HARVESTELLA

HARVESTELLA
N/A
Metacritic
78
Steam
75.206
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$59.99
Release date
4 November 2022
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
78 (1 618 votes)
Recent
68 (19 votes)

HARVESTELLA, an all-new life-simulation RPG from SQUARE ENIX! Lead a life of self-sufficiency with your vibrant house as a base and cooperate with allies to overcome various threats.

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HARVESTELLA system requirements

Minimum:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: tbc
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Eliadis
Eliadis

This game probably isn't for you.

if you're hoping for a Stardew Valley, Harvest moon or something similar, you won't find it here. If you came in looking for a really emotional storyline or a combination of your favourite mechanics from farming games and JRPGs all in one game, you won't find the mix you're looking for. This game isn't really any one genre, it's a little bit of everything, the combat is simple and robust but not game making, same with the farming and everything else. The game's strength is in the immersiveness of the world and simply giving a large berth of content for one to enjoy. The game isn't perfect, but if you wanna get brought back to playing JRPGs on your nintendo ds again, then you'll have a blast. Though I doubt many of you know this game, the thing I can most compare it to is Fantasy life, a game that I have a special connection to from when I was a kid.

This game is alotta things, is it for you? As I said, probably not, but it's a fun game, it's a good game, and everyday in it you are left to wonder what is going to come next.

kim jong julie
kim jong julie

I was really put off by all the negative reviews, but I'm glad I bought it anyway to try it myself. I'm really enjoying my time. It's a bit old fashion in some ways, so don't go in expecting a revolutionary farming sim experience to relive your first days playing Stardew Valley. I am picking up a lot of nostalgic feelings from playing Crystal Chronicles as a kiddo, with the art-style, music and just the whimsical way old games use to throw you in with no explanation lmao. Despite there being a combat and RPG element, It's more reminiscent of Harvest Moon to me than Rune Factory, because everything is just simplistic.

I don't really agree with anything negative reviewers have complained about so far, as I didn't care there was limited character creation and I'm not put off by simple mechanics. The only thing is that combat is clunky in a way that dodging is nearly impossible (maybe just at the level I am at?) and that has been frustrating on occasion.

The price tag is a bit steep. If you're on a budget, wait until it's on sale -- but I don't regret buying it. It's fun!

TomBomb89
TomBomb89

If you want a comparison, this is Dark Cloud 2 meets Harvest Moon. This is not Stardew Valley level farming focused. Farming, quests and combat skill all need to be worked on simultaneously; do not simply focus on one aspect of the game at a time as it will greatly reduce the overall immersion and will cause you to stall and have to go back to work on neglected areas. Love how polished the graphics and audio are, although for a AAA game I would've liked to have seen more voice acted lines to help with character growth. I will call this game a niche gem, but if you are unsure I would wait for a lower price point, although again I am happy with the purchase at full price. I suspect it is at least a 50 hour game as 15 hours only got me through the first Spring season.

NerdyBirdyx
NerdyBirdyx

(Works amazingly on Steam Deck for those wondering!)

The beginning was a little boring but once the game stops holding your hand, this game is great fun. I'm only on chapter 3 but I'm really enjoying it so far. The art and aesthetic are beautiful, the music is wonderful and I like the characters I've been introduced to.

This is basically a JRPG but with farming sim elements. After the tutorial you can do whatever you want. Progress the main story, do side quests, cook, craft, fish, farm, etc. There's a lot to do. Despite being mostly a JRPG, the combat is just okay. There's nothing really special about it, but I do like that there are 10 unique jobs to unlock.

Overall I'm highly enjoying this game and I think it will keep me busy for many hours. With that said, I do have some problems with the game. They aren't a deal breaker, but are disappointing nonetheless.

    • Dialogue doesn't have any voice acting whatsoever. I would've even settled for partial voice acting during dialogues, but nope. Nothing. But on the battlefield or when you pass by characters in town they'll talk which just feels out of place.
    • Character customization is severely lacking. The only thing you can change is your body type (masculine or feminine), skin color, eye color and hair color. That's it. I would've rather them put in more effort creating a cool-looking MC than giving us this half-assed character creation.
    • No proper dodge during combat. You can unlock a dash skill in some job skill trees, but it's a little clunky to use. If you're playing as a close-combat job, make sure to take some food because you WILL take damage.
    • These are just small gripes that I dislike but don't bother me THAT much. Time progresses quite quickly. Fishing feels like it takes forever. I hate that the game skips to the next day when you die.

Anyways, back to the good stuff. The main story is interesting and I'm curious to see where it goes. I really like the side quests, they have neat storylines and you get pretty good rewards from them. The dungeons are big and well-designed. As a farming game and JRPG enjoyer, you can't really go wrong with this one. Highly recommend.

Lia
Lia

This is exactly what I wanted, if you enjoyed playing Phantasy Star you will thoroughly enjoy this.

For addressing common complaints...

Character creator: You can choose from one of 2 models, in 4 different skin tones. That's it. Not a problem for me, I'm content playing as a character that isn't "me".

Shallow Farming Simulator: idk about y'all but I've spent the MAJORITY of my time in this game doing farming activities. You can buy seeds/trees, water plants, they have different growth times/cycles, there are seasons, there are mounts, pets, farm animals, conversion structures upgradable tools. It hits what it needs to hit.

"Its not worth $60": Considering this game can take well over 60 hours to complete, I'm not sure in what world $1/hour of GREAT entertainment is "not worth it". I'd pay $150 easy.

Parkway_Drive21
Parkway_Drive21

Haven't put the game down since I started playing it. 45 hours in at the time of review and I'm still not done with the story.

Game is fantastic if you like older RPGs and just want to chill, play the story, and farm. Routine is basically the same as most farm sims; take care of your farm in the morning, go do quests/dungeons/whatever in the evening, go to bed. There is no rush at all, so you can do everything whenever you want.

I'm not blind to the flaws by any means.

The lack of customization sucks, but your character does change their outfit depending on your job, and some of those are pretty cool outfits. Plenty of games out there don't let you customize at all, so it is what it is. If this is your breaking point, then the game just isn't for you and that's okay.

The farming isn't too terribly in-depth, mostly just as a means to cook food for healing and buffs. Can't just place your crops anywhere and clear the land like some games. You've got to buy plots that are on your farm and things can only be put there, including processors to turn things like milk into cheese or eggs into mayo, etc. You do get a water plot and cave plot for different plants. There are barns for some of this game's version of chickens and cows, which yield eggs/milk/sellable items.

The combat is pretty simplistic as you've got your basic attack and 4 abilities per job, no dodge or i-frames so you WILL get hit and WILL need to heal A LOT, but you've got 2 party members that can somewhat tank for you. There is a sort of "Break" system that when you deal enough damage to an enemy's weakness you will "Break" them and deal more damage for a limited time. If you get a double break (more than one weakness broken) you will deal additional damage + your allies can use their special ability (basically a FF limit break). There's like 12 jobs total, each fairly unique.

The story is very long and fairly interesting. Sort of a mix of FF1, FFXIV Shadowbringers, Nier, and a farming sim (lol). You've also got 10 small story quests for each party member, and 8-10 side quests per town. Each side quest is a short story and mostly consists of talking to NPCs repeatedly in different spots and maybe fighting an enemy or three, no basic quests like go kill X and bring me X item. All of the stories in this game, main and side, are fairly emotional and touch on some real life issues, both happy and sad. Also none of it is voiced, but there is random voiced interactions as you walk by some characters.

Graphics wise the game looks pretty beautiful for a simple aesthetic. Game runs flawlessly at 60 FPS and is very smooth with fast loading. Only had one random crash at like 40 hours in while zoning into a town. Haven't ran into a single bug at all.

Music is great, although they have like 10 or so tracks that get swapped around for different moods. Like 1 track for sad things, happy, combat, dungeons (different each), etc. So almost every time something sad happens, you'll hear the same song start. While none of the music is bad by any means, this can definitely get repetitive, especially when doing side quests and the mood flops around on repeat as the quest goes.

No MTX. What you see is what you get. Full finished game. $60 is a lot, but the game isn't short by any means, so it's up to you if it's worth it. 100% recommend if it happens to be on sale.

I would probably rate this about an 8/10. If you like older RPGs and farming sims and just want to chill with a nice fantasy story and farm, you'll probably like it. Very enjoyable. It's not perfect, but certainly some nice, simple fun.

bunners
bunners

The Story

Without spoilers, I'll just say that Harvestella somewhat starts as you'd expect from a Rune Factory game: you, a random farmer/hero to be, awake without your memories in a strange town by a strange person, but unlike most farming sims, I noticed immediately even in the demo that Harvestella had a slightly more somber tone. Now this isn't constant in the game, there's plenty of lightheartedness and humor and brighter colors until you hit Quietus, a day between seasons that marks nothing but death for the people of this world and the day you awake to, or certain areas farther into the story. If you thought Square Enix's prints weren't visible enough, the story in the second half of the game goes even more Square Enix.

So I'll be honest, I was genuinely curious where the story was going from the start. I made my little guesses, been proven wrong as the story went, made new theories, and discovered I was at least half right in parts. It was a fun ride that truly picks up once you get through the prologue, however...maybe this is a consequence of me hyperfixating so hard I said fuck off to sleep, but there were times near the end where I struggled to make a little sense of the timeline regarding the sci fi elements (like I said, it's a Square Enix game). I wouldn't be surprised if to some, it feels convoluted, but I can at least say that the hints and events earlier in the game are made and done with these things in mind so they don't just feel like ass pulls either. I could still understand most of it, but certain details I basically had to just chuck into the mental trashcan because it wasn't worth trying to wring my brain out for it. Maybe it might make more sense to me after some proper sleep, when I don't have a cold (or at least I hope it was just a cold) and I replay it, but I feel like that's still important to say.

The story is the biggest part of this game, by the way. It's an RPG first, a farming sim second.

Graphics

I'll be blunt, I have no idea why some people think the graphics look bad. I could be biased-- I'm not new to farming sims, both pure and hybrid, and most of them do not have graphics to the level Harvestella does. Rune Factory 5 makes this look like the Sistine Chapel's ceiling in comparison. I can to some degree see what someone might mean when they say it looks like DS game, but only in it's stylization, not actual quality. A game like this would look so bad on the DS, not even Pokemon with it's simple style and chalky looking 3D models could look crisp on that thing. I will say that I don't know how it looks on switch, but I think it looks fine, even beautiful on PC. The character models look simpler compared to the environments, but is that even a bad thing? And they're still well made on top of that, so...yeah. I really don't have anything else to say here, it's a nice looking game and I am genuinely confused. Moving on.

