Few series have the appeal of Rune Factory, with its mix of farming sim and action RPG gameplay. The series has skyrocketed over the years, as with Rune Factory 4 Special, which was a standout for the franchise and a truly great game. Now a fifth mainline item has arrived, and how now receive a welcome port to PC. Most of what we’ve said about the game before is still true, so we’re presenting the review with updates to show you what’s changed.

Rune Factory 5 begins by choosing a male or female protagonist who, according to the tradition of the series, suffers very rapid amnesia. The amnesia angle is a bit different here though, as the game later makes it more of a plot point in an interesting way. Anyway, the beginning of the game should be a familiar welcome for longtime fans.

Rune Factory 5 returns to full 3D gameplay, giving those used to Rune Factory 4 Special some time to adjust. Rune Factory 5 makes it easy though, and from the moment you take control of your farm, the mechanics will seem familiar and proper. However, battles may take a little more time to adapt, but compared to how it ran on Switch, this won’t be a difficult task.

When the game starts, you’ll be recruited into SEED, an organization created after the events of Rune Factory 4 Special. You are responsible for protecting the inhabitants of the city and maintaining a farm, both of which go together perfectly. Classic Rune Factory style gameplay follows as you get to know the various characters and perform quests for them as you fight monsters and continue the main story.

Quests are handled a little differently here than in the previous entry, as you can now take more than three in a day, although you can only have a few active at any one time. This is a welcome addition and makes the game progress a lot smoother. Overall, Rune Factory 5 makes progress easier by removing many of the cumbersome aspects of previous entries to have a more streamlined experience.

An interesting change is how progress in the main story affects how you farm and how you get more farmland. Clearing some dungeons will give you access to the Farm Dragons, huge dragons with farmland on their backs. These farms have better yields and are where you will have your monster barns when you are ready to build them.

Speaking of monster barns, monster recruiting works the same way as in previous entries, but like other aspects like quests, Rune Factory 5 makes the process more streamlined by removing aspects of monster collecting that were previously cumbersome, while adding new ones. introduced. A new aspect that has been added is the sealing mechanism that allows you to temporarily put a monster on your side, but which is much more important for the SEED missions.

In SEED missions, you are given missions to capture different monsters, send you to multiple areas, and rank you up after success. Ranking up affects the crests you get, and the crests will enable multiple abilities such as seeing invisible chests, accessing areas you couldn’t before, and so on. It’s a unique aspect of the game and there’s no pressure to do it, although the rewards are a good incentive.

Crafting, blacksmithing, cooking and chemistry all make a comeback, as do the different breads that yield new recipes, but feel different in the nature of the city you’re in. The townspeople have a different feel for them than what was found in Rune Factory 4 Special, which is both a good and a bad thing. Some characters don’t feel that well developed, but some stand out because they’re much better and more developed here. The town of Rigbarth feels more alive for lack of a better word, and the addition of a new breed called the weather-animals to the main cast feels welcome as it expands the franchise’s lore more.

In the tradition of the series, there are townspeople you can romance and marry, but this time there’s a new feature here. Rune Factory 5 introduces a romantic same-sex option that fans have longed for, and it feels right at home here. Players can romance any of the singles or bachelors, and even children are taken into account, in a way that won’t be spoiled here.

But it’s not all farming and dealing with the townspeople as there is a vast world of monsters to explore and experience. This is one area where Rune Factory 5 falls a bit short, as the open world feels a little too open at times, and it runs into the same problem as other open world games where players aren’t sure where to go. There is, of course, a map to refer to, but there are some things the game doesn’t tell you, and you’ll have to figure those out for yourself.

The L-Pocket has been reworked to give you full control over the inventory, and with teleportation you can now select the immediate area you want to go to. Combat lets you cling to enemies and immediately move to a new target once the enemy is defeated, and dungeons take on an interesting new twist, giving a new reason to return to them after they’ve been cleared for the first time. Of course, the actual action is fine and that’s one area where Rune Factory will always stand out.

Combat just feels right in Rune Factory 5, even when you’re going up against tough enemies, especially if you find the weapon style and runic magic that works perfectly for you. There’s also a good story that makes the quests more meaningful, and it seems like time has been taken to make sure players feel more of a connection this time around. If you just want to spend some time fishing and lounging, that’s also an option, of course.

A new detail is the dual mechanics that play a role in different functions of the city. Tag-Team fishing, for example, starts with a mini-game where you can get much better fish, and there’s also double cooking. Expanding things with points you’ve earned to help others or fight monsters also sees a return, and in some cases is required to access the dual mechanic.

What makes the game different now in the PC release? While the Switch version struggled to run Unity and had issues with framerate and screen tearing, there are no such issues on the PC version. This is an incredibly well done port that runs at a smooth 60 FPS and has no performance glitches whatsoever. The game generally seems faster and everything from battles to interactions just functions better without anything holding it back. There are also a number of setup options that really take advantage of what can be done on PC that couldn’t before.

Another bonus is that there is already a modding scene in place for the PC version and will only continue to grow here with some great ideas. Rune Factory 5 has a beautiful art style that really works to emphasize the beauty of the series, combined with an excellent score. The different spaces all feel special and the music for each section just fits perfectly. The only thing holding back the game visually no longer applies and we can now fully enjoy the experience the developers envisioned. is

Rune factory 5 is a game that is easy to recommend because while it has some issues, it really excels at what it does well.

Disclaimer: A rating key has been provided.