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Rune Factory: Frontier is the first game in the Rune Factory series to appear on Wii, and is a followup to the first two games that were popular on Nintendo DS. While the developer, Marvelous, has said that this is no longer a part of the Harvest Moon series, the game is, for all intents and purposes, a Harvest Moon game with a fantasy twist. Players assume the role of a character named Raguna (though you can name your hero whatever you like) who has lost his memory. Through a series of events, players are given the run of a farm, and what follows after is an unusual mix of farm life and action RPG dungeon exploration. visuals Graphically, this game is quite stunning. Like many RPGs, Rune Factory Frontier has a lot of beautiful landscapes; everything is full of color. The different denizens of Tripoli are decked out in a large array of multi-colored outfits that seem to fit each of their different personalities well. Players will not be disappointed by anything to see here as this is one of the better looking games on Wii to date. audio The audio in the game is also not going to disappoint. The main theme playing in the over world is a soothing, folk guitar-style melody. Each dungeon has its own tune, as does every character's home. Nothing seems out of place. Everything feels appropriate to its location. Many of the story-centric conversations have small amounts of voice work that are done quite well. However, no conversation is voiced all the way through, which is a bit of a letdown, but what is there is solid. gameplay If you are a fan of the Harvest Moon series, you know, in part, what to expect. Players begin the game with almost nothing except basic farming tools and a single packet of turnip seeds. From there, the hero begins life as a farmer, trying to rejuvenate the town. Each day goes by at approximately one minute for every one second of real time. As players go along, they begin interacting with various townsfolk and more elements of the story open up. Talking to everyone early and often is critical, as some of the essential items you need are only available through these conversations.  The twist in the Rune Factory series -- as opposed to the traditional Harvest Moon farming formula -- is that you can also explore dungeons. Items found in these dungeons are necessary to gain different items that help on the farm. You can also tame many of the monsters in these dungeons to help you do work around your farm, making that part of the game a little easier. The tamed pets can even come along and help fight alongside Raguna in the dungeons.
As with any Harvest Moon game, you also have the option to marry one lucky lady in town. There are about fifteen girls to choose from, and each one has different things she likes and dislikes. Knowing these things is key in deciding which lady to marry. Raguna is controlled with either the Wii Remote/Nunchuck combo or via Classic Controller style. Using the Wii remote/nunchuk configuration allows players to do certain actions by swinging the remote, though this is not necessary and is actually not told during in-game directions. Classic controller style gives a more retro feel if you've been a fan of the series for many years, though motion control is obviously not available in this control scheme. Basic actions are performed with the A button and a radial menu can be pulled up by hitting the minus button. This will come in quite handy when players have a lot of items in their inventory to juggle, as said items can be easily assigned to one of the radial menu's slots and are easy to switch between.  Raguna's in-game stats are handled with a health bar and a rune points bar. Performing different actions uses rune points. If players run out of rune points, the actions can still be performed, though they cost some health to do so. Run out of health and it's off to the infirmary for most of the day. Players can replenish health points and rune points by sleeping, eating different items or taking a bath. As for Raguna's item-specific skills, the more an object's used, the higher his skill level rises with that item. This experience boost is relevant when tools and weapons are being upgraded, as each will have a prerequisite skill level before they can be used. Higher skill levels makes items easier to use and they will take fewer rune points, meaning Raguna can work at different jobs for longer periods of time before becoming tired. multiplayer N/A overall Rune Factory Frontier is a must-have for fans of Harvest Moon or fans of RPGs in general. There is enough of both gameplay styles to keep players of both genres happy. Furthermore, the two styles prove complementary to each other rather than detrimental. If a player, for example, finds the day-to-day chores of farming to be onerous, they can venture into a dungeon. If players aren't big fans of RPGs, then they can focus more on farming. The choice is theirs.
Many people will say that farming sims are the same experience over and over. While that may have been true with the main Harvest Moon series, Rune Factory's addition of RPG elements has given the sub-genre a welcome change that many will enjoy.
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