I feel like you were being generous here. The time thing wasn't so big of an issue to me, but it was specifically the insane speed at which time moves when you move on the overworld, making it feel like a mistake to move somewhere wrong. Also, really odd pacing issues, like trying to get the mats to craft the hammer. Overall, it felt really rough, and I understand it's literally the beginning of the game, but it was not a good showcase for a demo of a game imo. I am definitively looking forward to your review because I'm curious how things look with more game time put in, and I'm hopeful for it to turn out good.
To your point about the overworld time differential, I'm reminded a lot of the past Atelier games that were very much in the same vein. I think I just expected it to function this way. That said, I think it got better for me when the game allowed me to actually do things starting at 7am. The story days where they'd start me halfway through the day didn't help me out at all. As far as a review goes, I hope that I can deliver! Square Enix has been touch and go lately in terms of communications, so we shall see!
I played this completely in handheld on my Switch, and I was curious about the blur. I hope that’s somehow addressed by the time it actually comes out! The speed at which time goes by definitely felt like it was a bit much, but on the other hand, I do like how they really make time another resource this way, especially with crafting and repairs. I was most surprised and intrigued by how much story there is, beyond just, here’s a farm, grow some stuff. Awesome video as always!
I love how your starting outfit in the demo reminds me of starting off in FFXIV:ARR. I wonder if the outfits were inspired by that? Thanks for the video BB!
Yeah, I'm almost convinced to get it at this point. Its 'gimmick' was just 'being a neat RPG. :D Though I guess you could argue Pikmin 4 is a pretty great farming game, with homicidal vegetables you throw at your hapless enemies... they didn't really 'show' it yet though. :)
I've put about an hour or so into the demo so far, and it had a lot I wasn't expecting! I'm really intrigued by the story, and the performance wasn't really noticable to me while playing, though it would be nice if there was an option to disable the anti-aliasing in the final release. Overall, the demo has gotten me even more excited for the game
This looks pretty great overall, looking forward to some full reviews. Hopefully they can clean up the Switch optimization a bit. Good point about growing up with the industry! A lot of people trashed Ys 9 on Switch, but I found it perfectly playable and very fun, despite the noticable frame drops. Maybe I'd feel differently if I had a copy on another system to directly compare it to, but I don't.
That’s typically why I generally don’t comment on performance unless it’s noticeable. And at a time when people own multiple platforms to play on, it just felt appropriate to mention it. But yes! At the end of the day, if it’s still got good mechanics despite some visual hiccups, I think it’s still important to learn about them!
I enjoyed what I played of the demo. The music is amazing! Definitely picking it up on Steam though. Hopefully with the added benefit of being able to play it on my Steam Deck.
I just downloaded the demo yesterday and I'm starting to play today in so far I like what I have played in when it comes to games like this my favorite in the genre of these type of games is final fantasy 1
Thank you for the great video, Alex! I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this game. Might be worth waiting for a sale. Did you play the Valkyrie Elysium demo? And are you hyped for Atelier Ryza 3?
Thanks for the video, this is one of the games from the Nintendo Direct, which I'm really looking forward to. It does look like an interesting mix and thanks a lot for the review Great work, and very well presented
Interesting to hear comments from someone who, unlike me, has actually played some farming RPGs before. XD I took a minute to recall the controls because the concept was so foreign to me. The Fighter class you start with does get a little dash, but it doesn't exactly function like one per se, in that it just gives your GTFO a boost for situations where you ARE able to avoid an attack. While regular enemies can sometimes be baited pretty easily, the boss of the demo was pretty rigid in giving you actual chances to dodge. Some things were definitely trial and error to a degree, and it was a bit of a slow trickle of features, but I'm not gonna pretend it's even close to alone in not explaining things well as RPGs go. However, it has a lot of the basics, decently quick running, manual saving (thank the gods for that. I've seen too many games fall apart because they just HAD to take that away), it has lovely art and just enough action mixed in to interest me. The characters are really cool so far. I also started to like the time management of setting up shortcuts and fitting stuff into the day. Sure you might miss a bit of it getting confused by the world map the first time, but I just loaded my game once I got the gist of that and didn't need any further enlightenment. It's also funny seeing Final Fantasy UI elements and designs, like those enemies that look like Sinspawn Gui from FFX, or seeing that distinctive orange line indicator for some attacks, having only seen that while fighting Odin in PSO2 on the Japanese servers. XD Only other complaint is you can't skip through demo cutscenes. I dunno if that'll change for the release? I'd hope it's not a design choice just because of the decisions. PSO2 just skips to the next player choice when that happens. Also... did Dianthus tell the boss to 'get off it' more or less when she said 'Get down from it?' The characters' distinctive ways of speaking are pretty entertaining. :D Now I've got a spicy Star Ocean 6 demo to look forward to. Man, I can't wait for that.
