As frequent readers might know already, we’re big fans of the Story of Seasons franchise here at Phenixx Gaming. As such, we’ve followed along with various entries in the franchise since its split from Natsume, with XSEED Games/Marvelous continuing the franchise under the Story of Seasons naming convention rather than the Harvest Moon name that it had in North America previously. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a remake of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life from 2004.

For context, this version of the (formerly Harvest Moon) game incorporates elements from both Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, and Harvest Moon: Another Wonderful Life which was released after A Wonderful Life in 2005. For context, Another Wonderful Life was effectively the same game as Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, except you played as a female main character rather than a male one, with romance options being adjusted accordingly.

This might seem strange in the modern age since a lot of Story of Seasons games now have same-sex marriage and a variety of gender options. In fact, this remade version of Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life carries these modern sensibilities. Not only can you be male, female, or non-binary from the start, but you can also romance any of the eligible bachelors or bachelorettes regardless of your gender identity.

There are a variety of unique changes to A Wonderful Life’s remake that caught my attention as well. For example, in the original version, cows stopped producing milk after 40 days unless they got pregnant during that timeframe, which reset the timer. In this remake there is no such issue, however, if a cow gets pregnant then it will produce more milk than usual for 20 days.

Additionally, unlike other Story of Seasons games (or even the previous version), in this remake you can milk and tend to your animals twice per day. This gets a little annoying though, because you have to wait 10 in-game hours between tending to them. They also eat twice a day, which makes your feedstock empty much faster than in other games.

This leads to another issue that I had. If you’re not home by midnight, you pass out. The next day you wake up in the clinic and are charged for your care, unlike in other games where you wake up at home but replenish less energy. Also, none of the crops you plant regrow, so you’ll always be purchasing new seeds. Some folks might not mind that, but it is important to mention all the same.

With those changes out of the way, it is important to note that just like the original game, the structure of Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a lot different than more modern titles. For example, the entire premise follows the title’s idea of living a full life as your farmer. As such, there are various milestones and cutoff points you must reach by certain timeframes.

For example, if you don’t get married by the end of the first year, the game ends and you have to start over. This can be a deal-breaker for folks who prefer to focus on building up their farm first, then befriending/romancing villagers. However, there is something to be said for the narrative of the game, since there is an actual story-esque progression involved.

As you reach various story milestones, not only does your character age but so do the other villagers. Even child characters will age over time. This is also important to note since you’ll be able to adopt as a same-sex couple and even see them grow up to have their own career.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life also (despite having simpler farming) introduces hybrid crops and allows you to get goats and ducks. The inclusion of ducks and goats might not seem new, but the original game was fairly new to animals that weren’t cows, sheep, or chickens. The inclusion of hybrid crops is interesting, but overall, the simplified farming feels a little bland.

Other familiar elements such as enhancing facilities, cooking, and fishing return, though mining has been replaced by a dig site where you dig for things like fossils and artifacts. This leads to another gripe I have with A Wonderful Life. You can’t sell fish, artifacts, or even some other things that you find out in the world via your shipping box.

Instead, you have to wait until Van comes to town. This wouldn’t normally be a problem except he only comes twice in the season, and both times are in the first half of the season. This leads to a problem where you’ll have a storage (or fridge) full of things to sell. It also gets to be an issue if you forget that Van is in town or can’t get to him on a specific day.

While the controls are simple, I’m not a big fan of the map. Sometimes it is hard to tell where villagers are, especially if they’re en route between two places. The characters are interesting, the visuals are cute and bright, and the concept of living through the stages of life is very well utilized.

Overall, I like Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. It won’t satisfy everyone, and I’d argue that it is more appealing to people who liked the original game. However, any Story of Seasons fan will have fun with this one, and despite its flaws, it has a distinct vibe that is different from any other modern Story of Seasons game. I’d definitely encourage you to check it out.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life was provided by XSEED Games for this review.

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Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life

$49.99 USD

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• Great for Fans of the Original
• Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption
• Simple Controls
• Fun, Heartfelt Premise

Cons

• Map is Terrible
• Feeding Animals Twice a Day Gets Annoying
• Not Being Able to Ship Most Things is Frustrating
• Simplified Farming is Bland
• Quality of Life Elements are Missing