I tried the Switch Demo for Harvestella... Is it good?

[@tinahoefs1455]

I like the demo so far but more for the RPG story than the farming. The days go by so fast and it looks like you plant 4 seeds but only get one crop per plot. The farming seems too much of an afterthought and doesn't really add anything to the gameplay when your time is so limited.

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Yes it is odd how you plant 4 seeds but only get 1 crop! 😅

[@geniusgamerr4517]

@@JoshGamingGarden there is a time allocation for different plants when you farm carrop farm fast.

[@Phyllion-]

In the Harvestella panel at TGS they commented that the passage of time in the demo is sped up

[@Eamil]

@@Phyllion- That's... that's awful, though. The pacing of an in-game day is super important to how a game like this feels. Why would they do that?

[@gwencentavo5610]

@@Phyllion- thank you for sharing this! I was so worried, and this was my biggest concern! Definitely makes me more excited to play the full game ☺️

[@smudjygirl4924]

I'm still getting it, and the story is interesting, but I can't help but feeling that they wanted to make an RPG but decided to try and cash in on the current popularity of farming sims and cozy games. It just feels like you could cut out the farming completely and the game wouldn't really change much at all.

[@flowerpixel]

Well said, I completely agree

[@BlizzardxThexWolf]

Exactly why I'm not getting this sh*t. I'll just wait for A Wonderful Life 😊

[@Tambrose0405]

I was always a huge fan but at this point it feels oversaturated and I'm tired of it. none of them bring anything new to the table. I just feel like it's way too late and unless a company is able to recreate this type of game and changing elements, these games are going to tank.

[@flumpyofdoom]

@@BlizzardxThexWolf Expensive s*it lol 😆

[@crazyape515]

It's like the opposite of stardew. Imo stardew would feel the same if you took out the monster fighting. This game is an action rpg with farming elements, not a farming game with rpg elements

[@Hyliea]

It was fun the only issue I had was the time thing like others pointed out. Also the lack of voice acting, and the lack of characters with names. Lots of generic npcs like young woman or something. The characters make the game for me, like if you look at majoras mask or a game like rune factory frontier they're all super memorable

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Yes, it feels so lazy that even shop owners don't have names! Like the renovator comes to your house to renovate the kitchen, he even teaches you how to cook, yet he's still called ''renovator''.

[@redmarion3tt377]

Fishing takes so long T_T

[@dweebicusmaximus]

Yeah, it's so weird. Especially when they gave some of them portraits like the Smith and Renovator

[@HeartPliz]

Idk why the game asked me what voices I wanted the game to be played in when I heard zero voices.........

[@flamemasterelan]

@@HeartPliz You hear voices when you talk to NPCs with portraits and during combat and on the field. This isn't unusual for RPGs without heavy budgets.

[@mattc1647]

This game has so many cutscenes!!! The "gameplay" the first hour is walking a few feet until you get to the next cutscene loading zone. Farming felt like a random edition to the game

[@empresscarrot5417]

The first thing I noticed was the low quality blurred characters. Sure, it was 3d but the blurredness jarred me. The characters in Pokemon Shield are better looking than Harvestella's characters. Also, the intro was sooooooo long. There's no voice acting and I thought my game was just glitching because it made me choose voices.

[@JACpotatos]

Character customization in general is pretty bad. My male character just looks like a girl.... It just frustrates me too stare at a character that i think looks like shit the entire game... At the very least, give me one masculine haircut

[@meganburgess7664]

I'm really enjoying the demo. I cannot wait for the full release. I'm so adoring the fact that we've gotten so many farm sim type games incoming. It's a wish come true...for some of us farm sim type fans, we've waited for a long time for some of these games...and some are a very pleasant surprise.

[@nomadicgamer9466]

I was just saying to myself not that long ago how the rpg farming sim needs to be more mainstream and have more games and after this Nintendo Direct, I was incredibly happy! I hope it continues to grow as a genre. I love it.

[@pastelshadows6437]

It really does feel like a wish come true! Some people are annoyed but for many of us, we've been waiting so long for this day lol.

[@Steveoinlb]

agreed 100% the older I get the more I enjoy cozy little farming games and look forward to more of them.

[@Tsunami45chan]

I am annoyed with the time in harvestella, except for the overworld exploration before going inside a dungeon or town. It forces me not to explore much like for example I am looking for rocks to make a hammer or I am looking for secret chest and items in the dungeons. Yeah I agree with the controls the developers need to work on that.

[@tabbylost8267]

The lack of hairstyle options can be a big problem, let's hope they add more in the final release. Preferably a short and sharp hairstyle like the Story of Seasons game.

[@drowningin]

Lack of hair styles, but they can put in made up political genders. Nice

[@tabbylost8267]

@@drowningin If they can put in the effort to add an additional gender, putting more hair styles shouldn't be a problem.

[@b-d9099]

@@tabbylost8267 Honestly they're really the exact same other than just what they wear there's almost no point in choosing

[@AoiFlame02]

@@b-d9099 lmao, right???? i laughed when i got the male options. there were like NO difference at all. the male option looked more NB than male

[@jarelion]

been enjoying the demo so far. it runs well, i agree it just needs some control tweaks or at least let us remap the buttons. time really does fly by fast - i spent half the day looking for hard rocks lol. i’m gonna buy it cause i like the story so far, i just need more customization options and control tweaks.

