I was so excited to see this game get announced since I used to love it as a teen, but this is not at all what I wanted. It's kind of a sanitized, soul-less version of the original with almost none of the charm. There's a few things that are much worse about this game, which you see pretty quickly. Besides the design and name changes to some of the characters for some reason, digging for treasures doesn't really give any satisfaction either, since you can see the treasures before you pick them up. Animals don't die, which some people might find better. I think that takes away any reason for me to really care about them unless I really need S-tier food. It just makes everything a little more boring, with no real urgency to do anything. The controls are awful, too, and I still have no idea how to see missions once you accept them.
There's some things that this game does better, like giving you ability to speed through text, control cameras in the field area where you plant crops and skip the intro where you meet everyone. That and you can save and load anywhere, which is nice.
It's not as god awful as I expected, but it's basically a dumbed-down child version of the original game, but for the same price as the original.
(Also, I want back my cow with her blue eyes and giant head! The dot eyes stare into your soul.)
There's some things that this game does better, like giving you ability to speed through text, control cameras in the field area where you plant crops and skip the intro where you meet everyone. That and you can save and load anywhere, which is nice.
It's not as god awful as I expected, but it's basically a dumbed-down child version of the original game, but for the same price as the original.
(Also, I want back my cow with her blue eyes and giant head! The dot eyes stare into your soul.)
I am determined to finish out the story this time. For child me, who was never able to get past year 2. I'm currently on year 6.
Edit: Finished year 7 and 100%'d it. Finally.
Edit: Finished year 7 and 100%'d it. Finally.
very cute and wholesome! this game had me making excel spreadsheets and everything
the only bad thing was that i ran out of stuff to do around the final 2 years
the only bad thing was that i ran out of stuff to do around the final 2 years
wish i liked this more than i do i couldn't play it for more than a few hours there is absolutely nothing to do in this game
This review contains spoilers
BEST IMPROVEMENT EVER
Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life on the GameCube was the very first farming sim I ever played. I was a young teen in 2003 when the original came out, so I was cautiously optimistic when I heard they were remaking this game.
Marvelous! entertainment knocked it out of the park with this one, seriously. It made every quality of life improvement they could possibly make while keeping the charm of the original. I think its hilarious that they still kept some massive jank in it though (like, the animations of the characters when they're moving is almost exactly the same as the original... I guess its pretty lazy to keep it that way but I was kind of charmed with it.... it was very nostalgic)
One thing I have to say is that this version of A Wonderful Life goes FAST!!! Seriously! The original on the GameCube felt pretty long, as you would spend at least two "years" at each stage of your life (Single, Married, Parent, and so on). In this game, you get a single year for each which makes me feel like I'm speedrunning the whole thing, haha. They really streamlined this game to go faster. I can't really tell yet if I prefer it that way, but at least the game doesn't drag too badly. Having a routine in this game is really satisfying.
Also, protip for those wanting to make money since it's kind of hard to do: sheep. Fill your barn with like two cows, a goat, and the rest ONLY SHEEP. Their wool sells for a ton, and dont forget to always haggle prices with Van. There ya go.
I really love how they said "to hell with it" and let you marry anyone in this game, with whatever pronouns you want. Finally. I cant wait to play this game again and marry a different spouse, since its nice there's so many to choose from now.
Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life on the GameCube was the very first farming sim I ever played. I was a young teen in 2003 when the original came out, so I was cautiously optimistic when I heard they were remaking this game.
Marvelous! entertainment knocked it out of the park with this one, seriously. It made every quality of life improvement they could possibly make while keeping the charm of the original. I think its hilarious that they still kept some massive jank in it though (like, the animations of the characters when they're moving is almost exactly the same as the original... I guess its pretty lazy to keep it that way but I was kind of charmed with it.... it was very nostalgic)
One thing I have to say is that this version of A Wonderful Life goes FAST!!! Seriously! The original on the GameCube felt pretty long, as you would spend at least two "years" at each stage of your life (Single, Married, Parent, and so on). In this game, you get a single year for each which makes me feel like I'm speedrunning the whole thing, haha. They really streamlined this game to go faster. I can't really tell yet if I prefer it that way, but at least the game doesn't drag too badly. Having a routine in this game is really satisfying.
