As a port, it does many things right and wrong. The graphics have been upscaled properly and unlike the pc port of RF4, the game looks really good on a big screen. On another hand, it's a shame to see the lack of many QoL features that should have been an obvious addition, such as your items automatically stacking together when you switch from one inventory to another, or indicating shipped items...

I think that releasing this game after RF4S, it was natural to expect the QoL features of RF4 to be introduced in this game, even more so when they are very simple and minimalistic features. Just like RF4S, the game also stays very simple when it comes to pc configuration and does not even have in-game configs, instead having you to go through an external executable as if the main game was some sort of emulated package.

That aside, the game is fantastic and pretty similar to Rune Factory 4, one of my favourite games. It's essentially a smaller scale version of that game but by no means is it a prototype. This is a complete package and rather than calling it a prototype, I think it's RF4 which is a follow-up to this one with a "best of the series" packaging.

The village is really fun to live in and I loved interacting with the villagers. They get a lot of development through their individual quests and I liked their design. It's unfortunate that many of them are relatively isolated however and hardly interact with the rest of the village, or stick to one topic almost entirely (such as a certain mother which complains about her daughter almost all the time...). But otherwise, they're fantastic, have a lot of dialogue and get a fair share of development. Some of the developments really came a surprise to me as they changed how I viewed a character or directly changed the way the character acted towards the protagonist, which I think is a welcome idea.

One thing I found fairly lacking in the game is the monster transformation. What I believe would lead to an entire feature where you can unlock different forms... never evolved. It's essentially just a fist-type weapon (like the RF4 one) and doesn't do any more than that. Ultimately it's pretty lackluster because it scales based on your stats and ignore your gear so it is pretty much useless on hell mode and in the later dungeons where your gear is extremely important. There is also a similar problem with the magic seeds which can't be improved and therefore stay rather limited in their use.

The game goes by pretty fast and in about 50 hours, I'd explored every dungeon up to the last maze, maxed out all relationships and shipped all items. But they were really fun and enjoyable hours.

I already made a sizeable review of the original DS release, which you can view here. So I’m not going to repeat myself, and instead evaluate this game as a re-release of that game. Overall, I think it’s good enough, but could’ve been better. Not gonna lie, there are some missed opportunities to introduce more quality of life changes. But anyway, let me list the changes this game brings (or lack thereof).

First, let’s talk the positives. The performance has been improved, which is one of the more obvious improvements. The original DS version struggled to maintain a consistent framerate around enemies/NPCs or other stuff, but modern PCs and Nintendo Switch are more capable of handling the load. The graphics are also obviously better. Rune Factory 4 Special also had “better” graphics, but that was more from a technical standpoint, as artistically they were mostly just "AI" upscales, which didn’t always look very good. Rune Factory 3 Special makes an actual effort of turning upscales into something far more appealing. Maybe it’s because the difference between DS and 3DS graphics is big, so simply upscaling DS assets wouldn’t cut it. The models are new and look quite good. I think the monster designs in particular come from 3D Rune Factory games (like the recent Rune Factory 5). Only backgrounds feel like they didn’t receive the same treatment. But I applaud the devs for taking the criticism of Rune Factory 4 Special’s graphics and gave Rune Factory 3 a nice visual overhaul. Other obvious changes include the ability to use more than 2 save slots and toggle for text and voice languages, which is a feature since aforementioned Rune Factory 4 Special.

Then there are a couple of QOL changes. First, the dashing ability is now a separate button instead of double-tapping the direction, which is FAR more convenient. Second, you can skip crafting animations, which speeds up the process significantly, especially if you’re someone who likes to fail a lot to try and craft a 10% chance item. Third, the amount of space for upgraded fridge/material box has been significantly expanded. Great for item hoarders. Then there are additions that the last “Special” release introduced – Hell difficulty, which, as it sounds, is hell (maybe, I didn’t try it, and honestly, I think on normal the game is harder than I remember). Another Episode mode which is a bunch of narrated stories for each bachelorette and is a separate DLC. And then the newlywed mode, which is also a bunch of new stories for each marriage candidate, but with its own objectives to complete. Just like with Rune Factory 4 Special, the main characters use live 2D, and I still think they look kind of jarring, maybe because I’m used to looking at static sprites and now they’re moving, it’s kind of… uncanny. But maybe it’s just me. There’s also an imbalance in what you do in these stories. For instance, in Carmen’s story, you are tasked to catch a bunch of fish, but more importantly, one Sun Squid, and it was a real pain in the ass to catch. You’re given 3 in-game days to do these. While in Shara’s story, all you do is basically follow the quest marker to find an elusive Golden flower something. You’re given 16 days of time limit. This is not challenging in the slightest, and I highly doubt people play these stories as an excuse to play standard Rune Factory 3 fare.

