Honest Review of Rune Factory 5 After Playing for 200 Hours!

Here's my full review of Rune Factory 5!
Introduction 00:00
Story and Characters 01:24
Length and Difficulty 05:35
Farming 09:09
Festivals and Other Activities 12:31
Crafting 14:50
Progression and Completion 17:20
Graphics and Performance 19:12
Music 22:34
Conclusion 23:35
Become a member:
/ @joshgaminggarden
Support me on Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/playwithjosh
Twitter & Instagram: @Playwith_Josh
Join our Discord: / discord
#RuneFactory5

[@AnbuPrincess]

I'm actually very excited about the longer days! In RF4 I was constantly running down the clock because there's so many things to do in the game. And even then sometimes I'd have to pick and choose. Whether to focus on completing a story objective, farming materials in a dungeon, or working on leveling up my crafting skills. There just wasn't enough time to do all that in a day. One thing I never really got to do often is fish. There was always something that seems to have more priority for me to do. But now with a full day being the equivalent to almost a real world hour, I can work on my farm in the morning and go fish after and not have to be like, oh shoot it's already this late in the day? So that's definitely my favorite change.

[@biancablair4213]

For me it seems as if the good does outweigh the bad. I'm happy that the characters are fun and engaging like in RF4. That's what I care about most because boring characters make me drop a game quickly. I wish the graphics were better but I can overlook that because of good gameplay. The performance looks a lot better than what was initially released at launch in Japan and hopefully they continue to have patches to improve performance. I loved RF4 and I will give this game a chance.

[@Odinarcade00]

I mean in a comic sense some of the characters are interesting to me although I just started. I wish the characters could be deeper than typical anime characters but you know idk if that will ever happen

[@BbSis]

Whatever your verdict, I'll will play it. I've been waiting for so long i.i

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Yes it's been a long wait, but definitely worth it!

[@BbSis]

As long as it's worthy I can wait until I get wrinkly! I'm on countdown since last Tuesday xD

[@Khaine69]

@@BbSis last Tuesday? This has been on my list for like the since like 2015.

[@cloepika]

Been waiting for your review Josh! This was super comprehensive and though I've heard of the short storyline before, you explaining the long days eases my worries a bit. Thanks so much!!

[@Anni_ka]

I looove long days! That's why Harvest Moon Animal Parade is my favourite game to this day 😂 Anyways, thanks for the good in-depth review! I'm glad it's not too difficult. I hit a point in RF4 where I'd have to grind and level up a lot of different things and I just got so fed up that I've kind of given up on the game. I'm also not sure how I feel about farming being very similar to RF4, but I like the crystal idea, so I'll see. I'll be honest, I mostly pre-ordered the game cause it's the first time in a while where I have a hard time deciding which bachelor to go for cause they all look so good xD One thing that bugs me though is that Rune Factory is labelled as farming game. It's very nit-picky, but to me combat was always so central (since you do farming for combat) in RF4 at least that saying it's an action RPG with farming would match better?

[@JoshGamingGarden]

I think the crystals definitely make the farming a bit easier than in RF4, but they're hard to get at first. Also, their effects are temporary, except the one that makes your field bigger. Later on you can buy them for 50,000G each, that sounds like a lot at first but once you have good crops you'll make way more every day! In RF4 I wasn't interested in most of the marriage candidates, but you're right that in RF5, it's hard to choose because everyone looks so good! I think it's fair to label RF a farming game. It might depend on each person's playstyle, but for me it feels pretty 50/50 between farming and combat!

[@Anni_ka]

@@JoshGamingGarden That's very good to know! Especially the money bit, hahaha, that's always the greatest point im farming sims, when the money just makes itself :D And yes, I also liked that there's even a few more mature characters this time around! Some of the bachelors at least Hmm, that's very true. Thinking about it more, I guess the 50/50 bit is what I mean. Like, when only saying it's a farming sim, it sells the action RPG bit short, similar for the other way around. But remembering how I stumbled upon the RF series, it was often described as just a farming sim with 'some action RPG elements', which set up very different expectations, especially since you do have to invest some time into combat for the main story in RF. Although the game still gives you the freedom to do/focus on whatever you want, in that you're definitely right

[@zerokura]

@@Anni_ka for me 3 felt combat heavy and 4 also looked like it was combat heavy since in 3 I remember I liked never farmed in that game I just got everything from monsters or dungeons. I had fun in 1 having myself a cucumber farm in like the first dungeon lol that was my favorite crop. I don't think I played 2 very much but my favorite game is Tides Of Destiny it simple fi alot of stuff that made it fun to play like farming did not had seeds you had a magic wand that would plant crops depending on what season island your on like fall crops will grow in fall Island. It's the first game that I managed both farming with my monsters and battling I enjoyed doing both so seeing this being 3d makes me excited for it. Would love for a remake of Tides Of Destiny oh oh you have kaiju fights with your golm and kraken lol

[@Anni_ka]

@S Dickens What about action farming RPG?😅

[@AuthenticallyAmie]

I pre-ordered today. We've been waiting for soo long! Can't wait to meet all the characters and sink countless hours into this game 💙 (I actually love longer days! In My Time at Portia, where you can decide how fast time passes, I always choose to have as much time in a day as possible. Not mad at easier combat either, since I play for the story and to relax. I'm actually really glad story progress and other important events will be easier to trigger this time around. I'll definitely have to try and pace myself, though, so I can enjoy story content for as long as possible!)