The Farming and Harvesting

So this is probably what might be putting a lot of people on the fence besides it's pricing, so I'll say what I said above. RPG first, farming second, and so the farming is designed to reflect what this game is trying to do: make you self sufficient.

You're an adventurer, on the quest to save RPGland, so how are you gonna stock up? With so much food and drinks in your bag, every NPC will think you're trying to run the most primitive and inefficient food truck ever. In this game, farming is a means of supporting your adventure. Not saying you can't make some profit from it (the game doesn't force you to continue the story if you want to take a break, the opposite actually), but you WILL want to stock up on veggies and for cooking, because outside of a Double Break skill from one party member, there isn't any other way to heal yourself or your party but with food and drink. (Tip btw: you can create two types of effective healing potions with the fermenting barrels by putting either hermit's root or wise man's root into them which you'll even get for free from doing Cres' stories. You're welcomed.)

To be honest, I don't mind this approach to farming because I feel like it fits with the game, and on top of that, the way they handled making farming feel more efficient and quick actually makes a smooth and relaxing experience to me and there's parts I wish were even in more pure farming sims. There's no need to refill your watering can and neither do you have to upgrade it yourself. You get four fairies on your farm after saving the day at each Seaslight (basically these giant crystal-like growths that gives the world seasons) during the first part of the story, and each of them come with goals to complete as you farm and adventure (basically objectives like harvesting a certain number of a specific crop or do a certain amount of quests in a specific city, nothing all that challenging and you'll probably do just casually playing the game). After you complete a certain amount, they reward you with stuff like upgraded fields or processors, or even tools. The ores in the game are mostly for crafting useful items you can use on your farm, in dungeons, or upgrading your party's weapons, so with all that in mind, it makes sense why the developers probably didn't want to pull the string too thin with tool upgrades. All of this together, I think, makes farming feel simple in a good way to me. Even animals won't die if you neglect feeding them, but they're affections can still go down if they're ignored so pet those fluffy babies so they can keep giving you some quality eggs and milk.

The Characters

I genuinely loved the party in this game, mostly their interactions during break times (basically you go near the save points in the dungeon, eat some food, and depending on the dish, you might get a Tales of- adjacent skit) where the characters chat with each other (you also get dialogue options during these to feel included) and the main story. Each party member (+1) gets their own personal stories that are like special side quests for the purpose of learning more about them and deepening your bond with them. Although there's some I feel wasn't as good as others' (Brakka), it's still solid enough and I liked their interactions a lot in the other means I mentioned (also Brakka). So what I'm saying is, even at their bottom, they're still charming enough to the point that I'm currently trying to see how they all react to confessions. A shame you can only gift a ring to one.

Heine and Dianthus best boy and girl btw.

Romance

So I actually like the idea of the romance being held off until you finish the game. The idea that you've journeyed and thought seemingly impossible enemy after seemingly impossible enemy while strengthening the bonds with a certain someone through their stories during is a genuinely sweet thing to me and I see where they were going with it. I wouldn't change that for a sequel, to be honest, because if expanded, I can see it being kinda unique to Harvestella, to help set it apart from other farm sim or farm sim adjacent games.

I hesitate somewhat to finish this section because I just finished the game and haven't really soaked up this part of it yet, but just in case, I'll say this because the developers do seem to actually read criticism so who knows, but-- I think it would go a long way if there were extra character stories for after marriage/partnership. They don't have to be a lot, so long as they're strong. I love the cutscenes for giving them the ring, I love these characters in general. But I think a page can be taken from the likes of Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns, with maybe little stories centered around your new lives together. Just a bit of fluff maybe. Something to just make the player's heart feel all warm and fuzzy, ya know?

So yeah, I loved this game, from start to finish. It's not perfect, but the bumps on the road feel more like little pebbles that can easily be polished up for future games.

Magestic
Magestic

This is the game I wanted Rune Factory 5 to be. A true harvest moon rpg without the mind numbing cutsey/kawaii nonsense. This game deals with interesting subjects the way Final Fantasy used to, but with modern gameplay. The bosses and dungeons remind me of my favourite parts of FFXIV. The farm, town and creatures look amazing and its just a treat to listen to the soundtrack and enjoy the visuals. It also works great on the steamdeck which is another huge bonus. Very happy with the game so far!

Toren
Toren

Admittedly, the first couple hours I played made me feel like "oh dear a half-baked Squenix RPG" but sticking with it and just recently wrapping up the story, it ended up pleasantly surprising me. If Steam used a number scale I'd set it at around an 7-8 out of 10.

I do with the combat had a little bit more depth but overall it was passable. Farming enjoyment will vary depending on the person, I would say personally I used it the bare minimum for consumables/money and it served its purpose, but could see someone spending a lot of time with it.

Graphics and character stuff didn't bother me at all but I know people have been having a lot of heartache over it.

The story ended up being better than I expected, there are some minor complaints to be had but overall I think it turned out well. Side content is pretty bland and even tedious at moments, but such is the role of side content sometimes.

Game's biggest strength is in the party cast. They are all quite enjoyable and the character story quests(?) were probably some of the parts I looked forward to at the end of each in-game day. Break time chats reminded me of the Tales mechanic that is similar, which is a good thing.

I do think I got my moneys worth at full price but I'd give it an even higher recommendation if you see this pop up in a future steam sale.

shanth0ny
shanth0ny

I wanted to like this soooo badly. I was so hyped for the Final Fantasy-ish/farming sim this was portrayed to be. But the graphics are awful for 2022, even for a Nintendo Switch port. The combat isn't awful, but you spend skill points on a dodge/step skill that 9/10 times doesn't even work to avoid damage.

But the main issue I have...the QUESTS/PLOT. The plot itself has a good premise, and then turns into nonsense. The side-quests are copy-paste, and not at all fleshed out. None of them make any difference in this world. And they weirdly almost all involve children? I completed quite a few side quests and it's always talking to an annoying kid making weird decisions. And the children's dialogue translations? It's either "WAH WAH RUNNING AWAY goo goo ga ga" or "This is quite a strange predicament we hath found ourselves."

It's like nothing is fleshed out in this game. Stay away.

Dar
Dar

I bought this game expecting a Life Sim with RPG elements, but I got a RPG with Life Sim elements instead.

Harvestella is beautiful in art style, music, and design compared to the average Slow Life simulator, however compared to Rune Factory or Stardew Valley, it is very much a plot-based RPG where farming is secondary to the actual game. The plot is well written and modern compared to the usual trite and regurgitated fare of "You inherit X farm, now ingratiate yourself with the local townsfolk and choose a spouse" and although the side quests are very much hit or miss, I think it tells a sentimental tale (thoughtfully enhanced by beautiful piano music) which most players can relate to and enjoy.

Sadly, like many of the recent games I've reviewed, this is a game where talking too much of the plot would ruin your enjoyment of the game - the game is best received with an open mind and fewer expectations. Compared to Rune Factory, this is a much better purchase if you want content and story, since Rune Factory has no story to speak of. However, if you just wish to grow plants or live out some pastoral dream, get that instead. Harvestella lives and dies by its story.

On the negative side, combat is clunky and a bit on the weak side, balance isn't particularly interesting and mostly devolves into dodging AoE circles while chugging down healing items. Additionally the price point of the game may be a bit too high, so wait for a sale, but do give the game a try, because it's an experience and story worth the effort.

Boroco
Boroco

It's overpriced and there's just too many frustrations that keep me from recommending it. Most notably there is no way to skip cutscenes which makes replaying through parts of the game an absolute chore. This is compounded by the fact it takes SEVERAL hours before you're able to manually save the game which probably works out better on the switch. It sells itself as a life-sim, a component that even the in-game characters are quick to brush aside, but it's really just a watered-down JRPG. Combat is a matter of overstocking consumables as most damage is unavoidable. You simply trade blows and hork down some food when you get low.

Unsurprisingly, the one saving grace is presentation, which is something Square Enix excels at. The environments and music are outright beautiful, but it's just window dressing to a boring and frustrating experience.

KOKOLXO
KOKOLXO

I for one, am happy with this game. I enjoy roaming the dungeons. It's a bit PSO-esque which is fine by me.

I'm 70+ hours in, and haven't beaten the story yet because it just keeps coming. I've been blown away by the quality of the stories being told in this world. I've enjoyed them all, even shed a few tears over them.

Those who think the battles aren't difficult haven't gotten far enough. It seems easy enough at first, but it doesn't stay that way.

While I love farming sims, I'm glad they made the choice to streamline it. This is a visual novel on steroids and if I had to do more on the farm it would be tedious. There's lots of cooking and gathering if you like that kind of thing, the garden is reasonable, and the critters are cute . Even though it's simplistic, I'm impressed by all the neat stuff I've unlocked so far.

Don't be turned off by negative reviews from people who have barely scratched the surface. If you like farming sims and jrpg's, this is an Isekai Life story worth trying out.

NixOfTheVoid
NixOfTheVoid

A pretty game with seemingly outdated graphics, clunky combat, shallow writing and world building, and disappointingly little farming.
Unless fixed, I would not recommend this game.

Breakdown -

Character Creation:
Starting with the most obvious, it’s cool that Square Enix has added a Non-Binary option. Wonderful! Except that it feels superficial and like they just added it to create good media and gain more customers. The creator itself is very limited in all aspects (also, they didn’t add a gender neutral voice, it’s really choosing between male and female).

Story/Dialogues:
It’s shallow. The dialogue choices are not unique or different. All the choices boil down to the same thing and have no impact on the actual dialogue (which is not unique to this game, but it still urks me). All the responses are “Don’t feel sad” or “We can do this!”, there are few, if any, witty or fun responses. None of the dialogue choices, for me, felt genuine or thought out.

ALSO! I’m annoyed that there is no voice acting! The characters actually have voiced lines while out and about in the world (each character has like one or two, but the point still stands). So I’m confused why they didn’t just voice the dialogue itself.
Story wise, it felt the same. None of the ‘disastrous events” felt dangerous or urgent. The characters talk about all sorts of trouble, but we never see it in the actual gameplay. I could’ve spent the first in world year just plotting along happily through each dungeon if it weren’t for mechanics and abilities locked behind each part of Chapter 3.

My biggest gripe is the cutscenes. After defeating some bosses, you expect some long cutscene and the characters to have an emotional moment, no? But, unless something went wrong for me, the bosses die in a short clip and the cutscene sort of, just, ends? No explanation, no victorious quote, no nothing. It just cuts to the characters in another place, some unknown time after the battle. It feels like the main characters just defeating a common shmuck and called a day! Where are my epic; “We just defeated a really powerful enemy, yay!” moments? It just ends. And I actually had to get up from my chair and take a break the first time it happened cause it disappointed me so much.

