Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon – A Review

Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon is a role-playing game that combines farming simulation with dungeon crawling and romance. It is a sequel to Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon, but it has a new story and characters that are not directly connected to the previous game. It was released for Nintendo DS in 2008 by Natsume in North America and Rising Star Games in Europe. The game has two parts: a first generation where you play as Kyle, a young man who arrives in a town called Alvarna with no memories of his past; and a second generation where you play as his son or daughter who inherits his farm and continues his adventure.

Story and Characters

First Generation

The first generation begins with Kyle waking up on a road near Alvarna. He is greeted by Mana, a cheerful girl who works at a general store with her father Douglas. She offers him a place to stay at their farm, which has been abandoned for years. Kyle decides to take up farming as a way to repay their kindness and to find out more about his past. Along the way, he meets other villagers who have their own stories and personalities. He also discovers that he has a special ability to use Runeys, magical creatures that are essential for maintaining nature’s balance.

Kyle can also pursue romance with one of six bachelorettes in Alvarna. They are:

Mana: The kind-hearted daughter of Douglas who loves farming and cooking.
Julia: The cheerful owner of an inn who likes to travel and collect souvenirs.
Alicia: The mysterious fortune-teller who can see into people’s hearts and futures.
Cecilia: The shy librarian who loves books and magic.
Rosalind: The elegant daughter of Herman, a wealthy businessman who owns a mansion.
Dorothy: The timid nurse who works at a clinic with her father Gordon.

Kyle can also befriend four marriage rivals who will compete for his love interest’s affection if he does not marry her by a certain time. They are:

Max: The arrogant son of Herman who likes to show off his wealth and skills.
Barrett: The cool-headed blacksmith who likes to forge weapons and armor.
Jake: The laid-back fisherman who likes to relax by the sea.
Ray: The friendly chef who likes to cook delicious dishes.

Second Generation

The second generation begins with Kyle’s child, who can be either a boy or a girl depending on the player’s choice. The child has inherited Kyle’s farm and his ability to use Runeys. The child also has a mysterious mark on his or her hand that is related to an ancient prophecy. The child decides to follow in Kyle’s footsteps and explore the world beyond Alvarna. Along the way, the child meets other children who have their own stories and personalities. The child also discovers that there is a dark force that threatens to destroy the world and that he or she has a role to play in stopping it.

The child can also pursue romance with one of six bachelors or bachelorettes in Alvarna. They are:

Aaron: The energetic son of Kyle and Mana who loves adventure and farming.
Aria: The gentle daughter of Kyle and Mana who loves animals and cooking.
Barrett Jr.: The cool-headed son of Barrett and Julia who likes to forge weapons and armor.
Cammy: The cheerful daughter of Jake and Cecilia who likes to fish and read books.
Leonel: The elegant son of Max and Rosalind who likes to play the piano and study magic.
Yue: The mysterious daughter of Ray and Dorothy who likes to travel and collect souvenirs.

The child can also befriend four marriage rivals who will compete for his or her love interest’s affection if he or she does not marry him or her by a certain time. They are:

Roy: The arrogant son of Herman who likes to show off his wealth and skills.
Leann: The kind-hearted daughter of Gordon who likes to help people and heal wounds.
Orland: The friendly son of Douglas who likes to run the general store and make jokes.
Lily: The shy daughter of Alicia who likes to tell fortunes and see into people’s hearts.

Gameplay and Mechanics

Farming and Crafting

The farming system in Rune Factory 2 is similar to the previous game, but with some improvements and additions. The player can grow various crops on their farm, which can be sold for money or used for cooking, crafting, or gifts. The player can also raise monsters on their farm, which can provide products such as milk, eggs, wool, or honey. The monsters can also help the player with farming tasks such as watering, harvesting, or plowing. The player can also craft various items such as weapons, armor, accessories, tools, medicine, or furniture using materials obtained from farming, mining, fishing, or fighting. The crafting system is more complex than the previous game, as the player can customize their items with different attributes and effects.

Combat and Exploration

The combat system in Rune Factory 2 is also similar to the previous game, but with some improvements and additions. The player can use various weapons such as swords, spears, axes, hammers, or staffs to fight enemies in real-time. The player can also use skills that consume RP (Rune Points) or magic that consumes MP (Magic Points) to deal more damage or inflict status effects. The player can also bring along a monster or a villager as a companion in battle, who can assist the player with their own attacks or skills. The player can explore various dungeons that have different themes, enemies, bosses, puzzles, and treasures. The dungeons also change depending on the season, time of day, weather, or generation.

