonna try out the Atelier series instead since SoS seems rather lackluster as the only other farm Sim I have played is Stardew Valley.
I'm very curious what you think of Atelier Ryza! I haven't played that series yet, but I've been looking at it for a while now.
@@MysticsLibrary sorry sorry for the late response, for some reason today RUclips notified me that I got a message and a like from ya. Well what can I tell ya, it is an amazing game!
There is a little bit of farming to get the best stuff in the game via seeds you plant but that's for late game. Before it is just getting to understand how the game works, mechanics and behaviour of the enemies so the gameplay is rather simple and at the same time quite complex. It all depends on your own skill and the difficulty you play in.
The story is really well written, like no joke it's been a hot minute since I have read something that good. Having played both games, Ryza 1 is a journey of growth and companionship. Of maturing and leaving the nest so while corny at times, it was really a breath of fresh air to see how the characters developed during the story of the game. Like no joke, I don't wanna spoil but the characters do grow and change as the story moves on from one chapter to another, my only problem with the first game is that they play the role of the silent hero, ya know those who save the day but keep all in secret. Having said that, the story moves along quite nicely with some ups and downs here and there but I cannot complain when even the side quests really go from emotional and engaging to just silly and fun to deep and complex. Some even make you think about things and I really love a game that makes you ponder about sensible topics with grace. Is a really lighthearted game with lots of twist and at the same time with a really complex and deep story under the waters.
Ryza 1 is all about enjoying the gorgeous world. In a normal Switch the game is a beauty but in Oled or PS4/PS5 the game is just breathtaking. Very vibrant and colourful and the music of its soundtrack is remarkable! If I were to give it a grade is a 8.5 or a 9 out of 10.
I won't give it a 10 because while good its major flaw comes from the fact that the game really becomes stupidly easy when you understand and abuse alchemy. Difficulty makes the AI of the enemies go from fish brain to predator brain on the hardest difficulty so the challenge is indeed in there but when you master alchemy and that can happen relatively early in the game, you can make even the most basic of equipment OP which in my opinion is a big flaw because, what's the point of having such a beautiful AI that can adapt to how you play the battle if just by mastering alchemy you can make equipment that renders all their attacks useless and weapons that kill them in 3 to 5 attacks? Like no joke, endgame on the hardest difficulty the final boss and post game bosses have trillions of HP and the AI is ruthlessly and incredibly smart, heck even a slime can kill you with ease but with a good enough understanding of alchemy you can make armour that render all of their attacks to 1hp and you can in return deal absurd amounts of damage. So if ya wanna try Atelier Ryza 1, don't focus on mastering alchemy at least until you reach almost the end and play it on hard instead of easy so you can taste how smart can the enemy AI become. Then since you unlock hard+ and hard++ before the final boss (you can change difficulties at will without penalties), I'd advise you to try it out so you can challenge yourself to see if you have indeed become a master alchemist or nope.
Ryza 2 fixes the alchemy flaw that allows you to abuse it and become a god relatively early in the story. Alchemy still works the same so if you master alchemy in Ryza 1, Ryza 2 will treat you well and it can even spoil you because it was refined and expanded to the point it is such a bliss to do alchemy. No joke, in my opinion I had more fun doing alchemy and gathering stuff than fighting and fights are better than Ryza 1 which is crazy!
Unlike Ryza 1, Ryza 2 takes the story with a better approach so the pacing feels better and more adequate to the topic it tackles as now we are finding our place in the world, seing how our friends matured as the game takes place 3 years later and we all continue to grow, it was a nice topic to touch since we as Ryza are also trying to find our purpose in life alongside new friends as well. The story is darker because the villain from 1 returns and is more of a threat in Ryza 2 but overall, the writing is still top notch and even the most mundane side quest is really enjoying and touching, some can make you cry a tear or two. And now since the alchemy is locked behind a talent tree, you cannot rush the game with op gear as soon as you finish the first chapter.
In all honesty while alchemy is better, having it locked behind a talent tree feels awkward at first but it was a much needed change in order to experience the beauty of the enemy AI and the game as a whole. You can still become a God rather early but for that you need to reach mid game which is a stark contrast to Ryza 1 and quite frankly, becoming a "God" is a misleading argument since you can only become a "Demi God" at best, becoming an untouchable God that's only possible once you reach the final chapters so if you play on hard the challenge will be there and it will reward you handsomely if you know your stuff.
Ryza 2 is without a doubt a 9.5 out fo 10. Is a great game, both of them are but it hurts that in some cases you need to play the DLC of Ryza 1 to get some context as there some extra story that while not incredibly important in Ryza 2, it helps you understand the motivations of the main cast in the sequel since some of them returned after the end of Ryza 1. You can play it without dlc but if you are in love with lore, it is recommended.
