Rune Factory 2
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| Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Neverland Co. |
| Publisher(s) | Marvelous Entertainment (Japan) Natsume (North America) Rising Star Games (Europe) |
| Designer(s) | Yoshifumi Hashimoto |
| Series | Rune Factory series |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo DS |
| Genre(s) | Simulation, RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon, known as Rune Factory 2 (ルーンファクトリー2) in Japan, is a simulation/role-playing video game developed by Neverland Co.. It was published in Japan and North America by Marvelous Entertainment and Natsume respectively for the Nintendo DS handheld system. Rune Factory 2 is the sequel to Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon, also for the Nintendo DS which was remade for the Wii as Rune Factory Frontier.
According to Marvelous's managing director and Harvest Moon's creator, Yasuhiro Wada, Rune Factory 2 does not borrow the Harvest Moon name for the Japanese release. This was done in order to grow Rune Factory as an independent series and Marvelous will continue to do this with all future installments including Rune Factory Frontier.[2] Despite this, Natsume applied the subtitle A Fantasy Harvest Moon to Rune Factory 2.[3]
Gameplay
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Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon plays similarly to its predecessor, Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon. The game runs on its own clock and calendar, with time going by at about one minute per real-time second, though the clock stops when the player is inside a building. The calendar has the four main seasons - Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter - though there are only 120 days in the year, with 30 days per season. The weather varies from day to day - it is typically sunny, and some days it will be rainy, while rarely, there may be harsher conditions such as hurricanes or earthquakes.
Interaction with objects and townsfolk is done through a dialogue similar to a visual novel, including representing the townfolk with anime-styled images to narrate the story. The player initiates this by pressing the action-button. In addition, at certain points in the storyline, the player will lose control of the protagonist in an effect similar to a cut scene.
The player character has two types of statistics: skill statistics and battle statistics. Ability statistics show how well the player can do a certain task, and battle statistics are typical role-playing game statistics, such as strength, defense, intelligence, etc. These battle statistics can become improved either by defeating enough enemies to level up or by equipping a particular weapon or piece of equipment.
The skills include basic tasks such as farming, fighting, mining, etc., and they level up as the player does these tasks. Tools are used in improving most of these skills. For example, a Hammer is required to mine, while a hoe is required to farm. Other tools include the Axe, which is used to clear stumps and wood, the Sickle, which is used to clear weeds and other plants, the Watering Can, which is used to water crops, and others. Most tools in the game can be used in battle, though the player may also make use of conventional weapons such as a sword or a polearm. The player may also acquire defensive and assist items, such as shields and boots.
Farming
The player begins with two tools, the hoe and the watering can, allowing the player to till the land and grow various plants after the player purchases a certain type of seed, each one having different properties, such as different growth rates, cost, and some plants being able to remain after being picked. In the beginning of the game, the player is given a farm littered with rocks, stumps, and various objects littered throughout. Seeds may be acquired from doing certain requests as found on the town's bulletin board or from purchasing them at the Pumpkin General Store. Once the seeds are sewn into the ground, the player must water them day-by-day, and after several days of growing, they will be able to be picked and either sold, given away, eaten, or stored. For the most part, each plant may only be planted in one particular season, and if for example, a Spring plant is in the ground during Summer, it will die.
Livestock
Unlike the Harvest Moon series, livestock consists of monsters that the player can capture. Some monsters can be used in battle, while others may also be used for produce, such as a cow-like monster who can produce milk. Cecilia, found at the Manor most of the time, is the person you can get the glove to catch them with. No one else can give you this. Also, you will have to build a barn to house captured monsters. The barn, which costs 5,000 coins and 50 wood, can be built by talking to the mayor. Milk can be harvested from Buffamoos, Eggs from Cluckadoodles, Fleece from Woolys, and Honey from Queen Bees.
Battle
Rune Factory's biggest difference from the Harvest Moon series is that it features battling. In several areas in the game, the player may do battle with a variety of monsters. The player may use most of the farming tools as weapons, though he or she may also buy actual weapons, such as swords. They are also used in battles and som eof them you can ride, such as wolfs which can be found in the ice moutains. Some monsters only come out at night.
Marriage
A major aspect of Rune Factory 2 is marriage. The player increases a statistic "Friend Points" with all of the characters in the game by visiting them and giving them items, but seven characters in particular also have a statistic called "Love Points" that increase as the player shows them affection. Each potential marriage candidate has a different personality, likes, and dislikes.
In the second generation, instead of marriage there is a type of love ceremony. The ceremony is a type of promise made to the other character for your eternal love. Though the second generation can be a boy or a girl. All of the characters second generation characters appear no matter who the player chooses to marry.
Plot
Setting
The game has several different areas. The main area is the player's farm, where he or she does most of his farming and living in. The player's house has the basic amenities, including a refrigerator, a bed, a table, and others. The player has a diary that he or she can use to save his or her progress, and a mailbox where the player may occasionally receive mail through. Just south to his farm is the town, which has a variety of locations, including shops, houses, and other buildings. There are several monster-infested areas throughout the game, each based in one of the seasons. The player can find land fit to farm with, as well as monsters that can be fought or captured.
Rune Factory 2 features festivals on specific days of the year. Most of the festivals are original ones from Harvest Moon and Rune Factory, though some are based on real-world festivals, such as New Year's Eve. Stores are not open on holidays.
Story
A man with amnesia wanders to a town named Alvarna. He meets a woman named Mana who gives him a farmland and tools to use. Upon developing his life with a new identity, he is married to a chosen bride and conceives a child with her; a son or daughter depending on the player's choice. Later he helps build a school for the town. One day, he regains his memory and remembers why he came to Alvarna, and why he felt so strongly to build the school. He then leaves his family in the middle of the night. A few years later, his child following clues left behind by the father, learns about the existence of Fiersome, a dragon who was sealed 1000 years ago. The child also discovers the father left so he could merge himself to Fiersome to restrain the dragon's powers. The child defeats and Seals the dragon away with the spell Dragon Break. Upon doing so, the father's spirit is sealed along with the dragons. The child continues to find a way to separate the father's spirit from Fiersome back home and finds the spell Omni-Gate which manages to bring the father, back home.
Development
The American pre-order bonus was a plush squirrel that was included in the box when ordered from participating websites.[3]
Related media
Manga
Rune Factory 2 has had multiple manga series to help promote the game, in such magazines as Dengeki Nintendo DS, Monthly Wings, Dragon Age, and Dengeki Maoh. If players pre-ordered the game in Japan, they would receive a free CD with three mini-dramas as well as an 18-page art book.
Music
Sometime after the release of the game in Japan, a CD with all the background music, three mini-dramas, and the two theme songs was released with a novel based on the game following sometime after.
Reception
IGN rated the game at 8.4/10. However they commented on how Rune Factory 2 was basically the same game as the original.[citation needed] Game Rankings has rated it a 9.0/10, also stating that it was very similar to its original.[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b "Release Summary". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
- ^ "C3 Interview with Yasuhiro Wada". Cubed3. 2007=06-06. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Natsume's Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon for DS Goes Gold". News. IGN. 2008-10-21. Retrieved 2009-01-24.