Rune Factory 5

 Switch
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 86 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 86
  3. Negative: 29 out of 86
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  1. JustinIZHere
    Jun 7, 2022
    4
    RF5 is probably the starkest example of a downgrade to a franchise ever.

    Rune Factory has been a favorite series of mine for ages now, I've loved pretty much all of them from 2 to frontier to 4 on the 3DS and replaying 4 again on steam. However 5.....5 is just not a good game, it's not a good Rune Factory game, it's only a mediocre game in general. The combat is exactly the same as    RF5 is probably the starkest example of a downgrade to a franchise ever.

    Rune Factory has been a favorite series of mine for ages now, I've loved pretty much all of them from 2 to frontier to 4 on the 3DS and replaying 4 again on steam. However 5.....5 is just not a good game, it's not a good Rune Factory game, it's only a mediocre game in general.

    The combat is exactly the same as it's been forever so nothing new to try and innovate, the farming aspect feels so optional in RF5 that you can get by without ever doing it, and the characters just feel extremely uninspired. You can tell they intended to have far more characters be romanceable but a gigantic chunk of them got cut for no real discernable reason. The western localization team badgered the JP team to add same-sex marriages into the game, which is fine. However it completely broke the game and now you get random scenes with same sex characters you're not even romancing???

    Performance wise the game is a mess, with extremely long loading screens for seemingly no reason, the game looks and runs terrible (good luck getting over 15 FPS after a few weeks has passed ingame). You would think a game that got delayed for so long would be in a better state but it's obvious the game got delayed so they could cater to the demands of the localization team instead of fixing the games MANY problems.

    Do not buy this game, do not support Xseed, this game is unacceptable in its current state, I feel cheated out of my money quite frankly. i will never buy another product from Xseed if THIS is what they have devolved to which sucks Xseed used to be QUALITY. If you want a rune factory game go play 4 it's infinitely better.    … Expand
  2. CatBlade
    Apr 4, 2022
    4
    Rune Factory 4 was amazing. Rune Factory 5 is just.... okay. I can't help but compare the two. First off, RF5 is 3D, third person. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, except the wilderness combat areas are so vast and empty -- and the dungeons are extremely boring. Both require a lot of pointless running that seems to drag. Also, RF4 had far more focus on dungeons, puzzles, combatRune Factory 4 was amazing. Rune Factory 5 is just.... okay. I can't help but compare the two. First off, RF5 is 3D, third person. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, except the wilderness combat areas are so vast and empty -- and the dungeons are extremely boring. Both require a lot of pointless running that seems to drag. Also, RF4 had far more focus on dungeons, puzzles, combat efc. RF5 is farm sim heavy. The boss fights, dungeons, and combat are all so watered down. And the farming isn't that enjoyable either because of the frame rate issues. You need to wait a lot for texture pop for your fields. The screen often lags. Tossing items at storage is clunky.

    The dash doesn't do much either. There's definite input lag when you hit the dash button. Same goes for my special moves. There's a lag issue so you're not as quick/nimble with moves in this game.

    You also get far less dialogue options in cut scenes.

    I do like the characters. They're basically comparable to RF4 characters. But that's really about it.    … Expand
  3. Razor7557
    May 13, 2022
    2
    Sad case of a game ruined by bugs, bad optimization, and publisher meddling. I love Rune Factory series, but this game is easily the worst of it so far. It already had a troubled launch in Japan with many bugs, and bad optimization, which were not fixed at all undoubtedly thanks to XSEED, the publisher, forcing the devs to make politically-motivated changes to all versions of the game, andSad case of a game ruined by bugs, bad optimization, and publisher meddling. I love Rune Factory series, but this game is easily the worst of it so far. It already had a troubled launch in Japan with many bugs, and bad optimization, which were not fixed at all undoubtedly thanks to XSEED, the publisher, forcing the devs to make politically-motivated changes to all versions of the game, and scrap planned DLC bachelorettes... thus by rushed schedules, and American meddling, the game is barely working parody of what it could have been.… Expand
  4. Wingsaber
    Mar 26, 2022
    8
    As per usual lots of extreme and unhelpful ratings that should be taken with a pinch of salt! To me this game is a flawed but fun 7.5/10 experience. Hopefully performance issues will get fixed then this game will really be able to shine. The fact that they are present is not something that should be condoned without comment, but its also not entirely surprising considering many otherAs per usual lots of extreme and unhelpful ratings that should be taken with a pinch of salt! To me this game is a flawed but fun 7.5/10 experience. Hopefully performance issues will get fixed then this game will really be able to shine. The fact that they are present is not something that should be condoned without comment, but its also not entirely surprising considering many other titles are limited by the switch's sub-mobile hardware. Even the AAA budget games struggle sometimes with the switch (Arceus and XB2 looking at you!) and the developers of this game don't have that sort of budget (especially after they went bankrupt.)