[@RachelXKnight666]

I have my days set to the longest time possible on Mtap too lol

[@geezus7833]

so are you enjoying the game so far? planning on getting it after im done with rf4.

[@AuthenticallyAmie]

@@geezus7833 I'd say the biggest difference is that it's a much more chill experience, which can be good or bad, depending. If you try to make the most of every in-game day, it definitely has a slower pace than RF4. It's also more open, so it's got a bit of a different feeling to it. The landscaping in many areas lacks some of the RF4 charme, but the character and monster designs are amazing. I'm excited to see the story pick up and explore deeper connections between the characters, but for now I'm happy just relaxing in Rigbarth :)

[@geezus7833]

@@AuthenticallyAmie Can't wait to try it now. Sometimes the rune factory 4 can get frustrating when I try to do many things in one day. All I need to do in rf4 is get married with Margaret and have children, the events are just so hard to trigger

[@AuthenticallyAmie]

@@geezus7833 Nice! Events are much easier to trigger this time around, too, so I think you'll enjoy it!

[@firebatray7946]

Great review! I like a lot of the new features in this game. I've waited for years for this to release. It comes out a day after my birthday so I'm definitely getting it day one. Been a fan since the first game and damn do I love how each game evolves the formula in it's own way. Combat was never the main draw for me in Rune Factory. Only RF4 gave me a run for my money in combat. Longer days are also nice since that means I have more time to do things in the day but a disadvantage is that you may be waiting for some time if you got nothing to do and waiting for someone. That new binding spell you mention is a great addition and yeah most may not mind it too much but it's a great new spell in my opinion. Graphics aren't much of a hook for me either since RF is more story-focused than anything else so I'm in it for the story and especially the character writing. RF4 set the new standard for me for rune factory characters.

[@bearrington420]

These videos are so great and are just nourishing my adhd hyperfixation!💙🐻 Got it preloaded and ready in only a few days!

[@AndromedaArchive]

I've watched your RF5 videos so I know what I'm getting, but I really love your reviews so here I am! Thank you for the video 💕 Made me even more excited for the game!

[@ssppippen]

Thanks so much for all your videos on RF5. It made the wait easier. Can't wait for Tuesday!

[@jonunciate7018]

Just finished the main story on my English copy a couple days ago. I agree with most of your review. I miss the surprise of events from RF4's random triggers, however I really appreciate how RF5 gives you more control over these events, especially with marriage candidates. It may even be possible to play speed run challenges for the marriage candidates because of this.

[@missgrinch5940]

hey josh! i just want say that you’re doing such a great job as a youtuber. i’ve been watching your channel ever since you hit 1K subs. the reason why i started watching your channel is because your voice is so pleasant to listen to and you always give thorough insight on every game you review. keep up the great work! btw, i just bought this game on sale for $25 on the e shop and i’m loving it so far.

[@stephaineskinner8098]

This is coming out on the 25th here in Europe and I can't wait ☺️. The game graphically wise kind of reminds me of the Wii Rune Factory games, the game was made during the pandemic and I remember hearing that it caused problems with games, including this one. Hopefully xSeed/Marvelous will fix the lagging and frame rate issues.

[@BumblyBear]

I couldn't help myself. I pre-ordered the Earthmate Edition! I'm so excited for it to get here. I've been waiting for this game forever.

[@CloudySkiesGaming]

Well said, well said!😌✨ I strongly agree with most of the points you've mentioned. Still love the game, even when it's probably far from perfect. PS: Sorry but- ugh.... these gaps between each furniture piece drive me crazy 🤣!!

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Thanks Cloudy! Glad to hear I'm not the only one frustrated with the furniture placement. 😆All of these indie games are getting furniture placement right, I don't know why bigger studios are still struggling so bad with this.

[@natefoldan]

Furniture placement is so disappointing. And wow those environmental graphics are just awful.

[@dianacarolinaorozco1702]

Rune factory 4 was a nightmarish time when it was time for making or moving things in the room

[@Bogrin]

I love that the days are longer!! I always feel stressed in farming games that I need to rush and get everything done in a day before I run out of time. This will make it a lot more cozy for me! :)

[@Nesdude42]

Such an odd choice having the furniture so spaced out like that...Thank you for the review! I will be picking it up. I am all about that end game and the challenge it brings. I will try and fully grasp the crafting system this time. It definitely went over my head last time. I am hoping you or someone does a guide about it by the time I get there.

