Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny for PlayStation 3

GF Rating

5

Fair

Good, but not Rune Factory-y enough

posted by Daniel_Campbell (CARTERVILLE, IL) Oct 16, 2011

Member since Oct 2011

8 out of 9 gamers (89%) found this review helpful

The Rune Factory series has always taken the basic act/formula of farming and built other activities around it to flesh out the gameplay experience. That's all changed with Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny.

For some unknown reason the building of a fiscally lucrative and efficient farm has taken a back seat to the other activities in the game. For this reason the game doesn't feel natural to someone who has grown accustom to, and are comfortable with, the Rune Factory formula.

The game still features farming but works in a completely different and uninspired fashion. All of the side activities have been beefed up and improved considerably, but for most Rune Factory fans those things are a side dish with farming being the main course.

If you've enjoyed the Rune Factory games but always wished it didn't have that annoying "Farming" mechanic, then this is the title for you. For vets of the series though, this feels like a departure from the series paradigms to which we have grown accustom.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted by Eirkur (REDLANDS, CA) Nov 25, 2011

Member since Nov 2011

3 out of 4 gamers (75%) found this review helpful

if you have played any of the other Rune Factory games forget all you know about the need for seeds or farming tools because this time rune factory is mostly about adventuring out to long lost islands and completing quests for people on your home island, but don't worry you can still grow crop just in an extremely different way to find out more you gotta play the game!
if you are a fan of harvest moon and/or final fantasy (this game is like a combination of the two to an extent) you should rent this game!

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny review

posted by samurai_kyo45 (THORNTON, CO) Oct 29, 2011

Member since Sep 2011

4 out of 7 gamers (57%) found this review helpful

My take on this game I have to say is very addicting to me because I have never play anything like this before I was hooked on this game for over a mouth. I heard that this game was from the creators that did harvest moon series. A quick sum of on this game is that the main character is trying to find a way how to separate himself from his childhood friend soul out of his body. The start of the game is slow going but once past all that you will find yourself trying to grow the crops you want, building relationships with the islanders, improving both your cooking and fighting skills. There are a lot of things you will find yourself trying to master while trying to stick to the main story if you don't you will find your self trying to catch up.

My good:

Interacting with people and getting married. (I never got this far)
Growing crops making weapons or cloths for yourself.
The fighting style is like Kingdom hearts or dot hack its not a turn base rpg game.

The Bad:

The bad I have to saw is how slow going it is in the begging.
The other it king of almost takes forever trying to build relationships with people it kind of a slow process.
Lacking the ingredients to make certain things one of the most annoying things you will find yourself in the game.
Wish you can command your monster to grow certain crops instead of just this one.

Overall Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny is a pretty fun and addicting game to me I learn that most of the other Rune factory games are on the Nintendo DS. This could of been also a DS title but since I don't have a DS I'm glad they made it for the PS3 so I give this a 9 out of 10.

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GF Rating

5

Fair

It is a good game, but it feels a little"padd

posted by greg137 (CALDWELL, ID) Oct 28, 2011

Member since May 2010

1 out of 5 gamers (20%) found this review helpful

This is reportedly the male version? The female version is supposed to have been released for the Wii, but I have yet too verify it...At first this game seems small, and the basic utility functions go in the direction of minigames(lame), but it does get better; it just takes time and persistence(and saving).. Caring for monsters is made quite a bit easier thnks to the fact that you apparently don't have to feed your monsters in this game.. This game seems more like an action RPG, and less like a farming sim.. You can even have a party of monsters.. I am just glad they finally produced a Rune Factory game for the PS3.. Now if Harvest Moon itself could just release a version for the PS3; we would be in business.. The only problem for the PS3 is that it is too advanced for its time, which is why many programers complain that it is a complex system too program for... If more game developers could get a better understanding of it; I think that the PS3 will be able to emerge as a solid game system.. The mini-games at first seem difficult, but they do get easier once you start building skill levels... Give it a chance folks.. Please remember to try before you buy!! I think it would have been better if it didn't have minigames for basic functions like cooking, and crafting, but that is just my opinion.. What do YOU think?? God Bless..