    In relation to some of the other common criticisms, controls seem to work fine for me and the farming works surprisingly well in 3D. Character models are aesthetically pleasing but parts of the town and wide open arears look very sparse due to unnecessary spacing that could have easily been avoided. Furniture placement needs improving as its impossible to place items directly against walls at the moment.

    The story and characters are charming as usual, and the quality of life improvements are welcomed. Some to note are you can now equip a weapon and tool at the same time, random events are gone, the map now has pins, you can teleport anywhere easily, picking up multiple items and depositing is way easier.

    Overall would recommend to any fan of life sims, but playing RF4 is an absolute must first as it is still the definitive experience.    … Expand
  5. var2098
    May 2, 2022
    6
    it does not feel like a rune factory game. I have only play Rune Factory 3 (my all time favorite), Rune factory 4 on DS and Rune Factory 4 on Switch. The game is clunky, poorly optimized on switch, the fps is horrible, the world is big but feel very empty. There is barely anything, if someone gave me this game blind and tell me it is Rune Factory, I would never believe them. Please returnit does not feel like a rune factory game. I have only play Rune Factory 3 (my all time favorite), Rune factory 4 on DS and Rune Factory 4 on Switch. The game is clunky, poorly optimized on switch, the fps is horrible, the world is big but feel very empty. There is barely anything, if someone gave me this game blind and tell me it is Rune Factory, I would never believe them. Please return the game to the old formula. I have waited for so long to wasted my $60 on this.… Expand
  6. TheKillerFries
    Mar 28, 2022
    6
    Rune Factory 5 does have quite a bit to offer overall; many of the newer features are a welcome and convenient change to the traditional formula, a lot of the characters and locations are charming and memorable, and the more open-ended marriage system has been requested by fans for years. Sadly though, the game's performance makes an already slow-paced game feel even slower, and certainRune Factory 5 does have quite a bit to offer overall; many of the newer features are a welcome and convenient change to the traditional formula, a lot of the characters and locations are charming and memorable, and the more open-ended marriage system has been requested by fans for years. Sadly though, the game's performance makes an already slow-paced game feel even slower, and certain quality of life improvements that have been wanted by fans, such as streamlined menus and expanded monster ranching, are lacking from the game. Ultimately, Rune Factory 5 is as cozy and addicting as the previous entries, but it's a real shame that it feels so rough around the edges compared to the game's highly-polished predecessor.… Expand
  7. AsrielDreemur
    Mar 26, 2022
    7
    Rune Factory 4 was one of my favourite Rune Factory game and here I am loving the direction they took with Rune Factory 5, they maintain the same nostalgia games mechanics as the previous Rune Factory while improving some of the games mechanics and adding new features into it. The switch to 3D from 2D is a change that I wholeheartedly welcome and enjoyed.

    Now my grip with this game is    Rune Factory 4 was one of my favourite Rune Factory game and here I am loving the direction they took with Rune Factory 5, they maintain the same nostalgia games mechanics as the previous Rune Factory while improving some of the games mechanics and adding new features into it. The switch to 3D from 2D is a change that I wholeheartedly welcome and enjoyed.

    Now my grip with this game is that although the move to 3D was in a step to the right direction for Rune Factory. The graphic in this game is quite bad and the 3D overview just expose how bland the overview textures is, sometimes is just downright bad. The combination of the low FPS and a very clunky controller make me few like I'm playing a ps2 games at time.

    Overall the game is really enjoyable but there is a lot the game can be improve on and I hope the series continue to get more love from the community and developer.    … Expand
  8. jigglypuffite
    Mar 23, 2022
    8
    An extremely visually flawed game that when you look past its shortcomings is a great experience

    it's like going to a party and seeing a lot of cakes. most of these cakes look amazing with tons of toppings and decorations, and then theres one plain kinda lumpy looking cake in the middle But you take a bite, and its delicious do other cakes look better? Could this one have used a    An extremely visually flawed game that when you look past its shortcomings is a great experience

    it's like going to a party and seeing a lot of cakes. most of these cakes look amazing with tons of toppings and decorations, and then theres one plain kinda lumpy looking cake in the middle

    But you take a bite, and its delicious

    do other cakes look better? Could this one have used a bit more effort on the decoration side? Absolutely