[@notrealnamenotatall2476]

I know this is a demo, but I feel like this might be one of those 'Jack of all trades, master of none' games once it releases.

[@lillylillycookiedoug]

I don't love that tools change by pressing ZR but are on the left side of the screen, I keep trying to press ZL. Music and story though are so good though, I'm hype and it's a day 1 buy from me!

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Ah, that could be part of why the controls don't feel very intuitive! Yeah they really should put it on the same side as the trigger!

[@bigorange2082]

I do too and it drives me crazy. 🤣

[@florsch6781]

This game would surely benifit from a little survey, like they did after the octopath traveler demo. Maybe they're going to tweak some things before the final release.

[@petitepoupette]

I was so hyped for this game and planned on getting it day one but the demo absolutely killed it for me - won't even be picking it up on sale. :(

[@mieshii23]

I finished playing the demo this morning and started a new game afterwards. Totally agree about the controls and the time passing so quickly. I would love to be able to slow time down in the settings. I think the smithy said she can upgrade out farm tools so I'm hoping that'll make the farming feel better. Other than that I'm really enjoying the game. I can't wait to play the full release.

[@josie_the_valkyrie]

I absolutely love the artstyle and the soundtrack for this game. And I like the story they're setting up in the demo. But that's about the end of my interest so far. I may just get Doraemon SoS 2 instead.

[@LoneWolf982]

In case anyone's wondering about this Harvestella does have a relationship system. You only get a glimpse of it if you finish the demo by completing chapter 2. You rescue the mysterious girl named Aria and as a result your relationship with her (called "closeness") increases by 1 and some of your stats increase because of it. Keep in mind that it's still not confirmed if these relationships will eventually lead to romance. It's possible that all relationships in Harvestella will be purely platonic. Personally that's not an issue for me. Romance would be nice but it's not required. Plus it looks like these relationships increase your stats and possibly have other benefits as well so these relationships are still worth pursuing. It's even possible that the protagonist will already have a predetermined love interest.

[@crazyape515]

Yeah they did reveal that in the harvestella splatoon direct but they've kept quiet about romance. Unfortunately it's probably not a thing in this game :( Glad to hear that the demo shows some aspect of the relationship building

[@radlaw3476]

If there is romance, i am pretty sure Aria is the main love interest and i really hope she stays with us in the comfy farm house

[@ammo19911]

They have already confirmed multiple times that there will not be any romance though ..

[@SiroBenju]

The demo singlehandedly COMPLETELY killed my hype for the game, sadly. It is actually FAR less impressive in gameplay than in the trailers. I didn't expect Rune Factory levels of game design (e.g. stiff, no voice acting, worse graphics in some places, worse dialogue, worse npcs) with Square Enix's budget. Went from ready to buy this Day 1 to waiting for at least a 50% sale 😔 EDIT: And as others have pointed out, the farming is treated as an afterthought, both canonically in the game and on a meta-level in the game's design.

[@momokosakurada605]

the main thing about this game was actually the battles didnt even understand why was it even compared to rune factory

[@kimnamjoon3943]

@@momokosakurada605 i think it's because the trailers gave more emphasis on the farming part when in reality the farming is an after thought

[@switchunboxing]

This. Really gives a compliment to xSeed. Makes you realize rune factory and Stardew truly are special and NOT easily replicated

[@emie2052]

@@switchunboxing Agreed but just to let you know xSeed did not develop Rune Factory or Story of Seasons. They just translated the games. Sometimes they contribute (like how they made gay marriage a thing for RF5) but mainly they're just there to turn a Japanese game into English.

[@Phyllion-]

they showed more of the farming at TGS and it has quite a bit more than what you can do in the demo

[@lizzmann7527]

I agree with so many of your complaints! Strafing on the farm is definitely weird, I also have to use too much brain power to remember how to switch farming tools/select seeds, and movement does feel clunky... I also feel like some of the textures take a minute to load, but I'm sure that'll be polished over time. I dislike how quickly time seems to pass, ESPECIALLY on the world map. This game is certainly beautiful though, and I'm really hoping they fix some of the clunkiness. I'm still not super sold on the combat, is there a way to lock onto enemies I haven't discovered yet? I am still only about 5 days into the demo so I haven't experienced all of the combat or any dungeons yet!

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one having issues with the controls! Hopefully if they get enough feedback they'll tweak things a bit! The game takes a while to tell you, but you can lock with R and switch target with L! I can't remember if it actually fixes the camera on the enemy or not, but I remember it not behaving like I wanted. 😅

[@momokosakurada605]

@@JoshGamingGarden i think the farming isnt really the main focus but the battles is. thats why the trailer was always very battle focused

[@crazyape515]

I was confused by the strafing at first but I much prefer it to whatever rune factory 5 is doing lol I actually like it

[@momokosakurada605]

@@crazyape515 if u love fighting combat than u will love this a lot more

[@crazyape515]

@@momokosakurada605 yeah rune factory 5's combat is kind of clunky yet slippery to me, I still enjoy it though. In this the combat feels better but the weird pause after a combo really bothers me but I'm sure the skill tree will fix that or at least the addition of new attacks and abilities will fix that for me

[@Wiseguy1138]

Not really a fan of the “male” character model. I agree, he doesn’t look male at all and in a sim game like this, I want to have a character that more resembles me. I don’t think Square Enix put much effort in to differentiating the character models at all & they likely should have just made the character Non-Binary only given the lack of diversity in character models.

