At Harvest is an unassuming game that blends RPG and farming simulation to create an utterly charming hybrid. An unpretentious and fairly easy game, it’s perfect for relaxing following a busy day.
Copy of game provided by Nintendo of Canada and images courtesy of Square Enix.
The first thing that I liked regarding At Harvest, these are its nice graphics and, above all, its very stable performance. The last sim games I played on the Switch all had huge lag issues, and I found the joy of playing through a game without lag or endless downloads. To achieve this, the graphics have been blurred, but you get used to it quickly, and it’s a small price to pay for performance.
As in any good Japanese RPG, we start the game by waking up in the middle of a forest without knowing why we are there or who we are, and we quickly discover that the survival of the planet rests on our frail shoulders. There are a lot of cutscenes and dialogue in this game, and the beginning felt rather long to me, expecting inherit my late grandfather’s farm and immediately start planting seeds, and I had to adjust my expectations: At Harvest is first and foremost an RPG incorporating farming simulation elements, not the other way around.
Fortunately, I soon met Aria, a sidekick from the future who was just as lost as I was, and I felt less alone.
The world is derailed
In the universe ofAt Harvest, the natural balance is maintained by four Lumicycles corresponding to the four classic elements: water, fire, earth and air. However, these Lumicycles are currently out of whack, and it’s up to Aria and the player to find out why and fix the situation.
The progression is quite free, and from the third chapter, we can explore the world map and the different villages at our leisure. Many side quests distract us from our main mission, but they make the world come alive. We get to know certain inhabitants of the villages by helping them to find lost objects, to reconcile with friends or even to cross dangerous zones.
All of this, of course, without forgetting to go home to sleep every night and take care of our farm.
Tape, tape, tape
The combat system is nothing original, and mostly consists of tapping Y repeatedly, doing a few special attacks through it, until the enemy dies. There’s no real way to dodge hits, so apart from a few attacks where you can see the area in advance, trying to dodge isn’t much use and it’s better to take hits and get your points back of life by drinking vegetable juices.
On the other hand, we have access to a dozen classes with slightly different styles, and certain enemies will be more vulnerable to particular types of attack. When entering a dungeon or preparing to face a boss, you have to choose the right classes to be effective. We are also accompanied by two companions who fight alongside us, which we select from a list that grows as we meet new allies.
But this simple combat is fueled (literally) by the kitchen, which is central to a lot of things in At Harvest. Indeed, it is better to always have a full stomach, because that way our energy bar is automatically regenerated. The dishes also give various bonuses that make our lives easier, and sharing a meal in the middle of a dungeon allows us to get to know our comrades.
Let me plant carrots in peace
Farming is quite limited at first, but the farm gradually expands and other types of biomes are unlocked, including a cave and an aquatic biome, where different crops can grow. Here once more, the farming system is very simple, but functional. Note the garden hose which replaces the classic watering can and makes the daily management of the garden much less painful.
Surprisingly, the farm is not for getting rich, here; vegetables are far too useful in recipes to be sold. The money comes mostly from side quests and restaurants requesting food delivery.
No gift system either Harvestella; we get closer to other characters through quests, which is much more natural than just offering someone fish until they agree to marry us!
A successful hybrid
By combining RPG and farm simulation, At Harvest has placed itself in a strange position where the two systems are very simple and innovate little; but the whole gives a very coherent result, where the two aspects of the game nourish each other in a harmonious way. Not all games have to be groundbreaking, and At Harvest is a solid game that you want to return to thanks to its satisfying loop, charming universe and relaxing simplicity.