    But it's still a delicious yummy cake that you can't stop eating and wish others would be able to look past its flaws    … Expand
  9. zinjava
    Mar 24, 2022
    9
    if you look past it's flaws it a neat game that I have enjoyed for many hours and and going to continue to enjoy it for hours to come
  10. blitzkrieg2121
    Mar 27, 2022
    2
    How a game can be allowed to release in this state is… is beyond me. Horrible, jarring input lag was the cherry on the performance disaster pie this game is. I REALLY hope there is a performance patch soon… but given how long this game has been out before getting western localization, I am not holding my breath. I tried to look past the performance issues, I was very excited for this gameHow a game can be allowed to release in this state is… is beyond me. Horrible, jarring input lag was the cherry on the performance disaster pie this game is. I REALLY hope there is a performance patch soon… but given how long this game has been out before getting western localization, I am not holding my breath. I tried to look past the performance issues, I was very excited for this game but man, it’s just embarrassing and nearly impossible to play. Very disappointing and feels like a crime to charge $60 for this.… Expand
  11. Psychotickock
    Mar 25, 2022
    5
    Honestly I'm so upset with the quality of this game. I feel like a fool for avoiding reviews and spoilers considering how bad this game was reviewed when it was first released in Japan. This has nothing to do with not loving Rune Factory. This is an issue the devs probably couldn't fix easily or else they would have already. The graphics are nothing special but the main issue is theHonestly I'm so upset with the quality of this game. I feel like a fool for avoiding reviews and spoilers considering how bad this game was reviewed when it was first released in Japan. This has nothing to do with not loving Rune Factory. This is an issue the devs probably couldn't fix easily or else they would have already. The graphics are nothing special but the main issue is the constant drops in frames. Happens everytime you exit or enter an area, so if you plan on walking around town to talk to everyone expect it to feel really choppy and since it sometimes runs fast at 30fps it feels even worse when the frames do drop. I honestly just go into the series a couple years ago. You can obviously ignore the major issue along with other small problems and this game could be a decent experience, hell even a good one. Yet I doubt I could ever recommend this game over any of the other fune factory titles. I personally can't handle it and since other games of this genre have been so **** good this game deserves a low ass rating. I mean I only gave sakuna a 7 and it had no technical issues and ran amazing on switch. 5 is me being generous.

    Summary of review : try other rune factory games if you haven't yet. The 3D 2008 wii game frontier is probably my favorite title next to 4. It has a great story and characters and runs better than 5. If you don't care what the game looks like then it should be fine but it's unplayable if you can't ignore huge frame drops.    … Expand
  12. mystogan88
    Mar 24, 2022
    10
    Bringing back nostalgia, a step in the right direction. Take a bit of getting use to the controls they can feel a bit clunky at times, some frame drops on switch.
  13. HappyDonnie
    Mar 23, 2022
    10
    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For us who have waited so long, we will not bash the game for what it isnt. We will love it for what it is. Is it the best game ever made? No. Am i glad games like theese are made? Hell yes!
  14. Midnight2shayla
    Mar 24, 2022
    10
    Hope for more rune factory games. this one is fun and rune factory 4 was one of my favorites.
  15. BenikoYuni
    Mar 24, 2022
    10
    This low rating is ridiculous, and I hope that it gets remedied by people playing it soon.
    As someone who has been a fan of the Rune Factory series since the first game, I have obviously been waiting for this game with extreme excitement - and it hasn't disappointed me.
    The lag is a valid criticism, although I haven't faced it much on my switch lite (i've heard it is worse on the    This low rating is ridiculous, and I hope that it gets remedied by people playing it soon.
    As someone who has been a fan of the Rune Factory series since the first game, I have obviously been waiting for this game with extreme excitement - and it hasn't disappointed me.

    The lag is a valid criticism, although I haven't faced it much on my switch lite (i've heard it is worse on the docked switch). The graphics are not that bad, I don't understand the hate. We just had arceus, which looked like a game in alpha, but apparently this one looks bad? No. The graphics are not up to mainline games or computer titles, but I honestly like the aesthetic of this game. The town is cute, the buildings are beautiful inside, and going out into the world felt really nice.

    Also, people who have been saying that this game has had 10 years to be better than this need to actually read into whats happened to rune factory. They've gone through bankruptcy and also completely restructured just in the last few years. This game has not been "in the making for 10 years". And even if it was, that would mean that they had to basically start over 5 years ago when the switch came out.

    The story has been great so far and the characters are absolutely lovely. Don't let the bad reviews dissuade you - if you are a rune factory fan, you will probably like this game. I bought the $100 earthmate edition and absolutely would again.    … Expand
  16. Jinuaga
    Mar 24, 2022
    9
    Been waiting for a long time for this game to come out and for a couple of hours I am enjoying more than most games that have come out. Sure it has a couple of shortcomings like frame drops and visuals but for me, it doesn't really ruin the experience all that much. I have played worse optimized games that became my favorite and I have seen later updates that fix issues that it has so I'llBeen waiting for a long time for this game to come out and for a couple of hours I am enjoying more than most games that have come out. Sure it has a couple of shortcomings like frame drops and visuals but for me, it doesn't really ruin the experience all that much. I have played worse optimized games that became my favorite and I have seen later updates that fix issues that it has so I'll be along for the ride and enjoy the game… Expand
  17. ArataLatam
    Mar 25, 2022
    8
    Rune Factory 5 amplia muy bien algunos de sus apartados, con respecto a sus anteriores entregas. La cocina, sus artesanías, la granja, el criadero de monstruos, las citas y el combate tienen una base muy sólida. La forma en que su mundo conecta con el entorno necesita trabajo a pesar de tener un diseño visual atractivo. Su pérdida de fluidez en algunos puntos y ciertas batallas, aún conRune Factory 5 amplia muy bien algunos de sus apartados, con respecto a sus anteriores entregas. La cocina, sus artesanías, la granja, el criadero de monstruos, las citas y el combate tienen una base muy sólida. La forma en que su mundo conecta con el entorno necesita trabajo a pesar de tener un diseño visual atractivo. Su pérdida de fluidez en algunos puntos y ciertas batallas, aún con escalado dinámico, hacen que pierda parte de su encanto.