Of course, with the good comes the bad, as this significant subsequent rerelease isn’t quite perfect. First, let’s start with the OK – the english voice acting and script are different from the DS original, which is understandable, since that version was published by Natsume, and XSEED has since taken upon themselves to publish later entries. The copyright issues are inevitable, and who knows if the original English voice work is somewhere in Natsume’s basement. Besides, I heard that the original had some mistakes in its translation, which isn’t very surprising, considering how sloppy Rune Factory 2 (and most likely the original Rune Factory for that matter) tended to be in the English script (typos and actual errors like forgetting a line break). I can’t really comment on how the new translation stacks up against that, I know little Japanese. What I can do is compare voice lines. Honestly, some of the new voice lines tend to lack the exaggerated emotion that the originals had. But I dunno, maybe I’m just being a little nostalgic to the old voice work and think its charming in its own way. I think the new voice actors did an adequate enough job, not much to say. Of course, you can switch the VO to Japanese if you want to know what the originals sounded like. Or don't, I'm not you.

But finally, let’s move onto actually bad stuff. Even though this version does introduce a few improvements, I think it missed a lot of opportunity to add more quality of life improvements. Rune Factory 4 Special and Rune Factory 5 are on the same platforms, and released a little earlier, so it’s jarring when you go to this brand "new" game and you see the backward mechanical progression. For instance, Rune Factory 4 Special had a dedicated button for escape spell, which can be used to, well, escape the dungeon and teleport back home easily. Of course, it can be argued that the 3DS version had it on the touch screen, and for platforms that lacked it (while you can use it on Nintendo Switch's touch screen, you couldn’t in docked mode), they had to map it to a button, but c’mon, nobody would’ve complained if you retrofitted that in. But, the most obvious missed opportunity to me is the lack of analog movement. You’re still locked to a D-pad movement scheme, even when using a stick. The thing is, the original DID have an analog input… If you used the touch screen. I doubt you did, but it was an option. Why didn’t the devs map that touch screen movement onto a stick? Even if the DS version didn’t have that, it’s such a no-brainer change, it’s baffling why it’s not implemented. Again, it’s very jarring going from recent Rune Factory games on the same platforms, that released just a little earlier to a decade-and-a-half-old control scheme. It also doesn’t fix the slippery movement, as you don’t instantly stop & carry a little bit of moment, which feels clunky (and I had to re-adapt again after not playing Rune Factory 3 in a while).

There are more missed opportunities I can list. Like how instantly stashing an item with the R button doesn’t automatically add it to an existing stack that isn’t full, taking its own slot, which is then fixed by pressing minus button (with a Nintendo Switch control scheme) to sort everything. Or how the game doesn’t tell you what items you haven’t shipped, which was introduced in its immediate sequel (would help those looking for 100% completion). Y’know, little stuff that would smooth out the gameplay and make it feel more modern? Lastly, the Swimsuit DLC. What was originally a pre-order bonus for Rune Factory 4 Special’s Switch release, this DLC isn’t particularly enticing on its own and is clearly very fan-service-y, it added a toggle to make all characters that had a swimsuit outfit wear that until the toggle was off. However, fans haven’t been served for a while since Neverland went bankrupt, so it was relatively inoffensive and was still kind of a neat bonus to sweeten the deal. Now it’s a $10 offer on top with Digital Deluxe Edition, it’s not a separate DLC, it’s just game + this. I think it’s legitimately overpriced – it should’ve been a preorder bonus like before. Are you actually going to pay 10 extra dollars for something so minor?? Freak. Also, I noticed that the credits don’t include original DS version’s staff, which is pretty lame. Apparently this game isn’t developed by Hakama, the new team behind Rune Factory 4 Special and Rune Factory 5 that includes some of the former staff (including the series producer). That might explain the faithfulness, but idk. Just throwing this out there.

