Harvestella Review (PC, also on Switch) | Backlog Battle

I have a lot to say about Harvestella, and you'd be surprised with what I've got to say about it! Watch my spoiler-free review and find out if this is a perfect entry point to farming RPGs for you!
Thanks to Square Enix for providing this game code!
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#harvestella #squareenix #jrpg #harvestmoon #runefactory #finalfantasy #nonbinary

[@BacklogBattle]

Like what you've seen? Buy it here and support the channel! Console (physical): amzn.to/3xu7O3M PC: greenmangaming.sjv.io/EaBOnP

[@dra6o0n]

You can get the OST only from Square Enix directly it seems. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6q3p2qepLRnZsk Eventually it'll get distributed over time on Soundcloud maybe, but only if interests holds, a lot of reviews kinda scares away people from digging deeper. Oh and Go Shiina worked on God Eater series and Ace Combat series for music tracks.

[@bigeasy89]

Awesome review. Currently playing, and enjoying, this title right now on the Switch. Story is amazing, characters are relatable, visual style is nostalgic, OST that hits all the right notes. Only negative are the minor edges that could have been smoothed out through quality control had this title gotten a little more support. This is definitely a hidden gem more people should give a chance.

[@sdw4527]

Really appreciate you giving an actual fair chance at this game unlike the majority of reviewers so far! There's far too much negative reception right now regarding this game due to it not being like other farming sims or other full fledged RPG experiences. It's not trying to be either, it really is its own thing. It blends many aspects from both genres into 1 game and as an overall package, I think it works extremely well. It's honestly very quickly became one of my favorite games this year which is a huge surprise considering how much I loved Triangle Strategy and XC3. The soundtrack is phenomenal and as crazy as it sounds, might be my favorite this year.

[@bngbox]

I just don’t understand how you have so few subs. You’re so thorough with your reviews and you’re now my go-to reviewer for RPGs because you make reviews for RPG fans and view games as one yourself!

[@dra6o0n]

I have nearly 30 hours to the game and is on Chapter 6 now, basically, this game can become quite hard if you rush it. Your stats matter, how you 'engage' in combat matters. Enemies hits way harder than your stats and handle as the level increases, so prepared to get one shotted if you rush and enter lv40+ territory. Field 'mobs' aren't a threat but can whittle you down bit by bit if you underestimate them, in later dungeons they resist some attacks and takes longer to die hence dishes out more damage namely AT YOU rather than your allies, so you better have ways to kill em fast before they focus spam skills/spells endlessly or run away past them to get to the next checkpoint, to conserve items for the boss fight. Imagine walking up to three lv40 fire elemental but you didn't equip a mage job but is a lv40-50 character? You still gotta take like 5-10 seconds to kill each enemy with physical damage, of which they have free time to spam Fire magic instantly at you from each of them over and over again. Only you. Sure they are dead, but now you gotta use up a healing item to heal up and regain stamina if you spammed skills to AoE them. Do this enough times and you run out of items for the boss fight. Welp, back to the farm. Oh I hope you like dungeon gimmicks. Castle of Illusion is gonna be great for you~ All in all, 100% this game will take you more than 100 hours most likely depending on your playstyle.

[@lunasteelmaster2799]

As someone who loved Rune Factory on the DS, I enjoy Final Farmer Fantasy XIV a lot more.

[@BacklogBattle]

I was just replying to another comment saying that if I only had a Switch and had a choice between Rune Factory 5 and Harvestella, I wouldn't bat an eyelid and choose Harvestella instead.

[@dra6o0n]

It definitely has a lot of influence from FF14, especially cutscene dialogue choices where it doesn't change the game narrative at all, but you get odd 'quips' from your protagonist against the nature of other characters and can sometimes get weird responses from them. Not to the level where you say "Yes mother" to Y'shtola though... And getting a death stare from her. Also this game is self-aware. "My Meme has infected you" or "Same goes for you, too, tutorial" And you go "What?"... I think the localization team is having fun with the script.

[@Road_to_Dawn]

@@BacklogBattle I appreciate this comment! I actually had been trying to decide between RF5 and Harvestella, and then I saw Dr Cullen gave a decidedly-less-than-stellar impression on RF5 as well, so this pretty much seals the deal for me

[@leadersumin]

Your reviews have gotten me back into playing games regularly after a longer break, so thank you! I love watching them and discovering new games 🤗

[@BacklogBattle]

Thank you so much! I'm glad that my videos got you back into games! I hope to do this for others as well!