Romance and Family

The romance system in Rune Factory 2 is one of the main features of the game, as it allows the player to date, marry, and have a child with one of the marriage candidates. The player can increase their relationship with the marriage candidates by talking to them, giving them gifts, taking them on dates, or completing requests for them. Once the player reaches a certain level of friendship with a marriage candidate, they can confess their love and start dating them. After dating for a while, the player can propose to their partner with an engagement ring and have a wedding ceremony at the church. After getting married, the player can have a child with their spouse by giving them a double bed as a gift. The child will inherit some of the physical traits and personality of their parents.

Graphics and Sound

Visuals

The graphics of Rune Factory 2 are decent for a Nintendo DS game, but not outstanding. The game uses a 2D sprite-based style for the characters and a 3D polygonal style for the environments. The character sprites are well-drawn and expressive, but they can look pixelated or blurry at times. The environments are colorful and varied, but they can also look bland or repetitive at times. The animation is smooth and fluid, but it can also suffer from some slowdowns or glitches at times. The user interface is simple and easy to use, but it can also be cluttered or confusing at times.

Music and Voice Acting

The music of Rune Factory 2 is pleasant and fitting for the game’s genre and mood. The game has a diverse soundtrack that ranges from upbeat and cheerful tunes to calm and relaxing melodies to tense and dramatic themes. The music changes depending on the location, season, time of day, weather, or event. The music quality is clear and crisp, but it can also be repetitive or annoying at times. The voice acting of Rune Factory 2 is decent for a Nintendo DS game, but not outstanding. The game has a partial voice acting that covers some of the dialogue and cutscenes. The voice actors are well-chosen and expressive, but they can also sound flat or cheesy at times.

Pros and Cons

What I Liked

Some of the positive aspects of Rune Factory 2 are:

The story is engaging and immersive, with two generations of characters and plots that are connected and influenced by the player’s choices.
The gameplay is fun and addictive, with a lot of activities and options to do such as farming, crafting, fighting, exploring, dating, etc.
The characters are charming and memorable, with distinct personalities and backgrounds that make them easy to relate to and care for.
The game has a high replay value, with multiple endings, marriage candidates, children, secrets, etc.
The game has a lot of content and depth, with a long playtime, a large world, a rich lore, etc.

What I Didn’t Like

Some of the negative aspects of Rune Factory 2 are:

The game can be repetitive and tedious, with a lot of grinding, backtracking, loading screens, etc.
The game can be difficult and frustrating, with a steep learning curve, a lack of guidance, a high level of randomness, etc.
The game can be buggy and glitchy, with some crashes, freezes, errors, etc.
The game can be dated and limited, with some outdated graphics, sound, controls, etc.
The game can be inconsistent and unbalanced, with some plot holes, contradictions, illogicalities, etc.

Conclusion and Rating

Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon is a great game that offers a unique and enjoyable experience for fans of role-playing games and farming simulations. It has a captivating story, a fun gameplay, a charming cast of characters, and a lot of content and depth. It also has some flaws that can affect its quality and appeal, such as repetition, difficulty, glitches, etc. However, these flaws do not overshadow its strengths and charm. I would recommend this game to anyone who likes games that combine farming, combat, romance, and adventure. I would give this game a rating of 8 out of 10.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions that people might have about Rune Factory 2:

How do I switch between generations?

You can switch between generations by completing the main story of the first generation and then choosing to play as your child in the second generation. You can also switch back to the first generation by using the diary in your house.

How do I unlock new dungeons?

You can unlock new dungeons by completing certain requests or events in the game. Some dungeons are only available in certain seasons or generations.

How do I get married?

You can get married by dating one of the marriage candidates in the game. You need to increase your friendship level with them by talking to them, giving them gifts, taking them on dates, or completing requests for them. Once you reach a high enough friendship level, you can confess your love and start dating them. After dating for a while, you can propose to them with an engagement ring and have a wedding ceremony at the church.

How do I have a
How do I have a child?

You can have a child by giving your spouse a double bed as a gift after getting married. You can choose the gender of your child by selecting a boy or a girl doll from the church. Your child will be born after a few weeks and will grow up over time. Your child will inherit some of the physical traits and personality of your spouse.

How do I save the game?

You can save the game by using the diary in your house or the book in the church. You can also use the quick save option in the menu, but it will be erased once you load it.

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