Rune Factory 4 Special

Rune Factory 4 Special makes the jump to 2020 in amazing fashion by delivering the same amount of charm and great content in the original in a nicely upgraded package.

87%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, stability

91% User Score Based on 1,766 reviews

Critic Score 82%Based on 26 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Rune Factory 4 Special" is a life simulation RPG set in the dragon-ruled region of Selphia. Players can farm, fish, cook, and craft while building relationships with charming characters and taking part in seasonal events. New features include Newlywed Mode, additional difficulty options, and updated visuals, offering an enhanced experience for both new and returning players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+15

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,766 reviews

story160 positive mentions

grinding848 negative mentions

Engaging and immersive gameplay with a perfect blend of farming, combat, and RPG elements.
Rich character interactions and a lively town with plenty of dialogue and events.
Deep crafting and leveling systems that provide a sense of progression and customization.

Clunky controls and awkward keyboard/mouse setup that can hinder gameplay experience.
Randomized town events can make it frustrating to progress in relationships and story.
Graphics show their age and can appear blurry or poorly upscaled on larger screens.

grinding
858 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
99%
The grinding aspect in "Rune Factory 4" is a significant point of discussion among players, with many noting that while the game offers a rich blend of farming, combat, and crafting, it can also feel excessively grindy at times. Players appreciate the depth of the farming mechanics and the various skills to level up, but some express frustration over the repetitive nature of tasks and the time investment required to progress, particularly in combat and crafting. Overall, the game is seen as a rewarding experience for those who enjoy grinding, but it may not appeal to everyone due to its demanding nature.
- “There is no grinding for levels required like other JRPGs, as proper equipment is much more important.”
- “Even after a decade, it's still the epitome of its genre - I would love if more farming sims learned from this game.”
- “Many people will say the combat is the central feature, not the farming, but it would be deceptive to suggest the farming is neglected.”
- “The farming in this game is mind-blowing; it has so many layers that it will give you seizures and headaches if you put too much time into it, but if you don't put any time in, it punishes you harshly.”
- “The game is very grindy; you'll be spending a lot of time doing quests to boost your prince(ss) points so that you can unlock extra stuff.”
- “Farming is too simple, leveling is grindy as heck, and dating and marriage is near impossible to figure out (I've been looking at guides and how terrible the event system is).”
story
728 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
75%
3%
The story in Rune Factory 4 is characterized by its multiple arcs and engaging character interactions, though opinions on its quality vary widely. While some players appreciate the charming characters and emotional moments, others find the plot to be clichéd and the pacing uneven, particularly criticizing the anticlimactic ending. Overall, the game offers a blend of farming, combat, and narrative elements that can be enjoyable, especially for fans of the genre, but may require patience due to its grindy nature and reliance on story progression for unlocking content.
- “The story is genuinely so amazing it was one of the only things to ever make me cry.”
- “The story is lengthy as there are 3 arcs to the game, but they are really interesting and fun to go through.”
- “The characters and story in this unfortunately don't seem to be as interesting as in Rune Factory 3, but the improved game mechanics kinda makes up the difference.”
- “The story is mediocre at best, and painful at worst.”
- “The main plot falls into the trap of having no real, lasting consequences.”
- “I want to give this a 10 but the main story sucks in my opinion and the ending to it especially is very anticlimactic; however, I haven't had so much fun with a game in forever honestly.”
gameplay
266 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
63%
6%
The gameplay of Rune Factory 4 Special is praised for its depth and variety, combining farming, crafting, and RPG elements that create an engaging and addictive experience. However, players note that the game can be overwhelming due to its numerous mechanics and lack of clear tutorials, leading to a steep learning curve. While the core gameplay loop is enjoyable and immersive, some mechanics can feel clunky or poorly explained, which may detract from the overall experience for some players.
- “I've played RF1, 2, and 3, and after 120+ hours of RF4S gameplay, I can confidently consider RF4S the best in terms of content length, variety, and enjoyment.”
- “The gameplay is great and easy to pick up, but the game is far more complex than it lets on, with a crafting system that only gets more and more interesting as the game progresses, and lots of post-game content to do.”
- “Every villager is so likeable and the gameplay loop of farming, exploration, crafting, and boss fights never gets old, and only gets better as the game goes on.”
- “The amount of gameplay secrets the game doesn't tell you is pretty staggering, so if you're not a fan of discovery, experimentation, or generally need to have each and every trick laid out from the jump, you might have a bad time with this game.”
- “There are numerous problems that plague every decision the designers made when creating this game, and it's enough to make me wonder whether anyone actually tested some of the mechanics that made it into the full release.”
- “The characters are flat, the gameplay loop is extremely repetitive, and the port is poor at best.”
graphics
180 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
71%
13%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they are dated and reminiscent of early 2000s aesthetics, primarily due to its origins as a 3DS port. While some appreciate the charm of the upscaled visuals and find them endearing, others criticize the lack of significant graphical updates and the presence of glitches, describing the overall quality as subpar. Despite these criticisms, the game's art style and vibrant character designs have garnered some positive remarks, suggesting that while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they can still appeal to fans of the genre.
- “The map visuals and audio are superb - Sercerezo Hill's visuals and soundtrack will forever live rent-free inside my head.”
- “I love the visuals in this game.”
- “Vibrant and eye-catching graphics, with lively characters and world.”
- “The graphics are horribly janky.”
- “In theory they had upgraded the visuals, but everything is so blurry I found it jarring to look at the game.”
- “It's kind of wild that it actually exists at all; but it truly is barebones - the graphics are all horribly upscaled into smeary messes, the controls are wonky and there isn't really much to tweak or change.”
music
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
51%
