For someone who doesn’t know a lot about this popular series, the game doesn’t require knowledge about Doraemon to have some enjoyment out of this game. This farming sim that’s just being released on PC and Switch has a low learning curve that will bring new players to the game and create a safe haven for all of those apprentices in farming. Is it worth checking out? Let’s talk!
As a player, you take on the role of Noby which is a young schoolboy. This boy has a school project to finish, but he doesn’t even have a clue on how to start this project. Walking around while brainstorming, the boy finds a mysterious seed. This seed is shaped like a spiral and Noby finds the seed interesting enough to plant it and see what’ll happen next. The seed immediately sprouts into this massive tree which gives shelter from a mysterious storm to the boy and his friends. The storm escalates so quickly that the massive tree and the kids are being lifted into the air. Not only do they float in the air, but they’re also being teleported to another dimension. Eventually, Noby and his friends wake up in a forest, right outside the town of Natura. This town gives a home to farmers and workers. As Noby and his friends start looking around to find a way back home, they quickly realize that this might be a harder task then they thought. Even the village workers can’t help them, so they’re left in this unknown land which makes their fate unpredictable. In the end, you help out where you can and everyone gets a task to complete. However, Noby gets a farm to run and tries to find a way out of this land while doing farm activities.
“Doraemon Story of Seasons is a true farming simulation at heart.”
Doraemon Story of Seasons is a true farming simulation at heart. You start small and you end big. From the beginning, you only need basic tools and materials like twigs and weeds to get your farm up and running. Your farming activities are mostly tilling the land and growing crops by planting seeds and of course, look after your seeds by watering them. When everything goes great, you’ll reap what you sow and take the rewards home. These activities are only a small percentage of what the game can offer. You’ll be catching bugs, mining ore, and getting to know the villagers while still finding a way home. These activities are simplistic and don’t take a lot of real effort but just make sure Noby can handle all of the tasks. You’ll have to make sure that Noby takes some rest to prevent exhaustion! Otherwise, it’s off to the hospital.
Like I said before, the villagers will give you clues on how to find Doraemon’s gadgets and maybe some information on how to get home. Even though the game’s a farming sim first, it’s a relationship sim second. You’ll have to gather materials or craft other items that could be given to the villagers. Giving items to the villagers will increase your bond with them and they’ll eventually open up a little bit more. Opening up means information and information mean home. You’ll also have to figure out, what material can give you the most appreciation because some items are more wanted than others. Talk to people and find out what’ll give you the most status improvements. The in-game map will tell you where the characters are, so this makes the searching a bit more enjoyable.
“Every upgrade felt like it was worth your time and investment.”
Crafting is also a feature that’s been explained very well in the game. The crafting system is simple to use but also offers a lot of variation. It’s also a system that doesn’t take long to figure out what materials you’ll have to gather to create a certain item. The system also offers “upgrades” and all of these “upgrades” are interesting to get because they give you a lot of advantages. For example, a rod helps you with fishing but a better version of that rod can give you access to a whole other fish that can be meaningful for some NPCs. Upgrades will open up different ways to improve your status with your neighbors. An upgraded pick can help you traverse the mine a lot better than your basic pick. Every upgrade felt like it was worth your time and investment.
Just like in real life, there are some competitive events that can help you with some extra cash. These events can be viewed on your calendar and can be played multiple times. At first, some challenges might be difficult to win because these events will require some “specific” skills or tools to win. There are of course some other events that require only skill and a bit of luck. Winning these trophies can be sold or placed into your house if you like their aesthetics.
“The game ran fluently and there weren’t any specific hiccups during my playthrough.”
The game looks very pretty and has a “fairytale” look to it. From what I’ve seen, it does seem like they’re trying to be as true to the series as they can, which will definitely be positive for a true fan. Even though, I didn’t know a lot of things about this series it still managed to draw my attention for a couple of hours. It’s definitely worth taking a look if you love farming sims like Stardew Valley for example. The game ran fluently and there weren’t any specific hiccups during my playthrough.
Conclusion:
If you like farming sims and you’re looking for something fresh, this might be a game for you. The game’s concept is fairly simple but it’s a lot more interesting when there’s a story to tell. Lucky for us Doraemon does both things fairly well. True fans will have already bought this and other enthusiasts of the genre will take a look at this as well. The game looks great and performs well on the PC, so I don’t think people will suffer a lot from technical hiccups. The crafting system is decent enough and there are a lot of things to do. If you’re looking for something similar but familiar as well, this will be the game for you.
