Rune Factory: Fantasy Harvest Moon review

This means that you end up planting crops throughout the cave systems as well as in your field, so you can sneak extra RP mid-dungeon battle. Each set of caves has a different climate which it keeps year-round, so you also don't run into the normal Harvest Moon problem of only being able to plant certain crops in certain months.

In fact, Rune Factory has removed lots of HM's farming turmoil. For example, you can walk all over your plants to water them without harming them, unlike in other games where you had to plant them in a weird shape to avoid having a dead space you couldn't reach to water. All in all it's far more accessible, which means you have more time to get more involved in the other elements of the game, such as taming monsters to come and work for you, and flirting casually with the laydeez.

There's none of that Heart Event rubbish you have to endure in the other Harvest Moons. No longer is your love affair doomed just because you forgot to bring the girl you like a polka dot tea cosy made of cheese at exactly 11.20 on a Sunday morning - now you can treat your women like you treat your farm skills and swordfighting: a slow leveling up process made possible by repetitive behaviour that provides small incremental rewards.

The great thing about playing as a character that's lost their memory is that you get to mould that character in your own image. Thrown into a peaceful village suddenly under threat of monster, will you play the part of the vigilante? The peace-loving farmer? The irresponsible playboy? Or will you just go to the pub and have drinking contests with Sabrina every night?