Harvest Moon: One World is the Natsume competitor to the Story of Season series, which previously was published under the same name in the west. Once Natsume lost rights to the original series, they used the Harvest Moon name to try and forge their very own farming sims. One World is their most ambitious project yet; it has a huge world, a large library of seeds, tons of animals, and some character designs that have captured the attention of the farming sim fans.
With that being said, One World is a much different farming sim than players are used to, and starting out can be a bit rough.
Major Differences From Previous Games
This game is vastly different from other farming sim titles, and the changes can be rather startling. Here is a list of the major changes players will experience in their first few hours of gameplay:
- 30 Second in-game Hours
- No Purchasing Seeds
- Walking Drains Stamina
- Streamlined Actions
- Nameless Secondary Villagers
- Hybrid Crops
- Large Assortment of Pets
- Movable Farm
- Ore and Gem Processing
- Heavy Focus on Requests
- Different Wood Types
- Small Towns
To sum things up, an hour inside of One World goes about twice as fast as an hour in other sims like Stardew Valley. Stamina is also harder to manage, as simply walking the world will drain you, and travel between the villages is a must. If players enter the desert or snowy area, then the stamina gauge will deplete even faster. A fast travel option does open for each town after completing story requirements, but gathering seeds will still require tons of walking. Players would do best to pick up the coconut milk and coffee recipes once they reach Halo Halo.
Actions such as tilling, watering, mining ore, and cutting wood are all streamlined to one button. The character will automatically switch to the needed tool without players having to toggle through a menu. Players will also quickly notice that villages are small and secondary villagers go by names like "Quiet Man," these villagers are hard to keep up with during requests. Luckily, the menu will let you track them down, as keeping up with all five small villages can be a chore.
The game does have a huge variety of animals to choose from, both as pets and mounts. The library of collectible crops is also huge, making the game appeal to those who love to collect. Players should note, though, that upgrading equipment isn't easy. Even turning ore into a usable material forces the player to backtrack to see Doc Junior and then pay to use a machine in his home. The player will also be barred from certain tool upgrades until after completing a village.
Getting Seeds and Animals
The real challenge and most striking change to the game revolve around the farming aspect. Seeds can no longer be bought; players will have to find glowing blue balls of lights that turn into harvest sprites to get a single seed. Depending on the time of day, season, and area the sprites in, players can collect different seeds. Each seed you get will only create a single plant, and there is not a seed maker.
Players can also get seeds from requests, but this is not a reliable way to get the crops you need. The map can be brought up to search for crops and will guide you to the Harvest Sprite that gives them. The problem is that it won't tell you the time of day that the sprite is available, and some seeds will only pop-up on certain days. Many crops also only have a single Harvest Sprite that gives them out. Players shouldn't expect to fill up their farm with the same type of plant.
The good news is that despite what the plants claim, they seem to be able to grow in pretty much any season as long as they are planted in the right terrain. The game will also give the player a chance to make sprinklers which makes the farming system a bit easier. Animals, on the other hand, are a bit easier but can cost quite a bit of money. Players should also note that animal friendship deteriorates at a rapid rate; just feeding your animals is not enough, and you will need to interact with them daily.
When riding an amount such as the 15,000 gold camel, players should ensure that they are able to eat before taking them out. It's easy to accidentally run down your mounts as they won't eat when they return home on their own.
Requests and Friendship
Lastly, there is one of the biggest draws to the farming sims is dating and friendship. With so many unnamed characters, there isn't as much social enrichment as in other sims. The marriage candidates do work mostly the same, though, and can be wooed with gifts and being talked to daily. The menu now shows the candidates love and hate when their image is clicked on, and players can earn even more points by doing their requests which will constantly come in when completed.
Requests generally require growing a certain number of crops to give to the character or gathering wood. Players should note that marriage will not be an option until the main story of the game is finished. Furthermore, getting married will take dozens of hours of grinding, even for rush playthroughs. Sadly, there is no gay marriage in the game and players will need to pick their gender according to their dating preference..