A few weeks ago, I started playing Rune Factory 5. If I had to describe, it was like Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing had a baby. I didn’t play the previous Rune Factory games. Since I’m starting so late in the series, fans may not agree with my comparison. Either way, I love The Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing franchises. So, that’s a compliment.
What’s Rune Factory and Why Did I Start with 5?
Honestly, I did it for the aesthetics and the mechanics of the game. The earlier game illustrations are beautiful, but the actual game play looks a bit dated. Since, I didn’t play the series from the start, I’m not willing to put up with that. It might be a snobby way to approach the series, but I’m not single and childless. Meaning, I’m more selective with games than the Trisha of my teen years. Moving on…
I Choose Murakumo
It takes a bit of time to get a PC relationship level high enough for courtship/dating. My top three choices were Ryker, Martin, and Murakumo. Since I’m more focused on the day to day aspects of the game, the players personality and appearance were more important to me than our combat compatibility. Meaning, I prefer dual daggers. So choosing Ryker isn’t necessarily the best marriage candidate for me, because we have the same weapons preference. Whereas, Martin has a hammer and Murakumo has an axe.
Still, Ryker takes a while to gift me anything in return for my time. Martin kind of brushes it off. Of the three, Murakumo is more upfront with his feelings and returns my acts of kindness. The higher you’re level gets, the more he implies that he wants to run Blue Moon Inn with you. That’s why I went with Murakumo. Not to say I can’t date all three. If I use one of the games many saving slots, I could marry all three. Technically, I’d have to create different timelines or start a new game. Regardless of my choice, it’s not a good idea to take the relationship to the next level (declaring your love) without meeting certain conditions.
Romance Events and Life After The Main Story
Based on the different articles I read, you shouldn’t confess your feelings right away. At a minimum, the potential love interest must be Level 7. To improve your chances of dating, you must complete that characters romantic event. Since the game allows same sex relationships, you’ll see pink icons with a characters face at different points on the map. Although these relationship builders are called Romance Events, most of the cut scene help you learn more about your love match and the other residents of Rigbarth.
For those with singular minds, I have some bad news. You can’t do all your love interests events in a row. Even if you have no interest in the other PCs, you’ll have to complete events as they go to have an opportunity to complete a Romance Event with your favorite characters. You can’t start a new Romance Event without completing the current one you started. .
This was probably put in place to make sure players don’t neglect the other residents. Cause they will comment on it. Plus, you can’t propose without knowing everyone in Rigbarth. Its unclear how high of a friendship level you need for the others. Between farming, mining, cooking, and monster fights, I try to visit the majority of the townfolk on a daily basis. Plus, they can help you form parties to complete main storyline objectives.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Rune Factory 5 is a harvest moon fantasy game that is a fun RPG games with Slice of Life objectives. I decided to write this post, because I googled different questions about a game that I have no history with. It was nice to step outside of my comfort gaming franchises and try something new. Plus, it seemed like a good idea at the time. The game is as mission centered or “go with the flow” as you want it to be, which makes it possible to go on adventures and master various skills.
Love isn’t the center of the game, but it gives you a reason to continue playing after the main story is complete. Your avatar can marry and have children. Since the PCs have likes and dislikes, I didn’t want to set myself back with poorly thought out gifts. Searching for answers provided by other players was easier than learning the hard way. Shout Out to Rune Factory 5: Romance Guide and Tanushri Shah for you’re help with building relationships with my top three bachelors.
Although this post is tame, this game is rated for Teens. Its Fantasy storyline and anime art style contribute to the rating. Please keep that in mind.
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