Rune Factory 4 Special

91%
Game Brain Score Based on 883 reviews
  • grinding
  • story
  • gameplay
Rune Factory 4 Special Game Cover
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"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.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

91%
Audience ScoreBased on 883 reviews
story80 positive mentions
grinding424 negative mentions
  • Engaging and immersive gameplay with a perfect blend of farming, combat, and crafting mechanics.
  • Rich character interactions and a lively town with plenty of dialogue and events.
  • Multiple story arcs and a variety of activities to keep players entertained for hundreds of hours.
  • The PC port suffers from clunky controls and a lack of proper keyboard and mouse support.
  • Randomized town events can hinder progress, especially for marriage and story progression.
  • Graphics show their age, with some textures appearing blurry due to upscaling from the original 3DS version.
  • grinding429 mentions

    The grinding aspect of "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 variety of activities available, but some express frustration with the repetitive nature of leveling up skills and completing quests, which can slow down progression. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy a mix of RPG elements and farming simulation, but potential players should be prepared for a substantial time investment.

    • “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 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.”
    • “I used to like this game until I realized how much grinding was required to progress the story.”
    • “Farming takes way too long to progress since the game forces you to progress the story and beat certain areas of the dungeons to be able to unlock tool upgrades and to be able to purchase more land and features related to farming.”
  • story364 mentions

    The story in Rune Factory 4 is characterized by its multiple arcs and engaging character interactions, though opinions on its quality vary. While some players find the narrative charming and emotionally resonant, others criticize it for being cliché and anticlimactic, particularly towards the end. Overall, the game successfully blends farming, combat, and storytelling, appealing to fans of the genre despite some frustrations with pacing and quest mechanics.

    • “The story is genuinely so amazing it was one of the only things to ever make me cry.”
    • “The story is quite engaging, but this ultimately comes from the engaging and fun characters more than anything else.”
    • “It has a really well thought out story with multiple arcs to play through, interesting characters who are all fun to talk to and have tons of dialogue, super fun gameplay mechanics and combat is actually satisfying.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay133 mentions

    The gameplay of Rune Factory 4 Special is praised for its depth and variety, combining farming, crafting, and RPG elements in an engaging loop that keeps players invested for hundreds of hours. While the mechanics are intricate and rewarding, many players note that the game lacks clear tutorials, leading to confusion about certain systems. Overall, it offers a charming experience with a strong focus on character interactions and exploration, though some find the gameplay can become repetitive over time.

    • “The gameplay is awesome, characters are interesting and have a wide range of dialogue.”
    • “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.”
    • “This game is such a treat with so many lovable characters, an excellent farming system and monster taming system, an engaging story and gameplay that's challenging and rewarding at the same time.”
    • “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.”
  • graphics90 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they reflect the game's origins as a 3DS title, resulting in a dated aesthetic that may not appeal to everyone. While some appreciate the charming, oil painting-like art style and find it endearing, others criticize the upscaled visuals for being blurry and janky, with various graphical glitches. Overall, the graphics are seen as a significant aspect of the game's identity, but they may deter players seeking modern visual fidelity.

    • “It's been a special kind of healing to play a game that has a strong early-2000s aesthetic identity and modern quality of life sensibilities.”
    • “The map visuals and audio are superb - Sercerezo Hill's visuals and soundtrack will forever live rent-free inside my head.”
    • “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.”
    • “The graphics have also been AI upscaled, which gives everything an odd, smudged look.”
  • music54 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its memorable and immersive quality that complements the environments well. However, players express frustration over the lack of volume control options, leading to issues with music being too loud compared to dialogue. While some find the soundtrack incredible and a highlight of the game, others describe it as repetitive or forgettable, particularly in certain areas.

    • “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 music, the art, all of it combines to really flex just how much love can be poured into a game by a dev team who cares.”
    • “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.”
  • humor18 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its charming characters and witty dialogue, blending silliness with moments of seriousness effectively. Players appreciate the over-the-top scenarios, such as an evil empire plot, and find the character interactions and item descriptions to be genuinely funny. The game also includes clever achievements and light adult humor, contributing to an overall enjoyable and memorable comedic experience.

    • “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 characters are chock full of dialogue, references, and funny quirks.”
  • emotional16 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its heartfelt and wholesome storytelling, which resonates deeply with players, often leading to tears. While some find the additional content less impactful, the core narrative and character interactions are praised for their charm and ability to foster attachment, making it a memorable experience for those who appreciate emotional depth in gaming. Overall, the game is described as a blend of simplicity and emotional richness, evoking strong feelings and connections.

    • “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.”
  • optimization10 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed feedback. While some users report smooth performance and effective controls, particularly for mouse and keyboard, others highlight significant issues such as a poorly designed UI for controllers and consistent bugs that can lead to crashes. Recommendations suggest waiting for updates and bug fixes to improve the experience further.

    • “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.”
    • “The only thing that bothers me is the performance.”
    • “I recommend not getting this game until it gets some updates, optimization, and bug fixes.”
  • character development8 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its depth and integration with the overarching plot, reminiscent of classic farming and dating simulations. However, some players find the character designs less distinctive compared to previous titles, leading to confusion in identifying characters. Overall, while the character development is well-executed, the design aspect has received mixed feedback.

    • “Character development looks absurdly well thought out.”
    • “It has all the aspects of a Story of Seasons (or old school Harvest Moon) game with farming and dating, but it also has an overarching plotline with character development and suspense.”
    • “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.”
    • “Character development looks absurdly well thought.”
  • stability7 mentions

    The stability of RF3 Special is marred by several graphical glitches and bugs, leading to issues such as character interactions being limited and occasional freezes. While some players report smooth performance without crashes or significant frame rate drops, the game is hindered by a problematic 90 fps cap that affects gameplay speed, making it unplayable for some. Overall, the game exhibits a mix of stability issues that detract from the 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.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    The game is praised for its high replayability, with players noting its engaging combat, well-designed enemies, and compelling story that encourage multiple playthroughs. Many express excitement about the potential for countless hours of gameplay, highlighting the balance between challenge and enjoyment.

    • “This game feels endlessly replayable, and the fact that it 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 the different combat zones have good replayability until you level too high.”
    • “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
    • “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
    • “The repetitive gameplay mechanics diminish any potential for replay value.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly captivating and immersive, leaving a strong impression on players.

    • “The atmosphere just caught me.”
    • “The game's ambiance is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of the world.”
    • “Every sound and visual detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that lingers long after playing.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Reviewers express that the monetization strategy feels reminiscent of mobile games, with paywall elements retained in the PC version, but without the option for microtransactions, leading to a sense of frustration regarding the game's financial model.

    • “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.”
    • “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without constantly being bombarded by prompts to spend money.”
    • “It seems like the game was designed with monetization in mind first, leaving gameplay and player experience as an afterthought.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

150hMedian play time
149hAverage play time
36-300hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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