[@JoshGamingGarden]

I was hoping they'd fix the furniture in some kind of update but it's been almost a year, I lost hope. 😭 I also completely ignored the crafting system in RF4. I'll definitely be making some guides about it!

[@Nesdude42]

Agh I was thinking that too!! But it's been out a year hasn't it?? oh noooo....T.T LOL. Thank goodness you are making guides..! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for those. Much appreciated!!

[@Rainjinn]

@@JoshGamingGarden If I had to guess I'd say it's probably a problem with game engine and having spaces is just work around the real problem. Honestly, I would prefer furniture in predetermined positions with skin changes rather than what we get RF5.

[@LuisSpencerFreitas20]

I love this review. I bought the game before all the negative reviews came out and was worried. Started playing the game and realized that I REALLY like it! It's not perfect but so relaxing. The characters are kinda fun, not too many that you lose track of who is who, and I always feel there's enough time to do everything I want in a day. Thanks for shedding a positive light to a game that is so chill and fun to play!

[@KradDarkChan]

Really great review ^o^ You explained all the aspects of the game, said positive and negative things and I would imagine if a new player to the series sees this review would know afterwards what they are in for. And its always great if a review can accomplish that, I often see reviews and afterwards Im like "hm, dont know yet how this game would play out with gameplay and stuff" ^^° Im already really hyped up for the game on friday and your and Cloudys video just make the wait worse 🤣

[@nekokikogaming3530]

Very good and thorough review! Like always! Thank you for the great content!

[@CassieHolmesArt]

Thanks Josh, I'm looking forward to the game being released on Friday. :)

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Just 5 days left! 🥳

[@seamarie3111]

I can't wait for this game! Got the Earth Mate edition from Target coming, the only game I'd spring for a special edition like this.

[@Jose0421]

I pre ordered my copy and it arrives on Tuesday. So excited. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Yay! Hopefully it does arrive on time! 🥳

[@AoiUsagiOtoko]

got this pre-ordered the other day! i've been counting down the days/hours ever since, haha visually, 5 looks FANTASTIC. they really utilized the platform of the switch technically being a TV based console to make the graphics/gameplay look really fresh. and the character designs are absolutely fantastic-- i've already got a huge crush on ludmilla, lol

[@octolockg5059]

I think the art style and graphics look great but it seems like the negatives outweigh the positives. I like a slow burn story when it comes to these games.

[@zariarogers2846]

"visually, 5 looks FANTASTIC" Are we playing the same game?

[@sengokunadekochan]

I already sank a lot of time into the Japanese version and I'm looking forward to sinking a ton of time into the English version. Graphically the game isn't great, but as was correctly said, the game makes up for it in other ways. I have autism and the furniture not lining up neatly, and the huge gaps really get to me... Thanks for the excellent review Josh, I think you were fair with this game, pointing out both good and bad points in good detail. Now to get back to waiting for my preorder to arrive on Saturday.

[@fadedfiction2733]

Can't wait to play this game! I've been counting down and already have it downloaded.

[@sansundertale8765]

This sold me on the game! I don't think I've seen something this cozy since the GBA Harvest Moon or the Dark Cloud series (other than Stardew), looking forward to this despite the muddy graphics. Arceus had muddy graphics too, but the gameplay was ultimately too simplistic for my tastes as a big fan of min/maxing. The one thing we can all agree on though is that furniture gaps SUCK haha

[@ConraDargo]

I hope that you’re having more fun I am! I’m actually giving up on RF5 today, having played it for a week now and it’s just so incredibly slow and dull :’C Gonna give RF4 a chance instead ‘cause I feel that the move to full 3D really hurt the game in every possible way - especially on this hardware…

[@frey5218]

@@ConraDargo Yep. Imagine 10 years for this. Maybe newer first time players will like it but theres a big chance older players wouldn't. Rune Factory 4(Especially the Special edition) still stands in terms of fun and well, playability.

[@sansundertale8765]

@@ConraDargo I think since it's my first Rune Factory I won't be so bothered. It just arrived today, I'm just expecting some casual grind and good vibes so my expectations aren't too severe

[@ConraDargo]

@@sansundertale8765 Glhf! I hadn’t played a RF game since RF2 on the DS but was still let down by 5 😅 But I’m having a ton of fun with 4 now!! So should you feel the same way as I did with 5, then I recommend selling it and picking up 4 (the latest version/edition of it ofc) 👌🏻 Characters, dialogues, controls and also the graphics (level of details) are much better imo!

[@ConraDargo]

@@frey5218 Yeah I’m thinking that is one of the reasons why this game is so flawed: being developed for too long, going on and off. Characters, dialogues, controls and also the graphics (level of details) are much better in RF4 imo! Having a ton of fun with it :D

[@ITNODove]

I picked up this game on a whim since I enjoyed RF2 and RF4. I played about 3/4 of the story before I quit because I was bored. Ultimately, I didn't like the wide world, the poor graphics, or the needlessly long days. I did enjoy the characters for the most part (though I wish there were older bachelorettes), and I appreciated the way more showed up as you play.