To your point about the dash, it’s unintuitive enough for me to not even consider that as a real dash, especially given that Rune Factory 5 straight up has a dedicated button for it. That being said, I do think that what you shared is valuable info, especially coming from someone who doesn’t play these sorts of games!
@@BacklogBattlethe story got me intrigued. It appears to be the main driving force of the game. The farming/potential dating sim are a factor though it just that Square Enix took a different approach I.e Harvestella: Story>exploration>combat>farming sim Rune Factory: Farming>exploration>combat>story I prefer the former approach lol
@@BacklogBattle just started but I’m on day 11 and enjoying it so far, I definitely see it’s short comings even in what I’m looking for but it’s still appealing so far
Some people in the comments have said that more options can be found in the skill trees, including a dodge option! So there’s definitely a possibility!
A farming game done by Square? Sign me up! I do like how this game looks. It definitely looks like it's inspired by Rune Factory 5. I am going to be getting the game on PC for sure.
@@BacklogBattle That's good. I got RF5 on PC as well so I could get some game improvement mods like less compressed textures and the like. Makes it look so much nicer!
As far as farming JRPG's go, this one looks very appealing to me! I've always been reluctant these days to play games with a heavy focus on life-sim mechanics like farming, not because they don't appeal to me, but because there's so many other games, new and old, that I worry I won't give these ones the time investment required to truly appreciate them. I used to love Animal Crossing, yet New Horizons marks the first mainline entry that I've skipped, for this very reason. I'm sure it's great! And these games tend to be ideal for anyone with a tight budget looking to get good bang for their buck. But I don't think I'd get the most out of it without making some other compromises I'm not content with. What helps in this case is the fact that Harvestella has a story with an end-goal. It'd be an interesting enough JRPG on its own, so farming playing an integral role in the main character and player's journey seems like something I could get into. And as always, those save-carrying demos do a lot to help me make an informed decision!
Yeah it would be nice if we get more farming Sims like these instead of the typical you'll farm you fight you get married and then that's it. Not to say it's not a bad formula per se but it's just that it does get kind of repetitive live and it is nice that square enix is throwing their hat into the ring. While the game looks all right on switch at this point I don't think I should be expecting the switch to pull off like any playstation or PC or xbox level graphics capability unless their names isn't Zelda or Mario namely anything that's strictly nintendo related. Because every time when it's anything else you can tell the quality just kind of dips but this one isn't too bad. And the streamlining of certain mechanics definitely makes this game a lot more approachable than say any of the Rune factory games where you had to run around and get water every 30 seconds. Which funny enough rune factory 3 is getting the special treatment and it's gonna be coming out soon lol. I may check this demo out so nice impressions Alex!
