Harvest Moon: One World – Know What You Are Getting Into

When I think about a Harvest Moon style game – whether it be this franchise or Story of Seasons or Stardew Valley – I quickly form a quick perceived understanding of what that game will be all about. Outside of a few new items that ultimately get added with each experience, I’m going to be planting fields, tending to animals, and finding a spouse. You unlock new crops, new areas of your farm and the surrounding town, see what the Harvest Goddess is up to, and so much more. If you go into Harvest Moon: One World with that thought, you might be sadly disappointed.

Harvest Moon: One World is story driven. The game’s primary objective is not building up a singular farm, but moving through the world you inhabit by collecting medallions and bringing back the Harvest Goddess. While most games have a Harvest Goddess component, this one is mission and story based, rather than timed or relationship based. And that makes the entire game feel different. There is no putting down fields wherever you want. There is no building fences or other objects on your farm. Everything is set for you. You pick up your farm and move from place-to-place as you continue to push forward unlocking medallions and pushing the story forward.

And unfortunately, I went in thinking it was the latter. In fact, I was MORE excited for Harvest Moon than Story of Seasons. The ability to tame wild animals? Outstanding. Some new and interesting crops? Sign me up. Different areas and environments around the entire world? Fantastic! But it all fell flat when I realized I couldn’t plant wherever I wanted, and that everything was tied to story progression, and that wild animals, once tamed, do absolutely nothing.

It was a big disappointment, and not understanding what this game was all about before firing it up made me incredibly disappointed with the entire experience. If you go in with the right attitude, this might be a good experience for you. But if you are expecting a typical farming simulation experience, recheck your expectations or pass on this one all together!