I'm glad you gave such an honest yet positive review! Many reviewers of this game I feel were too harsh due to them not fully understanding the gameplay loop/how to play. It's SUCH a fun game that I have also sunk over 50 hours into it since launch. I hope we get some good patches and maybe even content DLC! But most of all, I hope the success is enough that we get a Rune Factory 6!
I agree, I also felt underwhelmed in the beginning. The cons for the game make themselves very noticeable in the beginning, but the longer you play and the more mechanics you unlock, the more fun it starts to get. Once you settle into the rune factory gameplay loop, it gets addicting.
@@ViolinChick5 I never got irritated enough to put it down, but it probably was between 5 and 10 hours that I started getting really sucked in. It's when I started collecting the cooking/smithing/crafting tables and recipes, and taming monsters, and upgrading facilities etc that I started really getting into the loop of it. Using stuff I find out in the field or fish to cook with, and then running around gifting people cooked food to grow friendships. That kind of thing is what the fun is about for me.
@JourneySilvers Thanks for your reply. Looks like I need to give it one more chance then, maybe another 5-8 hours or so. I’m a big JRPG fan so I’m cool with a slowburn beginning 😂 In your experience, do the performance issues get any worse as the game goes on?
@@ViolinChick5 well the main system of the game is UNLOCKING all the recipe and skill. So all of advantage are not appearing due of low recipe and skill. That was a hard level game for you XP
You actually seem so genuine. And you review from a fan of games. So many others seem like it’s a job, you sound like you’re doing a passion project. Very refreshing
Omg I feel the exact same way! Objectively the performance is borderline unacceptable, but you can really tell how much heart the developers put into this project and the performance doesn’t detract from the “fun” factor as much as I thought it would. The characters are really well done and super likable, and I think the writing is strong. It would be a dream life sim if the devs can patch everything up.
I've been torn about getting this game for a long time, and through your review I've decided that I am going to get it! I loved RF4 and longed for another RF to come up, but was disappointed in the quality that I've seen in RF5. Your passion for this game is contagious and I know is genuine, so thanks! I hope to play it this summer when I have time :)
It looks like there is potential However , I feel for the premium price they’re asking for performance needs to be better for me to grab . Maybe I’ll wait for a sale . Great review
It’s a great game but I think a 30-40$ price tag would be more reasonable. If it had good graphics/no performance issues, it would easily be a 10/10 for me
Very good review. And true enough, it just feels like a game with heart, despite it's technical flaws. I enjoy it a lot and manage to overlook these problems because I'm having way too much fun with it. And also yes, turning off the auto follow cam, farming cam and dynamic resolution ingame made the game run just a bit better in handheld mode. Still...with a system that runs Astral Chain, Xenoblade Chronicles, Breath of the Wild or Mario Odyssey (or hell...AC Black Flag or AC Rogue) I do expect them to achieve a bit more on the technical side. And expect it will eventually happen.
I know im late but I just got this game cos of u n i love it its my first rune factory game n its really good the bad performance is there but it isnt as bad as other youtubers make it seem n like u said theres loads n loads of things to do n i love ur reviews cos u cover every single thing n i can tell u know loads about the games u review!! im planning on getting the newest rune factory 3 too! Im glad i found ur channel! x
I cannot say how much glee that I felt upon seeing this video available. Thank you Irene for this very independent review. I have the Earthmate Edition.
Amazing review Ircha! You've persuaded me to pickup the game! Time to switch from Elden Ring to this!... a nice change of pace and breath of fresh air. Thanks for the great and detailed review! Best I've honestly seen on RU-vid.
I don't know about you guys but I am just appreciating the fact that Rune Factory still lives. The original developers ceased operations almost a decade ago but look, we have Rune Factory 5, releasing a Rune Factory game that needs a little overall improvement is much better than not reviving the series at all, performance issues and graphics are just minuscule inconvenience to me, I AM ENJOYING THIS GAME AND I LOVE IT!!
A major inconvenience that i would hold against the game is the fact that you can not skip the time to a later one when needing a specific time for a event as it literally takes 48 min to go from day to night while 4 took 24min so the waiting did not feel as bad in 4.