Also, protip for those wanting to make money since it's kind of hard to do: sheep. Fill your barn with like two cows, a goat, and the rest ONLY SHEEP. Their wool sells for a ton, and dont forget to always haggle prices with Van. There ya go.
I really love how they said "to hell with it" and let you marry anyone in this game, with whatever pronouns you want. Finally. I cant wait to play this game again and marry a different spouse, since its nice there's so many to choose from now.
I love a lot of the updates and changes they made to this version! Some things don't work for me though, like some of the character redesigns are mid. I love playing this game when im cozy in bed. Also u can be gay. HUGE plus
A bit difficult to get into. Had to bother an acquaintance /streamer for help all the time. Will be taking a break from it since I'm atm very into Garden-games.
i so badly want to rate this 5 stars, but the nostalgia factor isn't enough to overlook many aspects of the game that could have been improved in the remake but weren't.
awl was my first sos/hm game - i sunk countless hours into it as a kid. this remake is very faithful to the original, including the somewhat clunky controls and mechanics. for those coming into this as a new player, they will likely find these aspects lacking in comparison to newer titles in the series. dialogue, character dev, etc. are not as robust, and the set timeline may be jarring for those who prefer a somewhat endless playstyle. however, it is near impossible to "fail" this game unless you are actively trying. this makes for very relaxing playstyle with just enough motivation to carry out your chores. i wish the mechanics had been buffed, and while i can appreciate the new art style and music, i still like the originals better. however, i believe that these updates were appropriate to reflect the intentions of the remastering.
awl was my first sos/hm game - i sunk countless hours into it as a kid. this remake is very faithful to the original, including the somewhat clunky controls and mechanics. for those coming into this as a new player, they will likely find these aspects lacking in comparison to newer titles in the series. dialogue, character dev, etc. are not as robust, and the set timeline may be jarring for those who prefer a somewhat endless playstyle. however, it is near impossible to "fail" this game unless you are actively trying. this makes for very relaxing playstyle with just enough motivation to carry out your chores. i wish the mechanics had been buffed, and while i can appreciate the new art style and music, i still like the originals better. however, i believe that these updates were appropriate to reflect the intentions of the remastering.
I'm unfortunately really disappointed in this game :(
I love farming sims, being a lifelong fan of the Rune Factory series and having hundreds of hours in Stardew Valley. I didn't go into this expecting Rune Factory, even though that's a Harvest Moon spinoff, because I know that those games are rather eccentric. They're also RPGs, and that adds an extra element. However, I did not expect it to be on the opposite side of the spectrum. As far as I can tell, these characters have no personality or story beyond surface level. I'm at half hearts with one of the bachelorettes, and I still know nothing about her. She never talks about herself. I didn't even know her preferred gifts until I looked up a guide online.
The same can be said for everyone else as well. They'll comment on the season, the weather, the town itself, but they barely talk about themselves or their relationships with the others. There's the occasional cutscene, but they're usually vague and uninformative. Anything they do say to show personality is archetypal, basically screaming "I'm the lazy character" or "I'm the brooding older brother". Maybe I'm just doing something wrong, but I don't know what I could do differently other than talking to them daily and giving them gifts.
I do like the gameplay. I think the realism of the crops and the animals is really fun! I like that you can train your dog tricks, and all of the animals are really cute. The town is pretty and has nice locations. The dig site is probably my favorite aspect of the game, and the things you get both act as gifts and a way to make money, which is a bonus! The only thing that frustrates me is the cooking mechanic since you have a fullness meter, but you can't cook anything until you get crops. I would have rated this game lower honestly if the game weren't fun to play. I do have a good time.
However, when I play this genre, I play it for the characters. I want to get to know the people in town, build relationships, and find a love interest that I like. When there isn't an overarching plot, the characters kind of make the game. In that aspect, this game is severely lacking. All of the love interests bore me, and in a game where you're expected to get married or else you get a game over, that is not good. I want to like them. I gave them gifts every day, I took one on a date, I spoke to them as much as I could, but they're just blank slates with a pretty face. It's immensely frustrating, especially for the price I paid.
It makes me sad because Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons is like the third piece of the holy trinity of farming sims! But it does not live up to the other two at all. It was clearly just made for people who played the original and want to see it made anew. I'm definitely going to be returning this one.
