Rune Factory 5 lets you level up constantly

Rune Factory 5 is quaint, and a little unpolished, but I always feel like I’m improving.

Moments after pressing start in developer Hakama Inc.’s upcoming release, I picked my character and woke up in a forest with amnesia. After saving a girl from “monsters” (they were sheep), I passed out again, only to find myself waking up in the SEED headquarters. And that’s how I was abducted into this JRPG’s neighborhood watch.

At SEED, the goal is to help out around the small town of Rigbarth, picking up requests off the job board and becoming closer with the neighbors — most of them are humanoid, but some are hybrid animal-people. Being a small farming town, the issues are simple at first, like helping an old woman find some glasses that aren’t actually lost. But that’s OK, because Rune Factory 5It’s all about helping others in a small group, just like the cutesy farm game. However, Rune Factory 5Also, dungeons, combat and an interesting mystery are all important aspects of this game, which is different from other farming-centric ones like Stardew Valley.

Image: Hakama Inc./XSEED Games, Marvelous Inc.

After finishing the game’s lengthy tutorial, I begin the morning by watering the crops behind my house before going off on a series of adventures around town. In the first two hours of the game — all I was allowed to play for this preview — those adventures mostly consisted of ingratiating myself with the community. Sometimes, neighbors will give me tools to help in the garden.

My play session ended and things started to get interesting. Then, the innkeeper, who I’d love to marry as my wolf-man anime spouse, joined the fun. Rune Factory 5 Being the first in series to permit same-sex relationships, he told me that his sister had disappeared. The quest led me to a dungeon deep in the forest, where I felt as though it was a completely new world. Although I was still collecting resources, the dungeon transformed my farm/errand simulation into an action-oriented game. Suddenly I was dashing around arenas, slashing at goblins and those evil sheep, looking for wolf-husband’s lost sister, and getting my first glimpse at the story’s central conflict, which has something to do with the hybrid humans turning into monsters.

There’s a lot going on in Rune Factory 5It can feel almost like seven games mixed together. But it’s all connected through a delightfully addicting Skyrim-esque progression system. SEED members have many skills. I can level them all by simply practicing the respective skill. My longsword is a great weapon to improve your fighting skills. I also simply walk, or throw items into faraway chests to upgrade my “Walking” and “Throwing” skills. A single farming session may be enough to get me several upgrades. There’s even a Sleeping stat that goes up if I get my character to bed on time.

Image: Hakama Inc./XSEED Games, Marvelous Inc.

It’s a bit silly to level up in Love, which improves my “love magic” (I’m not exactly sure what that is, but I do know I’m going to try it on the hot wolf-man innkeeper, if he’s into it), but it also gives my actions weight. My energy levels are limited and I have to sleep, or take a drink. Knowing that whatever I do — even walking to my destination — will help me progress Something My entire preview period was productive.

Based on my limited knowledge,Rune Factory 5’s scattered pieces don’t always work. One moment the farm is efficient and quick. It feels slow and tedious, takes too much time to place the seeds, and can feel too complicated. Although the inventory navigation works well, it can be tedious to place different items into my pockets and then retrieve them. The game’s performance also takes a nosedive when I leave my room to explore the village, even if it eventually stabilizes.

But there’s a distinct charm to each of the villagers in Rune Factory 5I found great joy in checking on my farm every morning and tending it. And of course, the dopamine drip of the “Skill Up” notification ensured I was never bored. I’m unsure if all of that is enough to sustain me for what promises to be a lengthy campaign, but just a few hours in, I’m excited to see how high my Sleeping skill can go.