Gameplay:
It’s alright. The general controls aren’t too bad, except the camera keeps giving me motion sickness. The combat is clunky. The job system is cool and interesting conceptually. But in reality, is clunky as well. The dodge (step) skill doesn’t work half the time I press the trigger (they probably should have added some sort of animation canceling to it) and it doesn’t actually dodge anything. It just nudges the character slightly in one direction. I do like the enemy weakness system, it adds a little spice (a little) to an otherwise pretty monotonous and boring combat.

Farming wise. It feels shallow and rushed like several other things in this game. I’m also sad about the lack of farming in a game advertised as a farming game. The profits feel so minute that it feels better to farm a load of monster parts and sell those then spend the time caring for the 20 grilla profit carrops. (I did all the math). So unless that is changed, it’s better just to do all the side quests which give you 1,000 grilla pretty much for every one and get all the farm upgrades in a few days compared to the weeks it would take to make that much with crops.
Again, several parts of farming are locked behind Chapter 3 events, which is not a bad thing. But when you are reliant on farming and home-made food for money and curatives, it gets very slow and boring.

All in all, the game feels rushed and shallow. I’m going to continue to play it however, in hopes that it gets marginally better down the line. I hope some of these issue are fixed, because this game as so much potential.

Note:
I’m writing this after completing Chapter 3 of the story and just around 15 hours of gameplay. I’m not sure if these issues are universal, but they are what I have found and had a problem with. I hope this helps.

chris.cooke88
chris.cooke88

This game is surprisingly addicting! It starts off feeling like a Rune Factory Lite without relationship mechanics but it really opens up the more you play it and the more you unlock. Combat becomes more and more the core focus of the game. I think a lot of the complaints may come from people not playing it long enough to unlock more stuff!

Choci-tea
Choci-tea

-If you love Rune Factory or Harvest Moon, you may like this.
-Combat: YOU TAKE THAT DAMAGE LIKE A CHAMP (no blocks just duking it out, unless you dash)
-Harvesting: some 1 day plant is good day money. UNLIMITED WATER NO REFILLS
-Crafting: very simple and easy.... just takes your time away tho but f it
-Graphics: It looks great like Rune Factory
-Voices: I wish there was voices in cutscene but idc cause i read the text anyway but please
-Soundtrack: love it
-Gameplay:
Game->YoU sEe tHe TiMe , *looks at watch* iT bE 10 O'cLoCk p.M. TIME fo BED!
Me -> but I HAVE STAMINA AND I AM HALF WAY TO THE MAIN OBJECTIVE!
Game-> *whips out belt* IM BOUT TO WHOOP YO ASHE TO SLEEP!
Me-> you CANT JUST LET ME-ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
-My View: It's aight, it could improve but I love it just the way it is = 7/10

Hat
Hat

To start off with a couple loaded statements, I'll say first that I rarely find single-player games these days that I really enjoy, but Harvestella is most certainly one of those. Second is, Harvestella isn't made for everyone, but that's completely OK.

Harvestella is a curious mix of ARPG, JRPG, and Farming/Life Sim. It takes inspiration from other games within and without Square Enix, but I'll speak on that more later. As I said, Harvestella isn't made for everyone - To some, this curious mix might be good but isn't worth $60, and to others it's an experiment that isn't appealing.

I'll say, personally, with over 60 hours in the game so far, Harvestella was absolutely worth $60 to me. I've even mentioned to friends that, were Harvestella $70 like other games are starting to cost, it would still have been worth it to me. It's a delightful game that gets a whole lot of things right.

Now that's not to say it's perfect; Far from it. Its primary weakness lays in the weak delivery of the first half of its story, in my opinion, though the second half certainly makes up for it. Harvestella's class and combat system is done well, with a minimalist take compared to other JRPGs. As a dedicated Soulslike genre fan, its dodge leaves much to be desired, but that's okay because the game isn't built around dodging like some ARPGs are.

Harvestella's story, while I mentioned is weak in the first half, certainly shines in the second half like I mentioned. Harvestella is a story about following your heart instead of your mind, fighting and being there for your friends, and being a good person. The reason the first half of the story is weak, in my opinion, is because it is spent almost entirely in pursuit of setting up the second half of the story. To me, the second half of the story was good enough that this didn't matter to me in the end, though not everyone will agree.

Gameplay-wise, Harvestella is a minimalist but effective ARPG, delivering a small but satisfying equipment, class, and combat system. It takes cues from the ARPG genre as a whole, while also taking inspiration from other games such as, strangely enough, Final Fantasy XIV, the influence of which is obvious due to the way enemy abilities are telegraphed. If you're expecting a hugely fleshed-out class, equipment, and combat system when going into Harvestella, you're going to be disappointed, but that doesn't mean the minimalist take is bad - For this game, it's good.

Overall, Harvestella is a jack of all trades, master of none as a JRPG/ARPG/Farming/Life Sim hybrid. Square Enix was certainly taking risks with it, but in my opinion, those risks paid off. Harvestella is great, and I'm glad I got it, even at $60. If you're interested in Harvestella, but aren't sure if it's worth $60, I would personally advise you to get it anyways - It's worth it.

PapaSquat
PapaSquat

I'm on chapter 6 so far and have finished all the side quests in Lethe and Shatolla, with some finished in the other cities.

This game is closer to Rune factory than Harvest moon, so don't buy the game expecting a farming simulator like harvest moon. It has more emphasis on combat and story, with a sprinkle of farming.

In terms of plot, I actually like it and think it's interesting enough to keep reading. I don't think it's as shallow as some people are saying it is. Once you go through Heine's character story, it really makes you question what planet this world takes place on. My two gripes is that it isn't voice acted (not even the cutscenes) and some dialogue options are kind of the same overall or make your character seem dumb/clueless.

Side stories are side stories, they're not gonna be as intensive as the main story, but it doesn't mean it's completely awful. Most of it is light-hearted and wholesome, some dive a bit deeper than that but I feel like these are more shallow. I usually prefer the wholesome side stories than the ones that try to go beyond that, since it feels like your character kind of reacts like uhhh... "We'll get through this!" "If we work together we can do xyz" etc. those kind of vibes. However, it's pretty nice that some side stories aren't all rainbow and sunshine and do touch on [slightly] darker emotions/scenarios.

ALSO, highly recommend that you use the JP voice acting if you use the female voice for your character. Your character straight up sounds like a goblin when you're attacking if you use the English voice option.

TLDR;
A 7/10 for me so far. Story is pretty interesting, art and music is nice, and the combat/farming is decent enough overall (think runefactory level).

Cywir
Cywir

I did not expect to find Nier Automata in my farming game. It's a little bare bones but it ticks all the Harvest Moon archetype boxes. There are a lot of anti-frustration features and the story battles are not too difficult. I thoroughly enjoyed this game. The story can be cliche but I love the characters and it basically restored my faith in humanity. $80 for therapy is pretty cheap.

Glenin
Glenin

Harvest Moon's last few releases have made me drastically lower my expectations for this entire genre. When the early review for this game came out, this game looked like it would just be another rushed cash grab, and I thought I would just skip this one.

On release, I saw a streamer playing it and having fun, so I caved and bought it, but kept my expectations low. I've been pleasantly surprised. I've honestly enjoyed this more than the recent Harvest Moon, Rune Factory and Story of Seasons games. This game makes me feel nostalgic where other recent releases have fallen short.

I think it's really pretty and relaxing, I like the character art, the music is great. The game is also a lot bigger than I thought it would be.

I don't disagree with criticisms - character customization is sad for 2022, most of the villagers are bland...but those haven't stopped me from enjoying the adventure. I think there's a lot to love here. And kudos to the devs for actually listening and making some changes before full release.

leaferian
leaferian

I beat this game last night, pouring about 64 hours total into it. I beat every dungeon, completed all of the party member relationship events, married one of my favorite party members, and generally had a blast. I know this game is getting review bombed, but seriously it's really fun. I'm not going to write some big impassioned defense, but this game doesn't deserve the hate it's getting. Yeah it could use a dodge and block button, yes you could have more hairstyles for more masculine players. But at its core this is a solid ARPG with a neat story and fun farming elements. Once you start making real money around mid Chapter 3, your farmspace can be wildly expanded and you start getting all kinds of new skills and tools.

Give it a shot, it's worth it. I rushed through, didn't take my sweet time, and it still took me like 60 hours to beat the story.

mentalalchemist
mentalalchemist

Originally, I wasn't sure if this game would be right for me.
It has a bit of a slow burn at first and things take awhile to get rolling in order to unlock new classes / fighting abilities / companions / farming upgrades, etc...
But there's a TON of story to be had and always quests to do or things to tend to. You will ALWAYS be busy!
The story can touch on some real life issues as well, which can often get a bit dark, which is refreshing for a game like this.

I recommend giving it a chance and waiting out the slow burn.. You may just enjoy it as much as myself!

Anonymous
Anonymous

I am loving this game and very glad I didn't listen to the nay sayers putting it down. It runs perfectly on the Steam Deck and I've haven't had any issues at all. It looks great, sounds great and plays great. lol. The only down side I can see is the price, but I'm only 6 hours into it and it's too soon to decide if it's worth the cost or not. Unless the game suddenly ends now though, I don't think I'm going to regret buying it.

flauntlol
flauntlol

Very fun game that I feel appeals to a lot of different types of players. It's got a nice story, beautiful graphics, fun jobs. The way the time cycles work keeps you on your toes trying to get the most out of your days and does give you somewhat of a sense of urgency, however there really isn't any rush at all, you can take everything at your pace and grind through the story quickly, or you can take time to farm/level up/craft and make some gold before you go through with the story, presenting you with a fair amount of choice on how you go through the game. I will say though, I expected the crafting/gathering to be the main priority of the game and while it IS important and you WILL be doing it every day, it really only consumes a handful of your time, the majority of your time is spent running around going through the story and battling.

Overall though this game has sucked me in and I think it will suck you in too if you're looking for an RPG with meaningful crafting/gathering tied into it.

God Save The King
God Save The King

After 40+ hours of Harvestella, I honestly think that this is one of the best farming sims and it might be my favourite JRPG to release this year. In the way that Rune Factory 1 revolutionised the genre by adding dungeon crawling to the time honoured Harvest Moon format, Harvestella actually does something different and takes the concept further, giving you a massive story driven JRPG quest with hours of charming side-stories and intriguing character story arcs on top of the farming stuff. And the farming stuff is actually refreshingly simple and restrictive in a way that actually makes the game better than its contemporaries. A lot of reviews complain about this, but I think its actually one of the game's greatest strengths because it fixes one of the genre's biggest issues: Pacing.