I love farming sims, being a lifelong fan of the Rune Factory series and having hundreds of hours in Stardew Valley. I didn't go into this expecting Rune Factory, even though that's a Harvest Moon spinoff, because I know that those games are rather eccentric. They're also RPGs, and that adds an extra element. However, I did not expect it to be on the opposite side of the spectrum. As far as I can tell, these characters have no personality or story beyond surface level. I'm at half hearts with one of the bachelorettes, and I still know nothing about her. She never talks about herself. I didn't even know her preferred gifts until I looked up a guide online.
The same can be said for everyone else as well. They'll comment on the season, the weather, the town itself, but they barely talk about themselves or their relationships with the others. There's the occasional cutscene, but they're usually vague and uninformative. Anything they do say to show personality is archetypal, basically screaming "I'm the lazy character" or "I'm the brooding older brother". Maybe I'm just doing something wrong, but I don't know what I could do differently other than talking to them daily and giving them gifts.
I do like the gameplay. I think the realism of the crops and the animals is really fun! I like that you can train your dog tricks, and all of the animals are really cute. The town is pretty and has nice locations. The dig site is probably my favorite aspect of the game, and the things you get both act as gifts and a way to make money, which is a bonus! The only thing that frustrates me is the cooking mechanic since you have a fullness meter, but you can't cook anything until you get crops. I would have rated this game lower honestly if the game weren't fun to play. I do have a good time.
However, when I play this genre, I play it for the characters. I want to get to know the people in town, build relationships, and find a love interest that I like. When there isn't an overarching plot, the characters kind of make the game. In that aspect, this game is severely lacking. All of the love interests bore me, and in a game where you're expected to get married or else you get a game over, that is not good. I want to like them. I gave them gifts every day, I took one on a date, I spoke to them as much as I could, but they're just blank slates with a pretty face. It's immensely frustrating, especially for the price I paid.
It makes me sad because Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons is like the third piece of the holy trinity of farming sims! But it does not live up to the other two at all. It was clearly just made for people who played the original and want to see it made anew. I'm definitely going to be returning this one.
I married Nami :)
Fantastic nostalgia trip for a while. I have some gripes about the new general art style and a few character design changes, but the music, updated QOL changes and everything else are pretty fantastic.
I finished Year 1 and got married to Cecilia; i'll definitely be returning to this later again for more chill farm gaming.
I finished Year 1 and got married to Cecilia; i'll definitely be returning to this later again for more chill farm gaming.
have been playing this since release day and im really happy with it. im not thrilled about some of the changes to character names or designs but it scratches the itch of nostalgia i feel for the original and its a great entry point for people who never played the older harvest moon games. i do think that in keeping true to the og, theres some additions or added content that we lost out on, and i wish there was just a little more here to round out the experience.
This is exactly what I've wanted in a more calm game like this. People get older and die, you have kids that actually grow up and develop personalities. Crazy that I only found out about it all these years later with this newer version.
Just remember that this game came out before stardew valley, like over a decade before. It's still an older game, but I still find it very very good.
Just remember that this game came out before stardew valley, like over a decade before. It's still an older game, but I still find it very very good.
De todos os jogos que a minha bolha consumiu e que sempre tentaram me empurrar - já que até então, eu nunca tinha jogado -, A Wonderful Life sempre foi o mais elogiado. Dito isso, depois de ter jogado e, sabendo que esse é um remake quase 1:1 da versão original de Gamecube e sua Special Edition de PS2 - baseado unicamente em reviews de terceiros -, eu posso dizer facilmente que esse jogo é incrivelmente superestimado e que, em boa parte do jogo, é mediano.
