Wednesday, June 18, 2014

I have a feeling The Lost Valley may be my first Harvest Moon game

This may surprise some of you who haven't heard me talk about it previously (such as on the most recent installment of The Nichiest Podcast Ever), but I've never played a Harvest Moon game--despite the fact that the decades-old series of adorable "life sims" would seem to be right up my alley for all sorts of reasons.

My short explanation for this admittedly embarrassing gaffe is that I ignored the first few titles for reasons I no longer can remember and after that I quickly became overwhelmed by the myriad options (and sequels) the series presented to me.



I'm starting to get the feeling, though, that Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, the upcoming 3DS iteration that's being made internally by long-time North American publisher Natsume and not series creator Yasuhiro Wada (who helmed the Bokujō Monogatari title that will be released here as Story of Seasons later this year), may be the game that finally introduces me to the Harvest Moon world.

Why? Because I really like this version's low-poly art style--which can be seen throughout The Lost Valley's first trailer, above--for starters. I also like its seemingly Minecraft-inspired elements.

What do all of you think of this divisive 3DS game? Are you interested in it, too, or will you be passing on it--possibly so you can pick up Story of Seasons instead?

(Via tinycartridge.com)

14 comments:

GameBlogGirl said...

It's hard to say with Harvest Moon. They have an ineffable appeal when you start one that (for me at least) fades away quickly. So I don't know if I'll be purchasing The Lost Valley just yet, but Story of Seasons is most definitely on my radar. =]

Justin Difazzio said...

I like the IDEA of customization, but even in this trailer, the action looked too slow. I have played several other HM games, but the actual ACTIONS in this one look like they take forever. I could see myself getting frustrated with the slow speed.

Zaphod65 said...

I haven't played a Harvest Moon game since the GBC version, but I played it a lot. I think it would be fun to jump back into the series, but Story of Seasons is probably the one I'd go with if I did. I'd have to read some reviews.

casino12 said...

Interesting. It it's basically Maincraft in Harvest Moon shell. But the gameplay look little bit to slow for me.

SpeLinnea said...

I love the looks of it but as some other really said - the gameplay looks tideously slow. I have yet to played a Harvest Moon-game myself. Even though I own the PS1 one! Let me know what you think if you decide to buy it.

thegaygamer.com said...

Ah, I can understand that. Sounds kind of like my experience with Hometown Story, or even Tomodachi Life (so far). Still, I want to give one a go at some point--even if I end up deciding the series really isn't for me.

thegaygamer.com said...

Hmmm, maybe I need to watch the trailer again. I didn't think it looked like actions took forever during my first two viewings of the trailer, but I wasn't focusing on that aspect of things either. Anyway, I certainly hope that doesn't end up being a pain point for most people (including myself).

thegaygamer.com said...

Huh, well, maybe in the end I'll be in the extreme minority when it comes to folks who pick up this game as opposed to Story of Seasons. I guess we'll see!

thegaygamer.com said...

Oh, I really hope the gameplay in this one doesn't end up feeling too slow in the end. That would suck!

thegaygamer.com said...

Ah, at least I'm not alone in having not yet played a HM game, Linnea! Anyway, yes, I'll definitely let you and everyone else know what I think of this one should I pick up a copy of it in the end.

apricotsushi said...

Hmmm well it will be very interesting to see how this one stacks up to "real" Harvest Moon games! I'm personally more interested in Story of Seasons, partially because (and this is pretty superficial) I actually like the illustrated character portraits much better than 3D models when you're talking to townspeople and whatnot. I'm not really interested in Minecraft-y style gameplay, either. But I'd love to hear what you think if you pick this one up!

thegaygamer.com said...

Hey there, Anne! Yeah, it'll definitely be interesting to see how this one stacks up--and how HM fans react to it. Also, I think it could be an interesting opportunity for me to play this game and offer an opinion on it as someone who's yet to play a HM game and as such isn't as wrapped up in its charms, history, etc.


I'm definitely planning to pick up a copy, by the way, although possibly not at launch. It all depends on when that launch is and how my gaming budget's doing at that point XD Even if I don't get it then, though, I'll likely ask for it for my birthday or Christmas.

apricotsushi said...

Totally - I think it would be really interesting to go into this game as someone who's never played a HM game. I wouldn't consider myself a superfan by any means, but I have dabbled in a couple of them.


Can't wait to hear what you think when you eventually get it!

thegaygamer.com said...

Thanks! I'll definitely be writing about it here. And hopefully this will prompt me to pick up a few of the earlier HM games soon -- like Harvest Moon 64 and Magical Melody :)