Review for Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Special Edition. Game for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC, the video game was released on 14/11/2017 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 28/06/2018 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 26/06/2018
A type of game that can always find its slice of the public is that of the “relaxing” management software, à la Animal Crossing. After the success of the recent Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Special Edition also arrives on Switch, now in the Complete version. Tabot's game that proposes a formula very similar to that of the two previously mentioned titlesSo, with Animal Crossing postponed to 2020 and Stardew starting to have its years, it comes at a perfect time to carve out its space.
But is the game also valid in itself, or will it just be a distraction waiting for the giant Nintendo?
The adventure begins like many others, with a shipwreck on an island. However, this island is not deserted as usual cliché, or at least it was not: a storm destroyed the houses and induced the inhabitants to flee; it will be up to the protagonist to reconstruct everything and solve the mystery of the extinct lighthouse and its connection with mysterious artifacts scattered around the island.
The incipit is very classic, and serves only as an excuse to distribute the unlocking of the various activities in which the player can participate over time. In this, however, we immediately find a flaw: although the idea of unlocking activities and objects with the advancement of a plot subspecies is good, the unlocking pace is not exactly perfect. The various tools or even the various areas are locked behind the reconstruction of some key buildings, which can take some time when, at the beginning of the game, the only source of income is agriculture.
Once the initial hurdle has been overcome, which will see the player forced to go to sleep early to wait for their plants, the title improves rapidly. In a short time we will be introduced to various activities, such as farming, mining, metalworking, fishing and much more.
With the progress of the story and the return of the various NPCs, the possible activities in Harvest Moon acquire more and more variety, and the player will finally be fully involved in the management of time, resources and energy to be able to carry out both the reconstruction of the island, be your own farm. With very simple inputs Harvest Moon: Light of Hope manages to involve the player in a relaxing gameplay loop but at the same time able to be addictive and to pass the hours without really noticing.
Harvest Moon: Light of Hope can easily stand on its own legs, without having to be called a simple "filler" while waiting for Animal Crossing. That said, it is undeniable that it is inferior to other exponents of the genre. First of all, the glance is not great: the models are extremely bland and monotonous, also due to the cross-mobile nature of the title. In particular, humans can be truly terrifying, although fortunately many characters are able to express character through the expressions they assume during the dialogues.
You can see the commitment on the part of Tabot Inc. in fighting the artistic limitations that the title brings with it, however the result is not fully achieved; a pixel art solution as in Stardew Valley or even just dated models as seen in Rune Factory Ocean, a last generation game, is also preferable.
In addition to this, Harvest Moon: Light of Hope also lacks originality in game design. While other titles, like the aforementioned Rune Factory, offer their own twist beyond the normal gameplay loop typical of the genre, Harvest Moon has nothing that can add anything to the experience. The focus of the game is on offering the best possible base, however the result is satisfactory but not exceptional, so Harvest Moon is certainly a good game, but only recommended for fans of the genre.
Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Special Edition Complete is able to offer a good experience in the field of management, or at least when it comes to the more relaxed branch of the genre. It does not excel in originality, nor in design, but it is a valid alternative and can certainly be able to find its own slice of the public, without going to oust the greatest exponents of the genre.
► Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Special Edition is an RPG-Simulation game developed by Natsume Atari and published by Rising Star Games for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC, the video game was released on 14/11/2017 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 28/06/2018 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 26/06/2018