@@laura0410-z7d it took me about 72 hours to get to the end at my first go as i was just doing side stuff but still early summer year 1 is when i beat it even after doing the side stuff. Like the game is long but it doesn't feel long because the days are long 48min un paused per day yet most of that is just waiting around because you have nothing better to do as you wait for a event to become active. Like i wish that they used Rune Factory 4's time 24min per day as at least the waiting would not feel as long hell going the story of seasons friends of mineral town route was very nice every 10min in game was 5 seconds pass irl Though people would complain about the time passing by so fast that Rune Factory 4's time management system would be good however people would complain about that one being too fast as well and to those people i say get better at time management. Honestly 24min is more than enough to socialize with everyone within the day and or do other stuff such as watering your crops or using your monsters to help out so you can be social if that was the problem or just not have farms to big to handle if you don't know how to manage them Again good game but 48min per a day cycle is just too long maybe for a easy mode it is fine but they really need to shorten it the higher the difficulty goes as that would be fine or at least add a option to skip a few in game hours while you wait hell friends of mineral town let's you skip time and that system it has is fast enough already
Nice, thanks for your review, I was skeptic about buying the game, since I haven't play a Rune Factory game before, now I will buy it, new subscriber, excellent content and you seem to be a good and friendly person. Greetings from México!
Love your review for the game I'm also addicted to this game I was happy to see Doug again I love his new look I decided to go for Ryker he's just so mysterious and I like that about him
I’ve seen a lot of long time fans of the game series complain about it heavily with things that it’s lacking. An even though Im a long time fan also, I know with 4 an a few others we were heavily spoiled with them. Yes some things are very lackluster with this game but I’m just very happy to have a new game for this series an I do quite enjoy playing the game. I just look past the issues. hopefully this is a steppingstone for them to put more effort into a future rune factory game. An maybe listen to the fans issues with this one. For me it would be to add the green elemental fairy back into the game it just doesn’t feel right with having only three elemental fairies!!😂
I am long time fan too. And honestly im just happy RF series are back to life and we will be just getting more games! And also Hasihmoto (Producer) confirmed in interview that they will for sure make RF6 in future!
@@ShanFindsPixels I’m excited for a new game. I’d like to see the mini things you can do like in 4 where you could pick up birds an throw them at townspeople!! That was something I loved cus it was random. I also loved how people who have small dialog with you looked at items around their rooms or around town. I found that super fun.
Thanks for the review! Looks pretty interesting! :) -- I've been slacking on Pioneers of Olive Town (still need to check out the latest updates), I'm currently playing Minecraft again, in creative mode (finally I'm fully accepting using that instead of survival+peaceful, even though I don't have to mine and craft anymore ;) -- but some of the more interesting items are just too hard to craft if you cannot find the resources in a reasonable amount of time). But I'll be getting around to the farming sims again, and then Rune Factory 5 will be on the top of my list! :) Recently, I've even played ACNH again for a while to check out the latest updates. I've begun playing Atelier Sophie 2 too (after playing Sophie 1 again earlier this year), but it has just been too many Atelier games for me in the end of last year and earlier this year, I can't see it anymore! :D (for now) But now I've played almost all of the modern Atelier games, at least for a while! :) Also, I played through almost all of Talos Principle again (this time on the Switch), but only Elohim's path. I've also finally begun to replay Tales of Zestiria in earnest on the PS4, even though I know I'll be depressed b/c of the story (the apparent futility of the battle of good against evil). Yeah, hopefully some fun times ahead!
Thank you for this. I wasn't planning on getting this game but your review has completely changed my mind. I appreciate you sharing your time and thoughts!
@@ircha Thanks to you, I've bought myself my very first Rune Factory game ever and have been really enjoying myself. I think I'm only like 10 days into my first season so I've got a lot to learn. Thanks again Ircha and happy gaming!!