[@kaylah3566]

I played the demo twice. I didn't really enjoy my first time playing the demo but after coming back and understanding the combat/buttons for it, it was so fun. I personally don't think it's a $60 game and will be waiting on a sale for it tho.

[@dra6o0n]

The demo actually does the opposite and hurts the game branding and themes a ton. Because Chapter 1-2 is only like 5-10% of the whole game.

[@Nero7441]

I tried the demo today on switch and i'm still on the fence with this one. Didn't entice me.

[@Anni_ka]

It's been such a wild ride with this game. First there was a huge amount of hype and excitement, and eventually a huge letdown as the reviews rolled in. I'm just glad I've been hyped responsibly™️, cause while too expensive for me right now, I'll happily add this to my backlog on a decent sale. Your review just confirmed this opinion, in the sense that despite its flaws it's a fun game! And I understand the frustration some have with the lack of customisation options, but there's plenty of games that give you a bland af/silent (and let's be honest, very often only male) main character without options to change anything...so I'm probably easily satisfied by the most basic customisation options 😅

[@BacklogBattle]

I've been thinking about where these customization complaints come from, and when I think about it, it ain't coming from people who play farming RPGs! There's very limited customization in games in this genre, and I even booted up Rune Factory 5 to confirm this. Heck, for that one, you can only pick your gender!

[@Anni_ka]

@@BacklogBattle I think the Story of Seasons games, as well as a lot of indies give you more options though (at least nowadays), so maybe it's coming more from that side? Cause people from JRPGs should also be used to little to no character customisation. And unfortunately, I think the very feminine male character might also not help things (at least in the West)...

[@CambreyGoG]

Excellent review. I'm currently playing the game, the side stories and quests are pretty good. Farming is just as good as, if not better than the typical farming games.

[@BacklogBattle]

Thanks for the comment! Glad to hear you're enjoying it! :D

[@Nekopon]

Thank you for the thorough feedback, I'm looking forward to playing Harvestella after your review!

[@BacklogBattle]

Hope you enjoy it! I hope you really like the story and characters!

[@PhoenIXPhantasies]

Yesss! This is right up my alley. An RPG with farming elements. I love both genres so much!

[@BacklogBattle]

Yay! I think they nailed it with this one!

[@Aurelyn]

My favorite genre is "gain skill points to unlock new abilities and earn money to upgrade my home" and there are not enough games in this genre.

[@teddycheddar1114]

I’m glad this turned out better than the demo would have had me believe. I wish those visuals on Switch had improved, but oh well. Great review as always!

[@BacklogBattle]

I think it’s still worth playing! I certainly would spend the full price to get it on Switch again!

[@tiagoferreira4836]

I'm really enjoying this game and completely agree with you. Alot of people were expecting this to be the next great farming sim while in reality its a great storytelling arpg with farming mechanics. The side quests are also an emotional roller-coaster. Looking at you Milika 😅

[@BacklogBattle]

I just saw the name and had immediate flashbacks LOL

[@treethan9205]

Amazing channel I just found. I really want a Steam Deck eventually and tbh I’m waiting to get Harvestella when I get a Deck!

[@BacklogBattle]

Harvestella runs amazing on it! I'm thinking of making a video on it this week, hopefully!

[@xavvvorg4653]

The music is amazing!! Namea Town is my personal favorite but they are all great tbh.

[@BacklogBattle]

I honestly don’t know which songs are my favorites! There’s so many!

[@sukamadik5983]

Your videos are the seeds and your fans/subscribers are the harvest.

[@JamesBantz]

I love this!

[@arikari3672]

Many complain about the price, but it's a long game, I've heard even if you're focused on story it's around 60 hours, si for me that covers the quantity for the price. The side quests are refreshing and have even follow up and cutscenes, they're not only fetch this or that. The story is great, adds it's own depth past chapter 3, i think a point that would be amazing is that they add some post game content, I've heard there's no NG+, i don't know if it's true tough, and voice acting. The music is used in a interesting way, i really didn't expect that the Egg dungeon had a very sad-nostalgic and emotional touch, until you see the story of that place and the diary notes scattered around.

[@msmellowmood84]

This was a wonderful review. Thank you.

[@BacklogBattle]

You’re welcome!

