Rune Factory 3 was a major step up from the first two games in the series and was where the combat really came into being. Rune Factory 3 Special gives the game a new shiny coat of paint with a new graphical look, and it really makes the game’s visuals pop out more than ever now that they have been touched up in HD. There are also some quality-of-life touches from Rune Factory 4 brought in to help make things go smoother, and newlywed mode has been added like in Rune Factory 4 Special.
However, the issue is not what was added or tweaked but what was not. Sadly, Rune Factory 3 has not aged as well as Rune Factory 4 had. All the basic elements of the series are here, and as mentioned, this is where the combat first clicked, but it just feels rough compared to the later games. Request management also is much more cumbersome than later games and this can be jarring for those experiencing this game for the first time after Rune Factory 4 or 5.
This is not to say that it is all a mess, and Rune Factory 3’s story has many unique elements, such as the transformations, but the implementation just makes the game harder to get into. Rune Factory 3 was a great game in its time, but while a game like Rune Factory 4 just needed a visual facelift and some bonus content, Rune Factory 3 feels like more changes were needed. To be specific, Rune Factory 4 had so many refinements of what was introduced in Rune Factory 3, that it is incredibly hard to go backwards.
This is not just nitpicking, as after several hours of gameplay, Rune Factory 3 Special just never clicked for me the way 4 and 5 did. I really gave it a try and the farming elements were indeed more fun in some respects, such as resource management, which was welcome. But the combat that Rune Factory 3 introduced to the series, was not quite perfected and that stands out.
What Rune Factory 3 could have used was a full remake at this point, and this makes me concerned about attempts to go back to the first two games. They have aged much worse than Rune Factory 3 and attempting to do Special versions of them would be a disaster. Perhaps it is best to go about those games in a different way, however, and that is something worth exploring.
What I also need to mention is how I gave the game to someone who had never played a game in the series before and got them to try it. The result was someone who was able to instantly get into the game and truly enjoy it, finding the combat fun and the farming enjoyable and really enjoying both the RPG and life sim aspects. They enjoyed the dungeons and felt that while some story elements were not handled well, many managed to hook them in and instantly get them invested.
This caused me to realize that while the game did not click for me, this is because I am so used to the more polished later entries. Showing this game to someone with a fresh perspective made them not only fall in love with the series but also find secrets and new ways to experience the game that I would not have thought of. They particularly praised the visuals and characters, feeling that the story was well handled and loved the transformation aspect, as well as just interacting with the world.
Normally I recommend or tell people to avoid a game based on my responses to playing, but in this case, I would say Rune Factory 3 Special actually makes a great entry point to the series for newcomers and those curious about the game can see one of the most unique entries. Those who are used to the later games, on the other hand, will have a much harder time adjusting unless they are diehard fans of this entry. This means I cannot recommend or tell people to avoid because this feels like a perfect game for some and a chore for others, so I instead recommend this for newcomers to the series and urge them to try out the later games when they are done with 3, as it will be clear how great Rune factory can be.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