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GF Rating

3

Bad

Meh...

posted by LonerWolf (BROCKPORT, NY) Mar 20, 2013

Member since May 2008

I loved the rune factory series up until this. Huge Golem cool, animal capture was decent but then there was no farming. Money was ridiculously hard to get and the questing was confusing. I spent the majority of the 4 hours I played watching video and wandering around until the golem passed out accomplishing almost nothing. Imho I wouldn't rent this game again and I wish I hadnt rented it to begin with.

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

rune factory tides of destiny

posted by hotbetty (BEDFORD, MA) Mar 8, 2013

Member since Jun 2012

not as good as the other rune factory games they took out all the fun stuff such as planting and taking care of animals like chickens plus it is a lot harder to make money since they cut out the planting and you also have to buy stuff that you could normally find growing around the area such as green grass and medical herbs not worth renting

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

Fun but tedious at times

posted by Astronskas (AUBURNDALE, FL) Sep 29, 2012

Member since Sep 2008

I like this style of game. That being said, I found myself at times wondering if it was worth it to keep going. It would have been nice if the side missions weren't the same over and over again. If you like previous titles from Rune Factory then this is a good choice, but be prepared to grind while you wait.

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GF Rating

4

Weak

Disappointing

posted by Mizuru007 (VAN NUYS, CA) Aug 9, 2012

Member since Aug 2012

This game is very disappointing.
It starts off slow, which wouldn't be a problem if it didn't continue to be slow. One of the major selling points of the game is the ability to find islands with your giant golem, but the process can take forever, and all islands that aren't quest-given are plagued with monsters that are insanely difficult.

Character interaction is nice; I appreciated the ability to switch on and off the accessories I gave villagers for speaking scenes. But after a while, you will end up rapidly pressing X to skip through the repeated dialogue. Giving gifts in the beginning is IMPOSSIBLE, as there's no way to have a definite in-flow of whatever item you want to gift (more on that in a bit). If you've played Harvest Moon/Rune Factory games before, then you'll be able to pick out the cut-and-paste personalities that are used to make these characters.

Farming is GONE; rather, it's been replaced for a completely uninvolved process in which you can't choose what crops you want to grow. Everything is left to monsters that you befriend in dungeons and, other than waving around a little wand, there is no player involvement in the farming process.

And the final bit that a lot of people are angry about: you can not unlock the ability to play as the female character until you have beaten the game. And even then, you have a whopping THREE bachelors to choose from, as opposed to the nine bachelorettes that the male has. There is no way to switch between the genders; when you choose, you choose. (Luckily, you can have up to 15 save files!)

Overall, the game could have been a lot better.
Instead, it turns into a dungeon-crawling grindfest and frustrating "farming" experience.

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

A little clunky, but incredibly charming

posted by Vsonic (EAST STROUDSBURG, PA) Jul 5, 2012

Member since Jan 2010

Rune Factory Tides of Destiny is a JRPG that "gets it"...mostly.

This game is LOADED with things to do. Fishing, monster raising, dungeon crawling, gardening, exploration, and of course, being "social" and interacting with NPCs. Unlike most JRPGs, every NPC in this game is a unique character, and has tons of things to say. Like characters in Majora's Mask, they have their own schedules and walk around town - it's far more engaging than your typical JRPG non-player characters. You get to learn their likes, their dislikes, what they want from you, what they can do for you...the entire atmosphere is wonderful in this game.

The combat is shallow at first, but you learn some abilities as you go about your quests. Actually, you level up CONSTANTLY, for everything. Walking, running, and talking even - it's quite rewarding. Exploring the ocean in your stupid-looking golem is fun too. There's tons of islands out there; and each brings new monsters to fight, monsters to raise, farmland to grow crops on, and ponds to fish.