[@valmontdraconus]

The art style and everything won me over the day it was revealed. Definitely had some old school Final Fantasy vibes. It was a day 1 purchase for me. Got my copy on Switch and it's staying sealed until i beat Xenoblade chronicles 3. I'm like 180 hours in and right before the final battle. Tried the fight once and died. I've ended up taking a little break from it the last 2 weeks (blame Modern Warfare 2). Before i took the break i spent some time leveling up characters and classes

[@BacklogBattle]

It’s such a good game to follow up Xenoblade 3! Very chill despite its dire tones!

[@roymu7]

Thank you for the comprehensive, excellent review Alex! It put to rest some of my concerns with the common, and I feel somewhat unwarranted, criticisms of the game. No, it's not trying anything new in both it's farming and RPG elements, but those elements combined make for a refreshing, yet comfy and familiar game, with a nice story to boot.

[@BacklogBattle]

Exactly! Sometimes, people can get really obsessed with seeking innovation in games that it's easy to miss out on what is, obsensibly, a really good game!

[@MrSupersmash93]

I hope that Harvestella and Diofield chronicles gets the chance to improve.

[@BacklogBattle]

For sure. I hope Square Enix keeps trying to improve these!

[@Michael-th5od]

My Time in Harvestella, I mean My Time in Portia, I mean... Harvest Moon. :)

[@THICCpikachu]

Finished the demo, bought the game. I'm exited to play this on a upcoming ✈️

[@BacklogBattle]

Ooo! This is a good game to play while traveling on a plane!

[@dagger_cat]

Glad to see a positive review! I put off buying this despite being excited for it because of all the negative reviews. I just got it as a gift and while I'm only in the middle of chapter 3, I'm having a great time. I'm surprised about so many criticisms re: lack of voice acting/character customization... maybe it's because I'm a bit older and grew up with PS1 games, but stuff like that doesn't really faze me. I keep thinking that it feels like a remastered 3DS game, but that's not a complaint. I can understand why it wouldn't be for everyone, but there's definitely an audience out there for it!

[@lyra6529]

Got this today, i am waiting my switch to try.

[@BacklogBattle]

Hope you enjoy!

[@smgofdvld]

game looks interesting but I'll wait on a good sale 😁 keep up the good work

[@dra6o0n]

It's actually a 50 hour 9 Chapters main story game with brutally punishing combat in the late game... The youtuber only got to Chapter 3B in the video clips I think... Chapter 4 - 9 is where the 'real' fight starts, and a test of your stamina and time efficiency.

[@Oburi7]

Thank you so much I was really looking forward to this video Relaxing farming games and JRPGs are my favorite types of games so I will buy this game in the future

[@Awsomegoku]

i've only played about the first 5 hours of harvestella so far but i like it. its easy for me to manage so far while getting a nice Jrpg story out of it so thats good.

[@HDAD419]

ngnl the story so far is what got me hooked on this game

[@shadowX50]

I think you were the first person I watched for the demo so I thought I came back for your full review. Honestly this was more of an impulse purchase for me. I bought it thinking it would be fun but I have seen people's thoughts on the demo so I became really on the fence. This video at least makes me want to give it a try. I really shouldn't have taken some early reviews so seriously.

[@BacklogBattle]

You definitely should! I think you’ll enjoy it a lot! Will look for your reply whenever you get around to it!

[@more_UO_memes]

Wow, that really looks much much better on PC than on Switch. I don’t have powerful PC though, so Switch will be my only choice of platform for this one.

[@BacklogBattle]

Have you checked the requirements?

[@more_UO_memes]

@@BacklogBattle Yes, thank you. Unfortunately my PC won’t be able to run the game any better than the Switch. Should be even worse. It’s a machine from 2013. :/

[@BacklogBattle]

That’s too bad. I don’t think playing it on Switch is bad though. Like I said in the review, I’d be willing to play through it again on that platform if I had the time! lol

[@KazeVongola]

I'm honestly really interested in almost everything in this game: the story, the world building, the characters, the artstyle all seem very alluring to me, but there's one major problem... I HATE farming/crafting, they feel like chores and unlike the Atelier games which I can get trough in a relatively timely manner even with the alchemy component, Harvestella seems to be an incredibly long game, likely making it feel even longer if said farming/crafting takes up a large portion of the game, as its name suggests. So as much as I'd like to play this game, its probably not for m- "and a masterful soundtrack by Go Shiina" Aaand SOLD!

[@Road_to_Dawn]

5:10 Off the top of my head, I think you’re talking about the final boss of Sohr Kai? I know it was one of those later Heavensward ones lol Harvestella sounds great. I think this may be a great game to play to chill with after Xenoblade 3

[@BacklogBattle]

YES!

[@Revealingstorm.]

