![]() ![]() However, fierce arguments grew between which town's cooking was better than the other's. Hundreds of years before the events of the game, the towns of Bluebell and Konohana were once friendly neighbor towns connected by aa tunnel through a large hill. The sense of accomplishment is still intact here, and it still feels great to start with nothing but a bare patch of land and empty barn and create a world-class farm.Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns is a farming/dating simulation game for the DS and 3DS. And though it may not be new, the foundational gameplay of farming in Harvest Moon remains satisfying even after 16 years of sequels. The enormous mountain area set between the towns is actually a lot of fun to explore, and it feels like you've stepped into Nintendo's Animal Crossing franchise as you run around catching fish and bugs and finding interesting plants to pluck through the twisting, rocky landscape. And wooing eligible bachelors or bachelorettes to potentially become your spouse feels recycled (with the added inconvenience of a huge amount of territory to cover to get to them each day if you're trying to court someone who lives in the opposite town). Producing crops or eggs or whatever and hauling them to the shipping bin is standard stuff. The rest of the game feels drawn from the standard franchise playbook for this series - taking care of your farm is the same as it's always been. And what's worse is that these community liaison scenarios are really the only new thing to be added to the Harvest Moon formula for this release. Natsume may have been trying to capture the spirit of a good-natured rivalry between farmers who approach life a little differently from one another, but it goes too far here. But when the game gets them together on the same screen during competition events, it's all weird and out-of-nowhere hatred. The citizens of Bluebell have nothing but nice things to say when you're visiting with them, and the people of Konohana are likewise pleasant to know. And just as it's uncomfortable to be in that kind of a position at a real family reunion, so it is here in the game. But then, when the two are together, it's a firestorm of anger. ![]() Each side is all smiles when you're alone with them, happy to tell you their perspective on events and try to persuade you to adopt their opinion. If you've ever been caught in the middle of a fight between two family members, that's what The Tale of Two Towns ultimately feels like. But doing such a good job setting up this kind of scenario ends up backfiring a bit because it feels really awkward to be the guy torn between the two. Natsume's put a lot of effort into establishing clear differences and separating these two in-game villages - even giving their buildings different architectural styles and placing a huge, mountainous area of wilderness between the two so that it's not easy to travel back and forth between them. This either-or dynamic is definitely unique. Oh, and the two towns hate each other's cooking too. They think anyone who isn't getting their hands caked in dirt and loving every minute of it must be nuts. Its people love to get in tune with nature, working the land by clearing away grass, tilling the earth and sowing seeds to produce incredible turnips, potatoes and corn. The town of Konohana, on the other hand, thinks farming is all about the crops. They think anyone who isn't all-in about animals must be crazy. Its citizens focus all their efforts on the raising of livestock, prizing the process of helping animals grow and producing great milk, eggs and wool. The village of Bluebell thinks ranching is the best thing in life. Rose+may+be+all+smiles+right+now,+but+just+wait. But the twist in the plot is that there are two towns. As you begin the game you're once again a young, aspiring farmer moving to a new town and aiming to build a small patch of land up into a successful, thriving agricultural business. Instead of spending your time entirely on farming, the game introduces the greater objective of community reconciliation for you to work toward. Because it's your mission to bring back the love. Though installments in this series usually center themselves on sweeter emotions, the focus this time is on outright negativity.īut only to start, of course. The Tale of Two Towns is a Harvest Moon based on hate. ![]()
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