Review: Rune Factory 5

destructoid.com:

Last month, I posted a preview of Rune Factory 5 detailing its first two hours and the opening dungeon. Mostly, I complained about how that just isn’t enough time to really get a feel for how a game of this nature is going to be. This is a franchise where you can easily put more than 100 hours into a single game without seeing everything it has to offer.

I needed more than two hours. Thankfully, after that preview went up, I got to spend the next several weeks immersing myself in this world. That’s more than enough time to really dig into the experience and unearth the good and the bad buried within.

Rune Factory 5 (Nintendo Switch)Developer: Hakama Inc.Publisher: Xseed GamesReleased: March 22, 2022MSRP: $59.99

If you’re tired of role-playing games featuring a protagonist with a crippling case of amnesia, I have bad news for you. The series staple trope is back with a vengeance in Rune Factory 5, which sees players exploring dungeons and slaying monsters as they try to save the world, get the guy or girl, and maybe build up an agricultural empire. The blonde-headed hero of this tale comes to the quaint town of Rigbarth following a monster attack in the woods. They can’t remember who they are or what their deal is, but it takes no time at all to find out that your hero is an Earthmate. Like with other games in the series, this means they have a special connection to nature and dragons, and stand as Rigbarth’s only hope in saving the town and the kingdom at large from a nefarious villain.

Someone or something is stealing rune power from the world, and that is throwing nature into disarray. As the hero of this tale, it’s up to you to figure out who’s behind the madness. But hey, no rush or anything. Saving the day can sit