izigame.me

(Before reading, please note that my Steam game-time does NOT reflect the time I poured into the original 3DS version as well as the Switch version when it came out. I cannot even hazard a guess at my playtime without sounding like I am embellishing.)
When this game first came out in 2012, it was the main reason I had decided to purchase a 3DS. I have been a fan of the Rune Factory series from the very beginning, in 2009. I had found the game in a local Blockbuster as a fairly new title for the DS, and ended up loving the game so much I saved up birthday money to buy it off the Blockbuster (rip in peace Blockbuster my love). Since then, I have been a fan of every game that has come out.
Rune Factory 4 feels like the culmination of every lesson learned from the past games (5 in total, not counting 4.) The developers obviously poured their heart and soul into this game, and the further work done by the localization team is immensely commendable. While it definitely does show its age in graphics and certain features (the game is a decade old and released on a handheld system barely out of its infancy), the fact that it is so polished and full of features is truly a miracle, all things considered. The characters are chock full of dialogue, references, and funny quirks. The combat is FULLY fleshed out and so full of ways to play that this game could be beaten both as a master swordsman, and a cook who is so bad that their dishes knock out every enemy. The music, the art, all of it combines to really flex just how much love can be poured into a game by a dev team who cares.
This review isn't necessarily a good one for any person who wants to use it to get an overview of the game and what it is about. Instead, I would really just like to gush about the sheer amount of meaningful content there is in this game. I do not think I can properly state it, you are probably reading this and thinking "Oh, it probably just has a lot of different crops to grow and characters and dialogue, probably just the ravings of a mad fan who is blinded by nostalgia!"
Did you know that in this game, you can purchase and place furniture and crafting stations? You can buy stuff like giant plushies, entire forges, and all sorts of other things. Did you know that you can throw these furniture items? "That sounds like a lot of fun, interior decorating!" Wrong. Sure, you COULD be a rational being and place your forge in your room to use to make weapons, but have you ever looked up into the vast emptiness of space and wondered, "what if instead of using the forge to make a weapon, I use the FORGE as a weapon!" You can, in fact, use any placeable furniture item as a weapon by throwing it at an enemy. It deals damage! SCALEABLE DAMAGE! Based off your throwing skill! I have personally beaten the first 4 bosses in the game with nothing but my crafting Forge. (also, if you walk slowly, you can pick up birds, and yes, they can be weapons too.)
Did you know, once you clear a certain part of the game in one save, it opens up New Game+ options in every save going forward? One of these options, "turn off level exp" sounds absolutely horrible. However, this game has 3 main ways that stats are added to your character. Firstly, levelling up does expand your stats, and all sorts of other things. You also have an incredible array of skills like walking and sleeping and bathing that gain exp and level up, which also provide stat bonuses. Thirdly, you can gain stats from crafted items and food. All together, this makes it 100% possible to beat the ENTIRE GAME at level one, with nothing but crafted items and skill increases. Honestly, its the ideal way to play in my opinion, as even though you get knocked out a lot by enemies, the cost of waking up in the Clinic when you are KO'd scales off your HP stat, so while on my first playthrough, at level 2000, being knocked out would cost me millions, being knocked out during endgame on my level 1 run only costs 2-10 gold.
Did you know you can purchase a second house, and roleplay as a hermit in the woods, never needing to return to town? Did you know that you can tame and fight alongside (almost) every boss in the entire game? Did you know that secretly, the only true character you should ever love and wish to marry is Porcoline, as his wondrous, beautiful face and beautiful eyes are the single most beautiful things ever creat-
Suffice to say, I still have barely scratched the surface of this game. This game feels endlessly replayable, and the fact that this game originally came out on a console I could fit in my pocket is still absolutely insane to me. If you at all enjoy farming simulator games, buy it. If you enjoy crafting and action rpg gameplay, buy it. If you wanna date cute waifus and husbandos, buy it for yourself and buy it for your other lonely friends. This game has depth that most will never even need to crack open on their playthrough, but if you till a little deeper in the field that is this game, I promise you, the fun you are going to find will make it well worth the entry price.