Things have been pretty quiet on the cutesy farming game front as of late, with the most recent 'Harvest Moon: Connect To A New Land' having gone AWOL since it's announcement in October of last year. Whether we'll actually see the game on European shores still remains to be seen, but fortunately the folks at Rising Star Games have stepped in with a rather unexpected announcement - a whole new Harvest Moon game, coming in early 2015.
Chasing chickens in the barn, we had to stop cos it got dark...
Called Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, the game sees budding farmers travelling to a remote town where winter never ends - something which will strike fear into the hearts of seasoned veterans, as it's easiest the suckiest of all seasons. Traditionally a time of year when nothing grows - although later games did add a few crops to make things a little easier - by and large you're stuck selling weeds and other foraged rubbish for the best part of a month (although, thankfully, the chickens don't shut up shop for Christmas). As you can probably guess, the fate of the town falls to you, as you have to figure out what's happened to the missing seasons, and save the inhabitants from a lifetime of frostbite and sprouts.
But what's perhaps most interesting is how different this seems to previous Harvest Moon games, with a very Minecraft-esque terrain modification system seen in the trailer, letting you remodel the town's landscape however you see fit. Effectively split up into squares, your character can easily dig down to create a cave, stack cubes of dirt to create mountains or create your own fishing spots out of thin air. It'll also come in especially handy when exploring, as you can simply build a bridge across to that mysterious island nearby.
Build a bridge to your mind, takes me there every time...
Of course, all the Harvest Moon staples are there - growing and selling crops, tending to animals and wooing the locals, with the intention of settling down with an eligible bachelor(ette) to start a family, although we suspect the character creation aspect from A New Beginning has fallen by the wayside. Still! More Harvest Moon is never a bad thing!
Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley is coming to the 3DS in early 2015. Why not check out the announcement trailer below:
