Doraemon Story of Seasons
- October 10, 2019
- Brownies Inc.
- 3h median play time
"Doraemon Story of Seasons" is a farming simulation game that combines the popular Doraemon franchise with the long-running Story of Seasons series. Players will help out around the town of Natura, building bonds with the residents and enjoying heart-warming interactions. In addition to farming, players can explore the town, go on adventures, and use Doraemon's gadgets to assist them in various activities. The theme of the game is creating connections and experiencing the unique story of each character.
Reviews
- Beautiful watercolor art style that enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
- Charming characters and a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic Harvest Moon games.
- Relaxing gameplay that allows players to unwind and enjoy farming without the pressure of combat or time constraints.
- Extremely long and unskippable introduction/tutorial that can take up to an hour before actual gameplay begins.
- Repetitive tasks and grinding can become tedious, especially with limited stamina and slow progression.
- Clunky controls and interface issues, particularly when using a keyboard and mouse, can hinder the overall experience.
- story267 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story in "Doraemon: Story of Seasons" is generally well-received, offering a charming and lighthearted narrative that blends elements from the beloved Doraemon franchise with classic farming sim tropes. While some players appreciate the engaging character interactions and beautiful visuals, others find the pacing slow and the dialogue excessive, particularly during the lengthy tutorial. Overall, the game is recommended for fans of both Doraemon and the Story of Seasons series, though it may not satisfy those seeking a more mature or streamlined narrative experience.
“The story is wonderful and lighthearted, the animations are smooth, and the voice lines (although they are in Japanese only) add to the charm.”
“It's such a wholesome theme being stranded in a picturesque watercolor world and then slowly building up trust and friendship with the various residents throughout the year, culminating in a heartwarming bond as the smaller plot lines converge into the main story.”
“The main storyline and other sub-stories are well written and heart-touching, making it a delightful experience for players.”
“After reading through 20 minutes of uninspired storytelling, I've ended up asking for a refund.”
“Endless unskippable dialogue that does not further any plot, only to get to simple gameplay with more repetitive dialogue with every action.”
“The storylines were all a bit flat and childish, and there are very limited dialogue options.”
- grinding169 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- -1 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of "Doraemon: Story of Seasons" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that the game can be excessively grindy, particularly in building relationships and upgrading tools. While some appreciate the slow-paced, relaxing nature of the gameplay, others find it tedious and frustrating, especially when compared to other farming simulations that offer more engaging mechanics. Overall, the game appeals to die-hard fans of the genre and the Doraemon franchise, but may deter those who dislike repetitive tasks and slow progression.
“You literally have to talk to every NPC every day and gift them items daily. That's the core gameplay, not the farming aspect. You don't even need to farm at all if you want to make money; it's ridiculous.”
“The grinding aspect really makes you feel connected to the world and its characters. Engaging with NPCs daily adds depth to the gameplay.”
“I love how the grinding encourages you to explore every corner of the game and interact with all the characters. It makes the experience feel rich and rewarding.”
“It has a friendship system, but even building your friendship with other villagers was a grind because it's really slow and tedious. You have to give a lot of perfect gifts to max friendship—166 or so perfect gifts for each villager to gain max heart, which is absolutely wild!”
“Walking speed was also way too slow. I played with cheats to increase game speed, and it felt better, but still a very slow, grindy game. The worst part is how most of the items are locked behind reputation with NPCs and weird cutscenes.”
“Getting the final tool upgrade requires a lot of grinding, and what you get hardly feels like it was worth the effort.”
- graphics110 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Doraemon: Story of Seasons" are widely praised for their charming watercolor art style, which evokes a nostalgic, hand-drawn aesthetic reminiscent of classic farming games. Reviewers highlight the visuals as one of the game's standout features, describing them as beautiful, cute, and well-suited to the game's relaxing gameplay and overall theme. While some critiques mention issues with gameplay mechanics, the consensus is that the graphics significantly enhance the game's appeal, making it visually delightful for players of all ages.
“The watercolor art style is lovely, and I wish there were more farming sim games with this kind of art style as it fits really well.”
“This game's visuals have their own aesthetic: they look like they are straight out of a hand-drawn, water-colored manga, and it is wonderful.”
“The graphics are beautiful; they look like watercolor paintings.”
“The graphics are cute, but the environment feels unrealistic; there is no splendid 2D art nor 3D art in this game, it feels like it was made for smartphones.”
“Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility and Animal Parade, games from the 00's, beat this game in every aspect by miles, even in the graphical one, especially if played in HD resolution.”
“Unfortunately, the beauty of the visuals cannot make up for the horrible, horrible controls.”
- gameplay67 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is heavily centered around social interactions, requiring players to engage with NPCs daily, often overshadowing the farming mechanics. While the game features familiar elements from the Harvest Moon series, such as farming, mining, and fishing, many players find the gameplay repetitive and the introduction excessively long, with some mechanics feeling shallow or poorly explained. Despite its beautiful visuals and nostalgic appeal, the overall experience can be marred by tedious tasks and a lack of depth in gameplay progression.