[@bluedart]

I'm glad you enjoyed this game, even if it was so easy you basically facerolled it in your sleep with a greased-up controller. I'm still finding out little tidbits about this too. Right now I'm trying to figure out just what increases the quality tier of re-gifts from characters like Terry. So much to this. What is this game, even? I've got the English version preloaded and ready to go on the 22nd. Hype. More importantly, still hype after 1800 hours and 7 playthroughs. Really looking forward to the dub and English localization aspects of it, since my Japanese is just okay-ish-even with machine assistance-and I'm sure I misunderstood some of the story elements. You're sort of overselling the framerate. On my current playthrough, I'm surprised that I was previously able to mostly ignore how the game almost constantly runs at 15-20 FPS in most non-interior locations. (I think my higher camera sensitivity setting this playthrough is really screwing the FPS.) From what I can tell the dynamic resolution option is a placebo, too. One slight question, Josh. Why do you keep lamenting the purported idea that furniture can't be placed next to each other? I remember explaining the method to accomplish that thrice now. I'd seriously be miffed if I couldn't jam all my cooking appliances on one wall. Also, Basara's Hideout was an inside job. :O

[@Lizzy251000]

I'm looking forward to playing this game. Josh have you thought about making a rf5 recipe walk- through? And thanks for the videos they are really helpful.

[@robertsilvermyst7325]

One issue I've noticed with the US release after putting in almost fifty hours so far is sometimes when the boss animation or your tag team attack animation starts, the game will randomly crash. And sometimes when loading a boss, the screen will go red instead of the typical animation.

[@justinfuller3957]

Brilliant video as usual Josh!

[@Marty_Von_Grimm]

Omgggg I can't wait!!! Getting my copy in a couple hours!!😁😁😁

[@sakura34]

i really like your videos. you also gave me your curse so i also put the rune ability greeting in the y spot lol. honestly though i didnt think id play through the days but i actually enjoy this rune factory its making me miss rune factory tides of destiny

[@savyt.8498]

Everyone who’s had a chance to play the game, how do you guys feel about the dialog and interactions with towns people and marriage candidates? Compared to Rune Factory 4 of course…. That’s my biggest worry and I really enjoyed the depth of dialog in RF4. (My favorite spouse was Leon, followed by Vishnal.)

[@seftykristihani]

RF4 dialogue are outstanding, there's no repetitive dialogue, everyday there's new talks, so interaction with npc are fun

[@nimtei5609]

@@seftykristihani He asked for RF5, not 4.

[@TheFlippinInsane]

I got my copy a few days ago and I’ve almost finished the first spring and I have to say the dialogue is verrrrryyyy repetitive, unfortunately.

[@gloomsi]

@@TheFlippinInsane oh nooo :(

[@mikyuuna2389]

I played the chinese ver one and I have to say the story plot is rather intriguing (personal opinion), the love interests are quite special in their own way, plus they added a few more functions that made the game easier to play and etc. I personally think it's good and worth to get, although it might not be able to be compared to RF4 but it's still very well made!

[@dielandd4730]

i am just SO excited for rune factory 5 English release! 😊

[@JoshGamingGarden]

It's almost here! 🥳

[@MarioDS01]

Sounds like this game maybe worth getting. Did seem confusing that you said each day is 48 in-game hours but hearing this video it is actually 48 minutes long, that makes more since and that means each hour is 2 minutes long, this gives players plenty of time to do many tasks each day. Still going with a male character with the wolf girl, she seems pretty fun and kind of neat to have your own hybrid children. Can't remember if it was you or someone else when mentioned about my concern of too fast time in Harvest Moon 64. I get it might be to make the game a little fast paced or more of a challenge. Personally I wish there was an option to make each hour at least a minute, that way you have time to do the tasks needed to be done. This is the only I wish if Harvest Moon 64 would ever be re-released like on the Nintendo Switch, maybe many of us can mention it and hope it can be added.

[@Tdull-tv1ds]

@Brian Stuckert I see I'm not the only one who finds Fuka, the wolf girl, cute and adorable. You sir are a man of culture.

[@vitorfernandes651]

He said 48 minutes. More than once.