I’m new to the Rune Factory series and got hyped for 5, so much that I bought it directly from Xseed. I played it for a few hours…then put it down and haven’t touched it since. Honestly, for me, the performance is shockingly bad for a $60-80+ game. I get that budget was a concern but I’m annoyed at pretty much every game that is poorly optimized for the Switch. It’s kinda inexcusable given that the Switch is over 5 years old, ya know? To be fair, I don’t have any fond memories of Rune Factory so I’m probably harsher than long term fans are. But honestly…gamers deserve more than this and it’s become a hot button issue for me that we as consumers are so quick to excuse bad performance in games.
I'd recommend Rune Factory 4. It's a decade old yet beautiful and full to the brim with content and was the most successful of the series for a reason.
I second getting RF4S! It has a longer story, better post game content and even NG+ that carries over your levels and money. Not to mention the performance is smooth as butter AND it’s only $29.99. Just a heads-ups that the graphics looks outdated because it was ported from the 3DS! Also I’m quite harsh on RF5 too and I’m a veteran RF player 😂
@PandaRoll & Camillia3ds Thanks to you both for the recommendation! I have Rune Factory 4 Special for the Switch but haven’t played it yet (my backlog is huge). Sounds like I need to try that first. I do have a 3ds too so I might pick up the original RF4 if I like Special.
@@ViolinChick5 Honestly if you have the switch version you won't need the original. They're the same game but with extras in the special for your marriage partner.
@@Panda_Roll Absolutely if you haven't played RF4S grab it. I managed to get the standard edition for $20. (After getting bored of Animal Crossing.) RF4S a breath of fresh air, despite the graphical presentation. The fact that you can play it, and know just how much of a time investment each day will be, and not having to worry about grinding away at making bells just until the next real world month arrives. Honestly I have been hoping that the problems with RF5 would have been addressed by the launch of the translation. And according to my sources, the version we got is improved over the original Japanese release... And it's still this slow and choppy. I put the game on the backburner and do plan to get back to it, but I hope that another patch will be released to improve things a little again. (While patiently waiting and not spoiling the soundtrack CD yet.)
Ive never played a rune factory game but willing to try this after the review. It was your review on Sophie 1 that got me to buy it. I am happy to report im enjoying Sophie 2 now. Just wanted to say thank you for introducing me to that series and maybe this one lol.
Another great review, Ircha :) Glad to hear you've started enjoying the game. As for the performance, I'm not too optimistic that it will get any better as I own the Japanese copy of the game which has been out for almost a year now and I feel like the performance hasn't really improved at all? Fingers crossed they'll do something about it at some point in the future though.
Hi Ircha, just found your channel. I loved your review of this game and it's encouraged me to give the game a second look. I'm definitely looking for something that has max cozy vibes where I can develop my own routine. A nice bonus is I can play with my mom since she loves life sim games!
Great review. I can't wait to play this game. Hey what happened to neighbor gaming?? I've not seen a video from him in forever. I really enjoyed his videos
I mean I pre ordered the standard an loved it so much that I bought the deluxe version lol. That should tell you something . Can't wait for future installments on the series! It's come a long way.
Lovely review as usual! Thank you for being honest. This is my first rune factory entry. Still learning to get around this game. I like Martin too! Who can resist a black smith like him? Huhu~
On my god I’ve been waiting for your review of run factory 5 🥰🥰🥰 thank you for your review and I love how you spent long hours playing in before giving us your review ☺️
What a great review chicky, very in-depth I love watching your channel and reviews as you are very honest, I’ve never played Rune Factory this one is my first and am enjoying it Would you consider on doing some tips and tricks videos ?? I was able to get some tips from your review 😊 keep up the great work you do, always look forward to your videos 😁PS putting the crafting stations outside is a good tip 😊 Take care
I'm a huge Story of Seasons and Stardew Valley fan, but I've only ever played Rune Factory 2 on the DS. I didn't play it for very long, but RF5 looks really cool. I'm ready to give the series another chance.
First Rune Factory game I've played and I'm having a blast; thanks for the pro tips as well. And yeah it could run better but the gameplay and characters is what's pulling me through.
Yes! I was looking forward to this review. I have put about 12 hours in so far and I'm really enjoying the game so far. It was a little slow in the first few hours but after getting farm dragons It really opened up for me I love the large farms on farm dragon. Kinda wish it released on Playstation also so it would run a little better but it doesn't ruin the game for me I still enjoy it alot.
