Harvestella Although it has shown itself on several occasions, the one thing the world will remember is its emphasis on growing fruits and vegetables. So okay, that’s what his name also suggests (harvest means to harvest in English), but we must do justice to the title of Square-Enix which seeks above all to make a place for itself in the very particular style of life simulations/RPG. A somewhat confusing hybrid genre that has seen a few names stand out like RuneFactory to cite only the best known or Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons to a lesser extent.
Smart on the part of Square Enix to become embedded with a big production in a genre in full development.
All this to say that Square-Enix we pull out all the stops to burst into a genre that we can still qualify as a niche. A AAAit’s quite daring, but not as much as the idea of taking over a gameplay who could almost call himself a pioneer. On paper, the company Square we like. The deal is to offer us a quiet little life, surrounded by our charming neighbors and lush land to cultivate. The kind of gameplay that a certain person would not deny Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but to which we would have added adventures and their share of fights. The names mentioned above have taught us that the two can marry harmoniously and to tell the truth it is not Harvestella which will make us say the opposite. Because it is precisely when the two types of playability intertwine that the magic of the title knew how to operate on us.
So why did we hold back Harvestella for its Jerusalem artichokes and beans? Well, simply because it’s the first thing the game puts forward. Our first steps in the village of Teait’s a lot of talk and the beginning of a promising career as a farmer. Nothing really came of it, to tell the truth, just enough to learn the basics and to be honest, that’s a bit of what we missed in the preview that we were able to have of Harvestella. At no time did the title seek to dig into its subject. Working the land has, for the moment, a very limited playful interest. At best, this is justified by the need to recover raw material for your future crafts. Doubt still hovers, maybe Square-Enix he keeps a secret to make it all more engaging. Most likely, however, is that the life simulation of Harvestella be very basic, whether in your plantations or your relations with your neighbours. The title seems to have more charm in form than in substance. Because yes, the game is quite sublime in its genre. He plays on a neat artistic direction supported by very bright colors. We are contemplative from the first moments and that is exactly what this particular genre needs, which asks you to live a peasant life filled with simple pleasures.
This nagging impression that the game misses its subject, however, did not leave us during our first contact. The problem is, Harvestella asks more questions than it answers. The textbook case is obviously the Quietus, the season of death. With each change of season, this strange phenomenon rears its ugly head, destroying all life in its path, crops and villagers alike. This is a very interesting element, especially since it is at the origin of part of the story and its effects directly impact your gameplay. Unfortunately, we have not been able to see the real interest of this fifth season. We could say the same thing about the adventure part, which on the contrary showed up very early.
The title simply seemed a bit too sketchy to us despite a rather eccentric style.
This does not prevent Harvestella to look rudimentary in its combat mechanics. We readily recognize a certain dynamism in it, but we are far from the complexity that we can expect from a RPG. However, there should be subtleties such as the possibility of taking companions on missions with you, provided you have made friends with them beforehand of course. On the other hand, we were able to touch the importance of the gauges of thirst, hunger or sleep that must be managed, not necessarily the most inspired part. Harvestella was not where we expected. The future will tell us if Square-Enix has been stingy or if the game is a bit flawed as we fear.
Our first impressions: Could do better!
Smart from Square-Enix to become embedded with a big production in a booming genre. A AAA and sublime visuals are not everything. It is in any case insufficient to make our mouths water when Harvestella had everything to prove. Nothing is fixed, but the title simply seemed a little too summary to us despite a rather eccentric style. In any case, Square-Enix didn’t show us big enough ideas or just didn’t answer the questions we’ve had since the game was announced.
Harvestella is pre-order on Amazon for €59.99.