I’m going to make these posts a bimonthly feature. They’ll go up every other Sunday, to fit with CIB Sunday on Twitter. CIB stands for complete-in-box, and it’s commonly used to describe video games. If a game includes the cartridge, case, instruction booklet, and everything else it originally came with, it is considered to be CIB.
In Story of Seasons, you play as a fledgling farmer moving into the rural Oak Tree Town. Once bustling and lively, the small town has since lost most of its prosperity and population. It’s up to you to restore Oak Tree Town to its former glory by making your farm the best it can be.
Story of Seasons is technically part of the beloved Harvest Moon series, which I’ve had plenty of experience with. I have played a handful of games from this series over the years, and I’ve ended up adoring each one for different reasons. However, Story of Seasons was my first encounter with the newer branch of games. Just like in the past, I’ve come to treasure this particular game and everything it entails. Actually, I think Story of Seasons may be my absolute favorite from the series.
This is the type of game you can pick up and play whenever. It’s perfect for short and long gaming sessions, although mine typically end up being on the longer side. I imagine that this game can also suit a variety of moods; it’s so fun and relaxing that it can even combat emotions like anger and sadness. In my personal experience, playing Story of Seasons has soothed me many times. Whether I’m feeling upset, mad, or just down, it’s a game that can instantly lift my mood with its vibrant graphics and colorful characters.
It is difficult to describe just how comforting the game is with words alone. Really, it’s the type of thing you have to experience for yourself. The soundtrack, graphics, and gameplay definitely contribute to that factor, though.
Caressing your ears with gentle, upbeat melodies, the soundtrack perfectly suits the relaxed style of this game. When listening to it, I truly felt like I was in the countryside, with the sun shining down on me and critters chirping in the background. As I mentioned before, the graphics are lovely and have a sort of brightness to them. These graphics aren’t terribly realistic, but they’re lively and fun to look at.
It’s also a treat seeing how your farm changes with each passing season. I loved witnessing the vibrant greens and yellows of summer transforming into the deep reds and oranges of fall. Leaves of the same colors litter the ground in fall, just as ivory snow coats your entire farmland in the winter. This is so amazing to see, and it honestly reminds me of how the seasons change in real life.
Moreover, the gameplay is fairly simple and easy, so it’s well suited to gamers of all ages. The mechanics are easy to learn, and it doesn’t take long before you’ve mastered them. Of course, with the gameplay being so simple, it doesn’t exactly replicate a realistic farming experience. But, that works very well for this game. I’ve never really wanted to be a farmer, but Story of Seasons makes farming a task we can all enjoy. With it, I can brush cute animals with the press of a button, and obviously, that’s great.
Now on to one of my favorite aspects of Story of Seasons: the characters. Oak Tree Town makes for a believable community; I could honestly imagine it existing in the real world. It’s so full of colorful characters, all with their unique personalities and traits. I genuinely enjoyed finding out more about the villagers as I built my farm up. Some of my favorite characters from this game are Agate, Angela, Raeger, Iris, Melanie, and Klaus (my in-game hubby). 😄
On that note, you also have the option to pursue romance with one of the eligible bachelors/bachelorettes in town. Systems in games like this don’t always work well, as the relationships can be lacking in depth and variation. However, I think Story of Seasons does a fantastic job of managing this. The potential relationships really do have a lot of depth and layers to them, and it’s certainly an improvement from older games in the series. It truly seems as if the relationships evolve over time, with changing dialogue and in-game events.
Even the friendships you can form with regular villagers are fun and interesting to see unfold. As you talk with each person more, they start to open up to you, and slowly, you learn more about them. And just like with romantic relationships, their dialogue changes as they become more familiar with you. These characters go from making casual comments about the weather to telling you about their respective backgrounds and families. In that way, I feel that Story of Seasons is much like reality.
Overall, Story of Seasons makes for a fun, relaxing game to play whenever. With a cast of fascinating characters, accessible gameplay, a light soundtrack, and adorable animals, it isn’t a video game to be missed. If you haven’t already, Story of Seasons is a game you’ll definitely want to add to your 3DS library. I can’t recommend it enough!
If you’d like to get your own copy of Story of Seasons, you can do so here on Amazon!
Disclaimer
I may earn a small commission from purchases made through links in this post, as part of the Amazon Affiliates program. Your purchase helps to support my blog and I.
Introverted Creativity 