Time Management

In RF4 and RF5, the games give you TOO MUCH time and freedom to do what you want. You can easily craft 100 strawberry milkshakes by the start of Summer and never have to worry about RP and end up spending every day from morning to midnight. The games have stopped being punishing in any way and I end up burning out before the first year is over. In modern farming sims RP/stamina is no longer a resource you have to manage, dungeon crawling isn't something you need to prepare for and actually advancing the calendar takes forever because you can do so much in a single day. Harvestella fixes this pacing issue in a number of clever ways.

Cooking and crafting takes time. At first this sounds incredibly restrictive, but its actually a great way to push the calendar forward instead of burning out on the game within a single game month. You actually have to allot days to certain activities like "today I'm going to mine ore, tomorrow I'm going to save my stamina and do the dungeon." You can advance the calendar by just crafting all day and feeling like you still accomplished something even instead of feeling like you have to go and do 10 more chores before going to sleep. I can't emphasise how refreshing it was to be in that mindset, after being in the "I need to spend 30 minutes on each calendar day to maximise my time and I have 7 days until this crop ripens" mindset for so many years.

Questing also takes time. Not only are there a metric ton of sidequests and character quests in the game, but the fact that moving on the world map takes time means that you have to pick and choose your activities. Maybe there are 3 quests you need to do in Nemea, and 4 quests you need to do in Shalotta. It'll take you several days to complete them because of the time it takes to travel. This isn't wasting your time playing the game, its just moving the calendar forward so you can quest as an alternate activity while your crops are growing. The game gives you more tasks than you can possibly do in a single day, so take your time, let your crops grow and sit back and enjoy the story.

The Story

This is where it really shocked me. The story is actually really good and is a driving force for playing the game. After the first 2 chapters show you the ropes, the game takes off the rails and gives you the freedom to explore the world, visit the three other cities and assemble your JRPG party in any order you want. Each town has a lengthy storyline where you'll recruit companions and tackle the dungeon, but each is wildly different. And each one has tragic consequences for the characters involved that give them reasons to join you on your journey. I want to be as vague as possible because the game has done such a good job at hiding what the plot is actually about until you play it. The twists in the story are simultaneously set up well in advance while also being batshit crazy so its something you have to see for yourself.

Each town has hours of side quests to tackle, most of them being character driven little dramas. For example, one quest has you helping out a girl at the orphanage who doesn't want to be adopted. Another quest has you reunite a woman with her amnesiac fiance. Another quest is about a woman pretending to be a man's granddaughter in order to steal his wealth. Each quest comes in multiple parts and can take you across the world to complete, helping the world feel more alive as everyone's got their own hopes and dreams that you can help accomplish. The quests remind me of NieR's quests although most end in a happy ending instead of a murder suicide, though a rare few do end in surprisingly sad and tragic ways.

Each companion and certain other important characters also get lengthy 10 part story arcs that will take several in-game weeks to complete, and they don't end up being as straight forward as they initially seem. Cres' goal to cure an incurable plague doesn't have the outcome you might expect and Hien's initial story of showing off his submarine to the local kids ends up being a tragic tale of loss with an obscene twist at the end. Again, I don't want to say more, but the story surprised me in its quality and quantity.

The Combat

Weakest part of the game for sure. You can get by mostly by mashing and chugging juice but the boss fights are fun and there are a ton of different jobs to level and skills to learn. The game is fun enough as it is, though it could be way better. The game has FOEs and dungeon events like in Etrian Odyssey but the events can't kill you and the FOEs/FEARs don't chase you far enough to be a threat. Still, blows Rune Factory out of the water in every way so if that's your comparison point, its still a plus.

Conclusion

Its a game that gets better the longer you play it. Its simple in a good way, like a throwback to the Gamecube/PS2/DS era of games before things got too complicated and you had too many things to worry about on your farm. The story is weird and all over the place in a good way, where the story goes after you gather your party and visit the 4 major towns isn't exactly a surprise, but its a surprise how far the game takes it. Just play the game for yourself, accept that this isn't Rune Factory or Stardew Valley and its doing its own thing and enjoy the ride.

Onlyrock
Onlyrock

Love it, really scratches the itch of a simple-but-smooth ARPG and neat farming sim, and the story rocks.

And really, I have to say some of the popular negative reviews on this one are just undeserved. There's a fully developed game here, and if you're going to judge it based off someone who only played it for 90 minutes before rushing off a review, I don't know what to tell you. If you're interested in what is being advertised here, I don't see how you can be disappointed in the actual game beyond a few quibbles regarding character customization.

Gale Grim
Gale Grim

I cannot recommend this game. As the store page is lieing to you. It dose NOT have full controller support. It only has x-box support and debateably Nintendo Pro support. While you can use a PS4 in place of this. It's dose not show proper button prompts. Which is pretty fundamental in the "full" part of "full-controller support". It doesn't seem like much of a complaint. But I'm sick and tired of games listing a feature they don't have on the store page because of technicality were it's "technically" in the game. Where technically means steam dose the heavy lifting and it's not even fully implemented. Full feature or remove it from the list. It's not like it would have stopped me from buying it anyway, in all other respects it's a decent game.

The extra sad part is one switch in the menu to replace the button prompts with the correct ones could have been easily implemented in a matter of probably seconds. So it really is just LAZY.

AkaliA
AkaliA

After playing for bit, I find that this game is more suited toward Nintendo Switch as it just doesn't work for me on PC. Graphics are stuck in 2000's and it's more of classic traditional JRPG than modern which some might appreciate. There are no single voice acting in the game like those Pokemon games that came out decades even though it does offer you... uh voice setting? Yeah weird indeed but it's not for me. Overall game play is bland as expected and it's one of those games that would bore you in few days. This game is more of mobile game than PC game and you can't really customize your character too much. Save yourself the money and find the right game for you instead.

Cpaek
Cpaek

I just wanted to grow crops and this game made me fight God (not really but it feels like it).
This review is from the POV of someone who desperately craves farming/life sims and does not play many action adventure games.

Harvestella is more of an action adventure JRPG than a farming/life sim, and it does neither super well.
It is plagued with many little annoyances that keep it from reaching greatness. However, I still had fun and think it doesn't deserve so many negative reviews.

My biggest gripe about this game is STAMINA. Everyone complains about the time moving fast but I had no problem with time management. I did, however, struggle with stamina. You use stamina for everything: sprinting, planting, fighting, gathering. Out of stamina? Your character makes a pathetic whine and now you can't sprint or pick up that rock on the floor. Out of stamina during battle? Your character becomes a striking dummy and you cannot attack. You MUST eat food. Food, other than giving various buffs and healing your HP, replenishes some stamina. As long as you have something in your "belly gauge" or whatever it is, your stamina will slowly replenish (and I mean very slowly). People may say, well don't sprint everywhere but I gotta go fast. The other problem with the dependency on food is that you end up hoarding most of your crops to cook food.

Unlike other farming games, your crops are not the main source of income early to mid game. Yes, you can grow a ton of crops for money later, but in the beginning your farm space is tiny, seeds are pricey, profit is low. Upgrades will take everything you have. You will be poor. And if you struggle with combat or stamina management like I did, you will need those crops to make food. You cannot buy necessary ingredients for dishes to cook, you will have to grow a lot of the ingredients. To be honest, this was my biggest struggle with this game. I like to grow in bulk and throw everything in the shipping bin; don't do this.

The combat is necessary for progression of both the story and farm but you can face tank most of it by using a lot of juice/ food. It is not difficult. The most difficult thing about the combat is the animation lock keeping you from moving out of things or using an item. Noticeable in the late game, if you get hit by one thing... be prepared to get stunned inside 3 other attacks that destroy your HP. There isn't really a combat dodge, some classes have a dash. The allies in your party cannot be controlled. They are sometimes useful and sometimes confused on what to attack. They will most likely not pull aggro on enemies. So if you're playing a ranged job you will still be tanking. Doing companion quests will give you party buffs. Playing the classes are simple. You mash one button and have 2 other abilities unique to each class. There are elemental weaknesses that you can take advantage of, classes have their own elements and you can only carry 3 classes and 2 party members. You can also craft some battle items to help. I didn't really use them but if you want to break bosses a lot then you probably need them.

Main story is pretty good. It's pretty stereotypical JRPG writing but I enjoyed it. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the side quests and conversations. This game is not voiced. This is not a problem for me but it is a problem for most. The only voices are NPCs during battle or when you walk by them. Honestly, the voices become so repetitive they become annoying. The fairies are the absolute worse. Their voices are creepy and have weird intonations Also, you cannot skip cutscenes so be prepare to read everything or mash a button to skip.

Farming/life sim things: You cannot customize yourself, your house, or your farm. You "create a character" by changing your hair and eye color which doesn't change. You will wear the same outfit in all the cutscenes. You can only craft and place fences on your farm plot but it takes away space from growing things or placing machines. Machines (like to make feed, mayo, juice, etc) take all day and can only be placed on your farm plot. Romance is not really a thing. You can choose a life partner at the end of the main story but all relationship quests are platonic. There is a special cutscene with your chosen life partner at proposal but that is it. They will live on your farm and do nothing but repeat voice lines when you enter/leave your house. Animal raising is bare minimum. There is choice of fantasy chicken and fantasy llama you buy from a vendor. They give you items if you make sure their silo has food in it.

So you actually read this whole thing. If none of this bothered you. Buy the damn game and play it. It may not be $60 worthy with all the little annoyances to some people (and I was one of those ppl in the beginning) ... but I did get my money's worth in playtime. I completed all of the main story, side quests, and companion quests, I have over 60 hours. And I'm still working on maxing out all of my farm and weapons, completing the deep dungeon, finishing up all the food turn ins, collecting all the dolls, getting the secret classes, and catching all the legendary fish. Theres so much to do that I'm still learning surprises about the game. There were a lot of strange design choices in making this game, but it is obvious there was still a lot of love put into it.

Chardalyn
Chardalyn

I was looking forward to Harvestella and bought the game as soon as it came out.
My expectations have been met and I am very happy with my purchase!

I would describe the game as a story-driven JRPG combined with the best elements of a farming sim.
While the plot suggests a certain urgency there are no real consequences or time pressure. It is up to the player if they want to farm, fish, do side-quests or advance the main storyline. That means that you can explore the world in your own pace without missing out on anything.

Highlights include for me:

    • engaging storyline with cool quests and side-quests
    • the mood comes across as more mature and slightly dark with the occasional comic relief
    • characters are interesting and not one-dimensional
    • farming / fishing / harvesting are relaxing and not too difficult
    • switching combat classes and elemental attacks are easy to use but hard to master
    • amazing music
    • creative worldbuilding and cute art style
    • great gameplay and runs well on Steam Deck
    • you do not have to remember any NPC's birthdays or silly festivities

Some negative points are:

    • playing with mouse + keyboard is not recommended, you should use a controller
    • Harvestella's graphics are not revolutionary and there are no customization options
    • no groundbreaking innovations regarding story and farming elements
    • a few QoL improvements should be implemented (e. g. more choices in the character creation, preview of shipping prices)

Overall I consider Harvestella a great game. It feels like a mix of Final Fantasy and Stardew Valley and I am enjoying it a lot!

