Rune Factory 5 Reviews
Rune Factory 5 is loaded with fun, long-lasting content, and is difficult to put down even after the credits have rolled.
Rune Factory 5 has been a lot of fun and has a ton to offer regardless of how you plan to tackle the game. Hopefully it doesn’t take Xseed another eight years to make the next game in the series, or maybe we get some big updates or DLC, but if it does, then I’m more than certain that this game has enough to do to keep people coming back and tackling more and more, even if it’s just exploring different love interests, or only wanting to be a potato farmer.
I can imagine somebody else looking at this game and considering it middling, subpar even. Action mechanics that are lower than top of the line, the graphics are outdated, and those allergic to anything remotely “Anime” would scoff. But Rune Factory isn’t trying to be anything it’s not. It’s a game where you can grow a radish, forge that radish into a long sword, and use it to murder sheep monsters while calling your gay partner affectionate nicknames. And do I personally want anything else from a video game? Not without becoming greedy. After a long slumber, the reawakening of this sub-franchise is much beloved, and I sincerely hope to see a Rune Factory 6 sooner than nine years from now.
Rune Factory 5 is a very fun "get to town and do all the things" game, which has been cleaned up significantly from it's initial release on Switch. The PC version of the game is clean and crisp, allowing players to address settings before even booting the game up. With a ton of fun activities and places to explore, Rune Factory 5 has a little something for everyone, and is appropriate (and fun) for all audiences. Farm, explore, romance, capture monsters; every activity is gently charming. Well worth a look for adults, but good luck keeping the kids away from it.
Rune Factory 5 doesn’t break the mould but it's still definitely worth your time, for returning fans and potential new ones.
Rune Factory 5 delivers an addictive mix of farming and dungeon crawling. Although it doesn't leave a great first impression, if you stick with it then you'll spend hours exploring memorable dungeons, befriending lively villagers, and growing your crops all year round.
There’s a lot of fun to be had here, but don’t expect something vastly different from the previous games in the series. However, there are no glaring omissions either, which is great.
While it still has many issues, Rune Factory 5 on PC is leagues better than its console counterpart. There are a decent amount of graphics options and full keyboard and mouse support so you can farm, fight, and fall for characters at a far more stable frame rate.
Rune Factory 5 feels exactly like what it set out to be: more Rune Factory for fans to enjoy.
Rune Factory 5 is about as safe and unambitious of a sequel as you can get. It feels and plays a lot like Rune Factory 4, with a different camera angle and new characters. It still contains all of the fun, addictive farming-and-fighting action that the franchise is known for. It's a solid and enjoyable game, and it absolutely scratches the Story of Seasons itch in a very satisfying way. But don't expect Rune Factory 5 to be anything more than a new Rune Factory game.
Overall, Rune Factory 5 plays things pretty conservatively, and it’s the better for it. It’s a comfort food kind of experience, and while this might cost it on store shelves given that it has been released at the tail end of so many excellent, intelligent, innovative, and big RPGs, it’s a game of simple delights and pleasant experiences. Sometimes, that’s enough.
For the most part, Marvelous sowed some pretty good SEEDs (hah, get it?). Obviously, I’m not completely satisfied with everything—the relationship mechanics are essentially a gamble, now, and we’re straight-up chugga-chugga-choo-chooin’ through certain loading zones, but there’s a reason that I played 130 hours of this game. At the end of the day, Rune Factory 5 is a fresh and enjoyable new entry to the series, and I really think that fans will come to love it just as much as they have every other title.
There is no wrong way to enjoy a Rune Factory game. That was true in 2006 and it especially holds true today. Endless discoveries make for an endlessly enjoyable take on the farm sim genre. Although it is a clumsier game than its predecessor due to technical issues, Rune Factory 5 upholds the ever-heartwarming and ever-rewarding legacy of the series.
There is a lot to do in Rune Factory 5, and players have the freedom to live out their ideal fantasy life at their own pace. Although there are a hefty amount of performance issues, Rune Factory 5 is still a charming experience that can be taken with you on the go, and is worth the wait for fans of the series. If you’re looking for a game to settle down with in the evenings, then Rune Factory 5 might be worth the investment.
Rune Factory 5 is extremely addictive and fun to play. With a great graphic change with respect to the rest of the installments of the saga, they have even managed to improve the formula they had. But the performance errors worsen what in itself would be an outstanding game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Rune Factory 5 offers an improved fantasy RPG/farming blend with a satisfying story and great cast of characters that is dragged down heavily by constant performance issues.
Rune Factory 5 is another good addition to the franchise that mixes farm life simulator with RPG and is very worthwhile especially for fans of the series. The expectation is that the next games will be able to go beyond what was presented here in all aspects.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Overall Rune Factory 5 was fantastic once you put the small issues like frame rates and furniture placement aside. Whether spending just a bit of time to clear a day out of your in-game calendar or sitting down and clearing out a day of your real world calendar, there’s just something magical about the farming simulation of both these and the Story of Seasons series. Want to do something more than farming? Rune Factory has you covered with plenty to explore and challenge yourself while out in the field against the local monsters and eventual boss fights!
Rune Factory 5 is rough around the edges, but I still loved my time with it. Something about how all the parts work together keeps pulling me to it. Even after completing the main story, I’m still playing, as I have recipes I haven’t unlocked, a romantic journey I’m embarking on, and many upgrades I can still do to the town. It has its flaws, but Rune Factory 5’s enchanting loop of constant progression and discovery helps mitigate a lot of these annoyances, so they don’t sting so much.
Rune Factory 5 delivers everything you would expect from a Rune Factory game, though it does so without adding anything new. It moves from a rather rough start into an enjoyable experience which combines quirky characters, a story wrapped in a bit of mystery, farming, fighting and taming monsters, crafting, and consuming unhealthy amounts of Recipe Bread. Fans of the series will enjoy their time in Rigbarth, though the series and its formula are starting to show their age.