Harvest Moon:Light of Hope -First Impressions

First of all, I am absolutely in love with all the Harvest Moon games, no matter how bad they are. I am guessing it has to do with nostalgia. I think more than that though, it has to do with the fact that Harvest Moon games are my go to when I am trying to relax and unwind. So, obviously, when this came out I had to get it. However, I couldn’t bring myself to buy it. I don’t know why. Maybe it was I was waiting for the reviews or maybe I just assumed I wouldn’t have time to play it. Anyway, my husband ended up buying for me as a gift not too long after all the DLC was released so I had the capabilities to play. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to play it until about a month ago and haven’t played it since. The move has made everything pretty much impossible. Finally, now that we are settled in for the most part, I was able to actually play.

If you don’t know what Harvest Moon is, it is essentially a farming simulation game. Your main goals of the game are to raise crops and animals, harvest friendships, and getting married. There are other things you can do such as mining and gathering. My favorite thing is that each season has its own festivals and some of them can be so much fun.

As for Light of Hope on its own. It has a different beginning goal, but the end goals are still the same. In Light of Hope, you must help the townsfolk rebuild their island after a typhoon (I think) comes through and wipes the city. You spend the first bit of the game repairing houses to bring the townsfolk back. However, once you get the first two harvest sprites, you are free do things in whatever order you seem fit.

I personally love when the Harvest Moon games have their own little side elements. It gives them a new and fresh take on an old concept. Not only that, but it gives a little more depth to the game my opinion. I am not farming day in and day out. I have little goals to set for myself and small things to make myself feel like I accomplished something. This makes me want to keep playing I will lose myself in the game, and before I know it, hours have passed.

I must say the graphics of this game were a little different and it had me nervous in the beginning, but they quickly grew on me. Now, I think that Light of Hope is probably one of my favorite games. The animals are so darn adorable. I need a plush of all of them. There are even new animals you can get in this game. You can raise donkeys to give you donkey fur as well as llamas (I think). Those to me, are a new addition.

The NPC’s are great. I wasn’t really thrilled that there were no characters from previous games. However, after playing a little of the game, it doesn’t really bother me. They all have their own little quirks. Their likes and dislikes. They all have their own personalities. I love that. I find myself treating them as if they were real people. I start freaking out when I realize I forgot to give a gift to someone on their birthdays or when I give them something they dislike.

The controls are a little different compared to the other games that I have played, but that might also just be in relation to playing on the computer instead of a console. I try to use my controller when I can, it is just a learning curve and it certainly isn’t a deal breaker.

So, far the only thing that bothers me is that the trees and weeds grow back so fast on the farm. It becomes near impossible to tame your farm. This is more than likely due to the fact I am only about half way through my first year. I feel like I just got out of the tutorial stage and I have now entered the true nature of the game. I am sure there are ways to keep the farm looking nice and tidy…I just haven’t figured that out yet. I am hoping for the best at this point.

Overall, I must say if you are a fan of the Harvest Moon games, this is one to add to your collection. Like I said, it is a great game for just sitting and relaxing after a long stressful day. I am probably a little biased because without a doubt I have been playing these games since I was probably 13 years old so they have a lot of meaning to me. Let me know what you think about these games. I’d love to hear what everyone’s favorite Harvest Moon game is as well as their favorite characters. I hope to see everyone in the next one.