Tecnicamente os jogos 3D de Bokujō Monogatari (nome original da franquia) nunca foram um primor técnico. Graficamente também nunca foram os gráficos mais bonitos já feitos, e pra compensar isso a franquia sempre investiu em mecânicas de jogo e uma direção de arte, muitas vezes, lindíssima. E tudo isso é válido pra maior parte desse jogo. Os gráficos não são simples, porém a estilização é simplesmente ótima, o que acaba não te tirando do jogo ou prejudicando a parte gráfica. É extremamente comum ocorrerem Pop-In de elementos gráficos do ambiente (tal qual os jogos de Pokémon no Nintendo Switch), mas, particularmente, eu me acostumei, o que não se tornou um grande problema. Por outro lado se a XSeed conseguiu compensar os gráficos, a jogabilidade está longe de ser a melhor da franquia. Por mais que, jogos do gênero tendem a ser repetitivos, A Wonderful Life ultrapassa o bom senso com folga. Durante os 6 anos (in game) em que eu joguei, foi comum eu simplesmente cuidar da fazenda e então pular o dia por simplesmente não ter mais nada o que fazer, principalmente após o terceiro ano. Se você não busca fazer o 100% e só está jogando pra relaxar ou pra jogar os 6 capítulos da história principal (como eu), não tem muito o que fazer após comprar todos os upgrades e se casar. Em teoria esses 3 anos com o personagem mais velho seriam para fazer amizade máxima com o resto dos moradores de Forgotten Valley e plantar todas as plantações híbridas da enciclopédia interna, particularmente, isso foi nem um pouco atrativo, o que tornou mais fácil só pular o dia com os minigames, indo pra cidade grande ou simplesmente dormindo até dar o horário de cuidar dos animais de novo. De longe, esse é o jogo menos divertido em gameplay de Story of Seasons/Harvest Moon. Outro ponto relativamente negativo vem da trilha sonora, não por ser ruim, mas por ser repetitiva. A música do mundo é selecionável pelo jogador desde o começo, o que quebra (um pouco) esse argumento, porém, as músicas das cutscenes, por serem apenas 3 ou 4, e quase que comum durante uma única cena ter 20 segundos que sejam de cada uma dessas 4, ao ponto que depois de ver os mesmos eventos várias vezes, foi comum achar essas músicas, mesmo que boas, insuportáveis.
Quando eu zerei os 6 anos da main story, eu entendi que o foco desse jogo nunca foi sobre ter a melhor gameplay da saga, mas sim, a melhor história. Tanto a história vivida pelo personagem principal, quanto a dos demais personagens do vale são simplesmente ótimas. Acontecimentos muitas vezes que simples se tornam emocionantes. Muito por que quase todos os personagens do jogo são bem desenvolvidos, mesmo que com poucas falas/cenas. Não só isso, mas todos eles conseguem tocar em assuntos pertinentes e de forma um tanto quanto delicadas. Foi comum em momentos considerados bestas eu me ver chorando (seja por tristeza ou alegria) por que a cena foi simplesmente ótima.
Particularmente eu me considero um grande fã de jogos de Fazenda no geral. A franquia Harvest Moon moldou muito o meu gosto por jogos e consequentemente, quando a chave virou para Story of Seasons e também começaram a surgir jogos inspirados nesta (como Stardew Valley e The Graveyard Keeper), meu interesse conseguiu crescer exponencialmente. E por mais que A Wonderful Life seja - talvez - o jogo da franquia mais elogiado, tanto pelos jogadores de longa data, quanto pelo próprio criador da série, pra mim ele é só Ok. Sim, eu amei as histórias. Personagens como a Nami, a Nina, o Garren/Gary, a Ruby/Lou e o Tim/Tei conseguiram me conquistar desde o começo até a ultima cena do jogo. A filha(o) do(a) protagonista é simplesmente apaixonante, desde a primeira fala dela(e), ao ponto que em vários momentos eu me senti na pele de um pai de verdade. Mas meio que fica por isso mesmo, já que, o maior calcanhar de Aquíles desse jogo está na sua gameplay, que é facilmente superada por jogos fracos da própria franquia (como The Tale of Two Towns, que está longe de ser um dos favoritos da fanbase e mesmo assim tem uma gameplay divertidíssima até hoje). No final o sentimento que tenho referente a Wonderful Life Remake é: Uma excelente história, com personagens incríveis, presos em um jogo medíocre que dura o dobro de tempo do que deveria...