With all that said, how would I evaluate this game? As a re-release, I think I would give it a 4 out of 5. It’s a fine and accessible way to play the game which does bring in some improvements and new content, but I wish the devs rocked the boat a little more, I think it’s faithful to a fault. It doesn’t really have any other issues besides missing opportunities, it doesn’t riddle an existing product with more issues for instance (oh, hello there, Half-Life: Source). I don't think Rune Factory 3 Special is quite as "Special" as 4, although I think that was mainly because it was simply a return of the series that made it special. As a game however… I gave it the score you probably already saw: 4.5/5. I do think, on its own, Rune Factory 3 Special is a great game. It’s still the same engaging game with a colorful cast of characters and hilarious writing, it’s the same game that introduced fast-paced gameplay compared to the DS predecessors. I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as the original DS game, maybe because I was a little disappointed by the lack of changes and that it doesn’t stack up well to the modern RF games. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed myself quite a bit. I would still recommend Rune Factory 4 like most fans, but you can’t really go wrong with this one. It’s fun, quirky, and just a good time.

That being said though, I really hope the inevitable Rune Factory 2 Special and Rune Factory Special games will receive better mechanical treatment, the originals are even more clunky and not as fast paced, which will make them stand out even more. There’s nothing inherently wrong with being faithful, but I think there should be some restraint in that regard… fingers crossed!

My Rune Factory journey goes like this: I fell in love with Rune Factory 4 on the 3DS, but when the Switch version dropped, I caved and bought it. Sadly, I lost my groove in the game and never finished it. Then came Rune Factory 5, and I was excited for a fresh experience. But it fell flat. The transition to 3D killed the charm, and the world felt boring to explore. Fast travel was a Band-Aid on a poorly designed game world.


Rune Factory 3 has unexpectedly claimed the title of my favorite in the series, even though it lacks the bells and whistles of its newer counterparts. The timeless appeal of its visual style, the endearing characters with their charming dialogue and unique personalities, and the captivating environment graced with a delightful color palette make it an absolute gem. Despite its age, I found the experience of exploration in Rune Factory 3 to be truly enchanting, and it has cemented its special place in my heart.

Holy shit, this game is addicting. I normally like to nitpick and overanalyze my thoughts but all I've got for RF3 is...it's fun. It's perfectly paced and packed with content without feeling bloated. It's not a butt ugly mess like RF5 and I like pretty much every character.

I like that getting married is the ending, and the optional post game married life bits are a fun addition. My only problem was the low difficulty, but picking between Daria and Sakuya was harder than any Souls boss. Inventory management was also a clunky mess of items that don't stack and I was often selling useful items because storing them was more tedious than grinding for another.

And maybe, just maybe play with Japanese voices. English is white woman baby voice hell and I don't deserve it.

A quién le guste el formato granja/rpg es muy buen juego. Es uno de los juegos mas emblemáticos de la saga y que por fin viene en español.

Ahora bien, es un juego corto, que le faltan bastantes Qol como elegir entre pj masculino/Femenino, no poder hacer varios objetos a la vez... que pueden notarse molestos, aunque te acabas acostumbrado.

Si eres nuevo en la saga o no lo has jugado lo recomiendo, si por el contrario ya jugaste la versión de ds es lo mismo, pero con unos gráficos más bonitos puesto que no han añadido nada excepto un modo luna de miel que durará como 10/30 minutos dependiendo de tu suerte que te den los objetos.

Si dudas, yo esperaría a rebajas que suelen rondar los 20€ y merece bastante la pena por ese precio.

