This game is a hidden gem of a diamond for sure.
It features two sides, there is the RPG scroller side to the game and then the rice farming/base life side. Both are great and merge together rather well.
The story features you play as Sakuna, who is the harvest god, she has lived a life of luxury because her parents efforts who have been missing since she was young. Due to a incident which resulted in humans gaining access to the rice storage room and setting fire to it (accident) Sakuna is banished from the realm to a island full of demons, a island her parents once farmed the rice she is so proud of.
Here you experience the story of Sakuna finding what is causing the rise in demons as well as investigate parts of her parents old life here.
RPG:
The rpg is a platformer/side scroller rpg, you use your reignment to climb cliffs and scale ledges. You also can have several skills which operate in tandem with this meaning you can find skills you like and take advantage of certain situations. The fighting is fun, It can take some learning at some points but its mostly pretty fun,
You also have a day/night cycle, during the day enemies are normal hp and balanced, during the night hours, monsters get more aggressive and are stronger, you also have a hunger which whilst it wont kill you, it benefits to eat meals (which offer buffs) to take on challenges.
Rice farming:
Before you head out to slay demons the game has a unique mechanic. Whilst farming isn't new to some rpg's, this is focused to one crop, RICE! The farming is very detailed, you control literally everything, weeding, water levels, water temperature, plowing etc and this includes harvesting, drying the rice, airing it and everything else. You rice can get blights or be harmed by insects and you even have a fertilise system to help fight blights, insects, recruit decks to eat them etc. Its very detailed. At the end of the harvest your rice is graded, then a unique mechanic kicks in, because you are the harvest god, your rice harvest directly gives you stats. You don't level up for stats so much in this, your harvest will reward them, so each year you will get stronger depending on your village efforts. This is pretty interesting and unique and blends the rpg side together well. You harvest materials by killing demons to fertilise the rice to buff your stats. You can also make brown rice which doesn't offer much stat bonus but can offer brown rice as a ingredient too.
The game is a perfect blend of mixing farming and combat, there is a small element to the house its self, you can chat to companions, recruit them as gatherers to gain unique materials, there are some sub-quests and you can craft new armour and clothes too.
The story is actually very good too, i honestly really enjoyed the ending and leading scenes to it.
If you enjoy RPG's with a bit of farming, i recommend this whole-heartedly, its great fun and feels like they found a very unique formula. couldn't praise this game enough.