    El apartado sonoro y musical está bien cuidado, en especial para los eventos de historia y las citas amorosas. La flexibilidad para enfocarte en alguna otra cosa más allá de la historia es un gran punto a favor. Puedes demorarte 40 horas en la historia, aunque se extiende mucho más si buscas conseguir absolutamente todo. Es una entrega que los nuevos adeptos a la saga pueden disfrutar, por tener las mecánicas más accesibles.

    Review:
    https://arata.lat/arata-review-rune-factory-5-nintendo-switch/    … Expand
  18. Zabekjs
    Mar 30, 2022
    8
    Rune Factory 5 is not a flawless experience, but still remains an impressive step forward for the franchise. It stays true to the gameplay of the previous entries while updating into 3D, but with this comes some technical hiccups of which are almost entirely FPS/art-quality baded.
    If you can find it in yourself to push past these minor blunders, you'll find yourself with a heart-filled    Rune Factory 5 is not a flawless experience, but still remains an impressive step forward for the franchise. It stays true to the gameplay of the previous entries while updating into 3D, but with this comes some technical hiccups of which are almost entirely FPS/art-quality baded.
    If you can find it in yourself to push past these minor blunders, you'll find yourself with a heart-filled experience carrying the legacy of the series into some of the finest gameplay available in the series.

    Memorable characters, music and battles await.    … Expand
  19. Zavarius
    Mar 27, 2022
    1
    Its nearly unplayable. Constant frame drops between 10-15FPS and a rly bad graphic/texture. Its not their first 3D game and its already 1Y+ released in Japan. You can find FPS and Graphic tests at every corner.
  20. Robertjacoby85
    Mar 24, 2022
    10
    I think we may find in retrospect that this game became a fan-favorite — the initial performance issues, which can be fixed via patches, obscured initial impressions from seeing it is one of the best farming games of the modern era.
  21. Tinheuce
    Mar 23, 2022
    4
    You would think after several delays you would get a more polished game. Sadly, this is not what we got.
    Town is bland and lifeless. The animals don’t even make sounds. Characters are boring and repeat themselves.
    And the game performance. Graphic are horrible even for a game on switch. Even frame rates dip in and outside of combat.
  22. OhNoItsSenpai
    Mar 28, 2022
    6
    There's a whole lot of review bombing with this one in one direction or another, so here's a real review. The game looks far greater than it's predecessor, the combat is exactly the same, and so is just about everything else. The bad side of this is that it's on the switch. Those better graphics will take minutes or just not even pop in a good portion of the time. I have had the game greenThere's a whole lot of review bombing with this one in one direction or another, so here's a real review. The game looks far greater than it's predecessor, the combat is exactly the same, and so is just about everything else. The bad side of this is that it's on the switch. Those better graphics will take minutes or just not even pop in a good portion of the time. I have had the game green screen and then crash during gameplay losing everything I did within a day as well. The controls of the Switch also get in the way, where i have accidentally killed myself eating something in my hands instead of throwing it as well. Also because the controls take so long to register I've also killed myself just farming which is great fun. If you're a fan of the series, wait for it to come way down in price, or better yet come out on a video game system. If not, then why are you even reading this?… Expand
  23. Grimeslave
    Mar 26, 2022
    8
    IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A POINT BLANK REVIEW THAT KEEPS IT A BUCK FIFTY FOR THE HOMIES THIS IS IT:

    Ive been playing RF5 since it dropped and I think Ive played enough to give it a fair and accurate take. RF5 is a moxed bag of super enjoyable gameplay, with bad controls and graphical issues. PROS: • Core gameplay loop is enjoyable and rewarding. Much like all of the games before it the    IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A POINT BLANK REVIEW THAT KEEPS IT A BUCK FIFTY FOR THE HOMIES THIS IS IT:

    Ive been playing RF5 since it dropped and I think Ive played enough to give it a fair and accurate take. RF5 is a moxed bag of super enjoyable gameplay, with bad controls and graphical issues.

    PROS:
    • Core gameplay loop is enjoyable and rewarding. Much like all of the games before it the main loop is farming, foraging, crafting, cooking, and RPG combat. All the staples of rune factory are here.

