No, Mad Dash doesn’t count: Harvest Moon, the mainline series, finally makes its debut on Xbox One today, after taking its merry old time on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.
If you have a tendency to start sentences with “back in my day”, you’ll know that Harvest Moon was doing all this farming and cultivating stuff way before your Stardew Valleys and Animal Crossings. It’s been doing it for 24 years in fact, debuting on the best console in the world ever – fact – the Super Nintendo.
Released to commemorate 20 years of Harvest Moon (see Natsume, you’ve missed the boat by four years here), Light of Hope takes a leaf out of Link’s book and starts with the hero washing up on the shore of an island. Clearly the lighthouse isn’t working, so the aim of the game is to set up home in a deserted harbour town and find a way to get it functioning again.
You get the sense that Natsume has brought a bit more ambition to Light of Hope, expanding the usual farmstead to encompass an entire town. The farm-tending seems to have had a spruce too, since you can explore plant mutations and play in co-op, the latter of which we’re well up for trying.
It wouldn’t be Harvest Moon without hawking yourself around town, looking for a wife or husband, and Light of Hope is no different. There’s a hopper full of bachelors and bachelorettes, so prepare your low level flirting. That’s something we want to try in co-op.
You’ll note the ‘SE’ in the title, so at least Natsume are doing the fair thing and bringing the full special edition to Xbox One. It’s pleasing to note that this means extra content, and more specifically a dog racing festival. I don’t know about you, but I am in.
The only thing we’re not sure of is the art style. There’s a plasticky feel to the new look, which makes us put on the rose-tinted glasses and wish for old times again. Your take may differ.
Features include:
- • Collect important materials to rebuild the town and restore the lighthouse!
- • Complete requests from villagers to unlock new areas and items!
- • Grow crops, tend livestock, and gathering materials, either by yourself or with a Co-Op friend!
- • New and unique festivals, including the Dog Racing Festival!
- • Make new friends, get married, and start a family from a variety of bachelors and bachelorettes, including a secret one!
Harvest Moon: Light of Hope SE is out now on Xbox One – although not currently for us UK folk – for $29.99. It came out flipping yonks ago on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam, but we’ll still sort you a review as soon as we can.
Game Description:
Looking for a fresh start and some new surroundings, you set off on a voyage to begin your new life! Unfortunately, the weather has different plans, as your ship is hit by a storm, and goes down! You drift into a small harbor town, now in shambles from the storm, where a young doctor named Jeanne saves your life. The town has been deserted, but you’re never one to back down from a challenge! It will be up to you to help rebuild the town and save the lighthouse…but it won’t be easy! Nevertheless, with some hard work growing crops, tending livestock, and gathering materials for repairs, you will be able to make new friends, start a family, revive the lighthouse, and save the town, your new home! The Complete Version includes the full game and ALL THE DLC: Four new marriage candidates, decorations, outfits, requests, and more!
Well, it’s seem there is only an American region release, still can’t find the game on the European marketplace?!