I can already tell this is going to be a blurry mess in handheld mode. No thanks I can't handle that anymore. I really love my Switch but I play handheld the vast majority of the time and it's really starting to get rough out there
That’s understandable. Apparently there are some who think that it’s not, so I am wondering how many will bite the bullet and pick it up anyway. I think you said in another comment that you played it in handheld mode and it was still blurry right?
not so sure on the demo. very slow and a bit basic. nice n chill and lots of reading, i should progress further and see but when so many other games in the backlog it doesnt seem worth it
I'm so torn on this one. Like wow, it was gorgeous (playing on Switch too, so I didn't have a problem with the visuals... in fact I'd say it's one of the most beautiful Switch games, from its general aesthetic to character design to in-game art), gameplay felt fun, story was intriguing, and all the systems were up my alley in every way... except holy shit the time management was SOOOO BADDDDD. Take one wrong step on the overworld and your day was SHOT. This was one of the most annoying systems I've ever encountered in a game, and this was only the demo! I'll have to see some Let's Plays because wow this time management was absolutely unbearable. Also call it "Final Farmtasy" Squeenix u cowards
It’s been a hectic work week. Definitely happy to have all of these videos from Alex as a nice diversion.
Thank you!
4:05 I found it weird at first that I couldn’t dash/dodge in an action rpg too, Until I found it on the Fighter’s skill tree and unlocked it
I feel like you were being generous here. The time thing wasn't so big of an issue to me, but it was specifically the insane speed at which time moves when you move on the overworld, making it feel like a mistake to move somewhere wrong. Also, really odd pacing issues, like trying to get the mats to craft the hammer. Overall, it felt really rough, and I understand it's literally the beginning of the game, but it was not a good showcase for a demo of a game imo.
I am definitively looking forward to your review because I'm curious how things look with more game time put in, and I'm hopeful for it to turn out good.
To your point about the overworld time differential, I'm reminded a lot of the past Atelier games that were very much in the same vein. I think I just expected it to function this way. That said, I think it got better for me when the game allowed me to actually do things starting at 7am. The story days where they'd start me halfway through the day didn't help me out at all.
As far as a review goes, I hope that I can deliver! Square Enix has been touch and go lately in terms of communications, so we shall see!
I played this completely in handheld on my Switch, and I was curious about the blur. I hope that’s somehow addressed by the time it actually comes out! The speed at which time goes by definitely felt like it was a bit much, but on the other hand, I do like how they really make time another resource this way, especially with crafting and repairs. I was most surprised and intrigued by how much story there is, beyond just, here’s a farm, grow some stuff. Awesome video as always!
I love how your starting outfit in the demo reminds me of starting off in FFXIV:ARR. I wonder if the outfits were inspired by that?
Thanks for the video BB!
The thought had occurred to me since some of the details are similar! And you’re welcome!
Out of all the farming game shown Harvestella is my most anticipated.
I think it warrants the anticipation!
Yeah, I'm almost convinced to get it at this point. Its 'gimmick' was just 'being a neat RPG. :D
Though I guess you could argue Pikmin 4 is a pretty great farming game, with homicidal vegetables you throw at your hapless enemies... they didn't really 'show' it yet though. :)
I'm excited about this!! It's so pretty to me! Definitely getting it day 1.
looks very fun, definitely something to keep an eye on
I've put about an hour or so into the demo so far, and it had a lot I wasn't expecting! I'm really intrigued by the story, and the performance wasn't really noticable to me while playing, though it would be nice if there was an option to disable the anti-aliasing in the final release.
Overall, the demo has gotten me even more excited for the game
I like the characters and the world but i hate having to go home to sleep every 10 minutes
This looks pretty great overall, looking forward to some full reviews. Hopefully they can clean up the Switch optimization a bit.
Good point about growing up with the industry! A lot of people trashed Ys 9 on Switch, but I found it perfectly playable and very fun, despite the noticable frame drops.
Maybe I'd feel differently if I had a copy on another system to directly compare it to, but I don't.
That’s typically why I generally don’t comment on performance unless it’s noticeable. And at a time when people own multiple platforms to play on, it just felt appropriate to mention it.
But yes! At the end of the day, if it’s still got good mechanics despite some visual hiccups, I think it’s still important to learn about them!