[@AuthorStevenWood]

Yea I thought I was seeing things. I'm like I chose male why do I still have a female character?

[@andraes9684]

I pre-ordered this as soon as it was announced. I cancelled the pre-order after playing the demo. The writing in this is terrible for a game that's coming from Square Enix. I'm not talking about the overall story, just how the conversations go. Like, the doctor finds you knocked out on the hill, you ask what the Quietus is, and she's like, "well I'm busy, byeeee!" Then you run to the village and go into her clinic, THEN she decides oh maybe as a doctor I should give the injured person a check-up? The movement in the farm is clunky. Your character gets stuck in the tilling stance for a while before moving. The time is so restrictive that you can't enjoy it as an RPG where you explore. You can also get delayed in your crafting because gathering materials is RNG and you're limited to 2 per node. I really feel like they missed the mark on this one.

[@grey3414]

I was also excited for this the first time, because it looks so good... but the more I watch (I'll also be playing the demo later), the more I'm convinced that square enix missed the mark on gameplay.

[@shawnbalboni4927]

Yep, the time thing was a major turnoff for me. I also cancelled my pre-order after the demo.

[@MieuxMerci]

I tried the demo, it was really boring and I really like farming sims AND JRPGs so I'm really surprised i didn't end up enjoying it. On paper it seems like a perfect fit. Glad I was able to try the demo before buying.

[@AlienFaun]

I had already expressed my comments on this game on your server. Makes me think of Crystal Chronicles and Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny. I love the characters designs and spites. The landscapes are gorgeous. I'm not fond of the farming since it was awkward to switch tools and using a garden hoe for a while.

[@sinnamon-troll84]

The button thing is because the HUD is on opposite sides than the buttons. You have to press ZR for the tools, but they're on the LEFT side of the screen. Same thing with your D pad. The D pad is on the LEFT of the controller, but the RIGHT of the screen. It feels bad and I struggled with it both in farming and combat.

[@milanors4609]

No romance or marriage is a deal breaker for me, I never touch the Doraemon because of that. it's the reason why I love RF so much, Heck! RF3 has more than 10 candidates to choose.

[@lookitsdebby]

Can we talk about how there's no way to dodge, no defense mechanisms at all?? Dash also only goes forward, you can't step to the side or back either. Final boss in the demo is an absolute nightmare without any sort of protection. Genuinely reconsidering buying this game.

[@KryaDiere]

This really bothered me.. it feels weird that there's absolutely no way to escape you just have to try to run away or take the hit.

[@zillo1600]

That really confused me. At first I thought I missed the tutorial for dodging. Your character is sometimes so slow in combat and I took so much damage in fights. A action focused combat system without something like a dodge roll is really weird.

[@DairokutenMaoUwU]

I know this is a stretch, but I wish Squeenix would add romance in this game.

[@alexel-ramahi2274]

I really started half half regarding the game when I played it the first hour, then the story grabbed me like no other and I enjoyed the characters and story so far and definitely enjoyed the dungeon fighting part, my only complain was with how time flies so fast specially when u move from ur house to other areas and I think it’s what really needs adjustment

[@imacat6434]

Got through the demo the previous day. I agree with you that the farming is clunky. Especially the hoe. But the atmosphere and the combat seem to make up for it. Hopefully there are upgrades for the hoe that make it more bearable to farm larger areas. And I especially agree that the buttons to change between tools is sort of weird, as well as seeds. And the character customization isn’t very good. Especially for male characters like you said. On a good note, the story seems good so far and I’m invested in the characters. My main gripe about this game so far is the character customization and the farming.

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Glad to see I'm not the only one annoyed by the controls! Also, good point, the hoe especially! Why do we have to till everything two times? 😣

[@crazyape515]

@@JoshGamingGarden trailers show an upgraded hoe that in one strike cultivates multiple squares

[@nichareek4493]

Totally agreed with you. Farming controls are hard to remember, time passes too fast!

[@nekokikogaming3530]

I played a bit of the demo but I felt like the frame rate was kinda low and it was really noticeable sometimes and making me nauseous. More customization options like hairstyles and outfits would have been nice to have and so far I didn't see any relationship mechanics which is very disappointing... I do like it but I don't think I will pre order it anymore.

[@MissZOMGKitty]

What's off for me with the tool selection is the the tools appear on the left side of the screen so i instinctively press ZL instead of ZR. Other than that i agree with a lot of points you made. The game is gorgeous and THE MUSIC 👌👌 i wore headphones from the beginning to enjoy the full experience. But movement is a bit clunky and jarring at moments which throws me off

[@ircha]

Great summary ❤️

[@annabananabread9773]

I agree with a lot of this, exploring the first dungeon was way more fun than I thought it was going to be. Spending the whole day in the dungeon made it seem like I had way more time than spending the day in the village, which was kind of weird. Agree that the controls feel pretty strange. And I feel like some things aren’t explained as well as they could be, I think? Like it took me watching this video to realize the “step” was a dodge function 🙃 genuinely thought enemy attacks were just unavoidable. Also, I really hope the full game allows you to increase the text size, but I doubt it. I need that accessibility and it’s rare.

