The title of Natsume’s latest Harvest Moon — One World — could be taken as ironic. The series had a split-up between its publisher and developer a few years ago, which is unlikely to ever be resolved. The series began in Japan on the Super NES under the title “Story of Seasons.” In America, the title was localized into “Harvest Moon.” Eventually Natsume parted ways with that developer, but kept the “Harvest Moon” brand. The original guys continue to make new games under the original title, while Harvest Moons are farmed out. Basically any HM you see these days is a fake, and the genuine article is called “Story of Seasons.”
So while Story of Seasons has experimented with new ideas and spinoffs like Rune Factory, Natsume’s new Harvest Moons tend to play it safe and formulaic. You won’t find anything in One World you haven’t seen before, though the basic formula has expanded as technology has permitted it. These days the play area is much larger, and you have the option of choosing...
