Harvest Moon pioneered much of the farming and life simulator mechanics that fans find comfort in, so when it tries to reestablish itself in the industry it’s all the more difficult to stand out when other games have developed upon what it previously achieved. The change in title hasn’t helped matters, as it’s difficult to find clarity in which name is going to best harness the magic of what came before. Story of Seasons is yet to gain a strong foothold in gaming under its new banner, especially now that the market is saturated with other properties that are of such a high quality.

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Stardew Valley is Harvest Moon Made Better

Developed by just one man, Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone, Stardew Valley released in 2016 to a sea of critical acclaim. Its charming visuals, stellar writing, and wealth of content made it a perfect addition to the Nintendo Switch not long after its release, and the PC version is still going strong today thanks to its liberal attitude toward modding. It attains such success because it leans on a gameplay formula that has been proven to provide hours of fun, but Stardew Valley builds upon this in creative ways. Surprisingly deep interactions with side characters, a setting that has an authentic sense of identity, and major potential for customization makes Stardew Valley the best Harvest Moon game Marvelous never made.

Now that the developer is working on Haunted Chocolatier there may be an opportunity for Story of Seasons to offer new elements and enticing mechanics to bring fans back to the franchise they once held so dear. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life may be a remake of an almost two-decade-old title, but it would do well to take the fundamentals of what came before and implement the setting, characters, and story into a design philosophy that takes advantage of modern advancements in both gameplay and presentation. Stardew Valley refines the edges of Harvest Moon in ways that made it feel entirely new, so there’s no question that Story of Seasons has the capability to do the same with a larger development team.

As Harvest Moon did before, Stardew Valley has reignited a love of the farming simulator genre that has had titles like My Time at Portia and even the aptly-titled Farming Simulator see more success than ever. In 2022 it’s no longer the niche genre it used to be, and Story of Seasons is starting on the back foot by trying to appeal to nostalgia. Plenty will be anticipating Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life because of a pre-existing interest, yet there will be a whole other audience whose excitement comes exclusively from their love of Stardew Valley and other new games like it.

The farming simulator genre has been done in a variety of ways that casts such a wide net, meaning there’s no shortage of options for players who want a quick fix of watering crops and feeding livestock, or a lengthy, slowly-paced, and accurate take on what it means to tend to a successful farm. The market has expanded greatly not just in the volume of farm-set management games, but also the diversity of each release. Despite being the one to start the revolution decades ago, Story of Seasons will enter 2023 as the obscure franchise that seems to bear resemblance to Stardew Valley and Don’t Starve, as the competition remains thicker than ever today.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life launches Summer 2023 for the Nintendo Switch.

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