Despite the resurgence of farming RPGs, the Harvest Moon series has been disappointing fans for the better part of a decade, but it looks like the latest entry, The Winds of Anthos, might finally have the name that started it all back on track. All it took was one look at the dinosaurs to sell me.
Here's the part where I have to explain why Harvest Moon is in the state it's in. The original SNES Harvest Moon pretty much created the idea of farming RPGs, and its numerous sequels would go on to inspire Stardew Valley and the numerous imitators that came in the wake of the indie hit. The Japanese series was published in the West by a company called Natsume, but the developers at Marvelous decided to split with Marvelous in 2015.
The series we once knew as Harvest Moon has continued in the totally solid games released under the Story of Seasons name - a more literal translation of the original Japanese title. Meanwhile, Natsume hung onto the Harvest Moon name and started making its own games under the classic title. Most of those games have been very, very bad.
Some of the new Harvest Moon entries, like Light of Hope, have managed to eventually turn themselves around with post-launch updates, but Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos has done something I haven't seen the series manage in years: it's getting a positive response at launch. It's got 76% positive reviews on Steam, which might not be astounding but it does make for a marked improvement in reception over other recent games.
As one reviewer puts it, "It's certainly one of, if not the, best iterations of Harvest Moon since the Natsume/Marvelous split." Some are even putting it above recent Story of Seasons titles. "I like this game a lot more than I did Pioneers of Olive Town and the A Wonderful Life Remake. It's a pretty solid game done right this time around by Natsume and I have no regrets buying it."
The Winds of Anthos pretty much offers what you'd expect from a typical farming RPG, but one of the major gimmicks here is the option to raise exotic animals like wolves and Bengal tigers. While doing so might be ethically questionable in real life, I have to admit I was totally sold when I hit play on the trailer above and proceeded to witness the most adorable velociraptor I've ever seen in my entire life. You can pet the raptor! You can ride the raptor! As far as I'm concerned that feature alone makes this the perfect farming game.
If you're looking for more of the best farming games, you know where to click - there's a lot to check out as the wait for Stardew Valley 1.6 continues.
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