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I don't often review games, but this one feels like it's been flying under the radar for most people, and it absolutely deserves more attention, so here's my attempt at spreading positive word of mouth.
If you're a Rune Factory fan, you're likely already aware that this game and Rune Factory 4 are widely considered to be the golden children (woolies?) of the franchise. That is for a damn good reason. And if you're not already a Rune Factory fan, I strongly recommend you take a chance and play 3 and/or 4 because they are some of my favorite games of all time. Much like Final Fantasy, each Rune Factory is a self contained story with new characters, and doesn't require you to have played any previous games. So if you enjoy farming games, dating sims, or dungeon delving RPG's, I urge you to play one of these wonderful games, and I guarantee you'll find something to love.
While lacking a few of the modernized features that later Rune Factory games added, Rune Factory 3 has plenty of it's own unique aspects that set it apart from other entries, and absolutely earns it's place as one of the best. It may lack some quality of life features like not consuming recipe bread if there are no recipes you can learn, or missing the more refined leveling, crafting, and upgrading systems later games have, but it makes up for that with some quality of life aspects that disappeared in later games, and in my opinion shouldn't have. For instance, access to new seeds is much easier, plants that notoriously take ridiculously long to grow in later games will grow a good bit quicker in this, leveling crafting is much smoother and less of a grind, and using higher level upgrade materials isn't nearly as hard. It also has features that are sorely missed in later games, the best of which, in my opinion, are the magic seeds.
Much like any other Rune Factory, the characters in this are loveable, colorful, and full of fun quirks and stories, and it makes choosing a love interest incredibly difficult. Almost 80 hours in, and I still haven't been able to pick between Marian, Pia, and Daria. The story is deeper than most Rune Factory games, with mature themes like racism and prejudice, as well as good lessons like accepting others and letting go of the past. This is the game where combat truly began to shine, and so it's every bit as fun as later games. It's also a fair bit more difficult than other entries, partially due to the slower progression of stat leveling, but it never feels unfair or ridiculous, and various means of upgrading and empowering yourself are always available. The crafting and upgrading systems are fun and in depth, albeit not quite as intricate as later entries. Still, I felt that it was also friendlier and more approachable in this one. Character events also function differently from later entries, and are typically directly tied to requests you take from the request board or mailbox, and as such it's easier to do whatever character events you want thanks to the lack of RNG involved in it. And I should mention that this game has, in my opinion, the prettiest town of any Rune Factory, as well as the most interesting and creative housing.
Overall, while this game may suffer a bit from it's age, it still absolutely holds up, and even trumps some aspects of later games, earning it the right to be played just as much as more modern entries. It's great story, loveable characters, unique systems, and ever present addictive farming, fighting, and crafting, makes Rune Factory 3 a must play for any fans of the genre, or fans of the franchise. I'd give it a solid 9 out of 10, and I sincerely hope more people give this gem of a game the chance it deserves.