[@bearicute]

honestly i am loving the demo, a lot, and can't wait for the full release, but am surprised the npcs don't have proper names. like there's Cres and Dim but then the smithy is just "Smithy" and the renovator is just "Renovator" and while their character designs are great and even have some voice acting, it kinda ruins the immersion just a little bit that they don't have a name lol. i would rather have fewer fully fleshed out characters like Cres, etc., who look great, than have the town feel busier by making lots of simple no named npcs. meanwhile i actually found the controls to be intuitive but they did take a second to get used to. it is strange that you only get one crop isn't it? i know it's one seed to one crop still, but it's just... confusing xD also, i think time moves way too fast but with the fast travelling mechanic it might be manageable. i really truly hope they add romance to this game. it's too beautiful to enjoy it alone. and with that big loft upstairs?? please tell me there will be romance 😭 i'm hoping they are able to make some of these changes, like adding more character customization options, before the official release. sidenote we picked the exact same hair color and eye color for our character lol

[@thren914]

(1) Time. Moves. Too. Damn. Fast. I want to explore but can't because of time. (2) I want to harvest more crops. Why does it show 4 per plot when we only harvest 1 per plot? Make it make sense. (3) Way too much dialog. (4) I couldn't dodge. At all. Had to move away because dodging didn't work. And yes I have that skill unlocked.

[@AlexandraStubbs]

This is a great demo review! I’m excited and want to play the demo soon. I hope the add better male and female hair options.

[@saberkite]

I just finished the demo yesterday. The time goes too fast, and it limits you so much especially since you have to go home before 10 PM or else you pass out. Maybe that improves as the story progresses, but I hope there's an option for camping or something. The farming element is ok, and it looks like it's so far the only way you can get money. The way the demo is made is enough to intrigue me to buy it, but I probably won't rush.

[@moosemousse]

Hi Josh, thanks for this video! I’ve been so busy with work I haven’t been able to keep up with gaming news. I didn’t realise there’s a demo for Switch! So I paused your video to go get the download started and came back to watch your video lol. Thanks again! Today I’m a bit sick so I’m resting in bed, so this is going to be a great way to pass sometime and not think about how bad my throat feels! Wish you a good day Josh!

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Rest well moosemousse, play some Switch in bed and drink some tea 😄 Hope your throat gets better soon!

[@annienunyabiz6627]

Really funny how they gave the guy very wide hips and thigh-high boots. The male body absolutely looks like a girl and I had to keep reminding myself you weren't playing Lightning. 😆

[@JoshGamingGarden]

The main character's body proportions are just off, but somehow they managed to make the other male NPCs look fine! It looks so unsettling. 😆

[@annienunyabiz6627]

@@JoshGamingGarden Very uncanny valley, yeah.

[@LoveHumble24]

Honestly, I haven't gotten too far in the demo, but I will say that my only two issues thus far is the time and the clunky movement. I'm hoping they'll take some feedback and slow the time down in the full release. Also, I usually enjoy exploring during the evening/nighttime, so it would be nice for them to move the "curfew" from 6pm to 9 or 10.😒 In regard to character customization, I'm not too worried for now...I didn't think they would give us the full feel with a demo, so hopefully more hairstyles/outfits/accessories are added later on.

[@BlingBlingDubuLove]

I’m glad I caught your video and can see that others mainly felt the same way I did. I had posted my impressions on a fb group bc I didn’t know where else to have discussions so I’m pasting it here so I can join in here at least ☺️ I like the art and music. Controls felt a bit unintuitive for me, for example how changing tools is with ZR but they’re shown on the left side of the screen so I always accidentally press ZL instead. The inventory (hot bar) isn’t visible at all times and can only have one item in X to use, which can be an added step when I want to just quickly see everything. Combat was kind of annoying or maybe I just couldn’t figure it out well but the buttons felt unresponsive to me (the attack action would only happen seamlessly consecutively if I pressed Y at the exact time after the previous action ended) and couldn’t really “dodge” well in time (is there even a command for that? Couldn’t figure it out tho I know there’s a dash button but not that useful). Also how do I start out with a weapon already and no one questions it even myself 😂 or did I just miss something The biggest thing I had an issue with was the time. I’m used to games where time passes quickly like stardew and rune factory (tho less for rf bc you don’t really have to sleep). The beginning felt very restrictive in what I could do in a day bc when I was left to do whatever on my own it was already 11am or 1pm and I was forced to be at home around 10pm and I couldn’t do anything in the house even crafting (tho this may have been bc of the “tutorial” phase prob but still don’t know why that was necessary). Later on at 10pm it didn’t force me to go home but still I did not like how they kept showing prompts that I was getting sleepy and tired and it is in huge text smack at the top third of the screen with a solid white background that shows up- kinda broke the flow of my gameplay. Time in the overworld also passes by very quickly relative to the distance you travel and I felt like that was a huge waste of a couple hours of my time every day. Farming is what I like in these kinds of games but the strafing on to the grid aspect of it didn’t work too well. Was kind of annoying and can see how it could get more annoying with bigger plots of crops. Also something about crops growing in one or two days threw me off and wish they take a bit longer so that I can have a better balance of activities but that’s prob just me and my preference and not really an issue. I think the important thing for people to know is that this is much closer to an action rpg than a farm/life sim (there’s also no social/romance aspect). I’ve seen this game brought up in so many of the farm sim groups I’m in and I hope people know what they’re getting into.

[@deadlineuniverse3189]

Actually, if you finish chapter 2, your “Affinity” level with Aria rises, so there seems to be some kind of romance/affinity system.