When it comes to the farming sim genre, I feel the reason why a lot of the games fail to catch on is because they misconstrue "cozy" for "mediocre." They fail to distinguish themselves from one another, and you never really have a reason to play one over the other. A lot have fairly surface level farming, several overdone, predictable, archetypes to interact with, and if they feel especially daring, combat.

Rune Factory understands this issue, and I feel this is the reason why it was able to capture the hearts of both farming sim fans, and JRPG fans alike. Each Rune Factory game feels like it’s building on the previous. Sometimes these experiments work, and sometimes they don’t, but they are always experimenting to see how they could make each game bigger without sacrificing the iconic sense of comfort that the genre brings.

In the game you take control of Micah, a half human half monster that lost his memories. He is given a home in the famous Sharance Tree, a towering cherry blossom tree that never seems to bloom. While living among them, he ventures into the desert and comes across a settlement of monsters that seem to hate humans with a passion for casting them out long ago. The Monsters are unaware Micah is a human, and the humans are unaware Micah is a monster.

While I can definitely see why some people might disagree with me, I really do feel like Micah is a step up from Ragunda and Kyle, as characters. Unlike previous entries, Micah is noticeably more animated and lifelike compared to other Harvest Moon and Rune Factory protagonists. Even if it isn’t a stroke of writing genius, Micah has a solid character arc and clearly becomes more confident throughout the course of the main story, Which might as well be Guts Berserk level character writing for protagonists in this genre. The protagonist isn’t the only character that seems to be a step up from previous games in the series, as the villagers also feel like a massive step up from the previous games. They all feel like they really do have their own lives outside of the protagonist. The style of quick conversations that you engage in have a charm reminiscent of cartoon strips in newspapers. Even with the fast paced conversational style, you still feel like you learn a little bit more about the characters, and I feel this is a result of the secret ingredient to why this series is one of the few that mastered the genre.

Rune Factory understands the importance of progression in gaming. A large chunk of farming simulator games I’ve played in the past are often lacking in this department. Marketing your game as “comfortable” isn’t an excuse to fail at introducing depth to your mechanics. People want to feel rewarded beyond meeting some superficial goal that the game says you have to meet for no other reason than stretching playtime. This is where Rune Factory 3 really shines, as its gameplay is deep enough to keep the player engaged, but just mindless enough to be a comfortable stress free experience for casuals and exhausted gamers alike. It has a very clear focus on farming, but the game gives enough alternative options to make a profit such as crafting, cooking, alchemy, and monster hunting. Each profession is incredibly useful, incredibly profitable, and incredibly satisfying. So I never felt an intense need to grind to buy things like equipment for the dungeons. It never betrays its more lighthearted tone even when venturing into more serious topics, to the point it’s to its detriment.

While Rune Factory is a light hearted series, I feel like it usually drops the ball when it comes to serious topics which is fine because it’s a farming sim first and foremost. The issue is that it never seems to want to fully commit to whatever bleak theme it’s trying to cover. In 3, this is apparent in how it handles the relationship between the humans and the monsters. It wants to present this complex dilemma about the humans outcasting the monsters unfairly, and the monsters being rightfully upset, stubbornly refusing to connect with the humans. This is a solid idea, but cracks in the execution present themselves when most of the monsters besides Kuruna don’t seem pressed by anything relating to forming a relationship with the humans, and the humans themselves barely acknowledge the monsters. It feels less like a story of bringing these two races together, and more of a way of trying to get Kuruna to forgive the humans for what they did. I’d be fine with this, if the game wasn’t selling this “humans and monsters have been fractured for so long, and scorn each other” idea to the player.

Rune Factory 3 is a shining example of the Rune Factory series constantly growing, and shows that the genre doesn’t have to incorporate bland, surface level, gameplay to feel approachable and fun. Even with some of its flaws, the characters and satisfying gameplay loop does more than enough to pull its weak story. If you’re looking for a solid JRPG or Farming Sim, this game will not disappoint.

8/10.

Um bom jogo, entretanto um remaster irrisorio.
Foi interessante revisitar rune factory 3, realizar umas tarefas adicionais e o conteudo "novo".
Algumas mecanicas de gameplay e conceitos e tropes da franquia aqui são muito mais organicos que seus antecessores e me atrevo a dizer que é melhor que o 4.

