The gameplay in Rune Factory 3 adheres to the familiar rules of a typical farming simulator on the surface. However, it offers a wide range of activities beyond the calm rhythm of farm life. Each day typically starts with the routine of attending to basic farm tasks like tilling the soil, harvesting crops, and caring for various animals. The general store sells different crops depending on the season, and while you can grow anything at any time, in-season crops yield better results. The income from your sales gradually allows you to upgrade your tools and expand your farm, providing a satisfying reward for your daily efforts. As expected from a game inspired by the renowned Harvest Moon series, these farming mechanics are engaging and create an enjoyable gameplay loop that encourages you to play at your own pace.
However, Rune Factory 3 offers more than just farming gameplay; it’s also a full-fledged RPG. So, if you decide to take a break from farming, you can wield your battle axe and venture into nearby dungeons for some classic monster hunting and adventure. Dungeon combat follows a relatively straightforward hack ‘n’ slash formula, but the availability of various weapon types and spells adds depth to your combat strategy. Moreover, you can eventually recruit villagers and befriended monsters to join you in battles, providing both support in challenging encounters and opportunities for building relationships. The materials and goods obtained from your dungeon raids can be sold in the village, allowing you to fund new expansions like additional barns.
The RPG elements extend beyond dungeons; virtually every action you take contributes to increasing one or more obscure stats. Activities such as fishing or cooking improve your proficiency and reduce fatigue in those areas, but even simple actions like walking and sleeping have a measurable impact on your character’s stats. This multitude of things to level up ensures that you’re always making progress in some aspect, making your journey easier when you take on new projects.
Visually, Rune Factory 3 retains the art style from the original release but with a subtle HD enhancement. The game employs prerendered backgrounds with 3D character models, though some areas feature backgrounds that appear slightly low-resolution. Nevertheless, the visuals effectively convey the tranquil beauty of the game’s cozy world. While there could have been more effort to modernize the graphics, this approach feels right compared to the disappointing 3D direction taken in Rune Factory 5.
Despite its strengths, Rune Factory 3 exhibits a few minor shortcomings and omissions that make it feel somewhat dated. For instance, there is no ‘move all’ button when transferring items between your inventory and storage, leading to a tedious process of moving items individually. Additionally, if you wish to create multiple copies of the same dish in the kitchen, you must repeatedly select the recipe from the menu and watch part of the cooking animation each time. These inconveniences may not be major issues in the grand scheme, but the absence of minor quality-of-life improvements in this remastered release can be seen as a missed opportunity.
The primary appeal of Rune Factory 3 lies in the opportunity to play it on a console without ‘DS’ in its name. Approximately 90% of the experience remains identical to the original, with the remaining 10% introducing only minor changes. Nonetheless, Rune Factory 3 remains an exceptional farm simulator/RPG hybrid, making it a recommendation for both newcomers and returning players. For those in the latter category, it’s worth considering how much you want to invest in replaying this game on modern hardware. It’s an excellent game, but it’s essentially the same as your DS copy. Nevertheless, it marks a return to form after the somewhat uneven Rune Factory 5. If you’re seeking a solid farm simulator to add to your Switch library and haven’t experienced it before, Rune Factory 3 is definitely worth considering.