[@BlingBlingDubuLove]

@@deadlineuniverse3189 oh ok someone else told me that the game devs had said before there was no romance too so now I’m confused lol was there a new separate tab for “affinity” levels that appeared when you cleared ch2? I got to the boss but died so just went back home to fish for my last demo in game day so I don’t know what happens after you find her lol

[@symphonyheart1384]

I love it . I honestly love the characters the farming is new but overall I love it so much

[@anasorto9287]

I feel like, it didn't really need the farming 😅 Should've just made it an RPG with crafting.

[@NintendanGX]

As someone who isn't the biggest Square fan, and is also a bit reluctant to play most farming games, this game still looks interesting to me. Most of the Square RPG's that do interest me are ones made by their non-FF and DQ developers, with unique premises and engaging gameplay, and I can see myself having a lot of fun with this one. Though I might settle for the Steam version if the Switch can't run it at 60fps.

[@princesskatie331]

This seems more like an rpg with a farming gimmick than a true farming sim. There's nothing wrong with that but I don't really like combat. I'll put up with it in games like rune factory because if the town and the farming and fishing are fun enough. But as far as I can tell the town and relationship system aren't really a thing in this game.

[@crazyape515]

Yeah a lot of people seem to have been confused about it. I thought it was clear that it would be an action rpg with farming elements, not the other way around

[@momokosakurada605]

this is a battle focused game so u shouldnt put it anywhere near a true farming sim as the farming is this game is really an after thought

[@switchunboxing]

To me it feels more like a farming game with a combat gimmick haha idk. The farming and town seem so much more fleshed out

[@PrettyGuardian]

I wasn't sure how story rich this game would be or how in depth the systems would be (particularly after the dumpster fire of Various Daylife) but it looks promising.

[@Jrod859]

I'm really liking the game. The only gripe I can think of so far, is that the days are too fast. The days in Rune Factory 5 felt too slow for me, but the progression of time in Rune Factory 4 felt just right for me. I hope they either fix this in an update, or there is a special feature that allows you to enjoy more of the day at a slower pace as you progress through the game.

[@radlaw3476]

The game is very fun so far, i played to day 15 and sadly can't continue anymore, as was shown in the message. The farming aspect is nice and the story is very interesting. I am really hyped about building more on the farm, i want the second story to be furnished! Can't wait for the game to come out

[@emmaxu2001]

Josh thank you for the review. I like the graphic of the game but so far it looks very similar to the RF series. I was hoping for some new concepts and mechanics in this game under the Square Enix brand, but it seems that they want to play safely. It's still a good game though.

[@SenyoMena]

I HATED the lack of character customization. The male is so similar to the girl and that killed my interest on this game. I want a character I can identify to. I want a character I can change it's clothes or at least his horrible hair style

[@reveriesend4668]

My verdict of the demo from your video: Delay this thing. By at least a year. They have a chance to enter this market, they shouldn't waste it. People will wait, really. Plus delaying 1 year will put you right on competition with Rune Factory and their possible Rune Factory 6 (which a lot of people are comparing the franchise to) So it is a good chance for Square Enix to stake a claim on the market. The farming game market will only grow as gamers get older and a big chunk of that masses look for a more... "calming" game.

[@momokosakurada605]

tbh it wont be able to compare to rune factory at all simply this game only battles is the main focus the rest are an after thought so in no way the two actually clashes.

[@switchunboxing]

Yes

[@reveriesend4668]

@@momokosakurada605 yeah, but it will get compared regardless.

[@PyrenZero]

With some forewarning about awkward controls, character creation etc, I enjoyed the demo a lot more than I thought I would. The environments are beautiful and reminiscent of Xenoblade. The dungeon crawling and story aspects of the game are pretty satisfying, and I look forward to seeing how they become fleshed out in the full game. I like how time passes quickly as you have to strategise what you do each day, but it does make it seem kind of like a waste of time to look around town or talk to people (especially if there's no romance for now). Thanks for your thoughts!

[@DulyDullahan]

As someone who played Stardew Valley, lots of RPG games and Atelier games, I quite like the demo! I do agree that it’s mostly an RPG game with a sprinkle of farming and crafting but, I don’t mind either way since I love RPG games. The bad: - It was kind of weird that you could only manually save after getting to a certain part in a dungeon instead of from the start. - The ability to dash being locked by job points was a strange move too since almost all action RPGs lets you dash without having to unlock anything - The controls are really awkward. I always press the (+) or (-) button for inventory when it’s not the correct button and switching tools/weapons/jobs are so confusing - I really wish you could zoom in on the mini map while you’re walking. I hate having to pause, open the map, remember which direction i was supposed to take then close the map again. I played half of XC3 with the mini map on the screen because i constantly got lost. Some things I did like: - The graphics. I know some people dislike it but I personally really love how it looks. Really adds to the overall atmosphere with the soft glow too. - The story. I think it has potential to be an engaging one and so far, I’m curious about it as well - Lots to explore. The dungeons so far aren’t too small nor too big, which I like. I’ve seen a few complaints about the short time for each day, but having played older Atelier games, I feel right at home with these restrictions 😂 I appreciated that they have save points and shortcuts so you’re not wasting precious time walking on the map. My guess is that in the future, you’ll be able to use these shortcuts and airship to cut down on the travel time so it won’t be too much trouble. Overall, I’m looking forward to the release! I feel that casual/cozy/farming sim players will probably not enjoy it, but this game feels like it’s right up my alley so I think I’m gonna enjoy it for sure.

