Harvestella

 Switch
User Score
4.1

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 148 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 148
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 148
  3. Negative: 83 out of 148
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  1. Harve
    Nov 6, 2022
    1
    This is based on the demo, which includes the intro so take my review with a grain of salt, this is based on first impressions. To put it simply, Harvestella does not live up to games of its genre. Stardew Valley and Rune Factory (1-4) is better worth your time and price.

    NPCs in the town are insignificant except for what I assume are the romance options, as they have portraits (with a    This is based on the demo, which includes the intro so take my review with a grain of salt, this is based on first impressions. To put it simply, Harvestella does not live up to games of its genre. Stardew Valley and Rune Factory (1-4) is better worth your time and price.

    NPCs in the town are insignificant except for what I assume are the romance options, as they have portraits (with a few exceptions). The game has some limited customisation but unfortunately has no varying hairstyle options.

    The game quickly goes downhill after the arrival of the character Aria. The game takes about 5 in game days to get out of the tutorial stage- forcing the player to sit through dialogue- and the games time management is weird, because of the restricted time of when the player has to go back to their home. And because the player is forced to sit through mostly boring drivel of a story, it doesn't allow for much freedom compared to other farming sim games.
    As for the characters themselves, it's hard to cement much of an opinion since they're mostly there to info dump. But seeing as the game wants you to set off almost immediately after meeting Aria, I feel like Aria as a character didn't grow on me and sure, her design is nice but I just don't care of what she's saying, as the game hasn't fleshed her out that well.

    The farming feels clunky and slow, which makes it boring. The switch has weird button inputs. You have to use X for seeds, Y for tools and A to harvest. The battling feels repetitive and the crops grow within 1-2 days after planting them. Also because of the time constraints and the odd passage of time, you'll likely find your days in the game uneventful and mostly consisting of farming for materials.

    The plot then begins to feel like FF13-2, and not in a good way. There are dialogue options, but no clear indication if they impact the story, if at all and conversations usually lean towards the "we want you to answer this way". I got bored during the 5 days (15 in total in the demo), since there wasn't much freedom to learn and explore. But unfortunately the main town is boring because the NPCs have nothing new to say. Which you don't want on a game that's trying to be a social sim and a farming sim.

    Visually, it's got beautiful environments and the portraits for characters are of good quality. But the low poly models of the characters end up looking funny and don't suit the environment all that much. And unfortunately, visuals can't be the only saving grace if everything else is bad. Even for a demo reel, the game felt buggy and clunky. It didn't feel very polished and didn't give me too much hope, if i were interested in getting the whole game.

    Again, if you're looking for a game of its genre, go for Stardew Valley, which is much cheaper or the Rune Factory series, as RF focuses more on combat compared to Stardew and the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons franchise.    … Expand
  2. Arkane7
    Nov 6, 2022
    2
    Was hoping this would be a decent rpg life sim but as it currently stands, its one for the bargain bin. Combat is too repetitive and boring. The graphics are decent but the lack of production values really shows. There are some game breaking bugs which could erase your savefile. Soundwise the game is ok. The worst part of the game however is the poor main character design and bad writing.Was hoping this would be a decent rpg life sim but as it currently stands, its one for the bargain bin. Combat is too repetitive and boring. The graphics are decent but the lack of production values really shows. There are some game breaking bugs which could erase your savefile. Soundwise the game is ok. The worst part of the game however is the poor main character design and bad writing. You can usually forgive a game for its shortcomings if it has a cool main character and good writing. Unfortunately, this has neither.… Expand
  3. Margar
    Jan 31, 2023
    2
    The most boring "quests" I've ever encountered in a game. Just button mashing through the hackiest, cheesiest writing, with content that will only appeal to preteens or younger. All padded out as much as possible: talk to NPC in this area, then talk to same NPC in a slightly different area. So dreadful you will actually look forward to the uninspired combat and farming mechanics. And heyThe most boring "quests" I've ever encountered in a game. Just button mashing through the hackiest, cheesiest writing, with content that will only appeal to preteens or younger. All padded out as much as possible: talk to NPC in this area, then talk to same NPC in a slightly different area. So dreadful you will actually look forward to the uninspired combat and farming mechanics. And hey also Japan? Can you please join the rest of us in the 21st century and stop putting all female characters in skimpy underwear instead of clothes? Who cares if there's a non-binary option when the game is straight up sexist.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 46
  3. Negative: 0 out of 46
  1. IGN Brasil
    Mar 10, 2023
    70
    Harvestella is ideal for anyone looking for a game with the peace of mind of a farm simulator and the challenge of combat. You'll likely feel a mix of relaxation and excitement as you tend to crops and fight off threats, all while trying to uncover the truth behind the mysterious "death station", Quietus.
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  2. RPG Site
    Feb 8, 2023
    80
    Harvestella is the type of game that’ll just simmer in your brain the further you get from it, I’m convinced this will be a beloved cult classic for years to come. There’s so much here that feels like an experiment, and it’s surprising how much of it comes together into a great package despite its shortcomings. When your greatest sin is being maybe a tad too simple, I call that a success.I think there’s a lot of room for growth in a hypothetical follow-up with a larger budget, and, hopefully, Square Enix agrees with me.
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  3. Shindig
    Jan 27, 2023
    80
    Here’s yet another farming RPG, but one that turns the familiar setup in a philosophical, existential direction—and dares to really, really go places with it. What at first looks like another descendant of Harvest Moon ends up bearing a closer resemblance, thematically and tonally, to NieR Automata. That’s not a comparison that’s easy to live up to, but Harvestella manages to leave its mark.
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