Tecnicamente os jogos 3D de Bokujō Monogatari (nome original da franquia) nunca foram um primor técnico. Graficamente também nunca foram os gráficos mais bonitos já feitos, e pra compensar isso a franquia sempre investiu em mecânicas de jogo e uma direção de arte, muitas vezes, lindíssima. E tudo isso é válido pra maior parte desse jogo. Os gráficos não são simples, porém a estilização é simplesmente ótima, o que acaba não te tirando do jogo ou prejudicando a parte gráfica. É extremamente comum ocorrerem Pop-In de elementos gráficos do ambiente (tal qual os jogos de Pokémon no Nintendo Switch), mas, particularmente, eu me acostumei, o que não se tornou um grande problema. Por outro lado se a XSeed conseguiu compensar os gráficos, a jogabilidade está longe de ser a melhor da franquia. Por mais que, jogos do gênero tendem a ser repetitivos, A Wonderful Life ultrapassa o bom senso com folga. Durante os 6 anos (in game) em que eu joguei, foi comum eu simplesmente cuidar da fazenda e então pular o dia por simplesmente não ter mais nada o que fazer, principalmente após o terceiro ano. Se você não busca fazer o 100% e só está jogando pra relaxar ou pra jogar os 6 capítulos da história principal (como eu), não tem muito o que fazer após comprar todos os upgrades e se casar. Em teoria esses 3 anos com o personagem mais velho seriam para fazer amizade máxima com o resto dos moradores de Forgotten Valley e plantar todas as plantações híbridas da enciclopédia interna, particularmente, isso foi nem um pouco atrativo, o que tornou mais fácil só pular o dia com os minigames, indo pra cidade grande ou simplesmente dormindo até dar o horário de cuidar dos animais de novo. De longe, esse é o jogo menos divertido em gameplay de Story of Seasons/Harvest Moon. Outro ponto relativamente negativo vem da trilha sonora, não por ser ruim, mas por ser repetitiva. A música do mundo é selecionável pelo jogador desde o começo, o que quebra (um pouco) esse argumento, porém, as músicas das cutscenes, por serem apenas 3 ou 4, e quase que comum durante uma única cena ter 20 segundos que sejam de cada uma dessas 4, ao ponto que depois de ver os mesmos eventos várias vezes, foi comum achar essas músicas, mesmo que boas, insuportáveis.
Quando eu zerei os 6 anos da main story, eu entendi que o foco desse jogo nunca foi sobre ter a melhor gameplay da saga, mas sim, a melhor história. Tanto a história vivida pelo personagem principal, quanto a dos demais personagens do vale são simplesmente ótimas. Acontecimentos muitas vezes que simples se tornam emocionantes. Muito por que quase todos os personagens do jogo são bem desenvolvidos, mesmo que com poucas falas/cenas. Não só isso, mas todos eles conseguem tocar em assuntos pertinentes e de forma um tanto quanto delicadas. Foi comum em momentos considerados bestas eu me ver chorando (seja por tristeza ou alegria) por que a cena foi simplesmente ótima.
Particularmente eu me considero um grande fã de jogos de Fazenda no geral. A franquia Harvest Moon moldou muito o meu gosto por jogos e consequentemente, quando a chave virou para Story of Seasons e também começaram a surgir jogos inspirados nesta (como Stardew Valley e The Graveyard Keeper), meu interesse conseguiu crescer exponencialmente. E por mais que A Wonderful Life seja - talvez - o jogo da franquia mais elogiado, tanto pelos jogadores de longa data, quanto pelo próprio criador da série, pra mim ele é só Ok. Sim, eu amei as histórias. Personagens como a Nami, a Nina, o Garren/Gary, a Ruby/Lou e o Tim/Tei conseguiram me conquistar desde o começo até a ultima cena do jogo. A filha(o) do(a) protagonista é simplesmente apaixonante, desde a primeira fala dela(e), ao ponto que em vários momentos eu me senti na pele de um pai de verdade. Mas meio que fica por isso mesmo, já que, o maior calcanhar de Aquíles desse jogo está na sua gameplay, que é facilmente superada por jogos fracos da própria franquia (como The Tale of Two Towns, que está longe de ser um dos favoritos da fanbase e mesmo assim tem uma gameplay divertidíssima até hoje). No final o sentimento que tenho referente a Wonderful Life Remake é: Uma excelente história, com personagens incríveis, presos em um jogo medíocre que dura o dobro de tempo do que deveria...
Sometimes, I love games where you just do nothing. This is one of the best games for that. Everything is slow paced, and charming. It's very relaxing, maybe a bit boring too.
Definitely worth it on sale, if you like HM/SOS games.
