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About

Rune Factory 4 (also stylized as "RF4") is a fantasy role-playing game developed by Neverland and published by Marvelous and XSEED Games. Originally debuting in Japan in 2012 for the 3DS system, it also recieved an updated remaster for the Nintendo Switch called Rune Factory 4 Special first releasing in 2019. The game chronicles a mysterious traveler, who, after losing their memories, acts as a small town's prince or princess and must work to keep the kingdom safe.

RF4 is the first game in the Rune Factory franchise where the player can choose to play as a girl in the entirety of the game. The male protagonist, Lest, and the female protagonist, Frey, have little differences, other than the fact that depending on the gender of the player character determines the gender of the marriage options (i.e. Frey can only marry bachelors, Lest can only marry bachelorettes). The next mainline game, Rune Factory 5, removes this lock completely, making it the first game in the series to include same-sex marriage.

Despite obvious dated material, especially in the original 3DS version, RF4 is a delight from start to finish, featuring a variety of gameplay mechanics, a vibrant soundtrack, and an unforgettable cast of characters.

Frey, the princess protagonist. Has a sassy yet warmhearted personality and isn't afraid to jump headfirst into battle for her kingdom.

Experience

Rune Factory 4 was not my first game from the franchise, that spot belonging to Rune Factory 5. However, I have currently achieved further progress in the game than RF5. I believe the root of this phenomenon to be the characters; while the cast of RF5 is indeed enjoyable and fun to interact with, the cast of RF4 feels very familiar, like old friends. Even when I first started playing the game, I never felt like my character was an outsider in a new town, even when that was very much the case! Selphia, as one such song states, is truly a home to all.

I'm always a fan of farming games where I can take care of animals and grow crops, but this was the first game other than my beloved Pokemon where the animals and creatures could assist me in battle.

Cooking and fishing were most likely my favorite mechanics. I love the anticipation of waiting for a fish to bite and the thrill of catching one! I also love learning new recipes and successfully making a complicated dish for the first time. I especially loved when I made an NPC's favorite dish so I could see how happy it made them!

Most of all, I loved talking to the other townsfolk. In some games, I like talking with the NPCs but grow bored quickly. This never happened in RF4, as even the most mundane days and conversations were interesting. The dialogue for this game is truly some of the sassiest I've read, and there were many times I would laugh out loud.

While this game has many, many funny lines, it is also a rather emotional story as well. The great dragon of Selphia, Ventuswill, harbors a long and complicated connection to the generations that have lived in the little town, even in present day. Meanwhile, every character, no matter how much they impact the storyline, has their own personal story to tell. I admire game narratives like this, as I always want to talk to every NPC in the game to try and learn more about them. RF4 was a narrative delight in this field, engaging the player to continue to speak to the NPCs each day instead of walking past them. Even the randomly generated NPCs have lively dialogue!

Another mechanic in the game that I really like is the Shop, unlocked later on. There, you can sell food, treasures and the like in a small booth in the castle to make a profit. I love that the main NPCs can interact with the player while shopping too; it reminds me a lot of Style Savvy in a strange way...but with food instead of fashion. Although, you can gift hats to the characters!

There are truly so many ways to enjoy the game other than the main fantasy RPG elements, it's hard to choose a favorite!

Dolce, the reserved young woman staying with the town's doctor and his wife. Comes across as aloof but is a total sweetheart who has a huge sweet tooth. Likes apple desserts, and constantly squabbles with Pico, the ghost who's been haunting her for centuries.

Farm

At the moment, I have a few barns, the first two being Turnip and Porridge. In RF5, my barns are all named after flowers and plants, so I went with food themes for this game! Turnip, I believe, was the automatic option, but I found it cute. Like most players, my first monster was a Wooly. They are so cute!

My other favorite monsters are the wolves you can find, as well as the elemental fairies that show up in rare instances. They make excellent fighting companions for especially tough battles.

Due to my love of cooking, I immidiately went out to find a Buffamoo and Cluckadoodle for milk and eggs, cooking necessities! For any new player of RF4, I highly suggest finding these monsters as soon as you can. They are so helpful for making food!

I also love the different kinds of flowers you can grow; truth be told, I don't grow flowers nearly as much as crops! I really should though...