Ir de RF 4 para o 5 não foi um baque, me acostumei muito rápido, visto que as mudanças são ínfimas, agora retornar ao terceiro jogo num remaster que praticamente so aumenta a resolução, sprites um conteudo adicional de newlely mode e another episode ( uma side story de recém casados e uma historinha short de casal da personagem que você escolheu casar, por sua vez não justifica o valor.

Em resumo: é um bom rpg que mistura farming e por suas mecânicas mais simples, toda a progressão é mais direta e torna a experiência um tanto rapida em main story, ainda assim, o conteúdo opcional e adicional dá uma colher de mel muito afável a toda experiência.

combate aqui com uma boa evolução porem não "polido" como seu sucessor.
Ao fim me diverti genuinamente e tive uma experiência boa, hei eu de jogar mais dessa franquia.

Digo que rune factory como ponto seguro de jrpg funciona muito melhor que atelier series.

A simple remaster that lacks many features from the previously released sequels but still constitutes one of the most idyllic farming and life-sim games out there.
+ attractive player housing in a picturesque village that always feels lived-in
+ Raven (and many other fairly one-dimensional but easily lovable characters)
+ straightforward relationship and plot progression without some frustrating issues like in RF4 & RF5
+ satisfying leveling of all skills as is usual in the series
+ neat bonus content ("Newlywed Mode" and "Another Episode") to serve as a playthrough send-off
+/- comparatively basic crafting without hidden variables
- simplistic and very short main story
- small world essentially made up of the main hub and four "dungeons"
- often painful quality of life (tiny inventory initially, only two active skills, no crafting cost display, etc.)

Video review: https://youtu.be/PjrzMvfXiao

After the disappointment that was Rune Factory 5 (it was just... ok), I was very ready to dive back into the gameplay that made me fall in love with the series with Rune Factory 3 Special.

Rune Factory 3 Special is a very good fantasy themed farming sim. It comes complete with all the farming elements, but also a lively town with a full cast of characters to get to know, surrounding wilderness to explore full of enemies to take down with the game’s combat system, and a story that, honestly, I think I might like more than Rune Factory 4. It is less bloated and more straight to the point in terms of the main plot, instead letting the characters shine.

This works in the game’s favor as the characters have always been a strong point in this series and Rune Factory 3 is no exception. I had a great time getting to know each character, completing quests for them, and yeah, there is a romance system too which I cannot deny is one of the highlights of the experience.

Not everything sticks though. The combat is still janky with its hitboxes and targeting, the UI is still not that great, and the quality of life could use some improvement, but overall, it is just a fun farming sim. The farming elements are fleshed out and not super tedious, the story is laidback and matches the setting perfectly, and the upgraded visuals are nice too. Not the highest of quality upgrades, but it gives it a nostalgic look and I cannot deny I love the approach.

It runs well too. I had no issues on the performance front. It runs just fine natively at 4k and at 144fps, coming with a little launcher to allow you to edit these settings.

Overall
Rune Factory 3 Special is a pretty easy recommendation to make. It is a great port of an already great game and I am glad that we are getting more of this series on PC. Rune Factory 5 left a sour taste in my mouth, so it is nice to get back on track.

Rune Factory 3 again. It's a faithful remaster to a fault.

Lacks quality of life changes that 4 introduced (and should have been included here) like a dedicated teleport button and additional magic/rune ability hotkeys, along with various other things such as the fertilizer bin and detailed magnifying glass stats.

The localization for this title was entirely redone without reference to the original, for better or for worse, and it's apparent in some modern slang used. While the changing of the character/location names in the original DS version was a strange choice, it's nice that they kept those changes in this version for continuity and return of series veterans. All of the characters are as disarmingly charming as they were before. Don't be dissing crunch water, buddy.

The newly created 3d character models are gorgeous. It seems the portraits are either very faithfully redrawn or just using the uncompressed assets they always had access to. I'm 99% certain the backgrounds and environments were AI upscaled which is quite ugly to look at.

Still, they perfected the formula with this title, and age hasn't slowed it down at all.