Ryumanjisen
Ryumanjisen

The main problem this game had before release, something pretty common in the videgoame industry these days, is that people was expecting (or was "hyped for", if you prefer) another kind of game. Harvestella is, mainly, a classic JRPG with some farming and life sim elements.

Basically, if you love Final Fantasy and like Stardew Valley, you are going to enjoy this game a lot. If those games are not your cup of tea, look elsewhere.

Cate
Cate

I'm having quite a good time and the game has barely opened up for me yet. Just don't go in expecting a farming/life-sim. It is, at its core, an action JRPG, NOT another Rune Factory or Stardew Valley. So far I feel no pressure to rush to complete quests. I can play at my own pace and have a relaxing experience. The art is gorgeous and I love the music. The combat is simple, at least right now, but I'm enjoying it. My biggest complaint at the moment are the unskippable cutscenes. It's 2022, come on Square Enix. Either way, I recommend Harvestella at the moment if you enjoy chill RPGs.

DreamrKnight
DreamrKnight

TLDR: Not currently worth $60. I'd say worth $35 at most at this point. Wait for sale or for fixes/features. It honestly feels more of an rpg with farming on the side. Square Enix isn't exactly known for adding features to single player games, so this game may never get better.

The main features that need fixing/adding first:
- The atrocious character creation. Choosing a gender is pointless as each only have the same options, a male and female body type and four skin colors. Except the male body type still looks like a school girl, especially with a long ponytail sticking out the side of his (her?its?) head. And there are no options to change hairstyle.
- There's no option to skip dialogue, which make side-quests that much more annoying.
- There's not enough to do/ not enough customization on your farm. It feels like basically a plant-water-fight sim. The coops are in a predetermined location as well. The monotony gets boring quicker than combat in FF12.
- The faerie voice acting is creepy as heck. Every time I leave the farm or use a tool powerup, the terrible voice acting rears it's head (every single time, not even just every once in a while).

Here are some more pros and cons.
Pros:
- You don't need to fill up your watering "can." That's nice.
- There is no annoying minigame for fishing. Let's hope they keep it that way.
- You can craft from items in your storage, which is just a nice quality of life feature
- Great artwork and lighting
- You can save often enough to not be much of a pain to stop abruptly

Cons:
- Terrible voice acting. Even from the first time you hear it, it sounds robotic and amateur.
- The dialog choices they give you are virtually useless and have no meaningful impact at all except to be annoying.
- You can't skip cutscenes or dialogue.
- You need stamina to fight, and you can actually enter a boss fight without any stamina (they are NOT escapeable).
- The auto-targeting will randomly switch to a further away monster for no explicit reason.
- And when you do switch targets, your whole party switches with you. So if you want to save time on attacks, forget it.
- The jumping feature is also virtually useless, except for getting around small useless hurtles around town that shouldn't be there in the first place. Otherwise, there is no other reason/need to jump at all.
- Your party can't path very well, and many times you will find yourself fighting alone because of that.
- Some crops practically give you no profit at all, such as the carrop (spelled correctly) that buys for 105 (or 95) and sells for about 115 o.O ... It's good for making health drinks I guess, but I prefer foods as drinks do NOT increase your hunger meter. And just for context, most upgrades will cost in the thousands, so a 10 profit is laughable at best. I don't buy carrops, I just sell the ones I get from quests/mail.
- And the cucumbie takes roughly 10-12 days before you make ANY profit off it.
- Combat is bland. You just do your singular primary attack ALL the time and occasionally do 1 of 3 or 4 other attacks when they are off cooldown.
- You take way too much damage, and the only equipable defense you can get is two ring slots. So if you want to conserve healing supplies, you have to be a mage full time and attack from a distance while your party soaks up all the damage.
- It is pretty monotonous. There is not near as much to do as with games such as stardew valley. I get bored playing this game real fast. No customization. No mining (except picking up items in monster locations). Pretty much nothing except plant-water-fight-repeat. It actually feels more like a regular rpg with farming on the side. And the combat isn't anywhere near as satisfying as a normal final fantasy game.

Arcmagik
Arcmagik

I am enjoying it as much as I enjoying the game and don't want to throw it out the window so that's important. If you like laid back single-player RPG Life Simulation games then you shouldn't hate this game. It doesn't do anything groundbreaking though.

I dislike that it's single player, because I usually play Stardew Valley-like games (like Dinkum) with my son, but the jrpg elements are keeping me into the game. I am also near the end of Summer and have only completed the Lethe Seaslight, and the Namea Seaslight so I feel like I am not rushing through it like some people might be doing with their storyline.

I did dislike that the character selection for gender is just the same model. I felt like it was just lip service to representation. We don't even need brand new models, but at least give me an option to change my hair style so I can make it look like something that matches the representation I choose.

Fio
Fio

Starts out extremely slow, too much hand holding at the start. Gets better as it goes... No cutscene skip is my biggest gripe with the game, makes the replay value dead and no one will speedrun it.

Combat is... not the games strong point. Its not bad, its just not amazing. Job changing stuff is interesting but also kinda feels like its not needed. Maybe late game / post game will change my mind. (I'm still in the mid game)

Story is good. Square enix does good story. No complaints in this department.

It makes you make 'choices' in dialogue that doesn't even change what the NPC says in response. You can read all the choices and the NPC responds in a way that covers all 3 of them. Pretty terrible design if you ask me.

There is no voice acted story cutscenes. All the voice acting is just running around the world and main characters going 'oh hi' or something dumb like that. They DEFINITELY could have made the story more compelling/interesting if they voice acted the lines in main story quests.

Overall: I am enjoying the game. It's probably overpriced for what they gave us, but its a good time sink and I like the farming/financial/upgrading aspects of gameplay.

Starving Writer
Starving Writer

Excellent mechanics for both genres they tried to mix together. Would be an amazing game on the switch, taking this on the go would be the way.

Check out the whole review here
https://youtu.be/n24Rcrd_TN8

Kyun
Kyun

Only 1 Haircut based on what Model you choose from (Girl or Femboy) so you better love ponytails!!

(in all seriousness I'm fine with the femboy guy model just give me at least 3 haircuts to choose from, its a $60 game, and they literally have other haircuts modeled for other male NPCs It just feels weird to get to choose from 3 genders (yes 3) 4 skintones, 12 Iris colors but only 1 hairstyle)

Friend Who Looks Good
Friend Who Loo…

TL;DR - Farming Sim with JRPG elements. Disclaimer - I'm a Squeenix fan and will give any level of game they throw out a heaping amount of bias.

Harvestella [60 hours in] Review (Steam Version with Xbox Controller / Steam Deck )
Overall Gameplay - Chill Farming sim, Similar to Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley. If you enjoyed those games, you'll likely enjoy Harvestella despite its shortcomings.

Graphics - 8/10 - Stylized and beautiful, but some areas/models seem rushed. No major issues with models, rendering, etc. Locomotion of 3D character models in cutscenes is janky.

Art - 10/10 - I gave this a separate section because the 2D art surrounding items, meals, etc. is top-notch if you appreciate that kind of thing.

Worldbuilding - 7/10 - Beautiful world that, while not open, has lots of secrets to find and places to explore.

Character Creation - 2/10 - Surprisingly limited options for a generic - player-based character.

Controls - 7/10 - Intuitive, but easy to accidentally use consumables you didn't intend to. Farming controls can become more tedious as farm expands before tool upgrades are earned.

Music - 9/10 - Great FF-style music we've come to expect. Gets repetitive after the 40 hour mark, especially with side quests.

Voice Acting - 1/10 - Either non-existent or truly jarring/awful. Characters are not voiced in cut scenes, but do randomly say things in combat? All audio sounds "phoned in". Cringe.

Combat - 4/10 - Easy - Heal with consumables and press X button to win. No skill involved.

Story - 7/10 (so far) - It's not the Iliad, but it's more comprehensible than Kingdom Hearts. Enough to get you off your farm! :smile:

Grind Intensity - Medium - As with most farming games, you gotta grind those mats.

Side Quests - 5 /10 - Standard JRPG go-fer quests, with heart. Required if you want to 100% the game and for some recipes.

Value - 5/10 - $60 seems like a big ask for some of the shortcomings of the game. I would say wait for a sale if you're curious, unless you REALLY like farming games.

Cardinal Sins - Terrible/Jarring Voice Acting for a Final Fantasy game - Repetitive Gameplay (Farming sim, duh) - Easy to accidentally use rare consumables. Un-skippable cutscenes.

Carinal Wins - Lots of secrets to discover. Rewarding crafting. No time-based missable content. Lighthearted world building that's beautiful and fun.

Steam Deck Worthy? - Yes, HOWEVER... the resolution is saved with your saved game info, so swapping between PC and the Deck is super annoying.

Age Rating - 10+ - Some semi-revealing outfits here and there, but nothing hyper-sexualized. No swearing that I recall - Mild inuendo in text occasionally - No gore.

Overall Personal Impression - I've enjoyed most of the game so far. For a chill farming sim it's pretty good. I have had a few moments where I've had to tell myself that I do like this game while mashing buttons through side quest text. Some of the story is erratic, could be to translation issues or to rushing the game out, but it's not a deal killer for me. I'll likely play it through to near 100%, although some achievements look like nothing but grinding for grinding's sake.

ChewyPingu
ChewyPingu

Pretty good RPG game with a farming element. I'm a big fan of square enix and farming sims. The game is different from what I expected but I enjoy rpg games in general so it worked out pretty nicely. I tend to "fall out of love" with other farming sims out there because there's not a strong enough story to keep me interested. This has a deeper story and it reminds me of playing the first 60 levels of FF14. I do think it's worth the money because the game is really pretty.

I played the demo on switch and was disappointed with the resolution but hey it's switch... Decided to give it another go on pc and it is way better. Fortunately, no frame rate issues at all. It's a pretty chill game to play after work. Would recommend but understand it may not be everybody's cup of tea.

Daylily
Daylily

Overall: 8/10
(Note: I am not finished with the game yet, so this is just based on my experience so far.)

JUST AS A HEADS UP-- This is not a full on farming sim. This game focuses more on the JRPG elements of the game and uses the farming elements for food/buff needs.

Although this game was not on the scale that I was expecting, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was enjoying it. There were a lot of mixed reviews when this game launched, and I definitely agree with some of the complaints, but I think that some of the simplicity in this game is not all that bad.