[@wisdomcoffee]

I’m really enjoying the game 3 weeks in and there’s still so much content I haven’t explored. One of my issues with pioneers of olive town was not being very interested in the NPCs or their interactions. This game has me actually curious about the NPCs stories and enjoying “befriending” them. I don’t even do the marriage stuff in these kinds of games but I’m actually torn between who I’m going to marry in this one cuz they’re all so interesting

[@12fishcake]

16:44 this is a great point about this game from my experience (first rune factory ive played, I'm about 50 hours in) at first I was overwhelmed trying to optimise everything and very quickly realised you really don't need to do that for most of the game. Of course you'll see the benefits if you do, but you can make your way through perfectly fine playing casually doing whatever you feel like. After reaching a much further point in the game is when I delved back into optimising my farming and crafting more complex things which was great fun and considerably easier to handle once you have more stuff unlocked and resources available. The point is the more complex side is there if you want it, but it's far from a requirement to progress normally and you're not forced into it. This I believe is a great approach for any game as it allows both casual and more hard-core players to enjoy 😉

[@aladdict727]

Really excited for this. Picked up RF4S on sale and ended up loving it’s charm more than I thought. Though it seems that RF5 shares the curse of having some NPCs I like more than the marriage candidates.

[@sammythehamster9093]

Preorder is due out this Friday for UK and Europe. Actually, good thing I'm busy with studying. RF4 is only one I've played I remember some areas have huge difficulty spikes and spent more time farming than dungeon exploring. It's great having longer day means I can spend more time fishing. Garden paws time can be made slower or stopped using a mod on Steam, SoS ToT certain food buffs can't remember at top of head. I find other farming sims manic rush to complete farm chores, mine, search for NPCs to gift. In Olive town I just talked and gifted whenever I can. Thanks for indepth review, I had my eye on this game when I heard about Western release.

[@ashleysteffy7224]

I really appreciate this review! I've been enjoying the game so far but I've only just met/defeated the first "boss" at the start. This game and Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town are super enjoyable to play. :)

[@aslindehecate]

My copy of the limited edition arrives tomorrow~ So happy.

[@lunaticmoon2941]

I’m enjoying this game. Looking forward to more of your videos on it. Ty!!

[@RachelXKnight666]

Your reviews are always my go to reviews for these kind of games josh. Gotta say all the talk about lag and frame rate drops has scared me off for now though lol

[@allyeatworld]

out of the RF series i've only played RF4, and RF5's graphics are a big step up so i was actually really happy with the graphics haha! (plus they're not the only game series that's been struggling with the jump from 3DS to Switch... Story of Seasons, Pokemon etc are all clearly experiencing that burden as well) but other than that, totally agree with all of your review points! :) my biggest gripe with RF5 (other than the silly furniture placement, lol) is that so far it feels like a step backward from RF4 in terms of character depth- like there's less varied dialogue and group interactions between townsfolk, although coming from HM/SOS it's still a lot better haha and i guess they were bogged down by the graphics issues so i can't complain. overall i still really love the game!!

[@VelvetCanyon887]

Great review as always! I pre-ordered the game today and now I just have to wait it out until Friday. The game is defiantly nowhere near as good as Rf4, but it does look quite fun! It's really strange with the furniture placement, like is it really that difficult for the developers to allow players to place furniture against walls? One thing I'm really glad about is that you can play music from other games, especially since music has been such an important part of gameplay for me. I'm really disappointed about the fast storyline, but I guess a game can't be always perfect. Hopefully in the future they will change any bug issues, etc for future updates though.

[@cannibalduckie]

Getting all my uni projects done before the 22nd ! Planning on a full day of playing the game 🥳

[@fire-king5559]

Loved the video, it was very informative. Can't wait for Friday, so I can play it. I have one question, can you recruit any villager to fight alongside you? I remember in Rune Factory 4, you couldn't recruit Blossom. In this game we have Yuki and Randolph as older characters. Can they fight too?

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Yuki and Livia are the only two characters that can't join your party, but Randolph can!

[@fire-king5559]

@@JoshGamingGarden Thank you for the answer.

[@lunagrey7050]

Great review! 👏🏻 😊

[@Alysswed]

Been waiting for a year!! I called my local game store and they got it on hold for me to pick up first thing on Tuesday!!

[@lizr451]

Don’t think I’ll be picking this one up but great video Josh!! 💖

[@SandCoffeeRocks]

Thanks for the review Josh, it's helped me to make my decision.

[@suicune2001]

It sounds like they got rid of the random story progression and that makes me very happy!

[@poppermintee]

I actually prefer that.... but ;; yeah its fine

[@suicune2001]

@@poppermintee You want to have bad RNG prevent you from furthering the story for months or years?

[@princessjello]

​@@popperminteeyou havent experienced no RF4 act 3 for 1 human year

[@Crystalgamer007]

this really helped, thanks

[@ash.613]

So excited for this game!! I’m not really a person who cares for fighting or huge main storylines, but I love farming, tasks and social aspects so this review definitely got my hyped. I love that the days are long too. Also, after playing Portia, I’m not really a picky person in terms of sensational graphics 😂 I actually kinda like the graphics in this game Hopefully the furniture problem gets an update though because that’s weird LOL

[@jillhuhn1129]

I'll be buying this game when the price drops thank you so much for the review! :D

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Whenever you buy it, I'm sure you'll have a good time!

[@tinahoefs1455]

Good luck with that, rf4 still rarely goes on sale and even the 3ds version sells used for about $30 in the US and that released about a decade ago.