The problem is just that Natsume/Neverland don't seem to have ever seen a western RPG, or a contemporary JRPG even. There's still signs of "SNES design" all over this game. From conversing with characters (done "cardboard cutout" style), to the fact that you can only accept one sidequest at a time, to the fact that you won't be able to find anything in the ocean UNLESS it's explicitly part of a quest you're already on (even though you'll see these places all the time). It's odd for a game this generation, and just adds a layer of clunkiness to this title.

But man, it gets so much else right! It's colorful and charming, all the characters are likeable, and there's so much to do. Unlike Rune Factory Frontier, which I couldn't get into, the day/night cycle and stamina do not limit you much at all. And everything else has been expanded wonderfully.

An absolutely charming, worthwhile adventure. And a perfect game to play in the summer.

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GF Rating

3

Bad

Good graphics but weak gameplay!

posted by EnishiX (NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV) Jun 20, 2012

Member since Jun 2012

I didn't like the auto jump from ledges. I didn't like the farming system. I was really disappointed with this game out of the rune factory series.

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GF Rating

4

Weak

love it

posted by shorty2good13 (FAIRFIELD, ME) Apr 20, 2012

Member since Feb 2012

its refreshing different and entertaining they always have good games pertaining to mario rpgs yaaaay highly recommend this game!!

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

Lame

posted by HeeHAW (ODENTON, MD) Mar 13, 2012

Member since Mar 2012

Dont Waste Your Time!

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

Rune factory

posted by krosenbrook1975 (CHARLOTTE, MI) Mar 9, 2012

Member since Feb 2012

This game was very stupid and pointless!!,I thought it would be cool but it wasn't what i expected. I think it could have been better

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

A fun and involved RPG!

posted by Dethkyng (EVANSVILLE, IN) Feb 8, 2012

Member since Jun 2011

I was kinda skeptical about this game at first, with its title and all, but it goes to show that even the friendlier genre of games can be quite fun. I have never played a Rune Factory/Harvest Moon game in my whole life and when I gave this one a try, I was hooked. It isn't a game you can just skip through and finish quickly, It is a involved, yet simple RPG that one is sure to find entertaining for quite a while. :)

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

a great game for all harvest moon/runefactory vets

posted by pulsedrag (NEWARK, OH) Feb 5, 2012

Member since Apr 2010

a good game to play and have fun playing and better on ps3 because u can just use the ps3 controller u dont need the move one at all it just says u can USE one if u want to

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GF Rating

4

Weak

Not a Good Rune Factory Game

posted by Shanchan (CHARLOTTE, NC) Jan 18, 2012

Member since Nov 2011

I am a HUGE fan of the Rune Factory games and I play them forever, but this game was a huge disappointment. I don't really understand how it can be a Rune Factory game without farming, which is the best part of those games and the main idea. There's no farming, at all. You capture monsters who then raise crops for you. It's super basic and dumb. They managed to make fishing dull, as you can't even see any fish and you have to wait through a little jingle each time before you can try to fish. Crafting was the same, only not as rewarding because you basically did nothing to get the ingredients. The fighting is greatly improved and very fluid and I also enjoy jumping, but without farming I lost interest, even though I love fighting monsters in the other Rune Factory games. Exploring islands was pretty boring and the giant Golem doesn't do much. Seriously, there is no point without the farming. Usually I can't live or breathe without these games when they come out but I played this one for less than a week and never thought about it again. If you've never played a Rune Factory game you may like it, but just know you are missing out on real Rune Factory games.

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GF Rating

1

Horrible

Move Meets Controller?

posted by drewish574 (MISHAWAKA, IN) Dec 17, 2011

Member since Dec 2011

no offense the game looks fun but i just cant get passed the BLATANT attempt at a wii game on the PS3.... it was very hard/uncomfortable to use both the move and regular controller at the same time... all in all very disappointed with this games controls....

