Rune Factory 3 Special, a remastered edition of the beloved title, brings a delightful blend of farming, combat, and romance to new players and nostalgic fans. Developed by Marvelous Inc. and Neverland and published by Marvelous Inc. and XSEED Games, this charming update from the Rune Factory series retains all the delight of the original, while introducing a few new features.
Story
Rune Factory 3 Special opens when Shara, the town florist, chooses to rescue a Wooly monster, much to the dismay of her grandfather. While Shara is arguing with her grandfather, the Wooly transforms into a human named Miccah, who has no memory of who he is, how he got there, or that he can transform at will into an adorable monster.
Despite Miccah’s mysterious appearance, Shara, and all the other single ladies of the town, take things in stride, and players are quickly immersed in the everyday wants, needs, and seeeccccreeets of ancient eeeeeeevil in the town of Sharance.
As Miccah helps the townsfolk deliver rice and harvest weeds, he slowly regains his memories, and regains his ability to transform at will. Once unlocked, transformation allows Micah to gain access to a lost village in the desert, where monsters hide from humans. No spoilers if you haven’t played yet, but trust me, its good.
The game’s narrative unfolds by interacting with each, talking to them, feeding them, and helping them with quests that will keep gamers busy for hours. Each character has a distinct personality (some overpoweringly so) and Miccah can form attachments and build relationships with all of them.
Farming
Farming lies at the heart of Rune Factory 3 Special, and it’s a well-executed mechanic that offers gamers the ability to choose between staying on the surface or digging deeper (get it, that’s a farming joke). Players start with a small plot of land under the Sharance tree, the only fertile land in the whole town, but as gamers explore the world, they will uncover fertile soil in each of the four season themed dungeons, which will allow players to grow fresh turnips and toy herbs all year round.
In addition to tilling the soil, and planting crops, Miccah will be able to tame monsters by feeding them freshly cooked dishes of Salted Masu Trout, and Onigiri. He can then bring them back to his barn beneath the Sharance tree and care for them.
Combat
The combat system in Rune Factory 3 Special is probably the least impressive mechanic in the whole game. As Gaius, the town blacksmith says during the opening tutorial, just smash that B button. That being said, I don’t mind it.
There are four dungeons four players to explore. Shockingly, the leveling up curve on these is intense. Dungeons go from recommended level 10 to 15 to 40. And that number is a good recommendation, because players can get in over t heir head really fast.
But if level 40 is not leveled enough for you, players have two more options. They can grind away in the special dungeons that unlock in the basement of the Sharance tree, each equipped with its own boss battle or they can turn this game up to 11 and play on Hell Mode. The main feature of Hell Mode is that Miccah takes more damage per hit (rather than monsters having more hit points). This means that players can enjoy all the fabulous frustration of getting one shotted while they are just trying to get to the dang ore!
Falling in Love
Admit it, if you’re a fan of the Rune Factory Series, then you too, love dating sims, and probably romance novels. It’s okay, just embrace the feels, because one of the most irresistible aspects of Rune Factory 3 Special is the opportunity to build romantic relationships with the townspeople.
I was a little disappointed when I first started playing, because 3 is the only Rune Factory game I’ve played that didn’t give me the choice of playing as a male or female, or give me the option of pursuing same-sex same-gender relationships. I understand that this was how the original game was designed, and developers did not choose to expand Miccah’s options to include Blaise, Carlos, Gaius, Ondorus or Sherman
Players get to choose from 11 ladies, all with very, uh, strong personality traits. Thankfully, players don’t actually get married under the very end of the game, so you will have plenty of time to get to know each bachelorette, and gamers will have the opportunity to save near the end of the game, so they can eventually marry each one, which will unlock additional content in the Special version’s Newlywed Mode.
And, wait for it, you get to have kids.
Conclusion
9/10
Rune Factory 3 Special is a successful, yet minimal, update to the original. If you’ve never picked it up before now, I highly recommend you do. It’s a standout title in the Rune Factory series. Heartwarming, charming, and truly enjoyable, Rune Factory 3 Special is available on Nintendo Switch and Steam.
Rune Factory 3 Special is available for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
Related: Reviews by Michelle Jones
I'm a completionist gamer who just needs to find that one last object and clear that final dungeon. I love all video games, from open world sandboxes on a console to a mindless match three on my phone. In addition to gaming and writing, I am a graduate student working on a thesis about the ancient Icelandic Sagas. Feel free to ask me anything about Vikings.
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