[@jillhuhn1129]

@@tinahoefs1455 I play on PS4

[@uncrstbl]

@@jillhuhn1129 as of right now RF5 is switch exclusive, so it'll be awhile, if ever, until it comes to ps4. And if it does, it likely won't go on sale for a long while

[@jillhuhn1129]

@@uncrstbl okay thank you :)

[@kingofcheshire]

Great review! It’s not a perfect game and the graphics aren’t very good (still a step up from RF4 graphics which I never got fully used to even after around 100 hours, I like the look of 5 a lot more) but I’m still definitely picking it up day 1, RF4 had some of the best written casual character dialogue in any game imo and it’s overall really fun. I was hoping 5 would be more of the same but modernized a bit which seems to be the case and I’m so happy they finally allowed same sex relationships

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Yep, it definitely feels like a modernized version of RF4! Most of the mechanics and features are the same, but we have 3D, same-sex relationships, etc.! Worth picking up day 1 if you liked RF4!

[@cannibalduckie]

@@JoshGamingGarden this makes me so happy to hear ! I loved rune factory 4 and I’m glad that rune factory 5 keeps the same vibe !

[@Emily-lh6em]

I've been looking forward to this game for so long but I actually forgot to actually go into gamestop and pre-order it lol so thank you for reminding me. 😅😆 Last time I pre-ordered pokemon legends at gamestop and the store closed the day of release due to lack of staff/emergency so I couldn't pick it up and all the nearby gamestop were didnt even have enough stock to fulfill their own preorders. Luckily I only put 5 dollars on it and since I prefer physical copies for certain game especially pokemon & I went into target and they Luckily had copies. I ended up pre-ordering RF5 through Amazon last night since they had same day delivery on release day. I wish I had gotten RF4 special as physical so I definitely want a physical copy. I look forward to your guides on RF5 😁🥳 hope your job is going well and you're having a good 2022 so far.

[@KuwaCraft]

I was very hesitant to get this game because of the performance issues, but after watching your review im going to get it. I love this series and really looked forward to this game. Seems like i will love this one even with its problems. Thank you

[@hikikomori2572]

my favorite game in the series is rune factory frontier, cant wait for this one to come out

[@Designer239]

I’m like gonna be getting back into this game. But thank you Josh for letting me know a little about this game.

[@DjRex28]

im glad i watched this before playing! i think im going to save an image of the town map on my phone to use as a map so i can limit my need to look at the map and see the tempting bubbles i cant stand (i would end up rushing story and events like you said) and i like casual gameplay but if its easier then tides if destiny then i think ill defiantly get more of a reward for my time by setting it to hard Edit: ahh… I just started playing and realize I can see the stupid bubbles on the mini map… you can’t hide the mini map

[@JMrealgamer]

I respect those who spent a lot of time with the game. I love my RPG’s and this will be my first Rune Factory. It looks like I’m adding this to my list. I looked at a few reviews and one of the things that got me is the RPG part. How if an enemy hits you your defense goes up.

[@yvievandevegte2573]

I highly recommend RF4s too if you like RPGs ...its style is different but gorgeous..a real gem of a game...very immersive too.

[@JMrealgamer]

@@yvievandevegte2573 cool! I’ll definitely check that out as well. Loving RF5 so far.

[@melisa6355]

Do the in-game options allow you to change the controls? RF4 controls on Switch felt so backwards to me and I never got used to them. And is there an option to adjust music volume separately from the other sounds?

[@matthewshort8409]

Looks awesome im buying the digital version tomorrow

[@shelinhagoncalves9578]

I hope this will be fun because this is going 2 be my1st time playing runes factory 5 I just preordered it on nintendo eshop

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Yay! I'm sure you'll have fun, it's a great game to get started with the Rune Factory series!

[@spoopypost]

Bonne vidéo informative, mon compatriote 🙏

[@snootch8375]

I was prepared for the graphics, especially after playing Pokemon Arceus, but the furniture issue is A BRIDGE TOO FAR! In all seriousness, great review as always! I just started but I'm enjoying the story and characters, which is the most important part for me anyways. I really do hope these studios improve their engines though, what is goin on with graphic fidelity?!

[@vanessabarnes2869]

im so exicted for this game thank you for the honest review maybe its just me but i think the game looks great for the most part that beach is rough but i dont think i'll spend a lot of time there and the graphics on the models look great its gonna be sooooooo good

[@cannibalduckie]

Longer days are definetly needed !! Im so glad they made them longer ! Usually I'd spend my entire morning going around and giving gifts and chatting with everyone and doing my crops on my farm! By the time I was done itd be around 2pm in game and then Id only have so long to do any dungeons, fishing or other tasks I wanted to do! I'm so excited to be able to take my time without having to rush!

[@DarkLore1992]

48 minute days? Jesus Christ that's awesome! Now that is much better compared to any farming SIM I've played!