Pros:
- The game is absolutely beautiful-- from the environment to the music to the character art.
- The story is surprisingly interesting as well. It may be a little generic, but it's definitely got me paying attention. I haven't skipped through any of the content so far.
- The side quests are interesting on their own as well. They're not related to the main story per se, but they definitely tug at some heart strings.
- I love that there are so many jobs to choose from and that it's easy to swap back and forth from one to another.
- Game runs smoothly on PC and I don't have any issues with character movement or abilities.
- The boss fights have been very interesting so far! An example of some battle mechanics that I ran into reminded me of things that I experienced in a Heavensward dungeon from FFXIV.
- Although the material gathering is very simple, it honestly reminded me of how gathering in the Tales games.

Cons
- There is barely any voice acting in the game. You'll hear bits and pieces of voice acting in the game, but there is none in important cut scenes. It's probably one of the biggest disappointments for me.
- There is barely any customization aside from what you're able to do in character creation. Your outfit changes depending on the class you're playing, but that's about all there is, which really sucks.
- Character models look very outdated and don't fit how detailed the background and environment are. Kind of reminds me of old FF/Square games, which is like...okay, but I feel like it could have been WAY better.
- The price tag for the game is honestly quite high. I feel like if way more voice acting was added and the character models matched how much detail they put into the environment art, then $60 USD could be justified. I'd definitely wait for a sale or something.

Wyrmillion
Wyrmillion

I had not heard of this game prior to my purchase on release day. I am a big Final Fantasy fan, plus I enjoyed stardew valley. Despite the mixed reviews I dived right in.

This game is spectacular. 50 hours in and I still feel like I have so much left to do and explore. The textures and backgrounds do have a sparse feel at times, but I prefer think of it as stylized. The game really is gorgeous, presenting stunning vista after stunning vista.

The true star of the game is the story. I am completely engrossed, and look forward to getting back to the game after a long workday. There are some shortcomings, the lack of character customization is glaring, but I feel that every game recently has skins and endless customization options, and it's almost welcome to just pick your hair and eyes and move on.

I am really enjoying this game and would definitely recommend. Getting back to it! Enjoy.

Fortegx
Fortegx

I don't normally make reviews before finishing the game, but there has been a lot of negativity in some reviews and in the discussions, so I wanted to give you an idea of why I am so addicted to Harvestella.

Background: I like JRPGs and Farming sims, but I can be rather critical of poor ones, which seem to float around more recently.

Pros:
+Great balance between quests, adventure, and farming
+The story (even small characters) really shines
+The world thus far oozes with personality
+Well stylized art
+Fantastic sound track
+Pretty well thought out character progression

Cons:
-Mediocre Switch port (lack of quality settings, graphical limitations, controls)
-Combat is rather simplistic (though still good for farming sims)
-Farm is not fully customizable

"Cons" I have read people say that I don't think are issues:
~Can't manually save until a couple days in (saving at night early on is more than sufficient)
~Lack of character customization (Never super appealed to me and I'm used to Harvest Moon/ Story of Seasons, with no options)
~Mediocre game for 60$ (Console games go for 60$ for over a decade, if you can't afford games, wait for a sale)

Overall, the simple yet rich story from all of the characters really gives this game a charm. Mechanically, it isn't perfect. The combat gets kinda spammy and some of the animations take too long, but the FFXIV AOE circle dodging is fun. The combat is better than Rune Factory imho. The farming is also solid and the events with the main characters are what I always wanted from a farming sim. Basically, this game isn't perfect, but it is a beautiful, well written, and fun farming adventure.

Safirra
Safirra

It's as if Stardew Valley and FFXIV had a baby. If you are into interactive fishing this may not be for you, however, that hasn't swayed me yet. The scenery is beautiful, the music is on point, and I'm kinda digging the story so far at 3 hours in... There's enough farming/gardening to keep me sated and I haven't really been upset by the fact that the character customization is nonexistent. Is it worth 60 bucks? You have to really love SDV and FF, but I would say yes, absolutely, why haven't you bought it yet??

Venroxsora
Venroxsora

I love it.

The story is really good, it’s a shame there’s no voice acting but it is good enough to keep you engaged. I also really enjoy the gameplay loop. The character customization needs to be called a “pallet swap” at the end of the day. If you’re upset the male character is feminine, I can understand, but I am happy with it. I think they should definitely add more to character customization but honestly what other game has a male main character this feminine? I genuinely can’t think of anything, so it’s not the end of the world if one game has it.

Anywho, there are things that can be fixed with time, some of the animations could be smoother, voice acting should be added, and so on. Regardless I have come to truly love the gameplay loop, story and world/ art style of the game. The music is honestly one of the best parts of the game btw, so good. Over all this game is what I hoped for from RF5.

DonKong569
DonKong569

TL:DR better than expected, but its not stardew valley or rune factory. Its final fantasy farming

Ill get the elephant in the room out of the way first, the non-binary option in the character select screen is completely useless, except for a line near the end that if i say it would massively spoil the plot of the game. TBH i would say the writing of the game fits the male avatar a lot better than the female avatar, and i get the sense that the character customization was shoehorned in 2 months before launch. If they just stuck with the male avatar and gave him a bit more personality, i would rate this game about.4% higher than i will since the bulk of the writing and other characters REALLY carry the game.

The writing and the story is really good, and it feels like it belongs in a fully fledged Final Fantasy game than a FF/farm game, but it does really fit well within the confines of the gameplay. the supporting cast have a persona- like story path where you hang out with them for story beats, support them with choices, and when you complete each story beat, they grow stronger, which is an intensive to go thru the story. most side quests are generally 3 quests deep that spans roughly 3-4 in game days, so you dont have to rush to get them done all in one day. and they do reward free seeds for the farm, which really helps in the early game.

i never expected so many gut punch and depressing stories in a farming sim, but it makes the stories that have a happy ending and the overall plot feel much more impact full

The gameplay is not turn based like older FF, but is more of a hack-n-slash with a few special moves mixed with avoiding telegraphed attacks. You do have a stamina meter that you need to keep an eye on if you want to dodge or use special attacks, and if your character is hungry, you dont regen stamina. you can keep your character full by making meals in the kitchen (when you unlock it) at the farm with the ingredients you find/grow. you also can make drinks that act like healing potions with the fruits and veggies you find/grow as well, so you dont buy potions, you grow them.

The farming part starts off slow in the beginning, like all other farm sims do, but thru the story, side quests, mining, fishing, and growing crops, you can expand the farm slowly with the money you earn. you have to be careful near the end of the month through, since each season is one month long, and if you still have crops in the field when the games "quietus" event comes, the crops will die. you also have to make machines for the farm to process the ingredients you grow to make food, which usually takes a day to complete

The quietus day usually comes at the end of the month,. and usually opens up a dungeon on the farm where you can get crafting materials for machines and your weapons, and gives a bit more xp than normal dungeons, so its important to go as far as you can in the dungeon during quietus

The farming aspect does feed into the questing aspect, which in turn, feeds into the farming aspect, which makes a satisfying loop of trying to get farm work done and enough supplies to go dungeoning that day, which in turns makes each check point in the dungeon more satisfying.

Overall, a pretty solid game, great story, really damn good writing, and satisfying game loop. though if your looking for a farm sim like SDV, you will be disappointed.
id give it a 8.8/10. id enjoyed my time with it but i dont blame you if you wait for a sale, since there is alot of great games coming out this season

Bim Steel
Bim Steel

I buy every farming sim esq game to play with my wife. Not my favorite genre but its usually enjoyable. This game was far more RPG than it was farming, which put her off at first but she began to love it. For me, it has been my favorite one i've ever played but that is most likely due to the fact I prefer RPGs. Was a little weirded out that my thighs were just as thicc as hers but got over that pretty quick too.

Dr. Asenath Waite
Dr. Asenath Waite

This is a really lovely callback to PS1 RPGs. Fans of The Legend of Dragoon or even Chrono Cross will find a lot to love about this one.

The character customization IS meh, and it feels lazy, but the rest of the game is great so far. There's a good balance between farming, progressing, and side questing. There is a lot to do, a lot to play, and the story thus far is giving me nostalgia in all the good ways.

Kage Senpai
Kage Senpai

I greatly enjoy this game, it is basically SquarEnix's version of Rune Factory but with a much more engrossing story line. While there are a few small things I'm not too keen on or happy with they are at the moment for the most part mostly cosmetic stuff that I hope will see some Downloadable Content being released. The combat system could use some polishing up and I think some of the crops need to have their markets reevaluated but still a good game none the less.

FerimElwin
FerimElwin

Fun action RPG with some Stardew Valley sprinkled in. The story takes a bit of time to ramp up, but once it gets going it becomes super engaging. Combat is pretty simple, but still fun with bosses having a little bit of a puzzle aspect in both figuring out their weaknesses and trying to find the optimal way to attack those weaknesses to get a Double Break. Music is phenomenal and really enhances the emotions and atmosphere felt in every area. Only downside is the graphics and animation feel like they're from the mid 2000's, but it's not distracting and completely unnoticeable during combat.

lukako
lukako

false advertising, I got over the fact that they exaggerated about character customization despite it only being a few recolor options (not to mention the incredibly lazy remodels, pretty much everyone in the game shares the same body type- majority of females all have the same faces and so do the guys)
but what I'm really irritated about is the blatant lies about the romance system,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znj51wVWkCU 1:58 the developers state ''Rather than (actively) making the characters flirt with eachother, we aim to create a game that will naturally let the players fall in love with the characters themselves.'' which is an utter lie, there is 0 romance in this game. It is an over-glorified friendship system but when the developers word it like that what else am I suppose to think? I was led into believing this was a romance RPG but clearly it isn't, devs did a horrible job advertising the actual qualities of this game.

Pure Steel
Pure Steel

There is a lot to love about this game. I was worried after seeing all the mixed reviews at the release, but this game has been awesome. I love farming games and I’ve played a bunch of FF games, and this was a great experience. The story is captivating, and the side quests are fun. The farming, I thought, was an afterthought, but it’s been a vital part of the game. The only negatives are the mining and cutting system isn’t like a lot of other farming games, but it has its charm. And like FF they reuse monsters like it’s their business. This is typical in any FF game. Recolor and change the name and it’s a new monster. The Accessory system needs some work. There isn’t any way to see the accessories description. Overall, it’s a great game.

Kisejiuu
Kisejiuu

Relaxing Game, Great Characters, A Good JRPG Story. Enjoyable Battle System (Very SQEX Like).

The world building is a bit lacking, would love to see Affection for Town and NPC's beside the Team members Affection Story Lines. It has voices but they are basically just Battle voices, and if you come across them in Town. Would love Voiced Cut scenes at least in the Main Story.

