It should be noted that all romance options in this game are heterosexual. So if you want to tie the knot with your chosen partner, you have to wait for the town event first. However, as mentioned, these events are random. These events are nice, since it is a means to develop the townspeople. Town events are usually multi-day events that involve specific members of the town, usually presenting some sort of problem that you must solve. The only problem I have with this system of dating and going through a dramatic event with your partner is the randomness of the town events. It’s a bit of a shame that much about these characters is left out without you seeking them out as a spouse, but it’s a nice reward. These characters grow, but they don’t without these events.
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They learn how to deal with the past and accept themselves for who they are, which is great to see. These events are some of the best written parts of the game. This is usually related to some part of their traumatizing past, and prevents them from committing to you since they feel they aren’t worthy enough for you. This culminates in a special town event where your boyfriend/girlfriend goes through a personal dilemma. Now, there’s a process to go through in building up your relationship. In previous games, you would simply give gifts to the person you liked until they became interested in marrying you.
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Rune Factory 4 was the first game in the Harvest Moon/Rune Factory series to introduce a dating phase to your relationships with the bachelors/bachelorettes. The series’ producer, Yoshifumi Hashimoto, said one of the main focus points of Rune Factory 4 was romance and the theme of family. The first arc is essential for getting new bachelors/bachelorettes into your town, so if you want your romance options to open up, you need to complete at least the first arc. If the story and combat don’t end up intriguing you, you can focus on life in town after the first arc of the story. Beating the third arc of the story will require a good amount of grinding and time, so I personally think completing the second alone is fine. The overall story is okay, likely depending on how much you like Ventuswill, as the story heavily involves her with most of the townspeople in a smaller supporting role. Rune Factory 4 is divided into three different story arcs, each centered around a different dilemma facing the town. Life begins for the protagonist in the town of Selphia.
Mistaking the protagonist for the prince/princess of Norad who was supposed to arrive that day, Ventuswill puts up the protagonist in the castle and sets them to work on the farm in the backyard, as well as assigning them the royal duties. Our hero falls and lands in the home of Ventuswill. The protagonist fights back, and the gift is destroyed and the protagonist is knocked off their windship in the scuffle. The two men demand that they hand over a gift intended for the dragon Ventuswill, who protects the kingdom. RF4 begins when one day, en route to the Kingdom of Norad, the protagonist is suddenly attacked by two armed men.
While I wait with bated breath for more information on Rune Factory 5, returning to RF4’s world must suffice to tide me over. In early 2019, my hope was rekindled when I heard Rune Factory 4 Special was on its way, along with Rune Factory 5. I felt the series had hit its stride and there was potential for even greater things. When I heard the news that Neverland shut down shortly after RF4’s release in the West, I was genuinely upset. I spent hours in my room with my 3DS plugged into the wall beside me just so I could keep playing. RF4 is one of my top 10 3DS games it sits at over 600 hours of playtime and over five hours per average game session. I have been a fan of both Harvest Moon and Rune Factory forever, but I can’t recall if any game in either series hooked me as much as Rune Factory 4 (RF4). Rune Factory 4 holds special meaning to me.