Someone said, "What if Nier: Automata was a farming sim" and just went for it. The visuals are stunning, the character writing is endearing, and the sidequests tie in nicely with the overall themes of connection, loss, and rebuilding that the overarching story discusses. There's a lot here that will feel familiar to fans of the RPG genre, but presented in way that shows the devs understand why people keep coming back to these games. There's something really satisfying about finally reaching that next teleport point in the dungeon you're crawling through, or getting that new crop in order to finish a recipe you've been wanting to try, or unlocking a new ability in your chosen job. It's not perfect - Harvestella is mainly held back by its budget, which can most clearly be seen in its reused character animations and lack of innovation in both the battle system and farming mechanics - but it more than makes up for it with heart. I loved all the time that I've spent with it, and I'm happy that I can now point at a game other than the Rune Factory series for people who want an RPG plot to go with their farming sim.