Amber, the sugary-sweet butterfly girl of Selphia. Loves fruit, singing, and giving the protagonist surprise hugs. Dislikes winter and fish, though she still partakes in Fishing Contests. She and Illuminata, the town's florist/detective, are like sisters.

Romance

I had no clue who I would assist the princess with romancing; I decided to wait and see if there was anyone that Frey seemed the most interested in. Via dialogue, I got the hint that the princess wanted to befriend Dylas, the introverted waiter (who was once cursed to be a horse monster).

Truth be told, I don't usually like the archtype of character known as "tsundere", or, a character who puts on a tough and often cold front to hide their true emotions. Perhaps it's because I'm a rather open-book sort of individual, or because I've seen too many clips of tsundere characters in several anime being verbally and even physcially violent beyond the classic "shut up". The only characters of the tsundere type I can confidently say I do like, however, are Kyo Sohma from Fruits Basket (as he's genuine and adorably sweet to Tohru) and InuYasha of the titular anime (which I have yet to finish).

My first conversations with Dylas, a man turned back human after spending centuries as a horse monster, were of the classic tsundere dialogue: ice cold. Frankly, I was annoyed. The princess didn't deserve this reception; she was a super sweet character with a cheeky side that made me smile. She deserved only the best!

There were two reasons I ended up continuing this aloof bachelor's route: One, the princess seemed very interested in him dialogue-wise, and I was curious. Two, after some research, I found that Dylas thankfully had a LOT of character development, especially as a spouse and a father. At the end of the day, I'm very happy I stuck with this as my first romance route! Selphia's resident horse (don't call him that) was revealed to be super sweet and kind underneath a prickly exterior, determined to show the princess the same compassion she gave him when first arriving in town. The date events were awfully cute, and the proposal event made me cry! I have a weakness for character-driven storytelling and this was the cherry on top of an already wonderful experience.

As a word of advice for new players, I reccommend taking the romance routes slow. They went much faster than I expected, and I had the happy couple getting married faster than expected! It was complicated with the current events and climaxes in the story, so I advise working on the main story before getting close to the proposal events, especially if you are playing as Frey; as the princess, the bachelor proposes to you in a random town event.

Dylas, the new waiter at the local restaurant after Porcoline takes him in. Despite his grouchy exterior, this nervous bachelor is actually a kind soul. Loves fishing a whole bunch.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for this game is so pretty and cheerful...to this day, whenever I'm stressed, I like to listen to it to calm down. I especially love the "Spring in Selphia", probably because that was the first main town theme I heard. I also really like "Love & Hope", a theme that plays during date events. I think the track works not just to highlight the romance between the protagonist and their partner, but the core theme of love, platonic or otherwise, that the little town emanates. Selphia really does feel like one big family!

I also love the many seasonal themes for the town, every one is so fitting and makes the town seem even more welcoming. It's hard to chose a favorite, but I do have a soft spot for the "Spring in Selphia" theme, since the player first arrives in that season.

Margaret, or Meg, one of the bachelorettes of the game. An elf who wishes to become a famous musician, she's very sweet and caring. Afraid of squid and ghosts, but loves sweets and fruit. Adopted daughter of Porcoline, and a sister figure to Dylas and Arthur.

There are several other tracks I adore from the OST, but I didn't want to speak about each of them. I think the best way to experience them is to hear them while playing the game...or is that just a me thing?

Characters

To finish this log, I saved the best for last: the characters! I'm the sort of person who can really only play games that are story and/or character-driven for some reason. I tend to get bored personally with a show, book or any sort of media if I don't get to learn much about the cast. Thankfully, as previously stated, this was far from the reality of RF4!

I loved all of the character events, even the minor ones, that allowed the protagonist to get to know each character more. One event I loved was "A Performance Without an Audience"; I won't go into detail as to not spoil anything, but it was such a heartfelt and bittersweet little story.

As far as the cast of RF4 goes, it definitely feels different if one member isn't present. That's how full of life every character is! I applaud the creators for writing such fantastic characters.

Leon, a mysterious young man who comes from a time before even the other Guardians. He's cheeky and likes to tease others, but does so out of friendliness (I think). Really likes eating poisonous seafood, as he's mostly immune.

sugarjolt 2024