The confusing state ofHarvest Moonand its history with publisher Natsume means thatStory of Seasonshas become the go-to franchise of fans of the existing series. Another entry was confirmed at theSeptember Nintendo Direct titledStory of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, which is the first since 2021’sStory of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town. Being a remake of the classic 2003Harvest Moontitle, it has surely piqued the interests of many as the franchise continues to reintroduce experiences to new audiences and hardware. The Marvelous-developed property as it exists today seems to be dedicated to providing new journeys alongside makeovers of existing ones, but in 2022, there is far more competition than there was all those years ago.
Harvest Moonpioneered much of the farming and life simulator mechanics that fans find comfort in, so when it tries to reestablish itself in the industry it’s all the more difficult to stand out when other games have developed upon what it previously achieved. The change in title hasn’t helped matters, as it’s difficult to find clarity in which name is going to best harness the magic of what came before.Story of Seasonsis yet to gain a strong foothold in gaming under its new banner, especially now that the market is saturated with other properties that are of such a high quality.
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Stardew Valley is Harvest Moon Made Better
Developed by just one man,Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone,Stardew Valleyreleased in 2016 to a sea of critical acclaim. Its charming visuals, stellar writing, and wealth of content made it a perfect addition to the Nintendo Switch not long after its release, and the PC version is still going strong today thanks to its liberal attitude toward modding. It attains such success because it leans on a gameplay formula that has been proven to provide hours of fun, butStardew Valleybuilds upon this in creative ways. Surprisingly deep interactions with side characters, a setting that has an authentic sense of identity, and major potential for customization makesStardew Valleythe bestHarvest Moongame Marvelous never made.
Now thatthe developer is working onHaunted Chocolatierthere may be an opportunity forStory of Seasonsto offer new elements and enticing mechanics to bring fans back to the franchise they once held so dear.Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Lifemay be a remake of an almost two-decade-old title, but it would do well to take the fundamentals of what came before and implement the setting, characters, and story into a design philosophy that takes advantage of modern advancements in both gameplay and presentation.Stardew Valleyrefines the edges ofHarvest Moonin ways that made it feel entirely new, so there’s no question thatStory of Seasonshas the capability to do the same with a larger development team.
Farming Simulators Have Never Been More Popular
AsHarvest Moondid before,Stardew Valleyhas reignited a love of the farming simulator genrethat has had titles likeMy Time at Portiaand even the aptly-titledFarming Simulatorsee more success than ever. In 2022 it’s no longer the niche genre it used to be, andStory of Seasonsis starting on the back foot by trying to appeal to nostalgia. Plenty will be anticipatingStory of Seasons:A Wonderful Lifebecause of a pre-existing interest, yet there will be a whole other audience whose excitement comes exclusively from their love ofStardew Valleyand other new games like it.
The farming simulator genre has been done in a variety of ways that casts such a wide net, meaning there’s no shortage of options for players who want a quick fix of watering crops and feeding livestock, or a lengthy, slowly-paced, and accurate take on what it means to tend to a successful farm. The market has expanded greatly not just in the volume of farm-set management games, but also the diversity of each release. Despite being the one to start the revolution decades ago,Story of Seasonswill enter 2023as the obscure franchise that seems to bear resemblance toStardew ValleyandDon’t Starve, as the competition remains thicker than ever today.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Lifelaunches Summer 2023 for the Nintendo Switch.
