Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Reviews
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life remains both an oddity and a gem, and is a must play for fans of the farming sim.
Returning to A Wonderful Life after 19 years is a comforting, warmly nostalgic experience. The colorful characters and climactic moments in Forgotten Valley stand the test of time, even if the mechanics and gameplay possibilities compare unfavorably to modern takes on the farming/life simulation model.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life brings one of the most beloved episodes of the franchise back to life, with new events and a revamped (albeit still old) presentation, but the lack of new features keeps this remake away from greatness.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Marvelous have worked their magic to give us another stellar remake from the high points of the series. A Wonderful Life puts forward a charming and unique tale that I can wholeheartedly recommend to anybody who never got to experience it all the way back in 2003.
Personally, I have enjoyed my time in Forgotten Valley and the experience of building a little family. While years can feel like they crawl by slowly, the progression you get to see as kids around the village get older and new people arrive in the valley is nice and satisfying to experience. I look forward to spending a lot more of my time in this sleepy little village.
A fun remake 20 years in the making
A Wonderful Life on the GameCube was perhaps the most perfect execution of the Harvest Moon (now Story of Seasons) ethos out of all in the long-running series. As such, it’s the one that also generates the strongest pathos. Heart-meltingly warm good-naturedness, mixed with a perfectly adequate remake make this wholesome masterpiece relevant all over again. With the state of the world being this lousy, these little escapes are more valuable than ever.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is not only a good remake, but a necessary one. Beloved by many long-time fans, it delivers a more dynamic and intuitive gameplay, along with the classic experience, delighting us once again with the journey of the cycle of life.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
I think it's a very good production because it has a basic goal of starting a family and owning your farm to manage this family. However, if we look at today's alternative games, it doesn't offer a different perspective and innovation. Especially for gamers who are sick of the genre, it is a production that can get bored quickly because they will not see innovation after a while.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
While it will delight fans of the genre, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life can be a somewhat slow experience despite all the virtues that accompany the title.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Back then and today, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a wonderful game that takes farming seriously while not getting on my nerves with our stuff. That's exactly what I like about it.
Review in German | Read full review
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life revives an original farming sim with faithful, thoughtful detail. The main mechanics are solid, the progression is enjoyable, and there is always something to do. It is a real shame the relationship mechanics didn’t feel more satisfying, as they are such a big part of the game, but all other aspects of the title are top-tier.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a farm sim that just doesn't feel like it's breaking too much new ground.
Compared to newer farming games Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is somewhat slow. This can lead to some frustrations, yet at the same time it gives you a sense of peace, something which is very welcome in today’s often rushed society. If A Wonderful Life had added more things to do, this slowness would’ve probably been a lot less noticeable. The characters, who are the heart and soul of the game, are the saving grace. They make you want to keep returning to Forgotten Valley.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a nostalgic plunge into the farming sim classic, successfully offering engaging gameplay and dynamic character interactions despite some narrative shortcomings. While its strong focus on the social aspects and improved game mechanics breathe life into the series, the somewhat bland character development and repetitiveness can hinder the immersive experience it aims to provide.
Twenty years since Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life first released on the GameCube, it’s disappointing that this modern reimagining is such a half-baked effort that’s considerably grind-inducing and disappointingly lacking in meaningful social interactions. Yes, A Wonderful Life has a beautiful and welcoming heart and presence, and the remake does do a serviceable job of updating a two-decade-old game for modern standards, and it can be a worthwhile and relaxing time if you aren’t so demanding for change. But there’s so much tedium to endure it’s hard to remain interested, especially when there are far more inviting alternatives out there.
After the recent success of the Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town remake back in 2019, it made nothing but sense to see Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life receive the same treatment. It’s a well-revered entry in the Harvest Moon franchise from the PS2 and GameCube days, and expectation has been high ever since its announcement.
Ultimately, STORY OF SEASONS: A Wonderful Life wasn’t as charming as I had hoped and imagined it would be. It did get some more charm added in when I got to the second chapter and started my family. Still, I don’t think this Bokujō Monogatari game aged as well as some others, it ended up being super average. It’s not at all a bad game, I enjoyed my time with it. Nonetheless, I think this is mainly one for fans who have that nostalgia for it and will be going back to an old fave. If you’re new to it like me and really want to try it out, I’d suggest waiting for at least a small sale.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life streamlines old elements of the most unique entry in the franchise and offers improvements to a game with plenty of focus on not just farming but also on family.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life likely deserves the praise it received back in 2004, but in 2023, bad decisions prevent history from repeating. Fortunately, a patch or two can address the bulk of my qualms. While I’m bewildered by the price increase, I reckon putting it on par with its former edition will bring the fun factor to its former self.