Definitely worth it on sale, if you like HM/SOS games.
it’s too bad cause i was looking forward to this but i think it’s too slow for me. also not a huge fan of the graphics and i really don’t like a lot of the character redesigns (especially the bachelors). oh well
Really liking what I'm seeing from this so far! Have only played a short bit but I'm already seeing some good quality of life improvements over the original!
I'm in year 5 and loving it! They added so many quality of life fixes, and contrary to a lot of opinions, I actually like a lot of the character redesigns.
As soon as I finished Chapter 1 and got married, the game dumped a baby on me.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life não é apenas um remake competente, mas também necessário. Amado por muitos fãs de longa data, ele entrega uma jogabilidade mais dinâmica e intuitiva, junto da experiência clássica nos emocionando e nos encantando mais uma vez com a jornada do ciclo da vida.
Review completa em: https://psxbrasil.com.br/analise/story-of-seasons-a-wonderful-life-review/
Review completa em: https://psxbrasil.com.br/analise/story-of-seasons-a-wonderful-life-review/
It's no Olive Town that's for sure
The game lost a lot of its soul because of the new artstyle (it does look good ! But it's not the same mood that the original game had), but all the glorious QOL features make up for it.
Only disappointment gameplay wise is the change to the tools, to make for a more traditional SOS experience when it comes to upgrading your tools. Makes a lot of friendship not so useful in this version, as you had to become friends with the villages to get better tools.
Only disappointment gameplay wise is the change to the tools, to make for a more traditional SOS experience when it comes to upgrading your tools. Makes a lot of friendship not so useful in this version, as you had to become friends with the villages to get better tools.
Mais um exemplo de um Remake praticamente 1:1 mas que melhora onde o clássico pecava, adiciona novos eventos e opções de gameplay diferentes.
Ainda creio que vão lançar remake do DS/DSCute, por isso não ousaram em colocar os barchelors desses games nesse remake, ansioso para o que o futuro da franquia apresentará!
Ainda creio que vão lançar remake do DS/DSCute, por isso não ousaram em colocar os barchelors desses games nesse remake, ansioso para o que o futuro da franquia apresentará!
I have shelved this game, but I'd like to get back to it sometime. just too many things otherwise have been priority, whoops!
this remake is fine, as long as you're not expecting more out of it than what the original had. not recommended for people that got into farm games via Stardew Valley.
the qol is fantastic all the way around. it's easier to manage the fields, tools can be upgraded, and fishing doesn't completely suck now! whoa. I do feel like the dig site is somehow worse, though. feels... slower. annoying. I do appreciate the visual indicator, but also feel like it could be better. more distinct, perhaps.
I appreciate that animals aren't so temperamental, and despite the many complaints I saw regarding the way cows work now, I am glad they can continue to produce milk without giving birth. that process in the original game was a total pain. I've got a feeling it's easier in the remake... to some extent, at least... but not having to do it is nice.
character redesigns and renames are fine. most of the name changes are simply to be more accurate to their original names. in terms of redesigns, I do wish Gordy still had his mohawk. his new outfit is a fine spin on the old one, but imo, it leans a bit too sporty to entirely fit his character. but it's whatever. not a dealbreaker or anything. I appreciate the addition of Gordy as a marriage candidate.
the biggest bummer of this game, and the reason I had a hard time sticking with the original as well as this remake, is that you experience 95% of what the game has to offer in the first year. while this game does have that draw of seeing your child grow up and being an influence on them as they do so... it's just so slow, and with little dialogue, that it's never really pulled me in. being a person that's never wanted to have a family irl is likely also relevant for me and my lack of enjoyment/interest in this case... lmao
this remake is fine, as long as you're not expecting more out of it than what the original had. not recommended for people that got into farm games via Stardew Valley.
the qol is fantastic all the way around. it's easier to manage the fields, tools can be upgraded, and fishing doesn't completely suck now! whoa. I do feel like the dig site is somehow worse, though. feels... slower. annoying. I do appreciate the visual indicator, but also feel like it could be better. more distinct, perhaps.
