Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma

After Rune Factory 5, which was a bit of a rough transition for the series as it made the jump to 3D, I was a little unsure if they would be able to stick the landing on the second attempt. I am happy to report that Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma might be my favorite entry in this long-standing series yet, bringing a fresh new aesthetic, gameplay innovations, and a far better-performing game on PC.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is perfect for anyone looking to enjoy a heartfelt adventure with meaningful relationships and creative opportunities.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma manages to reinvent itself while still maintaining the bones that make the Rune Factory series feel like itself. It takes bold new strides in unexpected directions that thankfully pay off. Guardians of Azuma is a must-play for Rune Factory fans and would be well-enjoyed by newcomers to the series as well.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a farming game with very little farming, but the combat and exploration more than make up for it.

Once it finds its footing, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is an engaging romp through a charming and dynamic world.

Rune Factory is a series that manages to put out games rather quickly, with very different feels each and every time. While I am aware that two of the three games I covered on the Nintendo Switch, Rune Factory 3 and Rune Factory 4, are remakes of earlier games, they were still flying out. The last new game, Rune Factory 5, while quite good, did run into some performance issues on the original Switch. I’m sure that is a surprise to no one, especially if you know the scale of that game. This ...

Normal town revitalisation games make you focus on the well-being of one town. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma takes that idea and runs with it, putting you in charge of four villages that need help. The land has been ravaged by corruption, ruining the environment and creating dangerous beasts. It’s up to you as the Earth Dancer to become the chief of all four villages and restore prosperity for all.

Although the separate gameplay elements have notable flaws, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma deftly weaves them together into an addictively fun loop. This game is so, so close to being a spectacular RPG. It's a truly impressive example of "the whole is greater than its parts." For me, it's a brilliant weekend RPG—a laid-back game that will keep you playing "just one more day" for hours. If Zelda plus Stardew Valley sounds fun, I recommend Guardians of Azuma. If that combo doesn't excite you, give it a pass.

The latest addition to the Rune Factory franchise has arrived with Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma. For those unfamiliar with this series, it began as a spin-off to the classic Harvest Moon farming games, and since then, Rune Factory has stood on its own over the years. In the most recent release, it’s dungeon-crawling meets city-building. Players will be juggling numerous tasks while attempting to save the world of Azuma and revive its weakened gods. When you’re not battling corrupted beasts and monsters, you’ll be hard at work rebuilding villages through farming and renovation. The big ques...

Despite character events being the best they've ever been, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma fails to offer much depth after its opening hours.

The journey through Azuma is a journey packed with a mish-mash of boring dungeons and weak RPG progression tools, supported by a fun cast of characters and decent story.

While there are good ideas at play, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma doesn't do enough to impress