[@Tuinuiski]

I personally like easy combat because I'm just not very good at it (even though I enjoy it). I also love the farming and social aspects. Most importantly I love RF4 so this game is def up my street. Thanks for another great review!

[@MusashiDamacy]

Can you explain how to use the Light Ore? It's description seems to say you can use it to reskin an item, but I haven't figured it out. When I initially forged an item with it and another same-category item, nothing seemed to happen.

[@estella5575]

Thank you for your detailed and honest review, i can see that you did actually enjoy yourself playing it, and i was hoping to share the same experience, don't get wrong the game looks nics overall but i still feel a little bit disappointed and overwhelmed , hope to get some advices that would help me get a hold of things,and make me feel a bit more at ease, thank you great community in advance!

[@tsubatasan]

If you have any specific questions that you need answered/problems you need advice on, I can try to help you. Ask me anything and I will do my best to give you a succinct and accurate answer!

[@reversingmemory]

Do the villagers you bring along in combat go absolutely insane like they did in rune factory 3 and 4? Because it looks like they kinda just stand around in this video

[@tinahoefs1455]

I've watched videos where he explained that you can order them not to move if they're getting in your way. I think that is so awesome because often in rf4 I'd have to send them home.

[@uncrstbl]

@@tinahoefs1455 You can do that in 4. It's the stay still / stay back option when you have them in your party and talk to them

[@starza1408]

Thank you for the honest review. I'm really excited for this game, I love RF4 to death and I played Rune Factory Frontier on the Wii, this game gives me Frontier vibes with keeping stuff that worked in RF4. It also seems that anyone who has played RF4 can jump right in and know what they're doing, it looks like farming and crafting is pretty much the same as RF4. I just have two questions: I noticed that you had Raguna's outfit from Rune Factory Frontier on, did you obtain this in game or was it DLC? Also, is there an end game dungeon like the Sharance Maze in the game?

[@SAM-um8uj]

Outfits are payed dlc. Each one goes for about $1.99, but there is a bundle that includes the outfit you’re talking about and others from other RF versions.

[@starza1408]

@@SAM-um8uj I have the RF4 and the RF2 outfits (Think it's cause I got the Earthmate edition) along with RF4 protag, which was given to me by Margaret and Doug (Which I'm guessing is due to me having RF4S saved data). I haven't seen Raguna's outfit on the DLC shop, so assuming it isn't out yet for the US. Thanks for the reply!

[@coreymckee4844]

Honestly, i can forgive the muddy graphics and dated visuals, IF they fix that awful performance and fps.. thats really my only issue with game so far. Ive had fps drops that were bad before but this game.. yeah its the worst ive seen so far for a game. Watching the fps drops in this video gives me a migraine.🙁

[@YuukitheMighty1]

yeah the framerate is an issue. Even pokemon arcues looks better than this. I hope they put in a patch to fix it.

[@uncrstbl]

It's been over a year since the game dropped in JP, if there hasn't been a major performance patch by now I doubt one is coming :(

[@KGhaleon]

Yeah, I was excited for this one after putting 150 hours into RF4S. This just looks bad...think I'll be skipping it.

[@RiskOfBaer]

They won't fix the performance. The game was already out for a very long time, it's simply getting localized. So there was plenty of time for optimization, if nothing significant happened so far then that means it's a forgone conclusion.

[@nikitasaville5422]

Finally, can't wait for tomorrow! It's finally coming out on switch and I'm just watching videos lol, so excited. *Edit- I got myself excited and it's releasing on 25th 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@jeremiahsaunders6390]

I just finished RF4 100% and was on the fence to get RF5. Many reviews claimed 4 was better. Im soo glad your video was in my feed this morning. Your review showed how beautiful and fun this game truly is. I'm going to download it today. Thank you

[@berenicedautzenberg9485]

The days may be longer but the time doesn't freeze when you talk to people. I'm a slow reader so it brother me a lot... T-T

[@ericawildfong3728]

i loved the outfits from rune factory tides of destiny and the other past protagonist outfits....with the english version of this game releasing tomorrow (march22/2022) i have my fingers crossed for the past protagonist outfits to be available to wear. im really not a fan of their starter outfits in RF5...does anyone know if the english version of this game will get all these outfits too?

[@JazzOLantern]

I’ve loved all the past rune factories growing up. I definitely see issues with this addition to the series but I still love it.

[@JazzOLantern]

I beat the story before winter hit on hard, too easy for sure.

