When it comes to the farming sim genre, I feel the reason why a lot of the games fail to catch on is because they misconstrue "cozy" for "mediocre." They fail to distinguish themselves from one another, and you never really have a reason to play one over the other. A lot have fairly surface level farming, several overdone, predictable, archetypes to interact with, and if they feel especially daring, combat.

Rune Factory understands this issue, and I feel this is the reason why it was able to capture the hearts of both farming sim fans, and JRPG fans alike. Each Rune Factory game feels like it’s building on the previous. Sometimes these experiments work, and sometimes they don’t, but they are always experimenting to see how they could make each game bigger without sacrificing the iconic sense of comfort that the genre brings.

In the game you take control of Micah, a half human half monster that lost his memories. He is given a home in the famous Sharance Tree, a towering cherry blossom tree that never seems to bloom. While living among them, he ventures into the desert and comes across a settlement of monsters that seem to hate humans with a passion for casting them out long ago. The Monsters are unaware Micah is a human, and the humans are unaware Micah is a monster.

While I can definitely see why some people might disagree with me, I really do feel like Micah is a step up from Ragunda and Kyle, as characters. Unlike previous entries, Micah is noticeably more animated and lifelike compared to other Harvest Moon and Rune Factory protagonists. Even if it isn’t a stroke of writing genius, Micah has a solid character arc and clearly becomes more confident throughout the course of the main story, Which might as well be Guts Berserk level character writing for protagonists in this genre. The protagonist isn’t the only character that seems to be a step up from previous games in the series, as the villagers also feel like a massive step up from the previous games. They all feel like they really do have their own lives outside of the protagonist. The style of quick conversations that you engage in have a charm reminiscent of cartoon strips in newspapers. Even with the fast paced conversational style, you still feel like you learn a little bit more about the characters, and I feel this is a result of the secret ingredient to why this series is one of the few that mastered the genre.

Rune Factory understands the importance of progression in gaming. A large chunk of farming simulator games I’ve played in the past are often lacking in this department. Marketing your game as “comfortable” isn’t an excuse to fail at introducing depth to your mechanics. People want to feel rewarded beyond meeting some superficial goal that the game says you have to meet for no other reason than stretching playtime. This is where Rune Factory 3 really shines, as its gameplay is deep enough to keep the player engaged, but just mindless enough to be a comfortable stress free experience for casuals and exhausted gamers alike. It has a very clear focus on farming, but the game gives enough alternative options to make a profit such as crafting, cooking, alchemy, and monster hunting. Each profession is incredibly useful, incredibly profitable, and incredibly satisfying. So I never felt an intense need to grind to buy things like equipment for the dungeons. It never betrays its more lighthearted tone even when venturing into more serious topics, to the point it’s to its detriment.

While Rune Factory is a light hearted series, I feel like it usually drops the ball when it comes to serious topics which is fine because it’s a farming sim first and foremost. The issue is that it never seems to want to fully commit to whatever bleak theme it’s trying to cover. In 3, this is apparent in how it handles the relationship between the humans and the monsters. It wants to present this complex dilemma about the humans outcasting the monsters unfairly, and the monsters being rightfully upset, stubbornly refusing to connect with the humans. This is a solid idea, but cracks in the execution present themselves when most of the monsters besides Kuruna don’t seem pressed by anything relating to forming a relationship with the humans, and the humans themselves barely acknowledge the monsters. It feels less like a story of bringing these two races together, and more of a way of trying to get Kuruna to forgive the humans for what they did. I’d be fine with this, if the game wasn’t selling this “humans and monsters have been fractured for so long, and scorn each other” idea to the player.

Rune Factory 3 is a shining example of the Rune Factory series constantly growing, and shows that the genre doesn’t have to incorporate bland, surface level, gameplay to feel approachable and fun. Even with some of its flaws, the characters and satisfying gameplay loop does more than enough to pull its weak story. If you’re looking for a solid JRPG or Farming Sim, this game will not disappoint.

What I believe to be one of the great flash classics. Am I blinded by the nostalgia? Maybe. Do I give even a little bit of a fuck? Absolutely not.

Going back and replaying this made me feel 8 again for an afternoon, and I know damn well I'll come back when I'm a crusty ass 80 year old to experience this game again.

Something about this game just feels so right to me. The tight controls, the colorful characters and stages, and that feeling of unlocking new costumes, it just all feels like coming back to an old friend you haven't seen in some time.