Other than that, it was worth my money! Now I'm waiting for next discounts in order to play the other games since next year they will continue one of the old sagas (Ryza is a brand new chapter called the Saga of secrets) and on 2022 the Saga of Mystery will continue with their 4th entry, there are 5 sagas with more of 20 games from what I understand but you don't need to play other sagas to understand Ryza, but if you love it. Atelier Sophie 2 is coming out next year and there is a bundle with all the 3 Mysterious games so players can get ready for 2022.
Hope I didn't take too long to explain but yeah, I completely recommend Atelier nowadays. I never knew I was missing so much and as an RPG with a wee bit of farming and other genres in it, it seriously satisfied my urge of playing a new game for the last couple of weeks. I have played it non stop until now since I discovered the Ys games and I'm actually rather impressed with it!
i love the game but i agree there is to much to do that its been overwhelming and i never bought the expansion pack cuz it was to pricey for the little bit of crap that i didnt care about in it. lol. i cant stand how repetitive the dialogue is. the respawns have been driving me nuts lol
I like pioneers of olive town but it makes me wish they would port over the 3ds HM/SOS games or at least hope for remakes in the future. I miss pets having jobs, more hairstyles, clothes, customizing my house interior, character portraits, and the makers producing up to 99 items.
I'd personally love a remaster of A Wonderful Life. I loved that game so much!
@@MysticsLibrary I've never played that one but hopefully they'll make a remake of it in the future. A New Beginning got me into HM/SOS. I love character customization in RPGs and sims.❤
A New Beginning and Trio of Towns are my favorites in the series, but I would adore all 4 of the games for 3DS to be ported over.
@@MysticsLibrary well, I have news for you.
Love your review. Well thought-out, concise, seems accurate. Thank you!
Interesting thoughts, and great video!
I think I might enjoy this. However, I already have too many Story of Seasons / Harvest Moon games, I think. :P These games cost a lot of time to play... and you can't really hope to ever complete them. :P
Funny thing about this game u can fish at the puddle
Yeah I always forget about that!
This was a great review. You didn't try to alter your voice and make it annoying and give unnecessary wording. Thank you! Subscribed
Thank you!
This review was spot on, especially about the organization part. This game goes on sale about every other month. Same with rune factory 5. It's on sale right now for another 10 days and I would check again every 3 weeks.
Lovely video! Makes me want to play the game.
The expansion pass is $17 right now if you run
Great review. :). Love the video.
Thanks Effigy!
This was very informative. I am waiting for the console release for this game.
does anyone know what happens to your boy/girlfriends when you get married in the game, im trying to get everyone to 10 hearts and confess but do you break up with all of them when your married?
Oops, sorry I missed this question! I'm not actually sure what happens with that.
Do you think it’s still worth playing?
If you enjoy this style of game, absolutely!
Do the days still go by super fast? I wish there was a free play mode. I was trying to play the one on Xbox game pass and it took me almost an entire in game day to run from my farm to the general store and back
The days in this game aren't super fast compared to Friends of Mineral Town. I feel like the timing is more similar to Stardew Valley (if you've ever played that a day is about 20 minutes long depending on when you go to bed).
@@MysticsLibrary thanks. I think I'll get it then
Wich one do you recommend for beginners? Story of seasons friends of mineral town or story of seasons pioneers of olive town?
I would say Friends of Mineral Town is more beginner friendly. There is a lot less to keep track of so it doesn't get too much to handle for new players.
Can I play this on Switch with full touchscreen compatibility?
I'm not sure if it has touch screen compatibility as I've never tried to play it that way. Sorry I don't have more info!
Hello. Can I play offline this game?
Your review was super helpful, thank you! I'm new to the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons games and I can't figure out if I should get Friends of Mineral Town or Pioneers of Olive Town? Which do you recommend? ❤
I honestly really like both of them, but I feel like Friends of Mineral Town is a bit more beginner friendly as it doesn't have QUITE as much to learn.
How many books would you give stardew ? good video
Probably also 4.5 out of 5. I like it slightly more because Concerned Ape is always adding new things which is keeping the game more fresh.
@@MysticsLibrary Thank you for the feedback
Very thorough review thank you! :D
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the video it's on sale and wanted to know more about this game and you sold me on it
Yay! You're welcome. Enjoy!
Jes
Dlc = no
I was sold at the 6:16 mark, thank you!
Yay! You're welcome!
which is better this one or stardew valley
I like them both, honestly! I think I prefer Stardew a slight bit more, though.
Is it worth the buy
I love this game
Great video♡
Well what a disappointment
Pioneers is awesome :)
ngl, i played long enough to get married then never touched it again. the maker machines ruined it for me.
Yeah the makers are easily my least favorite part of this game.
with limited space to install decorations i hate that they don't give us freedom to rotate the decorations. also i feel like the fridge has a very limited space. the storage will scatter your items out when you're moving them. AND THERE IS NO SORTING BUTTON I HATE SEEING MY ITEMS UNORGANIZED😭😭