[@obscurehuman7309]

I have no problems with the game I wish there was more customization like more hairstyles at least and that should up the antialiasin cause characters become really blurry at times but overall positive

[@sammythehamster9093]

I have played the demo and really enjoyed it. The controls are difficult to get used it. Your character levels up when they go to sleep. I really wanted to renovate the kitchen but the demo ended quickly after second boss. I came across a fruit tree sapling from one of chests while exploring. The sapling takes 4 squares to plant took me a while to figure how to plant and maybe a crop not affected by quietus. I'm intrigued by storyline. I think Nintendo treehouse had more time for gameplay as I felt was it rush to do dailies on the demo. The overworld reminds of Bravely default where character is small but the map is big. I really like the scenery and look forward to full version of the game.

[@himaya-relaxsleep1410]

if harvestella will have a sequel in the future, I hope they turn it into a more complex farm/life sim with the full job system of FF universe, do chores specific to job... etc.

[@kacheek9101]

Loved the demo! The game's setting is so gorgeous (I think this is the prettiest game I've ever played on my Switch), and I'm intrigued by the story. I think the farming is fine (although the lack of button strafing is very annoying) because it looks like it'll expand quite a bit later on. The lack of decorating doesn't bother me because I'm not much of a decorator, but I think that'll become an option later anyways from some of the still images they've released (I saw different types of fences pictured on the farm). I do wish there were romance options in the game, but I'm having enough fun in the demo that Square will get my money even without that

[@vg2448]

I hope the Farming improves by the time the game releases. The game looks great, but the farming is it bit of a mixed feeling, good and bad. This game reminds me a bit of the Rune Factory games. JRPG and Farm Sim mixed together.

[@davidalvarez5659]

It won't. The release window is too small from demo release for them to do any significant changes. Very, very high probabilities that what you played in the demo is going to be very close to the final product, considering the demo is the first two chapters of the game.

[@sorenman1]

One of my gripe is the male character model. Nothing against looking a little feminine but at least let me have an option to not have a ponytail. I like short and nicely trimmed hair. But i do agree with the swapping tools being a bit of a pain at times.

[@mike1024.]

I played the demo too, and between the lack of a real male character and the fact that the game seemed like 90% RPG and 10% farming game, I didn't even finish the demo. It just wasn't my style.

[@richardwise330]

Unless they change a lot for the release this is prob a game that'll have to be on sale for me to even think about buying it.. that's a shame.

[@helen7751]

I liked the demo a lot. The problem with the farming i did not really have for me it worked quite smootly and the time for that was not a problem. The only thing i had is that when you want to switch to a seed when you have food in you hand u cannot do it bij using x without eating the food you actually have to switch it manually in the menu. I played to the end of chapter 2 and i thought the final boss was quite hard already haha might be just me though. For those who want to play to the end but also as many days as possible there are two bosses and you get a warning bofore you enter the boss area. So the second time you are warned note that if you continue the demo will end after that part.

[@carolinekifa145]

The town is a bit empty feeling but I like how the game looks so far.

[@flameshana9]

I appreciate your honest review of games. Too many people blabber on about how great something is because they got the game for free.

[@leslieyao11]

My only concern right now the game is very blurry on handheld mode. :(

[@letterm6656]

I only play a few hours or so, but the demo does not interest me enough to keep going. Visually, the world look pleasing most of the time, but there's area that are blurry. The farming mechanic felt like a last minute thing. I hope there's more to the fighting because what's in the demo is a little underwhelming. Overall, if the demo is anything to go by, it's mediocre.

[@navynarupan8979]

Finished the demo a few hours ago and the only thing I can say is that this does not feel like a farming sim. It has a bigger focus on dungeon crawling and farming is more of an optional money grinding mechanic. TIme feels like it flows faster than your usual Story of Seasons/Rune Factory game, with days passing by for around 10-15 minutes a day, unlike the usual 20-30 minutes a day. It feels limited when trying to plan the day. Character creation is kinda bland as your model is stuck to either buff or slim. The gender option caught me off guard and not sure if this will play a role in the game like a same sex marriage mechanic, maybe? The world does look beautiful though.

[@zephyrias]

from what I saw in the devs blogs, there's relationships meter it goes towards unlocking combat classes, and making the class stronger. There are story character related quests. This game seems more focused on RPG elements rather than farming sim elements.

[@AoiFlame02]

gender option just seems to be for pronouns and that's about it. nothing important in the end

[@Avalinara]

I kinda expected this game to be a ‘Final Fantasy plus you have a garden’ and that is kinda how it feels. But the big thing in the demo that turned me off from it was the NPCs. The fact that most people in town don’t even have names or anything other than one line of throw away dialogue made the town feel so small and bland. It doesn’t make me feel motivated to explore the world or be invested in the fate of the the people therein

[@ammo19911]

The time going down so fast means that unless I run all the time, my stamina will never go down to zero, if it does go down though, its easier to just start a new day, since its probably after 8pm by that time ...

[@tigerx36]

Even if I do try the demo, I may just start from the main game. Didn't realize time moves faster this time than Rune Factory but both have that mix of farm sim and taming. Thinking it has other things RF had.

[@mewalex3450]

I'm glad I played the demo first. The time flying by very fast and stamina being used for sprinting is what killed it for me. Some harvest moon and rune factory games spoiled me by letting me stay up however long I want and replenish my stamina with various ways like hot springs or such, not just food. I expected this game to be a marriage of farming sim and rpg, but honestly hoped for it to be more chill. I am extremely disappointed that you can't really explore the world at night, since the environment looks so pretty then, especially with all the glowing crystals and the like.