When i first loaded up this game, i was like...traaaaaash! The performance was so poor! I then lowered the resolution down to 720p, and 100 hours later Im still clueless to how they keep smashing so much content into these Rune Factory games. This has been one of my favorite switch games.
Thanks for the review Ircha! Love your channel since we like the same types of games. Rune Factory, Elden Ring, Skyrim. Picking up Rune Factory right now....there goes my life for a bit. haha Take care!
Thanks for this review - it really helps to hear about all of the detail and heart in this game. I definitely can understand how some games can be a 9/10 if they deliver that experience you can’t find elsewhere, even if they have technical issues that would make them a 7/10. I’m still playing Triangle Strategy and Kirby on Switch, as well as Elden Ring on PS5, but I’m going to jump into Rune Factory 5 once I get a little farther with those- and hopefully by then there will be some performance patches too.
I remember having buyer's regret when i first bought this game 2 weeks ago, at first i couldn't believe that i spent 60 dollars on this, but now i'm 180 hours in and currently starting a new save file using different weapons and dating different bachelorette. The performance can be a major turn off for the first few hours but once you get used to it, its not that bad tbh, the gameplay loop is just addicting and i think there are a few qol features that are improved from rf 4.
@@calenthebard2051 I also want my purchase to be worth it... But I was half way into SMT5, So I have been playing that holding that a patch will come by the time I get into the game proper.
I pretty much have all the same complaints as you. I’m disappointed by the performance issues but still very much enjoying my time playing it. One thing that bothers me is that the music and sfx overshadow what little voice acting there is so I had to turn down the music to hear it better. The camera can definitely be wonky as well so I turned off all of the auto camera settings so that I can manually control it 100% of the time. Definitely hoping they’ll patch out the performance issues, although I think they already did some since it came out in Japan first. Idk how much better they can get it. We’ll just have to wait and see I suppose.
@@chaossmith3864 yep. Just the game. Both physical and digital on the eshop it’s $90. I don’t even understand why. AAA only cost $80 here so I don’t understand why this game is $10 more
@@RachelXKnight666 $10 more than AAA as well? Huh AAA and RF5 regular edition are $60 where I am, so the $10 more than AAA is actually especially surprising/interesting to me ngl. I at least know that games can be different prices different places in the world. But the second thing is just completely wild to me.
So glad you love the game. I was worried! Despite the ugly landscapes, I don't think enough people notice the monster models. They're so beautiful. Good luck with Martin. He's my number one too. It's a testament to how much people love rune factory to say we love this game in spite of its technical flaws. It has soul and it's charming
For the furniture thing, if you break furniture and then place another one as close as you can to where it was at and then leave and re-enter your room, that should respawn your furniture and have them a lot closer together.
Was waiting so long for this review and I’m so glad you’re having such fun I can’t wait to get my copy love all the points you pointed out especially monster collecting for me 🤗🤗
The only video games containing simulation elements that I have ever played are Actraiser and Actraiser's spiritual successor Smelter, although to be precise, the elements featured in those two games are more akin to the real time strategy genre than to the simulation genre. Nevertheless, I feel that there are also elements of the simulation genre contained within them. I figured since the games in the Rune Factory franchise have action role playing elements contained within them that Rune Factory 5 might be a good jumping in point for a newbie like me to the genre. That way I can say that I have stuck to playing only hybrid games that combine two genres into one. If someone asks me if I have played or if I play simulation games, I can tell them that I have never played a simulation game, but I have played several games that combine the simulation genre with other genres. Likewise, if someone asks me if I have ever played a video game within the real time strategy genre, I can say the same. For those reading this comment who are not aware of what I am referring to I will point out a few things. The Rune Factory games combine the farming sim/ life sim subgenre with the action role playing genre. The action role playing genre is one that I am very experienced with and fond of. Actraiser and Smelter both combine the real time strategy and two dimensional platforming genres into one game. The two dimensional platforming genre is one of my most played and one of my favorite video game genres. I purchased physical copies of both Rune Factory 5 and Rune Factory 4 Special for the Nintendo Switch. I most likely will unseal Rune Factory 5 first and keep Rune Factory 4 Special sealed for now. If I really get into the franchise I may unseal it later on.
