Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a remake of the beloved farming sim classic, providing a dose of nostalgia for fans of the series. The franchise has seen a revival, with newer games aiming to bring back the classics, and A Wonderful Life continues this trend by reviving the PS2 original.
Set in the tranquil Forgotten Valley, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a community brimming with engaging characters. Like other games in the series, the main character’s father dreams of running a farm in this peaceful valley, and his goal is to realize this dream. The game offers both male and female avatars. However, the focus in these farming sims is less on the story and more on the interactions and farm management, so it’s understandable why the narrative takes a backseat. Regardless, it’s a faithful remake that also introduces several quality-of-life improvements.
The game’s narrative is entirely dependent on the player’s actions, how they develop relationships and improve their popularity among the townsfolk. I found great joy in the mundane yet enjoyable tasks of cultivating a farm, tending to animals, and forming relationships with characters. The game has a time limit, so it’s not an open-ended farming sim. Your goal is to run the farm, find a partner, get married, and build a happy family. Your approach to this is entirely dependent on your playstyle.
Throughout the main story, various events and festivals offer opportunities to improve relationships with other characters and expand the farm. One unique twist in the game is that it allows children to form their career paths. If you play through the entire game, your child will decide their next steps, adding another layer to the narrative.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life isn’t just about cultivating crops. Side tasks like fishing, treasure hunting, or engaging with the local community add variety. There are eligible bachelors and bachelorettes in the game that can be courted for marriage. Essentially, it’s a slice-of-life game with farming simulation elements. The game maintains a faithful recreation of the original release, with major changes limited to quality-of-life improvements.
Character customization is decent, and while it’s not in-depth, it’s better than having no customization options. The ability to take pictures of our family is a nice bonus. The game launched with a $49.99 price tag, which might seem steep, but there’s plenty of replay value due to the impact of our playstyle on the narrative.
As the main characters age, it’s interesting to see how this affects their lifestyle. However, I found the writing and character development less compelling than in previous games. They seem bland and forgettable for the most part. Since the core of the game is building relationships with the local townsfolk, it’s an integral part of the gameplay loop, but unfortunately, this section doesn’t offer good writing and development. The game also focuses more on the social aspects, so if the player is unable to find a suitable partner, the game will end earlier, which is a significant drawback if you’re just looking for a farming sim.
A key part of the game is how invested you are in the world. If you don’t find it engaging, chances are you might not sit through the entirety of the game. If you do manage to stick with the story, it takes a considerable amount of time to get through the full game. The aging technology used here is unique and works out well. As time passes, new opportunities arise and current trends change. It’s an interesting insight into the human world told through a game, but it may not be as fun if you don’t care about these aspects.
Farming sims tend to get repetitive, but once we have a functional farm with a happy family, things tend to move faster. However, the core gameplay loop is still repetitive, and it can be hard to justify sticking with the game until the end. On the other hand, new changes like the ability to sell our items through a crate and an improved tool system help to better pace the game. The game now has additional content with new partners to find, hybrid crops to test and plant, and the ability to take requests from the bulletin board in town.
The PC version of the game may feel basic, mirroring the simplicity of earlier games. It features a traditional launcher tool and the ability to tweak some game options, but there’s nothing particularly fancy here. The key point to note is the game’s performance, and in this regard, I found the port to be solid. It runs smoothly on a Steam Deck, maintaining close to 60 FPS even when the power draw is reduced. Overall, I was quite satisfied with the game’s performance on PC, despite the lack of deeper customization options. It’s worth noting that the game isn’t particularly demanding, which contributes to its smooth performance.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Game Information
- Price: $49.99
- Publisher: Marvelous
- Developer: Marvelous
- Platform: PC (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