[@e.m.8978]

Yo! Since you've played so long you might have an answers, how to upgrade item levels like spells? Some of mine are at lvl 1 and some lvl5, first I thought it's the rarity but it's not since some high grade spells are lvl 1 Is there even a way to upgrade them? Beaten the game already

[@zxrainbowmouse-8921]

I am very excited for this game and I’m super happy to here that the villagers have fun personalities that was the one thing that really killed me on story of season pioneers of olive town

[@raven5048]

I can't wait

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Just a few days left! 😄

[@primordiusyang2169]

I've always been a huge fan of Rune Factory series because it's been the first game series that combines many RPG type games I liked into 1 big cute polite package like a better & simplified version of an E rated dating sim Mabinogi/Runescape without the reincarnation. I have a little obsession with idle, incremental progression, optimization, level & skill grinding based games so this really tickles my fancy. Also, I greatly enjoy the polite mannerisms and super political correctness of all the characters in the game with their dialogue along with their unique quirks that can create well-scripted humorous situations. Although there are plenty of tedious and repetitive things I'd like to eventually automate or even implement something that auto-cooks, auto-fishes, auto-farms, and automation of everything to the point of the game playing itself through system management, or systematic instructions. I look forward to how this game will evolve. Ultimately, yes there is so much content and I'd probably even go as far as watching a boy play the game while giving scheduled commands and instructions to completely automate everything. Those types would be my ideal type of game combining everything and possibly adding even more features. Although, I'd probably need a powerful computer to run such a game world and simulation, I think it'd be incredibly satisfying. Eventually I'd rather just mostly play for the story, dialogue and relationships after systematic optimization and automation of all tasks takes place. I like getting straight to the good life. Another game series I really like for dialogue is the Tales series. I absolutely love the dialogue and scripts. I wish I had time to play games but earning enough money so I can retire takes absolute precedence. I hope one day I can just enjoy life, pursue my passions & indulge without financial worries.

[@shawnmckenzie8699]

Thanks Josh. I am curious if there are any missables (time limited things)? Also, can you keep playing once you complete the story? I remember some sims in years past where the game 'stops' after a certain point.

[@JoshGamingGarden]

No, there is nothing missable! The worst thing would be missing a festival but it'll still come back the next year! And you can keep playing for however long you'd like.

[@shawnmckenzie8699]

@@JoshGamingGarden Thanks!

[@shionions]

josh, how do you keep moving in a straight line while moving the furniture? it bothers me so much how i could spend 3 in-game hours and i still couldn't get the furniture facing straight forward 😭

[@liyuqi8092]

I love RF5 (playing Chinese version). I wish there was SOME kind of customization option. Even it it’s just picking out only hair color and skin color with nothing else.

[@nanumi14]

I'm so excited, but I'm so sad because I work the next 10 days so I won't be able to play as much as I want to. I really haven't been playing games a lot lately, I've been reading a lot. But I'm so ready for this game, I just hope I'm not too tired to play on Tuesday.

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Hopefully you managed to find some time to play it already and if not, soon enough!

[@nanumi14]

@@JoshGamingGarden Well, as of now I'm on an 18 day stretch at work, but I'm about to start the second arc. I've almost got Ryker to 7 friendship already though so that's cool.

[@JoshGamingGarden]

@@nanumi14 that's a long stretch of work days! I hope you can get some well-deserved rest soon and get to marry Ryker!

[@nikitasaville5422]

Does anyone know how to store wood and stone? I cut and broke the stone but when I go to buy furniture it shows that I have none!

[@testerfox6998]

Having weirdly spaced out furniture is a deal breaker for me, thanks for the review!

[@ghostlevelzero7446]

So glad it's not too difficult and the days are long. I'm sorry it disappointed you, but that's perfect for me. Maybe they could add an Ultra-Hard mode in the future.

[@OrganizationZero1]

So, finish the main story and play it like a magical farming sim? Sounds fun ^^ (hopefully the UI has been improved since the mess in RF4 on switch?)

[@Charok1]

Graphics look fine to me, I might buy it if it comes to PC with a better interface and good keyboard/mouse port. But it isn't one I'm excited for.

[@JoshGamingGarden]

They recently ported Rune Factory 4 to PC, so I'm hopeful we'll get this one as well eventually!

[@Karnage420698238]

rune factory 4 was my most played 3ds game and 4S is my second most played switch game so its safe to say i already got 5 preordered lol i cant wait to sink 100s of hours of my life into 5 much like i did with 4

[@Aranak777]

I took my time and try to be friend with everyone farm, pet, quest board and all and finished before the end of the first month... so i finissed it in less then 20h... i can only imagine if i would been in a rush i could finished it even faster maybe in 10h max.

[@drizztdourden8111]

For those who've played is it pretty smooth playing? I tried playing pioneers of Olive town but it was so laggy for me. Tend to play Harvest Moon games but wasn't impressed with the newest installment so was looking for something similar.

[@antonio6903]

Depends on what you consider laggy. As of now this game cant reach 60 FPS. That said, the game is very playable and easy to enjoy if you like Rune Factory games. Im personally having such a good time playing It ^-^

[@xavierdoe2452]

I wonder if now that the ENG version is available if I buy the JP version it will translate to ENG. I have Xenoblade, Mario and Pokemon Let's go JP versions as they have ENG support they translate immediately to ENG. Reason being is because I can get JP version for more than half the ENG price.