Great review! Loved this video and am loving the game as well. Quite a bit of frame rate drops and even a crash after using formula on my crops, but close to 100 hours still eager to get back to it :)
Sadly I don’t think the performance is going to get patched at all, the game has been out in Japan for a long time already and it didn’t get fixed so :(
Just picked this up on sale for $20 after enjoying some time in Harvestella. This is my first rf game. Can’t wait to start…was a tough choice between this and rf4 special…hoping I made the right choice!
So I just went out and bought Rune Factory 4 and 5 on switch. Looking forward to playing them~Was lucky to get number 4 new, there were only six new copies left in the country!
It’s kinda funny how while I was in the middle of my RF5 play through (kinda struggled to get into the game as quickly as I did with RF4), I purchased and downloaded Atelier Ryza 1 because of Ircha. Took a quick peek into Ryza and boom I’ve found myself more hooked onto Ryza than RF5 😂 guess RF5 will be taking a backseat for now
Oof. Well at least you dipped your toes to Atelier with Ryza. Wonderful game. 2 is I’d say even better but that’s just my personal opinion on the matter in regards to the 2 Ryza games.
Ryza is fantastic & 2 takes what’s awesome about 1 and makes it even better. The alchemy system is so freaking addictive and fun. You’re in for a great adventure!
@@maroXUprising really? I’m so excited! I’ve already put in 60+ hours into Ryza 1 and I love it so much so I can already imagine how much better (?) it is in Ryza 2 😁 there’s just so much to do and complete (the side quests seems never ending)
@@ViolinChick5 i’ve heard lots of people loving Ryza 2 more than 1 so I have high expectations of it since I adore Ryza 1 so much! 😭 super excited to get the sequel now
@@DulyDullahan don’t get too excited, lol. As for me, ever since Atelier Lydie & Suelle released on switch, I’ve been enjoying every atelier game that’s released on switch since then. And I’d say Ryza 2 has set a pretty good bar to continue supporting this franchise. Of course though, Gust has about 2 different teams working on side/atelier games. Just recently Atelier Sophie 2 came out which is a sequel to Sophie 1 (obviously, lol.) so some of the mechanics for Sophie 2 isn’t the same as say Ryza 1 or 2. But that game is worth picking up as well. If you have the money, try to consider buying Sophie 1 & 2 as soon as possible. Pretty sure Sophie 1 is currently on sale via the eshop, got about a week or so to get it while it’s cheap. (Sophie is personally my favorite atelier protag. Then again, I guess I’m just a sucker for short haired red headed characters such as her. But Heck, she’s practically the MOST powerful alchemist in the entire “mysterious trilogy” arc.)
The game really is nice. I just wished it was a bit harder. Even on hard mode things are still easy to kill. I'm close to winning fuuka over. She reminds me of the girl from Chrono trigger when they went to the past. She was my favorite character.
I felt so represented here. I love Rune Factory (and Harvest Moon) so much. The first Rune Factory I played was the frontier, and I remember that at some point my Nintendo Wii got really weird and slow, and to even change the tool I was using with the ring menu I had to wait like 10 seconds, but I still played hours and hours of that game. And after that, Rune Factory 5's performance issues are nothing to me, maybe even nostalgic 😂. I want so much for this game to be good, and I am loving it so far. I agree 100% with everything was said here, not impressed at first hour, sinked hours later, and wish it would not stutter so much but anyways incredible game. The only thing I think I did different was playing on hard since the start, and the game felt easy anyways, but sometimes I wandered my way off and got one shot lol.
This review is pretty spot on to my feelings. I wish that the game ran better and stuttered less, but overall I love the game. I have sank about 120 hours into it so far. Took me about to the 10-20 hour mark to get passed the stuttering though (well I'm mostly over it, still wish it ran better).
Thank you for your honest review. I saw this game when I went to the store the other day and the box art caught my eye (so colorful and pretty), but I ended up going with the new Kirby game, which I’ve been enjoying. I’m definitely buying this one next time it goes on sale!