I've heard some divisive things about the game. Nice to see a positive review

[@BacklogBattle]

A lot of what I've found after releasing this nitpicked the heck out of the game primarily because of its price point. Those same reviews are going to get outdated whenever the price drops LOL

[@hickorydickoryhk]

@@BacklogBattle Unfortunately, due to biases and narrow-mindedness, far too many things get picked to death or trampled these days instead of appreciated for the effort put into them and the potential for fun and enjoyment as well as the beauty they contain. Likewise, thank you for the fair and positive review. This game has been an instant purchase for me since the moment I laid eyes on it and I’ve never been disappointed by the demo or anything I’ve seen or heard from it 👌🏻. It just looks and feels lovely ✨.

[@BacklogBattle]

@hickorydickoryhk thank you for the wonderful compliments! Glad that you’re enjoying the game! It’s so good!

[@Revealingstorm.]

@@BacklogBattle I find that happens a lot for undervalued games. Reviewers focus too much on the price point and years after the fact ill check a review and skip over a hidden gem because of the game getting demoted points because said price point that doesn't apply anymore

[@Brandon667x1]

The music sounds amazing! Definitely a game on my radar. Trying to relieve my backlog a little. I’m still working on Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Then God of War will hit. 😅

[@BacklogBattle]

Definitely a lot of games out there to play!

[@MrDarksol]

I may not be that interested in this game, especially due to my time of the demo not being the best experience in the world, at least it gave my friend telling me that there is a character complaining about how cold it is, so she then proceeded to dress in something that made her look like she should be getting even colder lol. At least you CAN date the hot nurse in this game unlike in Rune Factory but I don't know I still prefer that series. However, I will give Square Enix the benefit of the doubt since it is an interesting take on the farming genre and maybe it would get other people into this style of gameplay. Good review as usual Alex!

[@BacklogBattle]

I found that Harvestella's story is a lot easier to get into. And given the choice between this and Rune Factory 5, I'll probably choose this over that other game.

[@MrDarksol]

@@BacklogBattle Yeah this plays WAY better and makes more sense then RF5, which would make the Rune Factory fan a bit jealous about that since I was SO excited for 5 that is until word of a Rune Factory 3 Special was announced soon so here is hoping that will be a good rerelease.

[@TheNerd]

Personally I think that Harvestella is a very interesting Game and I really would like to play it, but the price tag on release is a bit on the "Square Enix release" side. I definetly gonna pick this one up when it's on sale, It looks like a good game, but I feel the Tripple A price tag is a bit much. How many hours does it take to complete it? PS: As always: Great review. Loved it 🙂

[@UndeadGuardian1]

Thanks for the review Alex, it is appreciated. :) I was excited for this, but I'm waiting to see if it gets a PlayStation port later on. Maybe that will fix the performance issues on Switch. :) It's not like we're lacking in choice for the farming sim genre, so I'm really looking forward to Rune Factory 3 next summer.

[@BacklogBattle]

I don’t know if I’ll pick up RF3 next year, but if Harvestella does arrive on PS4, I highly recommend it!

[@crissepiroth]

Dude I've been playing I think for 20 hours.. Some side quests get me emotional is amazing. The music iss pff gives me such joy I couldn't expect but I was really attracted by this idk why and I m glad I'm playing it. I'm addicted, I don't want to stop even if my eyes hurt 👀😵😍😂

[@BacklogBattle]

The Nemea story and Milika’d side quest still get me 😭

[@crissepiroth]

@@BacklogBattle I knoowwwww

[@kathycleary9972]

I'm enjoying this game, the dungeons i am struggling with at times. I like the farming and fishing.

[@JustJulyo]

Whoa! It's that highly recommended?!

[@seanbcusack]

love the game overall (still in ch6), only a few nits need to be addressed, either patched or in a sequel that i hope they really do make - need a dodge and/or block - enemies with ranged attacks should not just instantly damage you, it feels unfair, give me a projectile to dodge or just use the aoe indicators consistently - processed or cooked foods should sell for more than a pittance above the materials they're made of - processing foods should come from your stock not just your bag, as you mentioned - a few raw materials are just too much of a pain to collect, there should have been some more concentrated "farming" points for critical things needed by recipes - i'm looking at you, simple monolite fragments that i need a bajillion of for all my lvl2 sprinklers! - there's a lot of problems with the quest log - it doesn't show inn-recipes or rare fish, and it's confusing to tell what's an active quest or something you've already done however, these things aside, this game is everything i wish rune factory games would have been, it feels like a mana game mixed with some atelier tropes, and that's good on all fronts

[@brutaljustin1349]

I would say that Stardew Valley is still my favorite PURE farming sim, but it's gonna be hard to go back to Rune Factory after this.

