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Prepare for your Story of Seasons

Prepare for your Story of Seasons

We need to accept facts. Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley was a noble attempt on Natsume’s part, but it didn’t deliver. We’ve come to expect certain things from our portable, farming sims and that title didn’t come through. We were missing a lot of elements that make those virtual, rustic settings feel like home. Which is fine. Those things happen. Chances can be taken, because we’re going to get the game that really matters on March 10, 2015. Story of Seasons is bringing us home.

For those who are familiar with the Harvest Moon series, let me preface this all by saying Story of Seasons has a bit in common with Grand Bazaar . A big focus in that title was the ability for players to sell their wares directly to consumers. Here, there’s a trade depot with two selling options. Players can manage their own booth, where they can sell products created or acquired throughout the game, and sell and buy to representatives from seven different, fictional countries. The idea is to help make people feel more like a part of not only the community, but the world in general.

As is the Safari Tour. In Harvest Moon: A New Beginning , players were able to improve their town by creating a Garden Tour. Think of it as the ability to develop and manage your own little park, and turn a little profit from it to. It was a means to be more creative, and Story of Seasons has that with its animals. It seems like it could be a more natural and open space, since a player will be able to mine and gather while inside the park.

Customization will be key in Story of Seasons as well, an element we’ve also come to expect since A New Beginning . A player can determine their gender and appearance. Clothing and hairstyles can be changed once you get into the game. You can’t get new outfits unless you get yourself the proper equipment, i.e. a sewing machine and patterns. You’ll be making your own furniture and making your house suit your personal tastes as well. Of course, this extends to the farm and town as well, with the ability to shift things around as, again, in A New Beginning.

Given the building on other installments in the series, it may get one wondering if there’s unique, Story of Seasons content. Yes, there is, and one is going to make a lot of people happy. While the Bokujou Monogatari games might seem simple, there’s a lot of depth to them. People need to invest time to make things work. Those unfamiliar with mechanics may find the time needed to get things done, cost of items, and amount of work a character can accomplish in one day limiting. Story of Seasons introduces a Novice mode which increases stamina, makes it easier to clear farmland, and reduces the cost of essentials. Think of it as an optional means of welcoming more people into the game.

Prepare for your Story of Seasons

Then, there’s the Nintendo factor. You know how, sometimes, a game that’s a console or handheld exclusive offers an easter egg for people who play? Story of Seasons does that. I guess you can pretend that you’re living in the Mushroom Kingdom, as you can grow Fire Flowers, Super Mushrooms, and Super Stars. All three function as power-ups in the game, just as they do within the Super Mario series. They make tending crops easier, as the Fire Flower clears and fertilizes, the Super Mushroom makes crops grow, and the Super Star revitalizes crops that could be close to death. All three are there to make you smile and your farm more efficient.

So, be honest with me. Are you excited about Story of Seasons now? Because I am incredibly excited about this installment and spent these last 600-or-so words blathering on about a game I already know I’m going to love. Tell me that now you’re ready to open your heart and love it too, because there’s going to be online multiplayer and I’d like to have more people to farm and trade items with.

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