Review: Fantasy Life

Platforms: 3DS
Release Date: Out now
Developer: Level-5, 1-UP Studio
Publisher: Nintendo

When it comes to gaming, you’d think that farm simulation would be the least popular genre. You’d also think that living out a virtual life on screen – a life with fewer capabilities and opportunities – wouldn’t be attractive. Yet, with Fantasy Life, it’s proven yet again that the RPG and simulation genre is as popular and explorative as ever.

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I’d describe Nintendo’s aptly-named DS release Fantasy Life as a blend of Animal Crossing, Runescape and Harvest Moon. There are several advantages which make the game more enjoyable than the others, which is surprising since I’ve been addicted to Animal Crossing for years.

In Fantasy Life, your customisable avatar travels Reveria, a castle town which is expansive and detailed both in content and aesthetics. Your character is able to choose their ‘life’, which is their profession in the game that determines their tasks and skills. You have 12 different lives to choose from; Alchemist, Carpenter, Tailor, Cook, Blacksmith, Woodcutter, Wizard, Paladin, Hunter, Mercenary, Angler and Miner. Already with these choices the game introduces one of its strongest points: longevity. Each life gives you a wide range of tasks, skills and adventures to complete, and you can choose to switch lives as many times as you please, meaning that the gameplay is not going to be limited and you won’t have to create different save files. If you’re suddenly feeling more adventurous you may want to switch to Hunter or Paladin, rather than the more home-based lives such as Cook or Tailor – the possibilities are endless. [divider]

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The game is layered and fleshed out with quirky NPCs, puzzling story arcs and an endless amount of exploration and tasks available. While games like Animal Crossing may cause you to be mindlessly addicted for a week and then harshly indifferent for a month, Fantasy Life’s cute and medieval façade borders a substantial world that seems to be endless. The game does well at blending the adventurous with the serene, with moments ranging from trying to find out if a fellow colleague has a crush on someone, to a meteor crashing into the roof of your house.

Gameplay is simple yet varied, leaving the player able to learn new tricks and actions without being held back by complicated navigation systems and tasks. With that, the graphics are simple yet detailed and create a picturesque town that is rewarding to explore. While I rarely use the 3D option, when I did turn it on to test it out it was not as garish and overpowering as other games, but I wouldn’t recommend keeping it on too long as it can take away from the gameplay and possibly give you a giant screen-induced headache.

The game is layered and fleshed out with quirky NPCs, puzzling story arcs and an endless amount of exploration

I have only clocked in about 6 hours, but I never saw an end to the gameplay, and it never seemed dull. The only thing that became frustrating was the annoying butterfly sidekick who could even rival The Legend of Zelda’s pestering Navi. However, the game does allow you to hurry through the pest’s long winded conversations, which is one of its many ways of keeping the story and gameplay fresh and interesting. The opportunities in-game are vast; you can work on becoming the most skilled in your profession, on building up bliss points, which unlock things from getting a pet to a new shopping district, on upgrading and decorating your house and so many other things which I had yet to explore.

With the scope of gameplay and engaging graphics, Fantasy Life seems like a game for everyone. Whether you enjoy battle gameplay or the daily chores of cooking steak and sewing skirts, the tasks are fun yet challenging and the overarching stories compelling and mysterious. With what could have been a very tedious life simulation, the developers have really prospered in creating an game that is incredibly engaging at its core. [divider_top]

Header Image: Flickr / Bryan Ochalla

Tell us your Fantasy Life tales at @BoarGames