I’ve been a longtime Rune Factory fan, ever since I played the first game years ago. Out of the four in the series, RF4 is my favorite. I’ve owned it for several years and played it for hundreds of hours, and yet there are still things to do if I pick it up today, and I could play another hundred hours without getting bored. I’m very excited about the upcoming RF5 and the RF4 special for the Switch, both of which I plan on buying.So what’s so great about a game that came out 7 years ago?The idea of harvest moon is nothing novel, though the RF series is what introduced me to the concept. I’ve since played other harvest moon games, like Stardew Valley, and Story of Seasons; but none are equal to this game. That’s because RF4 isn’t just a farming sim, or a slice of life game, or a fantasy game - it’s all of those things, and that’s why it’s so great. If you’re new to the RF series, I recommend starting with this game instead of from the first two, since all the annoying kinks from the first games have been sorted out.The basic premise of RF is the same as the other games - your character is an Earthmate, a person who can communicate with nature, crops and monsters. Oh, and you’ve lost your memory, you’re new in a town that is watched over by a wind dragon, and they think you’re a prince/princess. Your job is to cultivate a rundown farm, get to know the inhabitants of the town of Selphia, and make the village a better place in general. There is actually a story and a three-part plot, which I won’t go into so as not to take away from the experience.There are several aspects to the game. These include:- Farming: this is the harvest moon aspect of the game. You grow crops, which include fruits and vegetables, as well as flowers, on your own farm. There are crops for each season. You also venture outside of the town to other seasonal fields to grow crops outside of whatever season you’re in. Crops come in different levels, and you unlock different ones by advancing your farming skills or through quests given to you by the villagers.- Dungeon crawling: as soon as you go out of the village, you’ll start meeting monsters ranging from adorable (giant lambs) to gross (goblins). As the plot advances, you unlock different dungeons, encountering different monsters and culminating in a plot-relevant boss fight. You fight these monsters with weapons which you find, buy or craft. They drop loot and goods etc. Alternatively, you can go into-- Raising monsters: monsters can be tamed and kept in barns on your farm, where you feed, groom and give them love in general. They will in return help you with your farm if you want, or be taken along as companions to dungeons.- Crafting: you can craft anything in the game. This includes your farming tools (the highest tier hoe, for instance is called the blessed hoe) which will allow more efficient farming; weapons, shields, armor, accessories, medicines, and potions. Each of these are skills that must be leveled through practice or by finding recipes or eating recipe breads.- Cooking: one of the most fun parts of the game, this skill allows you to cook different dishes, ranging from simple smoothies to insane cakes and curries. A lot of the villagers have favorite dishes which improve your relationship with them.- Fishing: you can fish in the town, the lake by the town, outside the town, in dungeons. Depending on location, time, season and the weather, you catch different fish, which can be sold or made into dishes.- Social: like all harvest moon games, the town you live in conveniently comes with a string of eligible bachelors or bachelorettes, who can be romanced, dated, married. You can raise a family, and your child can even join you for dungeon crawling when they grow up. You also develop friendships with other villagers, and they all have unique dialogues and quests, usually triggered through a random number generator. The characters are cute and quirky. The village also holds several festivals you can participate in. A word of advice though, the relationships are interesting and fun to engage in, but this is a JRPG. Don’t expect something super dark, or tons of cutscenes, or really lengthy dialogue like you would in a western RPG. It’s more anime style, which is endearing in its own way.- Plot advancement: the game has a three-part story that advances over a few in game years and random events, involving the guardian dragon of the town. The plot is essential for unlocking dungeons and certain items, but you can take it at your own pace and the game certainly doesn’t end after the plot is over. There’s so much to do (listed above), that you can play for many in-game years (and real-life years) after finishing the plot.What makes RF4 an amazing game is how multifaceted it is. Dungeon crawling? Check. Dating sim? Check. Farming sim? Check check. Fantasy plot? Check. You don’t have to do all of these things, or any of them really, it’s up to you what to do. Nothing is really game-breaking. You can’t lose this game, or miss any chances at anything for good if all you want to do is hang out on your farm, or go fishing. You play the game at the speed you want, doing the things you enjoy, and that’s all there is to it. If you’re a completionist and want to do every possible thing, you can do that too. That’s what makes this game so great.