    • The switch to 3D makes the world feel much larger and more open than previous entries

    • All of the newly introduced charecters are all incredibley enjoyable and dynamic including visits from Margeret and Doug if you played RF4 on switch

    • Added furniture options and customization options for your home add a lot of variety

    • The addition of the Dragons makes farming a little more varied as one can chose to farm mainland and use fertalizers or focus on gem collection for the dragon farms

    CONS:

    • Graphics issues abound, pop in and stutter upon leaving or entering buildings or areas. Low frame rates in certain conditions but NOT unplayable by any means simply a little distracting

    • Graphics overall are lackluster and unispired. They feel very smiliar to most JRPG titles on switch like pokemon dragon quest xenoblade etc. Overall textures are bland and not dynamic or varied in any way.

    • Controls feel gummy as heck. Actions feel slow, and innacurate. Youll often find yourself misclicking esepcially when farming. 0 control over placement of furniture and you'll find yourself frustrated often when trying to get a Sofa lined up straight and up against a wall for example. Lack of a running button is insanely annoying despite your charecters sprint speed being decently speedy.

    CONTROLS SIDE NOTE: Controls for RF5 are nearly identical to how Rune Factory 4 handled. If you played rune factory 4 and thought the controls were fine there, you wont really find much issue here.

    Why did I give this an 8? Because despite being marred with graphical and control issues, the core gameplay loop of RF5 is incredibly satisfying and if you are a fan of the previous series entries, and dont mind graphical bugs and gummy controls, then this will be a fine addition to play.    … Expand
  24. MegaArcon
    Mar 27, 2022
    3
    I've put 10-15 hours into it now, and it's become completely unplayable and unenjoyable due to the abysmal performance. It breaks my heart, because it's a great game under the hood. I love the Rune Factory series, and even sprang for the special edition because I was so excited. However, the frame drops are so terrible that simple activities are frustrating and combat in larger areas isI've put 10-15 hours into it now, and it's become completely unplayable and unenjoyable due to the abysmal performance. It breaks my heart, because it's a great game under the hood. I love the Rune Factory series, and even sprang for the special edition because I was so excited. However, the frame drops are so terrible that simple activities are frustrating and combat in larger areas is nigh impossible. I should have listened to reviews and I hope my review saves someone their money. Do not buy in it's current state.… Expand
  25. ZephGrey
    Mar 27, 2022
    3
    Dated graphics, bad writing, poor performance, and sloppy design. If this is what professional studios are putting out in the farm/life sim category, it's no wonder that Stardew Valley and it's indie kin have taken the world by storm. This game is just sad. Character design is good, but that's all it has going for it.
  26. kitsunettsu
    Mar 29, 2022
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love it.
    Bought the Japanese version as well, even though I don't speak it to familiarise myself with the world before rushing through the main story as fast as I could when the English version came out,
    had success.
    I am glad the main story doesn't take too long and is finishable in by Year 1 Spring 29!
    I could push away my first Typhoon.

    Most of the fun in this game for me personally comes from the visual elements:
    I'm a fan of the art style and (character & monster) designs in this game.
    I am amazed by how cute or pretty some monsters are (e. g. wooly and nine tailed fox).
    The characters (esp. the bachelors) look more mature.
    I also love the map sprites of characters.
    The world is colourful and the items icons look high quality.

    I have a lot of fun reading/hearing random text or voice lines as well.
    Some examples:
    - Lucys "The heck?!" (voice line) at the start of the game
    - "Absolute degenerate" when you walk into the wrong bath one too many times
    - Fuka being lost in translation taking "reading between the likes" literally
    - Characters mentioning anything about RF4
    - Martin reminding me of my autism (I feel more connected)
    - Heinz' puns
    The humour is amazing and I love it.

    And I absolutely love how they changed the Town Event system!
    Now you can see where stuff is happening and CHOOSE a preferred characters event.

    Another big plus are a few new mechanics:
    - SEED Circle mechanic: farming monster items is easier now
    - you can just run into stuff (but not plants) to pick it up
    - switching between storage and fridge etc. - and crafting menus - with L and R
    - LUMBER AND MATERIAL STONE is tossed into its storage ALL AT ONCE via lumber/stone box menu!!!