6%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising its memorable and immersive quality that enhances the overall experience, particularly in specific areas like Sercerezo Hill and the autumn region. However, several users express frustration over the lack of volume control options, noting that the music can be excessively loud compared to dialogue, leading some to mute it entirely. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated for its charm and fitting atmosphere, technical issues and volume management detract from the enjoyment for some players.
- “The map visuals and audio are superb - Sercerezo Hill's visuals and soundtrack will forever live rent-free inside my head.”
- “The music is also generally great and very memorable, matching the environments well.”
- “The story is fantastic, the music is great, the characters are all very charming.”
- “The music is annoying and loud; I have to turn it down by other means than the game options.”
- “There is no way to lower or increase the volume of music or sounds.”
- “However, this is yet another really awful port that doesn't support fullscreen and has no options to change the volume (the music is awful - I would want to turn it off and put on my own) and no option to help skip through the copious amounts of unnecessary bad dialogue.”
humor
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its charming characters and witty dialogue, blending silliness with moments of seriousness to create an engaging experience. Players appreciate the over-the-top scenarios, such as an evil emperor and the humorous limitations on romance options, which add to the game's lighthearted tone. Overall, the character interactions and clever writing, including funny item descriptions and achievements, contribute to a delightful and memorable comedic atmosphere.
- “So much charm, so many lovable characters, very funny dialogue.”
- “There's an evil empire, an evil emperor trying to become god, defeating him using the power of friendship, etc... not only is this hilariously over-the-top for a farming game, it's also written like a baby's first Saturday morning cartoon.”
- “The story as it goes is simple, but the characters are so fun and their interactions with each other are so funny and heartfelt that you will soon grow very attached to them, for certain!”
emotional
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its simple yet heartfelt storyline, which resonates deeply with players, often leading to tears. Many reviewers describe the game as charming and wholesome, with engaging characters and interactions that foster attachment. While some find the additional content less impactful, the core narrative is praised for its ability to evoke strong feelings and create a memorable experience.
- “The story also made me cry.”
- “The storyline is pretty simple but heartfelt and also quite long.”
- “The story... I don't want to spoil anything, but I was so invested in the game that I cried.”
optimization
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
30%
20%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback; while some users report smooth performance and effective controls for mouse and keyboard, others criticize the user interface as poorly optimized for controllers. There are mentions of bugs, including crashes when returning to the title screen, and a general recommendation to wait for updates and bug fixes before purchasing. Overall, the game shows potential but requires further optimization to enhance the user experience.
- “Great optimization.”
- “It runs smoothly, and even fixes some bugs from the 3DS version, if I recall correctly.”
- “There is no lag, runs smoothly, and the controls make sense even for mouse and keyboard.”
- “The UI is atrocious and very obviously not optimized for a controller in any way, shape, or form.”
- “I recommend not getting this game until it gets some updates, optimization, and bug fixes.”
- “The only thing that bothers me is the performance.”
character development
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
Character development in the game is praised for being well thought out, incorporating elements of farming, dating, and an overarching plot that adds depth and suspense. However, some users feel that the character designs are less distinctive compared to previous titles, making it difficult to differentiate between characters. Overall, while the character development is strong, the design aspect has received mixed reviews.
- “Character development looks absurdly well thought.”
- “When I had trouble telling some of them apart when looking at their head icons on the map, that's when I knew the character designs in this game are just not as distinctive as RF3.”
- “Countless hours of gameplay, adventure, and character development.”
- “It has all the aspects of a Story of Seasons (or old school Harvest Moon) games with farming and dating, but it also has an overarching plotline with character development and suspense.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
The stability of RF3 Special is marred by numerous graphical glitches and bugs, leading to occasional freezes and hardlocks, particularly during character interactions. While some players report smooth performance on certain hardware, the game's hardlock to 90 fps can render it unplayable for others, significantly impacting the overall experience.
- “Otherwise, it runs great on my GTX 1660.”
- “Another big problem is that the game is very buggy.”
- “When the characters greet you they usually have something more to say but here it was just an exchange of 'hi (player).' 'hello arthur.' then after that the game freezes and I can't move the player.”
- “I may not have run into any crashes, fps drops, freezes, bugs, or really anything like that, but it does carry the problem of being hardlocked to 90 fps and being unplayable at that framerate because the game speed is tied to it.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game is praised for its high replayability, with players noting its endless potential for engagement and enjoyment. The challenging yet fair enemies and well-designed combat zones contribute to this aspect, although some players mention that replay value may diminish as they level up. Overall, the combination of a compelling story and diverse gameplay keeps players coming back for more.
- “This game feels endlessly replayable, and the fact that this game originally came out on a console I could fit in my pocket is still absolutely insane to me.”
- “Can't wait to see how many hours I sink into this game with nearly infinite replay value.”
- “Enemies are challenging without being frustrating (and visually are designed well), and the different combat zones have good replayability until you level too high.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers consistently express that the atmosphere of the game is captivating and immersive, leaving a strong impression on players.
- “The atmosphere just caught me.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers express concern that the game feels like a mobile port, retaining paywall elements while removing microtransaction options, which may detract from the overall experience.
- “At times, I felt as if the developers had taken a mobile game and ported it to PC while keeping the paywall elements and removing all the options for microtransactions.”
- “At times, I felt as if the developers had taken a mobile game and ported it to PC while keeping the paywall elements and deleting all the options for microtransactions.”

82%Critics’ scoreBased on 27 critic reviews

Buy Rune Factory 4 Special

150h Median play time

149h Average play time

36-300h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs

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