Excellent Update to Rune Factory 1
Rune Factory 1 was a great step in the Harvest Moon series of games. It took the tried and true mechanic that made Harvest Moon so popular, and brought it to the fantasy genre. With its great strides came some growing pains. The dungeon exploring was never balanced with the farming aspect of the game. You could ignore the very basis of the game to questing in dungeons all day long. The backdrops of this game were fantastic, but the 3D models of the characters were bad. The other major complaint with Rune Factory 1 was the dialogue with the townsfolk. It was very empty, badly written, or simply non-engaging. That is why Rune Factory 2 (RF2) is such an upgrade compared to the first attempt.
Graphics:
Rune Factory follows the same graphically style of its predecessor. The background is very bright, well drawn, and inviting. Just running through town can be a sight for the eyes. While this is great the 3D graphics of the characters still need work. The animation has improved greatly since the last effort, but the highly pixelated graphics made it hard at times to see characters. Some simply meld into the background. While all suffer from this odd "long-arm" design. Making them seem less human/elf, and more of orangutans dressed nicely. Luckily when characters talk amongst each other you are shown their looks through nicely drawn anime. The animation is smooth and very little slowdown to be had.
Story:
The story of Rune Factory 2 is very similar to Rune Factory 1. You are simply a young man with amnesia who is found by the daughter of the local general store. She and her father convince you to farm some land. That is about it in a nutshell. As with many Harvest Moon type games the main story is not the focus. It is the relationships you build with the townsfolk, and the mechanic of finding love for you little farmer. I am happy to state that the dialogue of this version is one of its biggest improvements. While it does suffer from the normal aspect of "repeat-itis" in dialogue from the townsfolk it is never a chore. When you do have personal conversation the personalities of the characters comes out nicely. Each potential wife has distinct personalities, and quirks. While normal for the series they seem to build on them more than the last game, or even in most of the Harvest Moon series of games. You actually begin to appreciate each character, or in my case loath one in particular. I have not come across many spelling errors, but they are very far and few between. The last aspect of this new Rune Factory is the child. In many Harvest Moon type games the fans always asked the same question, "When will I finally get to continue the game as my kid?". Well that wish has finally been granted. Once you have a child you actually get to play a new story in the eyes of your child. This adds a great extension of the story, and expands the game greatly. I will not go into detail of the 2nd portion of the story, but it is well thought out.
Gameplay:
The Harvest Moon series has always been known as a game of repetition. You must make sure all your duties are completed prior to moving on to something else. This is the same with Rune Factory. You start out with a lot of time on your hands and will soon be overwhelmed by the chores set in front of you. You must decide priority, or even make a mental schedule on what tasks to do first if you wish to succeed. The prior version of Rune Factory focused to much on the dungeon exploring than the farming. This has been balanced out in this version. You must ensure that your farms are in order, and gives you opportunities to explorer the dungeons in the many quests acquired throughout the game. The farming isn't a chore to complete, and the fighting mechanics have been speed up a bit. This creates greater opportunity to manage time better, and still have time to socialize with the townsfolk. The fighting engine is about the same as the first, but cleaned up animation helps keep the fighting brisk.
Sound:
The music is far better than the previous series. The intro music is well done, and brings you into the story. The music around town is gentle, smooth, and does well to help with the essence of the town. The sound effects are fair, but nothing spectacular. In a nutshell the music and sound effects to their job well. They keep the game flowing without becoming a distraction.
Overall:
Rune Factory 2 is a solid upgrade from Rune Factory 1. The game as a whole has been left unchanged from the previous version, but the changes made were very much welcomed. The most drastic changes occurring in gameplay, animation, and dialogue. This is a great start for new players to this genre, or new players to Rune Factory as a whole. People new to Rune or Harvest Moon series as a whole bypass the first offering, and pick this one up instead. Those who are familiar with this series will be pleased by fixes in gameplay, story, and balance. Overall it is a great offering for all who wish to spend some relaxing time with this DS.