Depending on how you look at it, Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is either a sequel or the latest in a long line of farming sims. It’s cute, has a lot of personality, and is basically everything you’d expect from the series, with a few notable changes.

For those not up on their agricultural gossip, Natsume has the rights to the Harvest Moon title in America, so when Bokujō Monogatari (Harvest Moon in Japan) started being localized by XSEED, they lost the name. Rebranded as Story of Seasons, but still the same game from the Japanese series, it went against the new, internally developed, Natsume-version of Harvest Moon last year. Confusing? Definitely, but just to keep it clear, Story of Seasons is the “real” Harvest Moon from the original developers.

For the series’ 20th anniversary, Trio of Towns has shaken things up a bit by adding—you guessed it—a trio of towns. While the concept of multiple towns has been explored before in The Tale of Two Towns, those towns were rivals. Trio instead treats each new place like neighborhoods of one large city. Players have to keep track of all three, including their unique cultures, traditions, and residents, and make sure they all flourish by raising their Town Rank. Westown is an American Old West-themed area, Tsuyukusa resembles traditional Japanese villages, and Lulukoko is based off of the South Pacific. Each have their own shops, crops, and hours that players can take advantage of, so there’s always something to do. Lulukoko takes siestas in the middle of the day, for example, so it’s important to be mindful of these little quirks as you plan your day.

While the series has always had a very loose plot, the structure has remained the same: a family member has died, leaving their land to you alone. Take care of that land, find a spouse, and flourish in your new town. However, this is where another, smaller, shift can be found. For the first time, the protagonist’s family is alive and well, cheering you on and celebrating your accomplishments.

The world design is absolutely beautiful and makes great use of the new themes in every aspect of the game. There are over 40 NPCs to interact with, bringing life to everywhere you go. The changing scenery is refreshing, and the expansion of outdoor activities like fishing encourages exploration to see it all. Then, when players get bored of nature, they can relax with other game staples like part-time jobs, shipping produce through a shipping box, attending festivals, and meeting all the eligible bachelors and bachelorettes. There is even a new Post Office which allows players to send and receive letters from the townsfolk.

To add to the adorableness, pets have been expanded in this title. There are almost 30 types you can have, from cute little foxes to a fun capybara. Animals can now follow you for walks, which opens up new events and conversations with villagers and other animals. Players can also assign a favorite pet as their Furmiliar to unlock more potential surprises and gifts from StreetPass visitors.

Other, smaller changes were noticeable as well, and they made the experience that much better. Interactions with preoccupied NPCs were more natural, shortcuts made seeing friend/romance levels easier, and transitions during exploration were smoother and quicker. The only bad news so far is that the jury is still out on whether the Japanese version's bonus Super Mario outfits will make the jump across the ocean for the western release.

Overall, this was a bright and colorful addition to the long line of games in this series. Trio of Towns adds enough new features to build something fresh off of a successful formula while also keeping the elements that have hooked players for the past 20 years.