Square Enix Announces new Farming-Sim Action JRPG

Square Enix (known for Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, NieR Automata) is throwing their hat in the farming sim ring with Harvestella. The game has been described as akin to Stardew Valley and Rune Factory in that players will have a combination of fighting, farming, and friendship in Harvestella. (Watch the announcement trailer here.)

Harvestella has 5 seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Quietus. Quietus is the Season of Death, the season players will start the game. Quietus fills the air with dust, leaving villagers stuck in their homes, and kills off plants-- all while getting longer and longer with each passing year.

Harvestella is getting more Square Enix polish when it comes to combat. There will be classes (called Jobs) that players can choose from: Mage, Fighter, and Shadow Walker. (There may be more down the road/unannounced, but these are the confirmed classes.) Players will explore different regions and dungeon crawl to reach the Seaslights – four giant crystals that govern the seasons.

• Based on the written descriptions for the game on Steam, it sounds as if players will ultimately stop Quietus from occurring, or they will have to restore the original balance of seasons.
• I also speculate that there will be an element of town/village restoration, which is common for this genre.

Don't worry, forging friendships will be a major component of Harvestella's gameplay. Players won't have to worry about dungeon-crawling and exploring by themselves, as there are dedicated companions that the player will meet throughout the world: Shrika, a missionary searching for a new form of faith. Heine, a pompous gentleman mechanic. Asyl, descendent of the Wind poem people. And Aria, a mysterious girl who claims to have come from the future.

Harvestella looks like it has a little bit of everything. Players will meet companions, travel a large world map, and get a farming experience that includes animal caretaking and plant farming. Crafting items grown from your farm, such as cooking food or making gear, gets you bonuses or essential items. It also looks like Harvestella falls into Square Enix's fantasy wheelhouse well, with animals like cluffowl birds and goat-like woolums romping the land.

Harvestella releases on November 4th, 2022. Here is the Harvestella Steam page for those who want to check it out more or Wishlist it.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Square Enix's farming game can gain popularity?