But overall a good classic JRPG with Farming/Building elements.

Skye
Skye

Genuinely having a good time with the game so far. As of now it is nothing groundbreaking and nobody can deny that it certainly has its issues, but I feel like people are too harsh on this game.

Pros:
- Beautiful art direction!
The illustrations look stellar. Even basic items get incredible looking artworks. The character models ingame look fine, but are nothing special - the environments are a feast, though; whenever I enter a new area I just stare for a moment.

- Incredible OST!
The music is just so lovely. It fits the sceneries and battles perfectly. One of the best sounding video game music I have heard in a while. Sucks that it's not easily available on Youtube or streaming platforms, though.

- Good writing!
Personally I enjoy the writing; it's simple and to the point, yet it helps the characters shine, bringing their personalities and little quirks to life just fine.
The characters all seem intriguing so far and I want to see where the game takes them!

- Interesting story?
So far, the plot keeps me just interested enough to want to keep playing and find out what's going on. It's nothing too fancy yet, and thanks to the common amnesiac MC trope, your character knows nothing of what's going on at first - and NPCs can't be assed to explain a lot of it, either. Guess it works, though - I want to find out what they're talking about.

- Good balance of gameplay...?
This is definitely a hotter take, looking at reviews, but I enjoy the balance of farming and doing other things. Maybe it's because I get overwhelmed by your typical farming game and prefer my A/JRPGs over stuff like Stardew. Here I get both, with just the right amount of farming for me personally.
People who mainly eye this game for the farming sim - you probably won't be happy here if you're not at least staying for the RPG. Because that what it seems to be first and foremost.

Cons:
- There's no voice acting. At all.
I can't believe there's no voices except the occasional repetitive battle voice line. That's definitely a letdown.

- Controls are janky af.
I heard it's rough on kb/m, but I play with a controller 95% of the time, so I didn't care when I heard it. Controller feels off as well, though. It's not plain bad by any means - it just feels a bit stiff, sometimes, a bit unresponsive other times, and especially in combat the controls get in my way more often than not. You're better off leveling up to get tanky and bring tons of consumables to just survive through fights out of spite than trying to wrestle with your controls.
... Might also partly be since I never touched an XBox controller in my life and there's no way to get Dualsense button prompts, unless I'm mistaken.

Which takes me to the battle system - being able to change jobs mid battle is really cool! The rest is... well, fine. It mostly sucks that it's tied to such unresponsive controls, because battles feel like they're supposed to be busy; a quick exchange of blows, that's just being held back by its controls.

On another note, I don't get the complaints about the character customization - or rather, lack thereof. To be fair, I never expected anything to begin with, unlike others maybe. Rune Factory doesn't let you customize your character either, but nobody's talking about that when drawing the comparisons between the two franchises...
You don't get a lot of customization here, and personally, I couldn't care less. I know this kind of game would have been perfect for creating your own character for a lot of people; personally I was only disappointed for a moment, before I shrugged and just moved on. At least your character's party illustration will match the hair and eye colors you picked, which is a very nice touch!

As of now, I can't think of anything else to say; will update this as I continue the game.

This game was 70 bucks here; as of now, I don't quite feel that's justified. I would happily pay 50, hell, maybe even 60 bucks for it and feel satisfied. Seeing this get sold as an AAA game, though... it's a bit steep for what it is, for sure. So maybe wait for a sale, if you haven't followed some walkthrough on Youtube and aren't absolutely convinced you will love it.

cloudtwirl
cloudtwirl

Once you get past the basics mainly Chapter 1 it really becomes more involved and interesting. Not NEAR as much farming as i expected but i really dont mind that b/c the story is rather interesting (though sometimes pretty obvious). I also i hope you're in for a whole lot of Amnesia b/c there seems to be something in the water causing it.

GaugedR34gtr
GaugedR34gtr

I kept hoping if I kept playing the quests would become more interesting. 70 hours in now, and I feel I'm almost close to completion, yet I don't even want to load it back up to do so. You seem to spend 95% of your quests helping children with mundane things like squabbles with friends, or collecting sticks for snowmen. It made the game feel anti-climatic at every turn. I enjoy the fighting style, and being able to switch and level up different abilities, but the game is lacking content. I don't mind doing numerous side quests for t he kiddos in t he beginning, but when almost everything is maxed out, and I'm still going from town to town settling children's squabbles in near end game, it leaves the player feeling a bit empty or unaccomplished. I felt myself skipping a lot of dialogue because of this, and the fact that all of the NPCs share the same features! It's almost impossible to tell characters apart for side quests unless they have the alert above their heads because most of the NPCs look exactly the same. Just google some gameplay before purchasing.

Bayou Billy with the Heavy Balls
Bayou Billy wi…

Rune factory fans come alive! It's a better Rune Factory 5! Combat is mediocre, but not unbearably so. But the story is where this title shines! I genuinely cared about what was going on, mediocre side stories besides actually good story, fun combat if you don't expect too much. Seems like 60+ hours of a good time if you just happen to like this type of game. Love it.

allycatraz
allycatraz

absolutely lovely game. there is so much to do and complete. if you are into farming games & JRPG's i highly recommend this game. i completed main story & side quests after 76 hours, however, there is much more to be had to complete everything 100% (which i will do for the completionist inside of me xD). the only con's i would give is that the character customisation is really poor and there is way too much reading when they could have been voice acted in this day & age, plus it can be rather depressing hearing everyone's problems day in day out. the pro's far outweigh the con's though, making it worth playing. the pro's are that the farming is a delight, the battle is fun and it is so nice just to spend time unlocking everything as you go. i would give this game 8/10 personally.

RabidGuppy
RabidGuppy

I almost didn't buy this game when it released because of all the bad reviews. That would have been a terrible mistake.
I'm 30+ hours in, for the first time in my life I've made spreadsheets to track prices, recipes and more in this game.

I'm not here to save the world, I'm here to run my farm and saving the world only makes that more efficient.

10/10 JRPG with a bedtime. I can fight Gods, but only if I get a good nights sleep.

You will 100% need a controller to play the game, and to save frequently and after cut-scenes.
No voice acting, but that doesn't bother me. Music is superb.
Character creation/customization is bland, but that's just like most other Farming Sim games.

Yuana
Yuana

As of writing I have 8 hours in this game.

Personally, I feel this game is worth the asking price. Maybe closer to $40-50 or so, but it very much is a type of game that asks you to be an RPG fan, with farming simulator elements. Its not one or the other, and people expecting either are definitely going to be disappointed.

The strong point of the game is entirely in its story and characters, but I think the farm part of the game has a side-effect of really making you feel as though you are "living" in the game. A lot of JRPGs end up feeling trite once the story gets grander and grander, but so far I'm enjoying the slow, down-to-earth style that Harvestella provides.

i can't recommend this to everyone, but I'm giving a thumbs up because its a Great game for the narrow niche it appeals to, such as myself. I usually don't even like JRPGS all that much, but this one is a big exception. This game feels more like singleplayer FF14 than any other game, in that the real meat of the game is combat and story, but you are effectively crafting and funding your adventure along the way. Personally I feel like if you enjoy the FF14 "Vibe," this game will be satisfying.

All the criticism gets for its UI, unskippable cutscenes, slow start, and little bit of clunk are justified, but even so, I do like this game quite a lot. People have really rose-tinted lenses when it comes to JRPGs, and I don't think they're givign Harvestella a fair chance before they try to leave.

TripleCII
TripleCII

Definitely recommend the game to those who like games like Rune Factory.

I only have 2 complaints about the game:
1. There is no voice acting, and with the amount of cutscenes there are, there really should be voice acting.

2. many cutscenes tend to drag due to the lack of voice acting and there is no skip cutscene button, so i do not see myself playing more than one playthrough after my first.

DVaulter
DVaulter

After 6 hours all I have to say is that if you are looking for a Square Harvest Moon you'll be disappointed, but if youre looking for a Square Rune Factory youll really enjoy Harvestella. I'm really enjoying Harvestella and 16 days into Spring, I honestly havent found anything I can bitch about. Its a Rune Factory Game with a Square spirit.

Lee
Lee

Okay so I've made it through the game, nearly completing all the optional stuff. So how is it?

Well, TLDR first; It's worth a play through, but only on sale. I think the story is nice, though it's writing is a little bland. I really liked the various nods/references(whether on purpose or not) to other games like Nier, FFXIV, Bravely Default, Elden Ring(yes, that's what I said XD) and it's other more obvious inspirations (Rune Factory, Secret of Mana, though I have yet to play those.
The music is really nice, though I wish it varied or turned off sometimes haha, but those dungeon/boss beats slap pretty hard.
The gameplay is a pretty satisfying loop, though it's slow at first. The farming element kind of just becomes a means to an end for potions/upgrades, and the limited features don't really allow much customization or "aesthetic", the farming has a frustrating slowness to some of the mechanics(plowing, placing or breaking things etc) which I wouldn't complain about if it at least all three tools had the same coverage squares lol. Kind of hard to explain, but overall it's still fun, and it gives you a reason to progress/farm outside as you go through the story.
The story... is pretty nice. I'm a huge Nier/ffxiv fan so I felt like this really had the same soul as those games. I wish the writing was a bit better, and I wish there were more casual bonding moments similar to bravely default, as it felt really scarce.
I really loved feeling represented and allowed to choose my pronouns, and it felt amazing going through the game.
Honestly, my only gripe is how this game felt a little unfinished or empty. I wish there was just a liiiittle more, I feel like it has a great core, but just kinda missing the spice.
I would still say this game is not worth 90$(CAD), and would probably wait until it goes on sale, but if it had a little more to it(more voice acting, more farm customization, character customization) then I could justify the price.
Also... please, oh please if devs read this... fix the faeries voices... why does it trigger on every. single. action I make on the farm lol
I wanted to strangle the faerie every time she goes "SHUPATSUUUUUU" LOL

In the end, yes, I'd say it's a good game. My expectations were a bit high for a 90$ game. Do some research, try the demo first. It's good, but I think it's a game you'll either like or hate lol

will
will

Not a single aspect of this game is well made. Graphics and animations look bad even by ps2 standards. Writing is incredibly dull. Controls are so abysmal that even the farming feels like a chore.

Would not recommend even if it comes to gamepass

8A8
8A8

Sooo.... I'm a bit conflicted with this game. When i first started this game- was expecting the Ruin Factory experience, but with hella better graphics. ALTHOUGH, it gave me something like the Tales series (JRPG)- which is all good...But I just wished we could romance these PEOPLEE. The only reason i chose not to return this game- is because its a very easy going game. Great character art. Included with a nice customization- considering you usually don't even get to customize the colors in most JRPGs. Plenty of quests so far, with good rewards. Oh, another thing that i kinda had a problem with, is the fighting. I feel that the fighting could have been smoother. NOT WORTH THE 60. But you know. no worth the 60.