I could NOT play Ys 9 on Switch. I really regret buying it for Switch. It was so blurry it honestly made me miserable
I'm glad that square cares for their "smaller" titles. That`s a shame I'm not into farming games
I enjoyed what I played of the demo. The music is amazing! Definitely picking it up on Steam though. Hopefully with the added benefit of being able to play it on my Steam Deck.
Ooo! That’s a great way to play it portably!
Yeah, if I can play on Deck I'll get it
I just downloaded the demo yesterday and I'm starting to play today in so far I like what I have played in when it comes to games like this my favorite in the genre of these type of games is final fantasy 1
Thank you for the great video, Alex! I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this game. Might be worth waiting for a sale.
Did you play the Valkyrie Elysium demo? And are you hyped for Atelier Ryza 3?
I'm always hyped for Atelier! Also, I have the Valkyrie Elysium demo downloaded! But I gotta get cracking on some games I gotta review!
@@BacklogBattle I see! Can't wait to see them!
Thanks for the video, this is one of the games from the Nintendo Direct, which I'm really looking forward to. It does look like an interesting mix and thanks a lot for the review
Great work, and very well presented
Thanks for your support!
This looks like such a neat game. Im excited.
It is! The story's what's got me intrigued!
Interesting to hear comments from someone who, unlike me, has actually played some farming RPGs before. XD I took a minute to recall the controls because the concept was so foreign to me. The Fighter class you start with does get a little dash, but it doesn't exactly function like one per se, in that it just gives your GTFO a boost for situations where you ARE able to avoid an attack. While regular enemies can sometimes be baited pretty easily, the boss of the demo was pretty rigid in giving you actual chances to dodge.
Some things were definitely trial and error to a degree, and it was a bit of a slow trickle of features, but I'm not gonna pretend it's even close to alone in not explaining things well as RPGs go. However, it has a lot of the basics, decently quick running, manual saving (thank the gods for that. I've seen too many games fall apart because they just HAD to take that away), it has lovely art and just enough action mixed in to interest me. The characters are really cool so far. I also started to like the time management of setting up shortcuts and fitting stuff into the day. Sure you might miss a bit of it getting confused by the world map the first time, but I just loaded my game once I got the gist of that and didn't need any further enlightenment.
It's also funny seeing Final Fantasy UI elements and designs, like those enemies that look like Sinspawn Gui from FFX, or seeing that distinctive orange line indicator for some attacks, having only seen that while fighting Odin in PSO2 on the Japanese servers. XD
Only other complaint is you can't skip through demo cutscenes. I dunno if that'll change for the release? I'd hope it's not a design choice just because of the decisions. PSO2 just skips to the next player choice when that happens.
Also... did Dianthus tell the boss to 'get off it' more or less when she said 'Get down from it?' The characters' distinctive ways of speaking are pretty entertaining. :D
Now I've got a spicy Star Ocean 6 demo to look forward to. Man, I can't wait for that.
To your point about the dash, it’s unintuitive enough for me to not even consider that as a real dash, especially given that Rune Factory 5 straight up has a dedicated button for it. That being said, I do think that what you shared is valuable info, especially coming from someone who doesn’t play these sorts of games!
Beaten the demo yesterday in it's entirely and it's great
Awesome! What did you think of the set up of the narrative so far?
@@BacklogBattlethe story got me intrigued. It appears to be the main driving force of the game.
The farming/potential dating sim are a factor though it just that Square Enix took a different approach I.e
Harvestella: Story>exploration>combat>farming sim
Rune Factory: Farming>exploration>combat>story
I prefer the former approach lol
Thanks for the heads-up for the demo.
Any plans to do a video for Persona 5 on switch?
I’ve already played Persona 5 about three times (including Royal) in the past six years and it doesn’t make sense to me to get it a third time.
@@BacklogBattle fair enough 😄
Might get PC Version, diofield still seems pretty on Switch though.
I couldn’t get into Rune factory 5 so this seems much more my style!