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

A Mix of Two

posted by wolfgod7777 (LAKE ELSINORE, CA) Nov 26, 2011

Member since Nov 2011

This is the first ruin factory that i have played and i got to say its really good. My game i ever had was with the Harvest Moon series with the Nintendo 64. When i compare this game to Ruin Factory it feels almost like the same except the whole most monster killiings and temples of monster trying to kill you. I got to say people who like the harvest moon series should play this game hands down

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GF Rating

4

Weak

Not for ages 12 and Up

posted by Reviewer3 (HANFORD, CA) Nov 13, 2011

Member since Jun 2009

Renting this I was expecting something like Fable or Zelda or something. Not so much. This game was defnitely not made for anyone around 12 and up. Most of the time you are just clicking X to fast frward talking and once and a while slicing enemies. I got bored really fast; thank you to whoever invented GameFly

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

very fun and unique

posted by devinmarce (SOUTH DEERFIELD, MA) Oct 22, 2011

Member since Jul 2010

Love this game, taming monsters, building relationships, growing crops, going on quests, fighting monsters and leveling up, riding a giant golem through the ocean? its all here. very fun game with lots to it. If you can get over the childish cartoony graphics that is. there are many hours of gameplay and it never seems to get boring. The only irritating thing is the stamina bar but i guess thats what keeps you from beating it all in one day. I wouldnt buy it but definitly good for renting

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Great game to play with the Move

posted by HyrulianLink (STOW, OH) Oct 21, 2011

Member since Oct 2011

First off let me say, this game rocks.
When I first put this game in my system I didn't know what to expect and then when I found out about it utilizing the PS Move I really liked that.

The way the PS Move is utilized is in battle because you swing the controller and you feel like you are the guy battling the monsters.

When I first started playing the game it seemed really awesome, but as soon as the game really got started I found it utilized a whole lot of different mechanics. Like, day and night system, dialogue leveling up with different NPC's, fetch quests and a whole ton more. But that is what makes this game so much good. Yes it can seem confusing at some points but that just makes it so much fun to play.

So I would recommend this game to people who like a challenge in their games.

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GF Rating

5

Fair

Not quite the same.

posted by FlikViktor (BETHLEHEM, PA) Oct 14, 2011

Member since Jun 2008

Tides of Destiny starts off with the Hero/Heroine on an island going about their normal business when something odd occurs and they find themselves now as one person (the girl gets trapped in the guys body). And apparently they get transported through time to the same island but with a whole cast of people who quickly accept the strangers.

Much like Frontier (Wii), the game has a dungeon crawl aspect, where you fight monsters to get items to use for crafting, and also for story purposes. The downside to this game however is if you were a fan to running the farm, that's pretty much gone. Now the monsters you capture pretty much to 100% of the work, the only thing you have to do is remember to go back to the other island they are on and re-plant, and harvest. Which now the planting system is as simple as waving a wand and different monsters grow different crops & flowers. So you really don't have a whole lot of choice on what your gonna get either.

The game overall isn't horrible. It can get very boring at times, and you can often find yourself with nothing to do with lots of time still left in the day. Either because you've run out of RF points or there is just nothing to do. If your looking for this to be like the other Harvest Moon games you'll be disappointed.

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

Looks and plays like a PS2 game

posted by CylanthMN (MINNEAPOLIS, MN) Oct 14, 2011

Member since Jun 2011

Rune Factory is a japanese fantasy RPG/Harvest Moon game. There are farming elements, rpg dungeon elements, and some exploration. Visuals look like they come from 2004. Story is about a guy and a girl that for some reason early in the game, become fused together and must find a way to get separated. Gameplay involves dungeon grinding for monsters, as well as growing crops. Voicework is limited to cut scenes only, otherwise, its all text. I didnt get far into the game, I just didnt find any of the game all that interesting.

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Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny for PlayStation 3 Reviews by Gamers

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