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CRITIK
Rune Factory 4 marks the return of the popular Harvest Moon spinoff that combines farming with dungeon adventuring. For the first time in the series, the player can select to play as a male or female hero, and potential suitors of either gender are also available in order to pursue love, marriage, and possibly a child. As the newly-appointed prince or princess, you can fulfill your royal duties of protecting the town from invaders, or take a more rural approach to governing by raising your own fruits and vegetables and helping townsfolk. Should some dungeon adventuring be on the days itinerary, you can select from the castles vast armament of swords, spears, and staffs along with magic for battle against dangerous foes, or even bring along a companion or friendly monster to aid you during your travels.
Game analysis
Critik Scorecard
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Reviews
63 reviews found90
Nintendo Life
Feb 27, 2020
We’d give this one a high recommendation to anyone looking for an engaging yet undemanding game for their Switch. With that being said, those of you who have already played it on the 3DS may want to pause before buying it again, as the new features alone do little to justify the cost of entry once more. Either way, Rune Factory 4 Special proves itself to be a modern classic and a shining example of how good this genre can be; make sure to give it a shot.
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Cubed3
Feb 26, 2020
Rune Factory 4 Special is a near perfect farming and RPG title. The frustrating elements are outweighed by the gorgeous styled graphics, the immersiveness of the plot, and the sheer joy that comes from playing this remastered game. It raises high hopes for the upcoming fifth instalment in the series, and it can perhaps be considered a masterpiece.
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Gamer Escape
Jun 10, 2020
Overall, whether you should pick up Rune Factory 4 Special comes entirely down to whether you played the original 3DS version or not. There’s a few new features: some things added to the trophy room to celebrate the series, new cutscenes, and a New Game + mode where you start off married. Plus, it being on the Switch instead of the 3DS allows for a higher resolution and a larger screen whether docked or in handheld mode. That said…there’s not a whole lot of actual content added. If you have NOT played the original Rune Factory 4 however, I highly recommend picking this up.
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90
We Got This Covered
Feb 25, 2020
Rune Factory 4 Special delivers a wealth of content in a charming and engaging package that should keep newcomers and long-time fans happy for dozens upon dozens of hours.
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90
DualShockers
Feb 25, 2020
While no individual aspect is the best of its kind, the overall package exudes charm and entertainment that is hard to match."[/pullquote] So this is where we stand.
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90
GameSkinny
Apr 10, 2020
Summary and quote unavailable.
90
RPG Site
Feb 25, 2020
All in all, it was a great time. Playing Rune Factory 4 Special reminded me of why I was so attracted to these games as a kid and reinvigorated my love for the franchise again. While it does lack some features that other games of a similar genre have added, such as the much needed same-sex marriage or further character customization, it was still a great play. I had so much fun engaging in community events and festivals, exploring wonderful bite-sized dungeons, and getting to know the citizens of Selphia that it’s hard not to recommend this game. There is so much to do and so many different ways to engage with the game that it truly became my favorite time sink of the month.
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