Harvest Moon: One World Announced (Natsume)

Where're the crops?! Searching the world for seed wisps on Nintendo Switch, Steam Ps4, and Xbox. [ Game Guide ] JP release = None. NA release = Mar 2021. EU release = Mar 2021.
User avatar
Kikki
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 4252
Joined: Apr 14, 2015 6:01 am

Post  Posted:

Comparing cover images, I think it looks a decent amount different than Light of Hope. (Nintendo Switch LoH cover.) I'd be happy with ah, oh...say about a 25% improvement in the graphics of Light of Hope, as long as the characters and world are more interesting to me. I just never really liked their cast of characters, so having mostly new ones would make me more interested to begin. This isn't all I could have hoped (for what it is...just a cover image) but I do think it is an improvement, so I feel okay with remaining hopeful and curious :)

If anyone would prefer, I tried to smush cover images side-by-side for easy, instant comparison, but I didn't bother doing it tidily. (If anyone wants to make a spiffier comparison image, please do, lol.) I feel it looks the same, and yet refined, like clip art compared to hand-drawn, sort of. I wouldn't call it a revolutionary change, but I do prefer the newer to the older, for sure.
Spoiler:
Image
User avatar
Mikodesu
Huggy Chickens
Huggy Chickens
Posts: 313
Joined: Apr 07, 2016 7:45 pm

Post  Posted:

This was about the level of effort I was HOPING for, tbh. Clearly new protagonist designs (still in the same vein as the old ones, but NEW) and discernible effort on the part of the design. (The worst part is the animals in the pen, the rest I'm really pretty happy with.)

They had to make clear it was still a farming game, even with all of the adventure game wording in the description, but it still gives off the 'feel' of an adventure game too. More energy to the protagonists, points of interest on the horizon. This much effort into the entire game and we may have something special on our hands. :)

Fingers still crossed!
User avatar
Kikki
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 4252
Joined: Apr 14, 2015 6:01 am

Post  Posted:

I think the biggest improvement for me is that they have again toned down the characters' bobble-headedness. Their heads are in proper proportion, now. AND the eyes have shrunk down to still anime-size, but not the absurd level of before...their eyes are reasonably sized in the new image, imo. The character art is probably the most important part of the style to me, and it's a fairly big improvement...as long as we can actually use both of these cover images as accurately representing the in-game appearance, of course.

And overall, I like that it no longer looks like clip-art they've imported from Corel Draw 5 (1994). I'm not gonna call it a vast change, but it's enough to keep me hopeful until we have a trailer or game screenshots and other info.
User avatar
Kross lover/fan
Ultimate Farming Fanatic
Ultimate Farming Fanatic
Posts: 1897
Joined: Sep 27, 2010 11:27 am
Contact:

Post  Posted:

Seeing the title art side by side, I have to agree. It’s an improvement, although slight.
It looks less...bubbly (minus the chicken. It still looks pretty bubbly) imo. Which isn’t bad and the bubble cows are adorable but I feel like this cover art matches a bit better with the game description. Hopefully the rest of the game matches it.

Edit: The doggy certainly has more details to it and it actually looks scruffy-ish. I like it!
User avatar
Mikodesu
Huggy Chickens
Huggy Chickens
Posts: 313
Joined: Apr 07, 2016 7:45 pm

Post  Posted:

I was really just speaking to the effort put into the cover itself. :lol: The LoH cover in particular is incredibly basic. (Very hard to sell a game with that.) And based on how a lot of the rendering looks I'm guessing it's the same artist for both. (As an artist the comparison between the two screams 'artist potential' vs 'client expectations'. Could be wrong, but that's my feeling.)

Since we don't really know anything it's hard to say, I'm just hoping that Natsume is working harder than usual. I wouldn't call LoH their best effort, but if they put the effort in I think they can make a good game. :) Here's hoping.
User avatar
Bluie
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 3262
Joined: Jun 29, 2005 11:02 am

Post  Posted:

...Alright, I dig the cover, but it isn't selling it fully. Here's hoping the gameplay looks good too.
User avatar
Code_Name_Geek
Tubular Turnip Farmer
Tubular Turnip Farmer
Posts: 341
Joined: Mar 13, 2017 7:14 pm

Post  Posted:

That cover looks really appealing to me actually, the dog in particular. It'd be really neat to see a new take on the farming genre so I hope they follow through with what they seem to be saying.
User avatar
Kikki
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 4252
Joined: Apr 14, 2015 6:01 am

Post  Posted:

I dunno how the majority feels...but personally, I hope they've kept hybrids/mutations in the crops. It's their one really unique feature that they added themselves, and I love it. (Though I'd love to go even deeper and get into deliberate hybridizing/plant breeding. I still long for the day when I can make strawberry pineapples and hot mint and chocolate coffee beans, etc. That'd be a huge job of programming all by itself, I'm pretty sure, if it went as deep as what I am thinking of.)

Given the description, it sounds like the setting is a world that has lost touch with nature and with farming in particular, to the point of many plant species having gone extinct, so having to re-create crops would really fit that, imo.
User avatar
LadyCollibri
New Seedling
New Seedling
Posts: 14
Joined: Sep 20, 2013 1:52 pm

Post  Posted:

OHMYGOSH, I LOVED THE COVER!! And the female protagonist looks sooo cute!! And the dog too!
It looks like the game will come to the PS4 too which is good since I still don't have a Switch (looking to buy one in november, but until then...)
The art style looks quite good to me! And you can already see the desert city down the road in the cover (?)
User avatar
Shan O 123
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 7942
Joined: May 04, 2013 11:01 am

Post  Posted:

Looks like we have new MCs. That’s a improvement in my eyes already. Let’s see if we will get a new cast too.
User avatar
Sanne
Crazy Cow Herder
Crazy Cow Herder
Posts: 162
Joined: Apr 25, 2017 9:31 am

Post  Posted:

The dog on the cover is so cute!

I still haven't tried any of the natsume harvest moon games but might give it a go if it gets decent reviews.
User avatar
Getaris
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 3102
Joined: Nov 25, 2006 3:12 pm

Post  Posted:

Looks like we will see the return of turnips, eggplants, and pineapples to Natsume's side of the series.

I really hope they go all out and make a great game.
User avatar
Kross lover/fan
Ultimate Farming Fanatic
Ultimate Farming Fanatic
Posts: 1897
Joined: Sep 27, 2010 11:27 am
Contact:

Post  Posted:

It also looks like there’ll be sunflowers and peaches(?) aren’t those new? It’s been a while since I’ve played Natsume’s last game.
User avatar
Shan O 123
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
UNoT Extreme Mooomber
Posts: 7942
Joined: May 04, 2013 11:01 am

Post  Posted:

^
I don’t remember peaches.
User avatar
midnighttherabbit
Carrots... yum
Carrots... yum
Posts: 545
Joined: Aug 06, 2012 12:00 am
Contact:

Post  Posted:

Okay, I've been spending lockdown trying to play / replay a ton of HM, because what else can I do, and I'm currently playing LoH. I'm not going to go into a whole criticism about it, because I know people enjoyed the game, but... it's lacking. And I think that any change they make has to be an improvement.

Graphics aren't, like, everything, but I wanna know just how different the engine they're using is, and whether they're going to switch up their designs, just because it'll show that they've put effort into the game, y'know? Atm, I really like the cover art and think it's way more professional than the previous games - the animals look different to before (goats!?) and cute. But I'm kinda concerned that the buildings and windmill look exactly the same as in LoH. I really don't wanna play a fourth game full of recycled assets.
Post Reply