[@rans0927]

I don’t know why but when I played it on my switch, the graphic looked so blurry and it even hurt my eyes! It didn’t look as clear as in your video! I played on my console screen. Did you play it on tv screen? Or is there something wrong with my settings? I just couldn’t play it anymore after 15mins😵‍💫

[@empresscarrot5417]

Same! That was thr first thing i noticed! It's so blurry!!!

[@GCBami]

Mine was also blurry! I thought it was my eyes because I do have very bad eyesight

[@nomadicgamer9466]

I've yet to try the demo, but I'm still looking forward to this.

[@HadeaRin]

Tbh I wish they put demo for the Steam version than the Switch one. No shades for Switch player, I think there will be significant difference of graphic and performance between both version. It looks playable for one albeit I agree about the time moving too fast. It seems like they didn't really put emphasis on life sim of the farming since I didn't see something like festival or stuff in the website so the social aspect is quite lacking.

[@momokosakurada605]

its likely a combat rpg game rather than a farming game

[@MrKittyhead]

The hair is the only problem I have with this game so far. The character customization might be better in the full version. Time moving fast while traveling is such a good mechanic! You have to plan out where you need to go, and it just makes it feel more real.

[@TheScragglyMan]

The biggest mistake for me personally was having time progress with each step on the map overview. I liked the game for the most part.

[@SpacekidB]

I loved the story & even the farming in the demo. However I do think they can fine tune movement & slow the clock a bit. Also the graphics can use a slight bump and im really bummed at the fact that I can't customize my character look. Overall, I think I'll be purchasing.

[@Fjuczers]

1. Story - intresting. I expected something way worse. 2. Graphic - very good. 3. Music - very very good. 4. Time flow + Stamina system - making food is simple and food recovers a lot, so whole game is about using what you got instead of hoarding like I like use to. 5. Combat - hard to tell. AI seems to be a little to stupid. When I play as mage all the time exploited my companion to do tanking. Companion except tanking is usesless in combat :/ 6. Smith as Smith etc - no resident relations... very bad. Very little items to equip, and upgarde system inside smithy is super simplistic. Biggest drawback? Complete lack of audio dialouges. Not even "typing" sounds or simplistic sounds. For comparison less: in than week there will be release of DioField also developed by Square. Full story voice acting (only C grade small-talks inside base are not voiced), plenty of good quality cutscenes (with gorgeous extra lighting system!), lore library build into game with extra info about world, politics, characters, rewatch all cutscenes etc I will wait for reviews.

[@ACabanadoKonrado]

There's a demo? Oh daaaaaaaamn!I have to try it asap!

[@williamdc3104]

Thanks for this, definitely saved me some time and money.

[@inukaiya1509]

Am willing to give it a try, I had fun though there was some stuff I wish was better.

[@DuskoftheTwilight]

Regarding the timescale: The developers have apparently said that time will move slower in the full game compared to this demo.

[@jeromelindner2561]

Was on fire for the game but farming, customisation and no romance is a red flag.

[@watershinefarm]

So I played the Demo myself last night, played until Day 12 and then decided to stop because I felt that I got a good enough impression. Also decided to start over once the Game fully releases and take the experience I made in the Demo with me and start fresh. As for my impression of the Game so far... - The Visuals are absolutely beautiful and totally hit all my weak spots. Soft pastel colors and illuminated environments. Yeah, I'm a sucker for that. Harvestella feels a bit like a modern version of Rune Factory Frontier and I so so so wish Rune Factory 5 would've looked like that. Frontier certainly had my Graphic-Style of all the RF Games and I'm so happy that with Harvestella I can now enjoy a Farm-Life-Sim looking like that again. - I agree that Farming felt somewhat clunky. I got used to it after a couple of days but I really do wish that tilling would work similar to watering and that the Character wouldn't put the hoe away like after only 2 seconds. ~_~ - I like that at least some Crops have been Fantasyfied and we already know from the Trailer that there's more completely made up crops. So I'm happy about that as well, since I feel that Rune Factory was lacking in that department by mainly relying on normal Earth-Based Crops - I dig the Encyclopedia that is there right from the get go, that's good for all the Completionists out there and it'll tell you at first glance if there's something missing. Time will tell if there's actually stuff on there you seriously have to hunt after or if that Clopedia fills automatically anyways by just playing the Game. - The Story feel typical SquareEnix... lets start out in a beautiful medieval fantasy world and boom, spaceship and time traveler's. I couldn't help but chuckle. The Story looks interesting enough though and I can't wait to find out more about Aria and the Omens. It seems we might get a bit more plot in Harvestella then we usually get in Rune Factory. - As for the Character Editor... I'm happy that we got a bit more variety, because from the first Trailer people thought you can only pick the Male or Female Character, but I also agree that I too wish they would've at least added 1 more Body Type, at least 1 more Voice and at least a few more Hairstyle. I personally totally dig the Character Artwork in the Menu and I LOVE that the colors of the Artwork are adjusted to what you pick during Character Creation but I can also understand that people would gladly discard the Artwork for the ability to have more hairstyles and such. I'm a female but since I just wanted to have that long sideways ponytail, and the male model didn't look toooooo masculine, I went with that one + female voice and didn't really feel that much that I'm actually playing a "guy" while controlling my character. The only give-away is a a good look at the Artwork in the menu or looking at the model from the side, as the masculine model clearly has no boobs at all. *chuckles* But just because of the hair I'll stick with the more masculine body. - Unlike many other people I'm actually fine with how fast time progresses. Maybe it's because I've already played so many Farm-Life-Sims that I don't feel the need for optimization anymore and don't mind going to bed like early and just continue the next day. With the Shortcuts and Teleportation Crystals, as well as the Return Bell, you can really cut back on Traveling time. We also know that a bit later you'll get mounts, which make traveling on the overworld map faster and in the latest Demo Trailer we've also seen how you can move around the Map with an Airship. So I guess, like with many Farming Sims, time will only be an issue in the beginning and as you progress you'll be able to spent more and more time just Gathering, Leveling, tending to your farm and then going to bed early because you feel like you're done for the day. All in all I'm very pleased with the Game so far. A few rough edges but nothing on the scale of what RF5 or SoS:PoOT had - two Games I highly looked forward too and didn't manage to play past the 1st year. I pre-ordered Harvestella on Amazon and mainly played the Demo to see if the Game has similar performances issues to RF5 or PoOT - in which case, if it had, I would've canceled my Pre-Order and would've settled for the Steam Version instead. But the Demo of Harvestella ran so smoothly that I was even more shocked how the Devs of RF5 managed to mess up so badly with their Game. Sure, the Steam Version might look just a bit better, at times I feel like the Switch Version of Harvestella looks a bit on the blurry side, but these are so minor details for me that I rather get a proper physical Version of this Game for my switch then a purely digital one for PC. All in all I'm hoping that this Game will be so well received and enjoyable as a while that SE decides to stick with the Genre and turn Harvestella into a Series. I wouldn't mind having another proper Farm-Life-Sims Series from a company that has a bit more money under their belt. *knocks on wood*

