Farming simulation games have become a popular sub-genre for many players looking for a more laid-back experience. Franchises likeHarvest MoonandStory of Seasonshave become mainstays in the gaming industry andmodern games likeStardew Valleycontinue to see critical acclaim. However, the classic genre has recently seen more games looking to break the mold of the traditional farming formula with series likeRune Factorybringing a fantasy spin. During today’s Nintendo Direct, Square Enix revealedHarvestellaas a farming simulator steeped in the JRPG juggernaut’s recognizable style.
Nintendo’s most recent Partner Showcase brought with it a plethora of major reveals of upcoming titles. Gaming staples likePortalandNier Automatasaw official announcements for the console and longstanding rumors of thePersonafranchise finally making the jump to Switch were confirmed. However, Nintendo’s biggest unveilings came as just a few of a massive list of titles shown off andSquare Enix’sHarvestellalooks to bring a uniquely Square-inspired spin to farming sims.
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Harvestella’s reveal introduces players to the quaint Lethe Village with the trailer introducing players to the game’s life simulation aspects. Alongside farming,Harvestellafeatures cooking and crafting mechanics with players also able to venture outside the village to fight monsters and gather materials. Where the game strays frommost casual farming simulatorscomes with the “season of death” referred to as Quietus, bringing death to crops and threatening the lives of the villagers. The trailer’s conclusion revealed the game’s release date withHarvestellaset to release on November 4th.
While the game’s life simulation aspects will play a heavy role inHarvestella’s gameplay, the trailer also showed off a variety of different elements connected to the game’s combat.Harvestella’s combat will feature a magic system with the player character performing several elemental attacks, as well as briefly teasing a boss battle set within its own arena. The visual style ofHarvestella, especially within the Quietus portions of the trailer, looks to take heavy inspiration fromSquare’s signature darker detailed aestheticoften used inFinal Fantasy.
Harvestella’s release in November comes amidst a busy season for RPGs on the Switch with several major titles set to release this Fall. AlongsidePersona 5 Royal’s previously mentioned reveal for October,Square Enix’sDragon Quest Treasuresis also set to arrive in December. The Holiday 2022 season also features a major RPG release from Nintendo themselves withPokemon Scarlet & Violetset to debut near the end of the year.Harvestellawill look to be a uniquely Square-Enix take on the farming simulator genre when it releases this November.
Harvestellais scheduled to release on November 4th, 2022 for PC and Switch.