    Yes, transitions take long, and I was used to the speedrunability of RF4, but given the studios financial situation not too long ago, the result is amazing.
    All in all I'm really happy.    … Expand
  27. Lonewolftee
    Mar 25, 2022
    3
    Anyone that can defend this game at $60 price tag should be ashamed of themselves. I love these type of games but optimization is so bad that it makes the game suffer in every way. The combat is trash and every action is delayed when you press the attack button. It's not fully voiced and most conversations only have a few voiced lines in each one. I get that the switch isn't very powerfulAnyone that can defend this game at $60 price tag should be ashamed of themselves. I love these type of games but optimization is so bad that it makes the game suffer in every way. The combat is trash and every action is delayed when you press the attack button. It's not fully voiced and most conversations only have a few voiced lines in each one. I get that the switch isn't very powerful but the graphics are garbage, the character models even suffer from it. I really wanted to love this game but I just can't with everything going on with it. None of my points are subjective, everything I said is objective. Anyone who defends this game at $60 is the reason that this game exists the way that it does now.
    TLDR: Everything feels cheap and this game is not worth $60    … Expand
  28. Bellona
    Mar 28, 2022
    9
    A very beautiful successor to 4, I really enjoy the introduction of the larger town and more no-name villagers to give the place more life, I also enjoy the introduction of same-sex relationships, my only complaint is less with the game itself and more the switch, the large open world, and graphical intensity can make the battery drain and the game chug when just stepping outside, all thatA very beautiful successor to 4, I really enjoy the introduction of the larger town and more no-name villagers to give the place more life, I also enjoy the introduction of same-sex relationships, my only complaint is less with the game itself and more the switch, the large open world, and graphical intensity can make the battery drain and the game chug when just stepping outside, all that aside though I'm greatly enjoying my time and hopeful for the series future.… Expand
  29. ZedEpsilon
    Mar 24, 2022
    8
    It's a worthy addition to the series, even if it's the most rough around the edges since Rune Factory 1.

    For fans of Rune Factory and the life-sim genre, this is pretty much what you want: more Rune Factory. It's got a great cast of characters, a decent story, and a metric heap of content to keep you busy. Not to mention, it simply has the Rune Factory charm and feel. It FEELS like    It's a worthy addition to the series, even if it's the most rough around the edges since Rune Factory 1.

    For fans of Rune Factory and the life-sim genre, this is pretty much what you want: more Rune Factory. It's got a great cast of characters, a decent story, and a metric heap of content to keep you busy. Not to mention, it simply has the Rune Factory charm and feel. It FEELS like you're playing Rune Factory. The struggle for the series to stay alive hasn't taken that away, at least. Don't let the reviews get to you, it's a fine game.

    It's worth mentioning that while the bones of the game are very good, and would be warranting a 9+/10, the visual and technical issues do create a lot, lot of problems. Simply put, the game doesn't really look good. Nor does it run well. Is that enough for you to shelve it? Maybe. If you're not sensitive to frame rates, you'll probably be fine. Either way, these big flaws can't be ignored even with bias in the way.

    All in all, it's recommended, but with asterisks attached. All we can hope for at this point is that we can get a Rune Factory 6 to really prove to the wider gaming community that, just like RF4 did, the series is truly great.    … Expand
  30. TsukasaHiiragi
    Mar 25, 2022
    2
    Pro's

    Cute characters Great anime opening sequence Con's Horrendous performance issues often running at 15FPS or worse Severely outdated graphics and visuals Lacking a lot of quality of life improvements Bad camera and PoV issues Messy auto-targeting system Iffy controls made worst by graphical stuttering Major con's Makes switch overheat! Rune Factory 5 is a    Pro's

    Cute characters
    Great anime opening sequence

    Con's

    Horrendous performance issues often running at 15FPS or worse
    Severely outdated graphics and visuals
    Lacking a lot of quality of life improvements
    Bad camera and PoV issues
    Messy auto-targeting system
    Iffy controls made worst by graphical stuttering

    Major con's

    Makes switch overheat!

    Rune Factory 5 is a disaster, people fully know well all the issues from the original JP release which was heavily slammed for it's huge array of problems most notable it's severe performance issues which are so bad, the game often stutters and runs more or less at 15 frames per second and often worse, this heavily impacts gameplay negatively. It is difficult to write a review for a franchise that I love and have enjoyed for the best part of nearly two decades, Rune Factory 5 feels amateurish at best and at worst, downright broken. This in partly due to the developers using the unity engine which doesn't work too well on the switch, and is notorious for performance issues which adds another problem, this game makes the switch heat up pretty significantly.

    Graphics and visuals are extremely dated, by comparison Rune Factory Frontier was released back in 2008 and Rune Factory 5 somehow is worse all across the board, the ground and grass looks like N64 era with no texture mapping, just colored ground and any grass assets appear sporadically and also suffer from pop in issues too, the town looks very crude, the best part is the anime opening sequences but they really shouldn't count. Camera and PoV are also a problem, especially later in the game where it is more likely to be insta-killed by an enemy off-screen where you can't easily see it, and add into stuttering becomes more frustrating than fun.

    Sound effects, music and voice overs are all passable, the voices are fine but some voices have strange volume issues and sound barely audible at times, the voice lines are only really prominent in story related content, outside of that it is just text.

    Lacking a lot of quality of life improvements to make the game a better experience, sometimes changing tools isn't as intuitive as it should be, all the way to a lack of any grid snapping when placing down furniture in your house becomes an annoyance. Controls are not nearly as intuitive as they could be either, often requiring more button presses than you really should to navigate menus.

