As Fun as Watching Wheat GrowIâve been very hesitant about playing Natsumeâs incarnation of Harvest Moon. This stems from the fact that Iâve constantly heard poor things about their first attempt: The Lost Valley. However, when Zach Welhouse posted a positive impression from last yearâs E3, my interest in piqued. While I donât think Skytree Village is a horrible game, itâs still not anywhere near the quality that Story of Seasons or Stardew Valley are.Players take on the role of a young rancher who has recently moved to Skytree Village.
Upon moving in, the rancher meets the Harvest Goddess who explains that the area surrounding Skytree Village was once lush and full of life, but is now desolate and bare. She tasks the rancher with the objective of reviving the seven Skytrees and restoring the hope that has been lost in Skytree Village.Itâs nice to see a very linear story in a Harvest Moon game and one that doesnât take forever to get going. While this series isnât really known for storytelling, itâs easy to give kudos to Skytree Village for making an attempt, even if it isnât the most interesting or well-developed. Unfortunately, a lot of the writing in this game feels very corny, to the point where itâs cringe-inducing.
Elise is a sweet, blonde girl who has a passion for cooking. She works really hard and respects her father's opinion. She clearly wants to make him proud and is.
The flow between story and gameplay also feels awkward, as there are so many tutorials for the first couple Skytrees that thereâs almost too much starting and stopping for the game to ever hit its stride naturally. Thereâs a lot hand-holding at the beginning, and for veterans of the series itâs infuriating to say the least. Check out my crops, yo.It also doesnât help that the townspeople are so flat, and this is partially due to the writing. Some of the characters either feel under-baked or overwritten. It makes exploring the town and making relationships feel sluggish. The game doesnât provide enough of an incentive to want to forge relationships with these characters, which is a shame since that is a huge part of what makes Harvest Moon special. Trying to woo a bachelor or bachelorette for marriage is more of a chore.
Players need to remember to talk to the potential candidate each day, even though their dialog doesnât change very much, and worse off, players canât marry their sweetheart until the main storyline is complete.While the main narrative takes roughly twenty hours to complete, the post-game feels similar to the main campaign â bare. Although players can farm, build, and till land to their heartâs content, a lot of Skytree Village feels very shallow in terms of what players can do.
It has the usual bells and whistles of fishing, mining, and animal husbandry, but newer incarnations of Story of Seasons and Stardew Valley provide more activities for players than Skytree Village. The only area that is fun are the festivals, which are very interactive and engaging, but those happen twice a month and more are unlocked once the first year is completed.The gameplay is also a bit different, as all of the rancherâs tasks are mapped to the A button, unless the player is digging or tilling soil.
Otherwise, itâs A button to fish, A button to destroy boulders, and it gets to be a bit hard on the thumbs. While itâs great to not have to open the menu to switch between tools, sometimes the interface doesnât always read the playerâs actions properly, as sometimes one might be trying to clean up horse poop and instead the game wants the player to pet their horse because itâs assuming thatâs the command the player wants. Although this doesnât happen too frequently, it is annoying when it does occur.In spite of those problems, Skytree Village deserves praise for its sandbox environment. Similar to that of Minecraft, players can build and manipulate the land around them, and are able to move objects around. There is a plethora of vegetables and fruits that can be grown, meaning players can create larger farms. This level of customization allows the player to play and build within a set area, but it can be tailored any way they want. Given how flat a lot of Skytree Village feels, this is one of the few aspects that is done well.
A sweet friendship.In terms of sound, there is no voice acting in Skytree Village, as is typical for these sorts of games. The music feels very quaint and idyllic, but also mostly forgettable.
Visually, however, the game has problems. From object clipping errors to pop-in textures, and the overall visuals feel muddled. I had numerous occasions where my farmer would walk through the back of the cow she was milking and get stuck for a brief second. While every character certainly looks different and has very individual features, they still arenât very interesting.While I have spent most of this review ragging on Harvest Moon: Skytree Villageâs issues, I am glad I played the game because it satisfied my curiosity in regards to how Harvest Moon has changed in the last five years.
While there are inklings of interesting ideas, the overall package feels hollow, as though itâs missing a spark of greatness where other games have succeeded. Skytree Village doesnât offer enough incentive to keep players actively engaged, and I can only hope that the next iteration of the series makes some drastic changes to get this series back on track.
Nintendo 3DS
Revive the Land, Save a Village!
Many people used to live in Skytree Village, and the land was lush and green. However, the power of the Harvest Goddess gradually began to wane, and the land became parched and dry. It's up to you revive the seven Skytrees to bring life back to this desolate land!
With user-friendly tutorials, you will immediately be able to jump into the thick of things, customizing your farm by raising and lowering the land, creating rivers, ponds, and more. Upgraded tools will assist you shaping the land more efficiently, and afterwards you can kick back and relax in your boat to do a spot of fishing!
*MSRP: Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. Actual price may vary. See retailer for details.
*To enjoy the 3D effect of Nintendo 3DS software, you must experience it from the system itself. All screenshots and videos on this website have been captured in 2D mode.
Use Parental Controls to restrict 3D mode for children 6 and under.
*If eligible for a Just for You offer, the final price reflects the combined Sale and Just for You offers. The Just for You offer is discounted from the sale price.
Harvest Moon is a registered trademark of Natsume Inc. ©2016 Natsume Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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March 2023
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