Topic: Rune Factory 2 Goes Gold

[Penguin_Of_Thyme]

The Nintendo DS RPG will have players saving a vast kingdom and raising a farm.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17048

 Natsume has revealed that Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon for the Nintendo DS has gone gold. In this new entry of the series, players will participate in a story that spans multiple generations.    

Players will need to once again restore order and peace to the Kingdom of Norad. Uniquely the adventure will traverse the lives of the character Kyle and his one offspring. Both characters have a wide selection of possible romantic partners.    

The game mixes the familiar elements of the Harvest Moon series with those of an action RPG. As in the core Harvest Moon games it will be necessary to grow and cultivate a farm. On their journey the player will complete quests, develop friendships with townspeople, and raise monsters.    

Rune Factory 2 will ship to retailers on November 18.    

NATSUME'S RUNE FACTORY 2: A FANTASY HARVEST MOON  FOR NINTENDO DS GOES GOLD    

The Sequel to the Critically Acclaimed RPG Hits Retail Next Month    

Burlingame, Calif., October 21, 2008 - Natsume Inc., a worldwide  developer and publisher of family-oriented video games, announced  today that Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon has officially gone  gold and will be available for the Nintendo DS this holiday season.  The Rune Factory series combines the fun and rewarding gameplay of  Harvest Moon with the fantasy and excitement of an action-RPG,  offering Harvest Moon fans and traditional RPG players the best of  both worlds.  Rune Factory 2 is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB and  will ship on November 18th, 2008.    

"It is exciting to be just a few weeks away from delivering this highly  anticipated title to gamers," said Hiro Maekawa, President and CEO at  Natsume. "Rune Factory 2 offers easy-to-use menus, an all-new  compelling storyline, and deep, involving gameplay. Fans and newcomers  alike will be delighted with this all-new adventure."    

Rune Factory 2 is set several years after the first game. The evil  Sechs Empire has been defeated, and the Kingdom of Norad is once again  at peace. Things may not stay that way for long, however, as strange  disturbances in the earth warn that a great evil is stirring.  It's up  to player to uncover this new threat to the land and bring peace to  the kingdom once more. Over the course of the story, players will  build and develop a farm, befriend townspeople, raise monsters, take  on quests, and find a wife.    

In a first for the Rune Factory series, the story of Rune Factory 2 is  multigenerational. Players begin the game as Kyle, a strange man who  comes to Alvarna Village. Eventually, players will take on the role of  Kyle's child, opening up a whole new adventure. It's an innovative  feature that allows players to follow the story of their family and  the townsfolk over two generations!    

There is still time to pre-order the game and receive the exclusive  gift!  Those players who pre-order Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest  Moon for Nintendo DS from Amazon.com or who purchase the title from  GameStop (gift with purchase) will receive an exclusive adorable  squirrel plush while supplies last. Visit: Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Rune-Factory-Fantasy-Purchase-Nintendo-DS/dp/B001BWRBA8/ref=pd_rhf_p_img_1"> http://www.amazon.com/Rune-Factory-Fantasy-Purchase-Nintendo-DS/dp/B001BWRBA8/ref=pd_rhf_p_img_1.  ]] or GameStop at http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=72196"> http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=72196.]]

[Bill Aurion]

Oh, this was delayed!  That's actually a relief for once...

[AV]

I was addicted to the first one for over a month until I got bored of grinding and repetitive gameplay with very little random unique events.

I just thought they did a HORRIBLE job with the calendar events in the game. People just stood outside on a holiday and talked to you. MEH.

Many other previous harvest moon games the holidays were special and fun and unique with minigames and such. This game had the worst holidays in a HM game I played.

The caves were also pretty boring to navigate, kill animal move to next room eventually leading to boss. Outside of mining which was random nothing really to discover or puzzles to solve in the caves. Any puzzles they did have were really retarded and more tedious than anything.

I don't mind the more traditional RPG aspects they put in the game but they didn't flesh it out.

Any idea if Natsume fixed the problems with the game or did they just repackage it like they always do with only the most minor of differences.

[Bill Aurion]

I heard that they made some major improvements, but you can wait for my impressions if you want... =)