Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning

 3DS
  • Publisher: Natsume
  • Release Date: Nov 6, 2012
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 73 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 73
  3. Negative: 9 out of 73
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  1. Lokathor
    Dec 25, 2013
    2
    For a game that's supposed to have the customization as a fun new feature, there's not too many options to pick from. Since they're all aesthetic anyway, they should have had like 10 times as many things to pick form in every category. I don't have any helpful advice to add to this point, they just needed to put in more content.

    The game doesn't have too much in the way of systems or    For a game that's supposed to have the customization as a fun new feature, there's not too many options to pick from. Since they're all aesthetic anyway, they should have had like 10 times as many things to pick form in every category. I don't have any helpful advice to add to this point, they just needed to put in more content.

    The game doesn't have too much in the way of systems or simulation; it's not any more intricate than the first harvest moon. Considering that this is like the 17th game in the series, it's really a disappointment. The people don't have much to them at all, you just give each one a specific thing each day until a number fills up. Not really any jobs or interactions there. The economy has fixed prices for buying and selling everything, it doesn't shift from year to year or adjust based on how much you sell of a particular thing or anything like that. It's all very static sort of stuff.

    Starting a new game is video game agony, the first month prevents you from doing most of the things until you go through a tutorial on each thing, and each tutorial doesn't show up until a specific day. It seems like designers should be aware by now that some players know what they're doing, particularly anyone that's played a harvest moon game before, and they should have tutorials that you can skip over. They even provide the info in a help menu in case you forget later on, so there's no reason at all to not have all the slow opening stuff be skippable.

    I thought that this game would be a great purchase, but it turns out that it's probably gonna be the worst 3ds game I'll have ever bought.    … Expand
  2. Mmmmph
    Feb 15, 2016
    4
    Slow, ungodly, UNBEARABLY slow. I'm wandering around talking to villagers and nothing they keep saying the same pre-recorded stuff to me. So all I'm left to do is run around and farm, that's it, wake up in the morning water plants go collect random garbage from the forest, water plants go back to bed. THAT IS LITERALLY ALL I HAVE BEEN DOING OR ABLE TO DO IN THE GAME FOR A MONTH(ingameSlow, ungodly, UNBEARABLY slow. I'm wandering around talking to villagers and nothing they keep saying the same pre-recorded stuff to me. So all I'm left to do is run around and farm, that's it, wake up in the morning water plants go collect random garbage from the forest, water plants go back to bed. THAT IS LITERALLY ALL I HAVE BEEN DOING OR ABLE TO DO IN THE GAME FOR A MONTH(ingame time).

    The game advertises that you can customize your character but they don't really tell you that any and all kinds of clothing options and whatnot are locked until about year four. I'm being told that the tutorial is a MONTH LONG, ingame time and that's a lie, the game just doesn't let you do anything but farm for a month.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Best 3DS Game of 2012
16
#16 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2012
10
#10 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Cubed3
    Feb 18, 2014
    80
    It isn't without its faults in presentation, control and the opening few hours, but does offer one of the most comprehensive experiences to date - great for newcomers and series veterans alike.
    Read full review
  2. games(TM)
    Nov 14, 2013
    70
    None of this is entirely new. [Issue#141, p.122]
  3. Eurogamer Portugal
    Oct 29, 2013
    60
    This can be the alternative that some players seek to Animal Crossing.
    Read full review
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