Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Reviews
Competition has gotten fierce within this sub-genre, yet Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is by far still a worthy addition to the landscape and is a faithful addition to the beloved franchise.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is one of the most ambitious games in the franchise, offering a solid farming sim and action RPG experience with meaningful improvements and customization.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a good time but comes off as a bland cozy anime game. It’s got heart, a likeable cast, and a world to get lost in for a while. It’s not the series’ best, nor does it outshine its contemporaries like Harvestella. It’s a game that swings big by leaning into combat, lands some hits, and stumbles on others. Azuma is a Rune Factory side game that is seemingly made for those who don't care for the farm life and want to wail on yokai with a sword.
It is clear that Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma has been crafted with passion and love of the long-running series. The breathtaking scenery, emotion-filled cutscenes and new elements focusing on being an earth dancer takes the beloved adventure-filled world in an exciting new direction that holds hope for more innovation in future titles.
This is the strongest entry in a beloved series, and made all the more special because, after the original developer of the series closed shop, it looked like the entire series was dead for several years. This is a pretty good statement that there’s still so much more that it can offer yet.
The farming and construction mechanics are designed for expedience and ease of use, exchanging realism for simplicity, a real bargain given the satisfying main story and likeable characters. Even the helper/partner Woolby ended up growing on me by the time I had rolled credits. Guardians of Azuma may do as much to spoil farming games as invite players to earlier Rune Factory entries, but it's a worthwhile dance that marches to the beat of its own, confident drum, and I'm hopeful we'll see more like it.
Overall, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a very solid spin-off of the franchise. It does a good job of capturing what makes the Rune Factory games enjoyable while throwing enough twists and turns into the mix that it doesn't just feel like Rune Factory 6. The town building is engaging enough that I worry that a Rune Factory without it might feel lacking now. The combat is solid but simple, and the cast is likable but not super special. Only the general poor performance drags down the game somewhat, but fans of the Rune Factory franchise should find a lot to like.
As a long-time fan of Rune Factory, I was pleasantly surprised by Guardians of Azuma's additions. The beautiful traditional Japanese setting, engrossing village-building mechanics, and increased transparency around relationships all come together to make for a great time. 🌸
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a pleasant surprise among the launch titles for the Nintendo Switch 2. Without revolutionizing the formula, it brilliantly rebalances the action-RPG and simulation components, while delivering a visually accomplished and narratively stronger adventure. Thanks to inspired art direction, an accessible but effective combat system, and flawless technical performance, the game breathes new life into the franchise. Fans of the series and newcomers alike will find it a rich, fluid, and enjoyable experience. After the disappointment of Rune Factory 5, this new chapter clearly puts the series back on track.
Review in French | Read full review
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma stands as a worthy successor, skillfully building upon the franchise's strengths while introducing exciting new features. A must-play for farming/life sim enthusiasts and RPG fans alike.
Review in Persian | Read full review
As one of the launch titles, it demonstrates right from the start, that the new Nintendo console will offer not only major productions but also smaller, high-quality games that will find a dedicated audience. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is one of them.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a big step forward for the series, making massive strides in both the production values and the way in which it has built upon the already vast number of systems with its compelling town-building hook. There is still room to grow and add a little more depth in both the combat and dungeon design, but as one part of a much bigger whole, the lack of significant growth in these areas doesn’t take away from the overall experience too severely. Whether you’re holding out for the Switch 2 version, or jumping in on Nintendo’s current hardware, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a feature-rich package that fans are likely to lose hundreds of hours to, while also serving as a tantalising taste of the direction the series may be headed in the future.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is such a wonderfully pure, energising game that has good, ecological messages and a cozy vibe, while also giving you plenty of action and layers of mechanics to sink your teeth into. With the management system of the villagers allowing automation to happen in the background, a rich story and cast with vast worlds to explore, there’s hours of enjoyable content here, whether you’re on the go or sat on your sofa. It’s found the perfect home on Switch 2.
"A lesson in why labor laws matter."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
The long story short is that, sure, it might have some issues, and the emphasis on battling might put some people off, but the sum of its parts is what really matters, and it’s great, very much worth your attention. There are small segments in between that do take away from the experience, but they’re simply not long enough segments, or often enough to take a massive amount away from the enjoyment of the game.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma revitalizes the franchise with its breezy charm, refined combat, and vibrant seasonal world. While the farming mechanics are simplified and the amnesiac plot feels stale, the game excels in building engaging relationships, offering strategic boss fights, and delivering a cozy sense of progression. It’s a polished blend of farming sim and action RPG—ideal for newcomers, though veterans might wish for deeper systems.
My gripes were minor and not game-breaking enough to tear me away. The story, pacing, activities, and even the superb voice acting that gives life to all of your friends and villagers alike are all expertly done and draw you in with magnificent ease. While Guardians of Azuma does a lot to mainstream much of what has come before, the seeds planted throughout previous entries nonetheless bloom here in radiant splendor.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma stays true to the DNA of the series, but brings noticeable improvements – especially in terms of comfort and accessibility. The fast leveling of relationships, the useful automation provided by the villagers, and the pleasantly fluid combat system make for a motivating gaming experience. The combination of farming, role-playing, and village life is successful and allows enough freedom without being overwhelming. A few minor stumbling blocks, such as the awkward placement of buildings and a somewhat old-fashioned menu design, prevent the game from achieving the highest rating, but they hardly detract from the positive overall impression. Technically, the game runs smoothly, the English voice acting is solid, and Azuma as a world invites exploration and creativity. For fans of farming RPGs looking for a fresh but familiar experience, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is definitely worth recommending.
Review in German | Read full review
Although there are several aspects of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma that may be improved, such as the cooking mechanisms, small settlements, and the occasional bloat in the skill tree, these are small issues in a polished and charming game. In addition to being a fantastic Rune Factory game, Guardians of Azuma offers an original and innovative approach to the farming role-playing game genre.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma reshapes the series with better structure, improved combat, and satisfying village building. Farming takes a step back, but there’s still plenty to do between quests, upgrades, and relationship building. A few pacing issues and simple AI hold it back slightly, but the overall experience feels more complete than past entries.