There are certain Rune Factory games that stand out. Like a lot of the entries in the series can be really good and fun! It also helps that many of them involve gimmicks like a playable second generation, also being in “charge” of the town, or two characters sharing one body. Rune Factory 3 ended up being one of the strongest ones when it showed up on the DS, and it remains just as notable now that Rune Factory 3 Special is on the Switch and PC.
Rune Factory 3 Special begins with a golden Wooly stumbling, exhausted, into a town. A young woman brings the creature inside to care for it, even though it is a monster and the town has quite a grudge against them. Once she leaves, that being turns into a young man. He stumbles out of the house, revealing he’s suffering from amnesia. With his name — Micah — being the only thing he remembers, he’s quickly embraced by the community, given a place to live, and finds himself getting involves with both protecting the citizens from some exceptionally strong monster bosses and building ties with a peaceful monster community.
Image via XSEED
We’ve seen Rune Factory 3 before, and Special keeps the original adventure intact. This is one of the strongest entries in the series, perhaps rivaling the fourth installment as being the “best” one. There’s a good balance between farming, fighting in the dungeons, and socializing with people in town. Because your fields are directly below your treehouse home, it’s easy to pop down to settle things and manage your monsters. An array of grasses and seasonal items come up frequently, for extra assistance or gifts. You’ll need to run through town to head to one of the four dungeon areas, which is a good excuse to briefly greet people, handle some errands, or give gifts. Dungeons are filled with enemies that, while not always terribly intelligent, can sometimes provide a challenge if they gang up on you. You can teleport away to the entrance of a dungeon or home with a spell that’s always there. It’s honestly quite well optimized and has a great sense of flow to it.
But the thing that makes Rune Factory 3 Special is the fact that Micah isn’t an ordinary human like other protagonists in the series. This amnesiac is also able to turn into a Wooly, the sheep-like, ever present mascot of the series. This allows some additional moves when in battle. It also grants access to Univir settlement that is a home to peaceful monsters. It’s an amusing gimmick and the fact that it has story and battle implications only makes it an even more appreciated feature.
Image via XSEED
This does mean that, since Rune Factory 3 Special is pulling from the original game pretty directly, some of the QOL issues aren’t exactly addressed. I’m still not a fan of the town map, which still is frustrating in its lack of information. Changing equipment is a bit of a hassle. Until about the middle of my first summer, I’d find myself accidentally pressing the button to hold a tool, rather than equip it, and then had to go through the process of pressing a button to equip it, then another to put the other tool I was now holding back in my bag.
As for what’s totally new, Rune Factory 3 Special takes cues from Rune Factory 4 Special. The Hell difficulty mode is new and back, offering a greater challenge. If someone played the game before I think they’d be comfortable choosing it first. But if it is your first time, going with the normal option is likely best. (I did try both, but went with the standard one for the sake of getting through the game ahead of the review.) Newlywed Mode is also here. This is an unlockable adventure that requires you to marry one of the main characters — basically beat the main game — before you go through an additional experience with them. It’s entertaining enough, and I appreciated getting to spend that extra time with Raven. Naturally, there are the upscaled visuals and new aspect ratio, which make things a bit crisper and easier to see.
Image via XSEED
Rune Factory 3 Special is a great farming game and one of the best, most memorable entries in the series. The Switch and PC versions simply take a strong title and make it possible for a larger audience to enjoy it. It’s well executed, with a satisfying gameplay loop and story that makes it easy to lose a few hours farming and fighting.
Rune Factory 3 Special is available on the Nintendo Switch and PC.