“The gameplay itself is relaxing, but it gets repetitive after a while; however, this game managed to keep me entertained and coming back for more.”
“The game perfectly blends the Harvest Moon gameplay with the Doraemon franchise, which can be seen in the story development and Doraemon's gadgets to make your farm life easier.”
“Super relaxing gameplay, with the best graphics and the best music among all the Story of Seasons games.”
“You literally have to talk to every NPC every day, gift them gifts every day; that's the core gameplay, not the farming aspect. You don't even need to farm at all if you want to make money; it's ridiculous.”
“40 minutes of skipping back-to-back cutscenes with zero gameplay in between them just to start the actual game.”
“The actual gameplay loop is a tedious sequence of tasks.”
- music63 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and cheerful soundtracks, enhancing the overall atmosphere and complementing the beautiful visuals. Many players find the soundtrack to be a standout feature, with some noting that it becomes even more enjoyable in the latter part of the game. However, a few users expressed frustration over the lack of audio options and the occasional high-pitched tones, which detracted from their experience.
“Music is also very lovely and is easily one of the best I've heard in any of the other Story of Seasons games I've played so far.”
“A masterful game that brings an incredible amount of nostalgia, joy, and relaxation - enjoy a gourmet of beautiful art, music, and storytelling.”
“The music is calming and it's somehow stuck in my head.”
“And is it just me or do some of the songs just put the player to sleep?”
“No sound options to begin... I want to stop the music... I can't.”
“The music is loud and the sound effects are constant and annoying.”
- emotional20 mentions
- 95 % positive mentions
- -10 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its heartwarming and bittersweet narrative, where players build meaningful relationships with endearing characters in a picturesque setting. Many reviews highlight the charm and depth of the storylines, evoking strong feelings, particularly during poignant farewell scenes. However, some players feel a lack of emotional investment due to tedious cutscenes and a perceived lack of significance in the overarching plot.
“It's such a wholesome theme being stranded in a picturesque watercolor world and then slowly building up trust and friendship with the various residents throughout the year, culminating in a heartwarming bond as the smaller plot lines converge into the main story.”
“Legitimately one of the most charming and heartwarming games that I have ever played.”
“I cried my eyes out during the goodbye scenes.”
“The storyline is incredibly dull and fails to engage the player emotionally, making it feel unimportant.”
“There is a lack of emotional depth in the characters, which makes it hard to connect with their journeys.”
“The game offers no emotional payoff, leaving players feeling empty and unfulfilled.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by soothing and cheerful soundtracks, complemented by good voice acting, which together create a vibrant and delightful environment. Players find the overall ambiance to be relaxing and friendly, enhancing the enjoyment of gameplay, even during repetitive tasks.
“🎵 Soothing and cheerful soundtracks that help enhance the atmosphere, along with good voice acting.”
“Although there are only a limited number of 3D models, the overall atmosphere feels vibrant and delightful.”
“The atmosphere is pretty relaxing, so you might find the grind enjoyable.”
- humor3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews on the humor aspect are mixed; some users find the jokes forced and unfunny, while others appreciate the humor as charming and enjoyable. Overall, the humor may not resonate with everyone, but it has its moments of delight.
“Very funny :)”
“Lovely and funny, so much!”
“Whoever wrote the seed description should have focused on wheat and grass being in all seasons instead of forcing unfunny jokes into the dialogues.”
“The humor in this game feels forced and falls flat, making it more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
“I expected clever wit, but instead, I was met with tired clichés and jokes that missed the mark completely.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally solid, with good performance on various hardware setups, though some users experience issues on lower-end systems, particularly with Intel graphics. While the art direction is praised, there are occasional frame rate dips attributed to inconsistent CPU and GPU clocks. Players report smooth controls and minimal bugs, enhancing the overall experience.
“Art direction is fantastic, performance is mostly solid.”
“Performance is great, game controls well with gamepad and so far I did not run into any bugs except the ones that spawn in the game.”
“For a 700MB+ game, this game shouldn't have problems on Intel graphics after toning down some effects.”
“For a game that exceeds 700MB, it's disappointing to encounter performance issues on Intel graphics, especially after reducing some effects. I'm playing on a Radeon Vega 8 mobile at 1080p, and I'm experiencing frame rate dips due to inconsistent CPU and GPU clocks.”
“The optimization is lacking; I expected better performance given the game's size. Even with settings toned down, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate.”
“It's frustrating to see such optimization issues in a game of this size. The performance drops are noticeable, and it feels like the developers didn't prioritize smooth gameplay.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is mixed; while some users report frequent crashes and bugs, others experience smooth performance without any issues.
“I haven't had any issues running the game; no glitches or lags.”
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes or performance drops.”
“I've experienced consistent stability throughout my gameplay sessions.”
“Buggy, often crashes.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the character development, highlighting the unique watercolor art style and intricate character designs that enhance the overall aesthetic of the game. The attention to detail in the environment, such as the cobblestone streets, further complements the characters' visual appeal.