Farming sims are a genre that I just cannot get into for whatever reason. I have tried with multiple popular games in the genre but it never clicked, with one exception. The Rune Factory series has somehow always drawn me in, thanks to blending farming sims with action RPG gameplay and have enjoyed most of the entries I have played. Rune Factory 5 tried to take the series in a new direction, but while not a bad game, it did not succeed in sticking the landing. How then does the new entry, Rune Factory Guardians of Azuma, fare?
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma was promised to be a game that would break series trends and try new things and Marvelous was not exaggerating. Both the farming sim and RPG elements have been radically overhauled, in addition to how you interact with villagers and take part in combat. Normally breaking longtime traditions is a risky move, but with Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, Marvelous managed to pull it off spectacularly well.
You will start the game selecting either a male or female character, Subaru or Kaguya, and the character you do not choose will also end up playing a role in the story. You are an Earth Dancer trying to save the continent of Azuma this time around (an Earth Dancer and Earth Mate are pretty much the same thing, but it is just a matter of method and terminology), and while your story starts out in a familiar way, it quickly shows itself to be different this time around.
Rather than have a field and then set of fields), for your crops this time around, you will find yourself managing villages. You will need to set up the fields the right way of course, but villagers attracted to your villages will also handle planting and harvesting for you. Villages have their own level system and each time a level is reached, you are able to do more in the village and attract more people. With more people in the village, you can do more farming, assign them to shops and business roles, make them harvest lumber and mine minerals, and even fish.
Rune Points work differently in Guardians of Azuma than in previous games. Previously, you would start losing health if you ran out, but now it just means you cannot use the sacred treasures you will get during the game. The sacred treasures are acquired from the various gods and goddesses you come across ( and can romance), and each play a part in restoring the land of Azuma from blight, while also having use for farming and combat. Some are also used for travel and getting to new areas, and combined with the way the overworld is set up gives Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma the feeling of a 3D Metroidvania title.
As mentioned, combat and the RPG mechanics are overhauled here, with new skill tree components. From the weapons, to the sacred treasures, to farming and forging and even establishing social relationships, everything has a skill tree that is your means of raising your stats, learning new skills and abilities, and becoming stronger. You can earn skill points by doing activities in each category. and you will also earn points separately for actions during each day that can also be applied to the trees. It feels different and makes the whole process more immersive. You also have a party system now that sees you recruit initially three others at a time, with each NPC party member having a role, such as defender, attacker, buffer debuffer, healer and so on. This is a nice change for the series, and the game later expands on it the more you continue.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma has a much different world than the previous games, and not just because it is set on a different continent. It should be noted that Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is NOT Rune Factory 6, but rather a spinoff title, and I am not sure which route I would prefer Marvelous to go with Rune Factory 6. I love many of the changes made here, but there are some aspects of the older games that had a more intimate feel. Still, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma does show a bold future ahead for the series, and I am definitely eager to see what happens there.
One area where Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma shines bright is the story, which has much depth to it this time. You are the Earth Dancer who must rescue Azuma from blight after the celestial collapse decades earlier, while also dealing with the threat of the black dragon and its rider who are also spreading blight further. You must awaken the gods while also dealing with other threats to the land that are appearing. It sounds simple at first, but things quickly become more complex, and Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma shows its strongest point in its characters and the world they live in.
This is the most fully realized Rune Factory game yet, with each character feeling unique and well written, especially in how they interact with both you as the player and other characters in the game. Bonding is handled in a variety of ways, and this includes hanging out with the various characters. That sounds simple, but each has their likes and dislikes and you will need to find what works and what does not.
The request board feature shows up again, but now you are handling a variety of requests for the many villagers recruited to your villages, and completing requests will help level up your village as well. You will also need to improve the villages’ scenic score, and this can be done by placing decorations purchased from a carpenter, as well as placing more field tiles. You cannot just dig this time around, as you need to construct terrain with the help of your companion Woolby, and it is not just the usual field either. You can create different types of terrain for crops, including rice paddies, and of course, you must remember to help level up the crops as well.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma was released on Switch and PC, but also on Nintendo Switch 2, with an upgrade path for Switch owners. Playing on Switch 2 is an excellent experience, and the game makes use of the Switch 2’s mouse controls when in village building mode, which can actually be helpful when navigating the right placement of objects. There were some framerate and pop in issues when playing in handheld mode, but these issues did not persist in docked mode, which was welcome.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a beautiful game with a distinct art style, and the music choices are great, especially for the various environments you will find yourself in. Each section feels different, and feels like it makes sense to be there, especially with the ways you interact with others in those environments. I realize it sounds like I am gushing over Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, but I cannot help it, this is the change of pace the series needed.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma may just be the best game in the Rune Factory series yet, and is one of the most involving and addictive games I have played in a long time. It may not be an absolutely perfect game, but it comes pretty close. If you like farming sims, action RPGs and good gameplay in general, then you need to check out Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma right away.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