    The story is fairly cliché but is fairly passable, the usual Rune Factory aspects quickly come into play such as the affection and romance system that eventually leads to marriage, the only update to this is more gender inclusion by adding in gay and lesbian options which is a step forward. One welcome improvement is the ability of issue town directives such as scheduling festivals in the players hands, but overall it is still quite limited scope.

    Quest information and general information for tasks is extremely lacking as well as general information that is important but never really tells the player what/why/where prime examples are some of the tasks, like go kill x monsters but never tells you the location so you could kill two orcs in one location but doesn't count because its the wrong location and that information isn't given, or how about how to hunt wanted monsters? The game gives you very limited information and once again, this becomes par for the entire game - it just feels so rushed all over the place.

    In closing, Rune Factory 5 is pretty dire and one of Xseeds worst releases in a long time, the entire game feels worse than some indie titles, suffers from severe performance issues and looks exceptionally dated for a 2021(22) release, even for die-hard RF fans like myself, its really really difficult to recommend this.    … Expand
  31. FMAlex
    Apr 1, 2022
    9
    Game is not perfect, but it’s definitely a move in the right direction. I’ve played every game in the series and this is up there along with Rune Factory 4.

    Yes, it has performance issues and a lot of new unpolished mechanics. However, It feels as though their budget was somewhat limited and they prioritized certain aspects of the game over others, e.g. combat is a thousand times better    Game is not perfect, but it’s definitely a move in the right direction. I’ve played every game in the series and this is up there along with Rune Factory 4.

    Yes, it has performance issues and a lot of new unpolished mechanics. However, It feels as though their budget was somewhat limited and they prioritized certain aspects of the game over others, e.g. combat is a thousand times better than any of the other games, while the story of the game itself feels bit underwhelming and the furniture system is a bit unpolished.

    Considering the company’s circumstances and what they accomplished despite that, the game deserves at the very least an 8. I give it a 9/10 when comparing it against other games in the series/genre.

    It’s a miracle we even got this game.

    Hopefully it will sell well so they can keep expanding and refining the old and new systems introduced in this game.    … Expand
  32. RedMage79
    Mar 31, 2022
    4
    If the frame drops weren't near constant when outdoors, this would probably be a great Rune Factory game!
  33. MomoMan
    Mar 27, 2022
    8
    This is actually my first review ever on here. As someone who played the Harvest Moon(SOS) and Rune Factory games since N64 its clear that you cant keep a good thing going forever. However I had roughly 200+ hours and RF4 and SoSPoot was a disappointment for me (also 100+ hours) but I still enjoyed them.

    That's what I feel here with Rune Factory 5. They Story and charm is all there, but    This is actually my first review ever on here. As someone who played the Harvest Moon(SOS) and Rune Factory games since N64 its clear that you cant keep a good thing going forever. However I had roughly 200+ hours and RF4 and SoSPoot was a disappointment for me (also 100+ hours) but I still enjoyed them.

    That's what I feel here with Rune Factory 5. They Story and charm is all there, but you can feel the frame rate drops others all talking about and I'd be lying if the game almost felt like it was going to explode when I was switching crafting screens too fast but despite the issues its still a solid entry. I found myself really enjoying the characters and their events and for the first time in a while I was legit torn and invested in more the 1 marriage candidate. The towns folk are all cute too.