[@Hayseed1976]

Looks awesome. Hope it comes to the ps4.

[@BacklogBattle]

I have a good feeling it might!

[@tylerdohoney1544]

The battle system reminds me of a watered down Xenoblade 2/3 system and I mean that in a good way.

[@YourLocalCopiumDealer]

Yes, I love to play a wholesome game. Harvestella; genocide A or genocide B, you choose. Me; harvest carrots!

[@TiduLimar]

The demo was mediocre for me. I saw potential, but both the RPG elements and also the farming elements felt halfbaked, or rather basic, so while I enjoyed the story, I wasn't sure about the long time fun. I think I may give it another go but with no priority to when (i've recently started 2 backlog games), since people that played it, not only you are praising it. I mean, if the gameplay is just "fine" for me, the story could carry it if it's that good.

[@BacklogBattle]

I think that’s why I saw it more the other way around, as an action game with farming and crafting. This is a company with barely any experience in the genre, and I felt that this approach better suited them based on what they know rather than having to learn and innovate in a new genre. Sometimes it’s ok to just make a good game, which I feel it is once you get passed the limits of the demo. These games tend to demo poorly, so I’m glad I took a chance.

[@JimHamiltonIII]

Great review! However (not your fault) it still looks terrible, even on PC. PC should be far, far superior to accommodate for (possibly) vastly more powerful hardware. That the game still looks this fuzzy when you're playing on (your Omen?) laptop / PC suggests they didn't put sufficient effort into the port. For your review, it might have been helpful to include PC settings and control schemes, like navigating the settings screens, just so we can see, rather than just talking about it. Character customization seems nearly non-existent. At that point, why even bother? Pursuing fruition of relationships only after the main story seems silly and poorly countenanced. If it's in part a "relationship simulator," it should be integrated into the story as logic would suggest. Having it available only after the main story suggests the feature was just tacked on. I was going to pick it up when it was on sale, but now probably not based on this review. Although some of the art style is well done, overall, the game is underwhelming. I'd say buy RF5 instead, but it has its own issues, especially on Switch. I have PC, and it runs fine there. Regrettably, I think Harvestella is a pass, unless substantially discounted.

[@JagerLionhunter]

Another one for the backlog. There's too much games releasing from November to February 😭

[@thejonbrownshow8470]

Graphics wise, low key reminds me of tales of arise

[@BacklogBattle]

I can see why you’d say that

[@instanthorror]

I hope they bring it to ps5

[@BacklogBattle]

If they port it on PlayStation platforms, it’ll likely be on PS4. Doesn’t really warrant a PS5 version given that it’s meant to run on a variety of platforms

[@sonictelephone1526]

To each their own and I'm not bashing anyone - whatever you like. But still, can't get my head around how someone has fun doing digital Crop farming 🤔

[@BacklogBattle]

That's challenging to answer. I think for me, I've always love making things, so being able to craft something that I can use or to sell appeals to me. I personally dislike farming or even growing plants in real life. But in games, it's very low stakes.

[@Qubicle.]

Rune Default

[@KaiSaeren]

I think this is a good game, so far Iv had fun with it, it is well written and itneresting, but oh my god does the main character look dumb, the absolute lack of character customization aside, what is with the stupid clothing, seriously short shorts and tigh high boots with high heels on what is supposed to be a guy? And all costumes share it? And you cant change it in any way? The character model makes it look even worse what with the incredibly tiny feet and huge wide hips and legs, I know its an artstyle thing and for the most part it looks just fine on everyone else, but god damn it looks grotesque on the main character. Its a small thing but even after hours of looking at it I still cant get used to the weird look and it is off putting. That all being said, again I think its a good game, it looks really nice at 4k on PC and the art is universally amazing, the negative reviews come mainly from the poor marketing or if I wanted to be especially brutal from the false marketing, this isnt a life sim by any means, yes you can farm but its mostly for money and doesnt tie into the game much besides that, now, I dont mind that per say, but this isnt what they were showing and they never cared to correct the community's expectations. And yea, the music is amazing.

[@sukamadik5983]

I just realized I'm first on my second comment 😂

[@BacklogBattle]

Are you though? I have a post right before you 😉

[@sukamadik5983]

@@BacklogBattle Ok now that's just cheating.