Rune Factory 5
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Critic Reviews for Rune Factory 5
Rune Factory 5 is entertainingly chewable fodder thanks to the soil fertilized by its predecessors, but its attempted leap to a 3D world leaves it struggling with lots of frustrating technical issues.
Rune Factory 5 can be a very lasting and deep entertainment if you overlook its insufficient graphics, made worse by very questionable artistic design decisions. Their country life may not be so idyllic, and the combat system is very basic in nondescript dungeons. It is not translated into Spanish.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Rune Factory 5 takes a few missteps, for sure - the clunky framerate and a lifeless town being the biggest of them – but it's the kind of fantasy farming experience I've been clamouring for ever since the last game came out. The routine of tending your farm, clobbering some goblins, and giving your spouse a bunch of gifts is as addictive as ever. Even if this isn't the most polished entry in the series, it's absolutely a welcome return for the series that fans will eat up.
Lacking in innovation and technical prowness, Rune Factory 5 compensates with a solid and faceted experience that could eat a good chunk of your spare time if you get entangled in its intricate web of different mechanics.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Rune Factory 5 delivers everything you would expect from a Rune Factory game, though it does so without adding anything new. It moves from a rather rough start into an enjoyable experience which combines quirky characters, a story wrapped in a bit of mystery, farming, fighting and taming monsters, crafting, and consuming unhealthy amounts of Recipe Bread. Fans of the series will enjoy their time in Rigbarth, though the series and its formula are starting to show their age.
Rune Factory 5 is a good game, but it's hamstrung by a mediocre technical implementation. Fans of the series will be able to find the usual series of bucolic activities to do between dungeons, but those who appreciate nice-looking and fluid graphics will find it hard not to prefer Stardew Valley.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Aside from the new additions to gameplay, I feel the title still played it too safe as there wasn’t too much to separate its overall experience from past titles. The familiarity and reuse of certain gaming mechanics may be fully welcomed by fans who have waited so long but I feel more is needed to differentiate the overall experience.
Look, I feel like I’ve been spending a lot of time here bashing Rune Factory 5, and maybe I have. But let me emphasize that I still had a lot of fun with it, and I think other players will too. I might be even a bit addicted to it, honestly. There’s just too much here to not like on many levels. But it’s just missing some finish to its technical aspects, especially the visuals and menus. And it needs some follow-through on all its great ideas to make it coalesce into one great experience. Yes, Rune Factory 5 is many games in one, for better or worse. And if you’re ok with that, you’ll have a lot of fun with it. Now, let’s just hope they fix that menu.