    Issues and all its worth a pick up and play to those that can look past that. But that's just my option.    … Expand
  34. AlCanHer
    Mar 28, 2022
    8
    Classic Rune Factory mechanics mixed with a new 3D world. Takes most of its antecessor while including not many, but enough, new ideas that makes it a must if you love this game franchise... However, it lack of great graphics and, moreover, it has framerate drop every time you move between buildings. But, in my experience, this hasn't been a issue during battles or scenes. Not the bestClassic Rune Factory mechanics mixed with a new 3D world. Takes most of its antecessor while including not many, but enough, new ideas that makes it a must if you love this game franchise... However, it lack of great graphics and, moreover, it has framerate drop every time you move between buildings. But, in my experience, this hasn't been a issue during battles or scenes. Not the best but still a pretty decent Rune Factory entry. I just hope in future updates they fix some parts of the game and, hopefully, it sells enough to be able to make a new sequel… Expand
  35. drewezbreezee
    Sep 17, 2022
    1
    I pre ordered rune factory 5 not because of same gender based marriage (I see others wanted that but that wasn't why I bought it or am into) but because I wanted a dungeon crawling, rpg, lite farming sim to waste time on. I may have played one many many years ago I don't really remember. I'm just now clearing out my backlog and wanted to load this up and see if I had missed anything. II pre ordered rune factory 5 not because of same gender based marriage (I see others wanted that but that wasn't why I bought it or am into) but because I wanted a dungeon crawling, rpg, lite farming sim to waste time on. I may have played one many many years ago I don't really remember. I'm just now clearing out my backlog and wanted to load this up and see if I had missed anything. I have to say that I don't like it very much. To many systems to miss, mechanics that are confusing, and tutorials that go on forever but still don't explain enough. It's more confusing than it needs to be. And at times I felt overwhelmed by ALL I needed to learn and remember. I have other games I'm playing and things I have to remember, thank you very much. Going to the internet daily to tell me what the game should have but didn't kills the experience and like others have said, bad framerate, terrible, repetitive music, poor graphics, and unused areas that don't need to exist don't help at all, along with a stupid generic story, dumb dialogue and visuals that made my head hurt after a few hours.. The menus are badly designed, and juggling all the games items is poor. This game is only for people who have played other games in the series and now want the latest one. And those willing to just overlook all it's many flaws in order to court somebody of the same sex in a video game. Everybody else should avoid. Color me not impressed. I will not be buying another one. 65 dollars just wasted on a chore simulator… Expand
  36. arh3399
    Dec 7, 2022
    5
    I really wanted to like this game but its got some real issues. The performance of this game is terrible so if thats a big deal for you do not play this. But beyond that the combat is super simplistic and gets real boring real fast. The farming mechanics are fun at the start but your farm expands way faster then you can unlock everything that can speed up your farming so before you knowI really wanted to like this game but its got some real issues. The performance of this game is terrible so if thats a big deal for you do not play this. But beyond that the combat is super simplistic and gets real boring real fast. The farming mechanics are fun at the start but your farm expands way faster then you can unlock everything that can speed up your farming so before you know it you waste almost the entire day just farming instead of exploring dungeons. And in terms of the story, its as bare bones as possible and what is there is just bland and unimaginative. I put 35 hours into this game before I just couldn't take it anymore. There are way better farming based JRPGs on switch so just play those.… Expand
  37. Tavo1994
    Feb 2, 2023
    5
    Takes to long to wait for the day to pass.
    Each day takes 48 minutes and some events require you to wait until evening or night multiple times. Would have been better if there was a pass time option.
    Also the loading times are terrible.
  38. LwestGG
    Apr 4, 2022
    6
    So, originally I was going to quit this game and send it back to Gamefly because of how horrid the FPS is, but I gave it another go mostly playing in handheld and there's is actually very solid and addictive game mechanics. I myself am very picky with FPS in games but it's not unplayable but I do agree that this type of performance should not be acceptable in the current age of gaming.So, originally I was going to quit this game and send it back to Gamefly because of how horrid the FPS is, but I gave it another go mostly playing in handheld and there's is actually very solid and addictive game mechanics. I myself am very picky with FPS in games but it's not unplayable but I do agree that this type of performance should not be acceptable in the current age of gaming. That being said the game itself is very solid and as fun deep systems to get lost in. Part farming sim, part dungeon crawler, with insane RPG elements being able to upgrade and level up just about everything it's really fun getting your own world going. Admittedly I do hope this comes to PC so it will have a more solid frame rate but the game is there and really good.… Expand
  39. Orokushi
    Jul 17, 2022
    0
    The game is unfinished. Some parts of the dialogue are dubbed, other parts arent. The dub goes on and off from one sentence to the other, and it drives me nuts. Its a shame, the voice acting is good.
    The game also feels empty at many places. For example in the town, there is a lot of empty space. If they just made the town 30% smaller by putting the locations closer together, it wouldnt    The game is unfinished. Some parts of the dialogue are dubbed, other parts arent. The dub goes on and off from one sentence to the other, and it drives me nuts. Its a shame, the voice acting is good.
    The game also feels empty at many places. For example in the town, there is a lot of empty space. If they just made the town 30% smaller by putting the locations closer together, it wouldnt feel so empty and running from one place to the other wouldnt be such a chore.
    It could have been a good game, but its potential was wasted when they decided to publish the game unfinished.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

24
#24 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 58 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 35 out of 58
  3. Negative: 2 out of 58
  1. Cubed3
    Oct 29, 2024
    80
    As a relaxing life sim Rune Factory 5 certainly has a cozy home on Nintendo Switch. The dozens of hours of gameplay extend beyond finishing the main story, with levels to be maxed out, new equipment forged and even a new dungeon to explore, making the occasional lack of clarity of next steps a minor issue in the deservedly popular farming title.
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  2. Starbit
    Jan 5, 2023
    60
    Featuring a cast of captivating characters, decent combat system and some interesting gameplay mechanics, there's enough here to appeal to long-running fans. However Rune Factory 5 disappoints when it comes to its visual performance, even to the point of harming the gameplay experience, while its exploration can quickly become repetitive. The result is a game that could have been much more enjoyable had these elements been treated differently.
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  3. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Jun 28, 2022
    75
    I enjoyed my time with Rune Factory 5 and I'm hopeful that its shortcomings will result in an even better entry in the future if we get one. (And hopefully sooner than a decade away, too.) Rune Factory 5 captures what matters most in a farming sim: a charming world and cast, and a cozy experience that will keep you coming back whenever you want to take it easy. [Issue #59 – May/June 2022, p. 76]
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