I liked the demo so much I picked up rune factory 5
That’s an interesting choice
@@BacklogBattle just started but I’m on day 11 and enjoying it so far, I definitely see it’s short comings even in what I’m looking for but it’s still appealing so far
If it’s supported on stream deck I think I’ll buy it for pc. Otherwise i can live with the switch issues.
It probably will be
The combat looks increadibly stiff, unfortunately. Hopefully options open up to make it feel better. But I understand it's not the main focus.
Some people in the comments have said that more options can be found in the skill trees, including a dodge option! So there’s definitely a possibility!
Then what’s the focus of the game cause it’s clearly not farming either
Damn you really have been busy haven't you? 😂
A farming game done by Square? Sign me up! I do like how this game looks. It definitely looks like it's inspired by Rune Factory 5. I am going to be getting the game on PC for sure.
Since you mentioned it, I will say that this runs way better than Rune Factory 5 on Switch! 😅
@@BacklogBattle That's good. I got RF5 on PC as well so I could get some game improvement mods like less compressed textures and the like. Makes it look so much nicer!
As far as farming JRPG's go, this one looks very appealing to me! I've always been reluctant these days to play games with a heavy focus on life-sim mechanics like farming, not because they don't appeal to me, but because there's so many other games, new and old, that I worry I won't give these ones the time investment required to truly appreciate them. I used to love Animal Crossing, yet New Horizons marks the first mainline entry that I've skipped, for this very reason. I'm sure it's great! And these games tend to be ideal for anyone with a tight budget looking to get good bang for their buck. But I don't think I'd get the most out of it without making some other compromises I'm not content with.
What helps in this case is the fact that Harvestella has a story with an end-goal. It'd be an interesting enough JRPG on its own, so farming playing an integral role in the main character and player's journey seems like something I could get into. And as always, those save-carrying demos do a lot to help me make an informed decision!
Yeah it would be nice if we get more farming Sims like these instead of the typical you'll farm you fight you get married and then that's it. Not to say it's not a bad formula per se but it's just that it does get kind of repetitive live and it is nice that square enix is throwing their hat into the ring. While the game looks all right on switch at this point I don't think I should be expecting the switch to pull off like any playstation or PC or xbox level graphics capability unless their names isn't Zelda or Mario namely anything that's strictly nintendo related. Because every time when it's anything else you can tell the quality just kind of dips but this one isn't too bad. And the streamlining of certain mechanics definitely makes this game a lot more approachable than say any of the Rune factory games where you had to run around and get water every 30 seconds. Which funny enough rune factory 3 is getting the special treatment and it's gonna be coming out soon lol. I may check this demo out so nice impressions Alex!
No problem! Glad to hear I got you interested in checking it out!
I can already tell this is going to be a blurry mess in handheld mode. No thanks I can't handle that anymore. I really love my Switch but I play handheld the vast majority of the time and it's really starting to get rough out there
That’s understandable. Apparently there are some who think that it’s not, so I am wondering how many will bite the bullet and pick it up anyway.
I think you said in another comment that you played it in handheld mode and it was still blurry right?
@@BacklogBattle I only played in handheld, and everywhere but interior areas is extremely blurry (like Outer Worlds).
not so sure on the demo. very slow and a bit basic. nice n chill and lots of reading, i should progress further and see but when so many other games in the backlog it doesnt seem worth it
My interest is piqued but I will wait until you are able to actually review it
You got your work cut out for you don't you?
I'm so torn on this one. Like wow, it was gorgeous (playing on Switch too, so I didn't have a problem with the visuals... in fact I'd say it's one of the most beautiful Switch games, from its general aesthetic to character design to in-game art), gameplay felt fun, story was intriguing, and all the systems were up my alley in every way... except holy shit the time management was SOOOO BADDDDD. Take one wrong step on the overworld and your day was SHOT. This was one of the most annoying systems I've ever encountered in a game, and this was only the demo! I'll have to see some Let's Plays because wow this time management was absolutely unbearable.
Also call it "Final Farmtasy" Squeenix u cowards
I heard that time management is being revamped thanks to the demo feedback!