Boom
Boom

DO NOT BUY THIS GAME until they patch in a fix for the stupid control scheme.

The game would be fine if not for the terrible controls. Not GREAT, but FINE.

As it stands, it's barely playable and needlessly difficult.

SonoDaten
SonoDaten

I’m a good chunk of the way through the game now (I think?), so I can say with confidence Harvestella’s biggest problem was it’s marketing. It was sold in trailers and on social media as a farming/life simulator with combat mechanics similar to Rune Factory or Stardew Valley.

Harvestella is not a farming/life simulator. It is a JRPG that features farming mechanics.

If you went into this game hard focused on the farming mechanics, you would come up empty very quickly, as a lot of the progression is tied to the main plot of the game. You cannot farm and ignore the story like you could in (most) Rune Factory games. If a game like that is what you want, I recommend skipping Harvestella and maybe just playing one of those instead (and looking forward to Rune Factory 3 Special; it’s a really fun game and I’m excited it’s getting a port).

Now, for the game itself. Minor spoilers for location names and the main storyline.
PROS (The good stuff):
-Visuals and Music
I’ve grouped these together because I don’t want to spend too much time gushing over them. The game is gorgeous. The locales are wonderfully designed and feel distinct from each other, as opposed to just “village but *insert season here*”. The colors are vibrant without feel over saturated, maps make great use of horizontal and vertical space. Exploration rewards players with valuable materials while also encouraging preparedness when traversing dungeons specifically. The world map is incrediblely breathtaking (even if it costs time to traverse it). The music is selection is excellent, whether it’s an upbeat track for traveling through one of the game’s dungeons or an orchestral masterpiece for fighting one of it’s many bosses, you’re in danger of falling for victim to many ear worms. The Coral Shrine is a particular favorite of mine so far.

-The Characters
Your party members are indispensable help when taking on combat encounters, and as you work your way through their character quests you learn more about them, their goals, past, etc. Each party member has a unique voice, and their job classes are distinct enough that switching them around (while switching up your own) makes the combat feel a little bit fresher. Even the side quest characters—members of the various villages that you travel through—are a fun, memorable little bunch.

-The Story (Spoilers)
When I’d heard there was some time travel/sci-fi elements to the plot, I was expecting to have to get through a good chunk of the game to get to them. I wasn’t expecting to, quite literally, walk right into them roughly 10 minutes in and have my main party member be said time traveler. But that’s what makes the story so interesting: it grabs you with that initial tidbit and then never lets it go, never lets it fade into the background—it’s ever present in the story. It’s such a stark contrast to the rest of the setting that it drives you forward in the plot to learn more, and I’ve found it incrediblely interesting so far.

-The Farming/Fishing
The farming mechanics are very simplistic, and I actually enjoyed that. There’s one tool for plowing and watering (no refilling needed :D) and you just toss the seeds on the ground and boom! Crops! Easy as that! I love it. There’s also different “biomes” where you can grow different kinds of crops. And there’s a fishing mechanic, but that’s also just as simple—press A to catch :).

MEH (Not good, not bad, just there):
-Combat
Combat is stiff and there’s no particularly good flow to it. There’s a “step” move you can unlock (for each class :/) that can act as a sort of dodge, but otherwise, combat encounters usually end up with you running around enemies and hacking at them while trying to not get hit. Once you discover the enemies’ weaknesses they are permanently displayed over their head, and using them can make combat go quicker. Additionally, you accumulate exp during the day, but you only level up after going to sleep every night. This can sometimes lead to situations where you’re trying to get through a dungeon but enemies are way too high level, so you have to go home and sleep to actually level up and compete with them.

-Voice Acting
Or lack thereof, I guess. There is voice acting—certain characters do have voiced lines when you pass them by or in battle—just no voice acted cutscenes or during quests and the like. I don’t particularly mind this choice because I read fast.

CONS (The Bad):
-The Job System
I understand, in theory, what they were going for with it. Each of your party memebers can fill a certain niche, and your player character can assume any of those roles at a given time so you can customize your party to your exact liking. In practice, however, some of the Jobs just end up feeling redundant when others can do similar damage types but better. Jobs only have access to certain types of damage, making for aggravating encounters where you need certain types of damage with Jobs you may not like as much or enjoy the playstyle, on top of a combat system that was already “meh” to begin with. As I started with, I understand what they were going for, but I would have preferred a little more customization or versatility in terms of Jobs/Classes.

Tl;dr: Harvestella is a poorly marketed JRPG (with a side of farming mechanics) that boasts incredible visuals and music, a lovable cast of characters, and a story that pulls you in from the opening cutscenes; the combat is a little stiff, and the Job system leaves much to be desired.

Final rating: 8/10

Dumpster Strats
Dumpster Strats

I’m recommending this game, but with some big reservations. I’d give it a neutral review if I could. It does a lot of things right, but it screams “low budget” in some pretty obvious ways.

First, it’s a JRPG + life sim, but it doesn’t do either particularly well. This game could have been a chance to appeal to both JRPG lovers and sim lovers, but instead I’d recommend it only for the niche audience that likes both. The systems are fun and addictive, but overall pretty shallow. For example, the character customization and growth is weak for an RPG, and the relationship system is weak for a life sim.

The combat leaves a lot to be desired as well. It’s not terrible, but limited dodge/movement, no blocking, and 0 cooldown on healing items means that the intended way to approach tough fights is to just spam chug drinks to heal your way through them. This is made more obvious by the fact that your NPC allies seem incapable of moving out of telegraphed AoE attacks, so you’ll spend most tough fights just healing them. Despite all this, the job and break systems are enjoyable enough for the combat to be addictive despite its flaws. It’s fun to explore the job systems and try out different classes for different enemies.

The generic NPCs and side quests are probably the game’s weakest point. Pretty much every sidequest requires you to talk to X number of people in town, go to a location (which ends in a fight 90% of the time), then travel back to the location where you picked up the quest to complete it. The NPC models are also unapologetically recycled like crazy, so get used to seeing the same models everywhere in the game. The writing can be entertaining for some of the quests, but the reused models and lack of voice acting ultimately makes them feel flat.

The farming is probably the element I enjoyed most despite its simplicity. Planting, watering, and harvesting can be done relatively quickly, and the farm animals are adorable. It’s rewarding to see your farm capabilities grow as you gather each of the faerie NPCs, and all of the processing stations give you some variety regarding which products and crops you can grow.

Ultimately it could have been a great game if it had a higher budget or was in development longer, but it’s overall a fine game that will appeal mostly to players that like both JRPGs and farming sims. If you like only one of these genres, I’d probably stay away.

Shizuka
Shizuka

I was on the fence but I'm hooked. It's more of a RPG than a farming sim (I tend to prefer farming sim) but I like the many side quests we have and I don't know but I really like the game. One gripe I have is that it's not fully voiced tho. However, it's still really enjoyable.

lilithexff14
lilithexff14

From someone who loves the Final Fantasy games that were created way before all these new modules released. This game brings back so many child hood memories of what a true story is like. The Orchestra in this game, or music at that, is by far the best I have experienced in a long time. The music alone can bring tears or simply make you just want to lean your chair back and fall asleep to the beautiful display of art. This game is literally what a true Japanese role playing game story should always feel like. From tears, excitement, shock, anxiety, and even over flowing joy, The quests and the main story will capture any heart for any occasion. I spent so many hours choking back tears from watching my friends journey with me and conquer so much. Each one of them is provided their own dialogue and story, that will grow as you progress the game. The game truly brings back what Square Enix titles are worth and made of. It is absolutely a hands down tale of Romance, Bravery, an companionship. For the farming aspects, its covers your essential farming simulator from many other games, but every one knows you play a Square Enix game for the captivating beauty, romance, and fantasy they bring to their consumers. I hate to say I beat it, but I have and many hours will follow for a 100% completion.. It is just that worth it.. ♥♥ keep making those games SE!!!

KCrawley
KCrawley

The game starts slow, but if you love cute JRPGs and farming sims, Harvestella has a satisfying gameplay loop. The reviews are right-- the game is more of a JRPG with some farming sim in it than a farming sim with JRPG elements.

Hart
Hart

This game is deeply mediocre and just barely worth recommending; I would -not- pay full price for it.

Let's get the two major flaws out of the way. If they're deal breakers, I'd just move on. If not, I do have good things to say, which I'll wrap up with.

First and foremost, the character writing is abysmal, in the sense that it seems like everyone is holding the idiot ball all the time. The overall story and themes are actually quite interesting, but every single character is licking the windows or sniffing glue at every opportunity. A handful of basic questions could solve most of the game's quests before they even begin - and there are a whole lot of quests. I was constantly frustrated to discover that I had to sit through yet another unskippable cutscene. A large portion of my gameplay was just mashing circle to continue while watching Netflix on another monitor.

Second major sin, the RPG elements are laughable. In short, there's no challenge and no player choice. The game does have the window dressing of an RPG, in the sense that there are numerous classes to develop with XP and job points. However, equipment is trivial - one weapon, one upgrade path, no options. The job system is utterly linear. Your AI-controlled party members are useless. They won't engage with foes until you attack first. I played primarily as a caster and killed things with one charged attack all game long; my party never did anything unless I was brawling with a 'FEAR' enemy, a sort of miniboss that has more health. FEAR enemies I defeated by just... drinking juice. Not dodging attacks, not exploiting elemental affinity, not the useless 'break' system - just chugging dozens of bottles of juice, which I could make infinitely thanks to lots of veggie farming. There's a system where you break two enemy vulnerabilities and press a thumbstick to fire off an ally's attack, which I was aware of, but only got to use once because everything just died too quickly to get a double-break off.

That said, I'm criticizing the RPG elements of the game harshly because the game is just an awful RPG. However, the farming elements are quite tightly designed. There's some slimming down of the usual farming sim formula in ways I appreciate - not having to run and fill up your watering can, for instance, or having a single set of tools that become more potent when you complete X number of tasks around the farm rather than a process of upgrading tools by forging new ones. Overall the farming, fishing, cooking, etc felt streamlined, but still meaningful.

Another major upside is the graphics. I was consistently impressed with the visuals, including the character visuals and costume design. The visual tone is consistent throughout, and considering the breadth and scale of the plot that's an impressive achievement.

I bought Harvestella expecting it to be an OK RPG alongside an OK farming sim. It turned out to be an abysmal RPG, but quite a good farming sim. The high points were exploring the numerous environments the game presents, and the low points were the individual character stories and the entire combat system.