Is it just me or did they patch the performance? Mine seems to be running a lot smoother. Also, I turned off dynamic mode which helped. I am LOVING this game and am happy you are enjoying it too. :)
I actually hated the farming cam myself and the blurry background and graphics. The game also stuttered a lot while running and entering/exiting buildings, etc... I thought it was part of the game design. The moment I saw in a YT vid that it was because of the dynamic resolution, I immediately turned it off. I heard that dynamic resolution makes turns the graphics very low and blurry in return for lesser stuttering and lags, but ironically - turning off the dynamic resolution made my game stutter and lag less and make the game more enjoyable with the clearer graphics. For people who hates the oversaturated colors on rf5, personally I also hated the oversaturated design, especially since I use OLED. It makes my eyes hurt. I was able to somehow turn the saturation down a notch at the system settings of my switch. I turned the screen color from vivid to standard. Hope that helps some people who has a problem with the oversaturated colors too 😃
Great review, totally agree with all. I love Rune Factory, and this is one of the best, but it is just SO ugly to look at and so clunky that I find it hard to continue playing. After watching this I feel the urge to play it again, I just wish they would fix some of the issues.
I have 100 hours into it now, I think? The mechanics and story are fantastic! But OMG is it just a hideous game. The really high saturation is just too much.
Your review score+feelings makes sense, and I'd definitely agree with it! Wow, Elden Ring has changed you! What an exciting time for your game playthroughs! Do you plan on going back to any older games and playing them on a higher difficulty?
Love the review! I've been a long time Rune Factory fan and glad to see your opinion of this version. Based on your comments, I can hold off and reduce my backlog of Switch games before buying this one. Even if they don't patch this game, I still see myself purchasing this anyway.
@Ircha Gaming I don't know if you knew this, but if you destroy furniture and then pick up the furniture that's next to it, you can move it closer and when you exit and enter, the first destroyed furniture will reappear! All my furniture is DIRECTLY next to the next one because of this glitch :)
I completely get the notion of scoring a game "lower," but assigning a "higher" score due to the notion of "enjoyment." There is anime that I watch, and for particular series I'll mentally score them a 7 or 8 out of 10 (plot, characters, animation, whatever). But I'll have enjoyed the show so much I'll have scored it as a subjective matter a 9 or even a 10 out of 10. So, "as an anime," it's a 7, but "for me," it's a 9. RF5 is definitely the same way. As a game, it has technical issues, mostly regarding performance. But the various gameplay loops are engaging and addicting, So in that way I agree with Ircha's perspective. Great video!
If the loading time is super short like Rf4, I’d love this game to death. I literally spent most of my in game day loading now, farming boss drops and seed points.
So honest! Great review! Glad you get over technicals issue. I didnt play rf5 that much (not even 10h) but it's not the game fault. I just have gamer fatigue of some sort. For bachelor i kinda lean toward the same guy as you but i'm also curious about the sneaky tired guy and the furry muscular one 😅 it's rare i'm interested in many at a time. Even girls seems really fine and a hard choice! They kinda nailed npc. In the end i was obsessed with rune factory frontier and ocean, kinda miss that simplicity from those.
There's really no excuse with the performance with this art style. If you can get Dying Light, BOTW and Crysis with an almost stable 30fps all the time, you can get this too with just some effort.
Ircha Gaming, just like with Majora's Mask dlc in Breath Of The Wild, you are a friggin' LIFESAVER....girl!! I had bought Stardew Valley, but haven't started it yet! Now that I've seen your review for RF5, it looks sooooooooooo much WAAAAAAAY better with the graphics as well as the overall gameplay!
I was surprised how RF5 became your favorite game of 2022 later on. I'm def gonna buy it when it goes on sale (I wait for a sale for every game in my wishlist)
As rf4 player I struggle to play too because of camera angle, chuckle graphic, and movement direction. But I enjoy doing quest, story, event, recipe bit by bit like rf4.
They managed to turn around the Olive Town or w/e Story of Seasons, so I have a lot of hope in the coming months they'll be further fixing the performance bugs.