I appreciate that animals aren't so temperamental, and despite the many complaints I saw regarding the way cows work now, I am glad they can continue to produce milk without giving birth. that process in the original game was a total pain. I've got a feeling it's easier in the remake... to some extent, at least... but not having to do it is nice.
character redesigns and renames are fine. most of the name changes are simply to be more accurate to their original names. in terms of redesigns, I do wish Gordy still had his mohawk. his new outfit is a fine spin on the old one, but imo, it leans a bit too sporty to entirely fit his character. but it's whatever. not a dealbreaker or anything. I appreciate the addition of Gordy as a marriage candidate.
the biggest bummer of this game, and the reason I had a hard time sticking with the original as well as this remake, is that you experience 95% of what the game has to offer in the first year. while this game does have that draw of seeing your child grow up and being an influence on them as they do so... it's just so slow, and with little dialogue, that it's never really pulled me in. being a person that's never wanted to have a family irl is likely also relevant for me and my lack of enjoyment/interest in this case... lmao
Love the aesthetic, and the hybrid crops were cool. I ended up shelving this one because the pacing was a bit too slow for me, but other times way too fast? Mandatory marriage at the end of year 1 and the lack of dialogue change while building relationships/friendships was difficult. I made it halfway through year 3 before I decided this one is maybe just not for me, though I did love the charm of starting over in a small town and finding the Wonders of life. I may have loved it more if I had played the original.
As it is, this game is one you play for slow, steady progress. The farming isn't what you should be going into the game for, since much of the game is centered around making a family and you get to see them/the town grow and develop over time. That being said, it is lacking on things to do at some points and I while I do enjoy it, it might not be for everyone.
I could play this for hours. Days. Years. I have thouroughly enjoyed the valley and all the hours I spent in it. The only improvement would be if I could marry Daryl.
All the quality of life changes were great, but playing this 20 years after the original release made me feel extremely melancholic. Time waits for no one, Molly.
This game plays very very similarly to its GameCube original. By the time I was done with like a week in this game I honestly felt like I beat the game. There really isn't that much to do, at least in my experience
This is the best rendition to play if you want to experience the A Wonderful Life story in all of its glory and then some.This faithful rendition takes everything you love about the original and expands upon it with well needed Quality of Life changes and new content.
I have to say though- if you haven't played the original, it's tough to say whether or not you'll like this game. This is based on an old game- and because it's so faithful to the original- it plays like an old game too. Farming sim fans that have only played modern farming sims might see this game and its lack of complex mechanics and they might find it boring. This is a slow, small game. Focused on a small sleepy town with basic mechanics. You don't customize your farm like you would in Stardew Valley. You don't travel to faraway places. It's you, your spouse, your kid, and the old folks in town.
Where the game shines is definitely your child. Unlike most farming sims, your child grows up. Their interests change, their personality changes. And they might grow up and decide- instead of inheriting the farm- they might want to be a musician instead. Or an artist. Or even an athlete. You watch your child from toddler to young adult- becoming their own person. It's unlike any farming sim out there. Likewise- the people in town change too. Some come and go. They get older. You spend a lifetime with them. They may not be super complex- I honestly wish there were more dialogue and even more cutscenes to flesh them out more- but regardless- you can't deny that they are memorable, strange people.
If you loved the original, you'll adore this. And if you've never played the original- and you're willing to play a simple game on a simple farm- give this a try.
There's always the hybrid crops, at any rate. That can get preeetty crazy!
I have to say though- if you haven't played the original, it's tough to say whether or not you'll like this game. This is based on an old game- and because it's so faithful to the original- it plays like an old game too. Farming sim fans that have only played modern farming sims might see this game and its lack of complex mechanics and they might find it boring. This is a slow, small game. Focused on a small sleepy town with basic mechanics. You don't customize your farm like you would in Stardew Valley. You don't travel to faraway places. It's you, your spouse, your kid, and the old folks in town.
Where the game shines is definitely your child. Unlike most farming sims, your child grows up. Their interests change, their personality changes. And they might grow up and decide- instead of inheriting the farm- they might want to be a musician instead. Or an artist. Or even an athlete. You watch your child from toddler to young adult- becoming their own person. It's unlike any farming sim out there. Likewise- the people in town change too. Some come and go. They get older. You spend a lifetime with them. They may not be super complex- I honestly wish there were more dialogue and even more cutscenes to flesh them out more- but regardless- you can't deny that they are memorable, strange people.
If you loved the original, you'll adore this. And if you've never played the original- and you're willing to play a simple game on a simple farm- give this a try.
There's always the hybrid crops, at any rate. That can get preeetty crazy!