[@ZaphBot]

Final Fantasy meets Rune Factory, I love it, looking forward.

[@oldheadgamer6329]

I have to say it's no Rune Factory but the Final Fantasy feel of the story feels great.I hated on the game at first but now I'm all in.

[@reveriesend4668]

This farming asset (the colors, the seed shape, etc) kinda looks like Rune Factory Frontier, tho. If anything it feels like a dead-er Rune Factory Frontier because there's no runey who makes stuff bright and beautiful.

[@moggless]

Just play sakuna instead for those that still havent. Its a very underrated farming sim game where farming actually matters also the story and characters are very well written

[@Jennifer-lt6wg]

I haven't had a chance to try it yet. I plan to and I want more info on what is expected in the full version so I'll have to see what they have revealed thus far.

[@user-kr5vm8nk1d]

Playing the demo, happy enough with graphics, story looks good, controls… yeah. I do not get how to bring up the backpack contents to select them so will have to experiment, I kept having to open my backpack screen and move things around. Interesting to see the male character models are basically the same as the female ones. I was impressed with them actually having a non-binary option - that’s good for many people.

[@Nuudlegirl]

I was waiting for your video Josh! And I very much agree with your opinions especially with the time. It goes way too fast and I was hoping they werent going to add that on the cooking mechanic T-T. I will probably still get the game since the story does seem interesting.

[@switchunboxing]

Hey you got this video out very very quickly! Kudos! I wanted to do that. But I have still been working on my script for multiple days. Any tips on writing something like this so quickly?

[@anthonynonoya4486]

Overall, I like it so far - I'm about a week in. I like it, but stamina goes pretty quickly in battle and the time goes by fast. And yeah, when I was creating the character, I went back and checked to make sure that I selected male. Three times.

[@DulyDullahan]

Make sure to check your mailbox next to your house from time to time! Cres and the mayor will give you food and drinks that helps with your stamina. It’s probably only at the start of the game until you can unlock the cooking section.

[@kimnamjoon3943]

Does harvestella have a social aspect? Like being friends with the townsfolks, relationship and friendship events and whatnot?

[@LoneWolf982]

Yes you get a glimpse of it if you finish the demo by completing chapter 2. You rescue the mysterious girl named Aria and as a result your relationship with her (called "closeness") increases by 1 and some of your stats increase because of it. Keep in mind that it's still not confirmed if this will eventually lead to romance. It's entirely possible that all relationships in this game will be purely platonic. But it looks like improving your relationships with the townspeople gives you various benefits so these relationships are still worth pursuing even if they don't lead to romance.

[@alpacacokelat]

2:50 so true🤣🤣the male chara looks a lot similar with the female ver

[@estavoratrelundar]

I'm not into these kind of games, but this one I actually enjoyed - the fighting, farming, and story. The story alone has me intrigued. The farming mechanics are meh. Tbh when I was switching to planting, I'd first open my backpack to think what I would plant and such then went from there. I didn't mind it. I find you get used to it. It has potential, but there's definitely room to improve.

[@pedromiguel9494]

Yhea,i hope in the final game we can change the male air and cloths

[@seamarie3111]

I know it's expensive, but I'd love more games to have voiced lines. Honestly, this might sound crazy, but I'd be TOTALLY cool with an option to have dialogs read out with a TTS engine (artificial voices). I'm partially blind, so use those voices all the time anyway, and I do get tired of reading.

[@tyrannyrains5341]

Yes I actually like it. Just wish I could look more like a guy with shorter hair I don't know what they thinking with that ponytail I better be able to change it.