Much freedom throughout the game to make own decisions
Play file through child
Lots of area to explore
Many different actions to do
Can play as either a boy a girl
Work part time
THE BAD:
Movements can be sensitive with use of Wiimote
No online
Can become boring over time
Long introduction
Time only stops in your house
Loading times can be a nuisance
SUMMARY: Summary: As you start your new farming life with Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility, you’ll begin to experience the magic and never-ending game play of this fantastic series! After being tossed on the island from a severe storm, you’ll learn that the island has been slowly falling apart since the Harvest Goddess’ disappearance. It’s up to you to start a new life to attract new villagers and save the Harvest Goddess.
Storyline: You begin your adventure after deciding to move to an island to start a farming life. After being shipwrecked on shore, you soon discover that the island wasn’t what it used to be. The Mother Tree is showing no signs of life and the Harvest Goddess is missing. It’s up to you to save the Mother Tree and find the Harvest Goddess to return the island back to its normal state. You will complete various tasks to unlock rainbows and save the island. As you unlock more rainbows, you will be able to explore more and more of the island.
At the same time, you have now begun your farming life! Build up your farmlands by planting and harvest crops, befriending and raising animals, fishing, befriend villagers, mining and working. There are plenty of crops to grow throughout the four seasons. Hoe the ground and water everyday to ensure healthy and perfect crops. You can also own various, and additional, animals in this Harvest Moon expansion. Choose between chickens, ducks, silkworms, sheep, cows, horses, ostriches, goats and wild animals. Wild animals can be kept as pets if you befriend them and love them. You can also choose a love interest, of either sex, and become married. You can also have children after time and then progress your story through their life as well!
This brief video develops the concept of planting crops, taking care of animals, talking to villagers what the game looks like visually and finally, the sounds.
There is so much to do in the game, and that was one of the main things I loved about it. Over time, especially if you become stuck in the main storyline, the actions get repetitive and boring. However, there is so much to do that for a very long time you will find yourself very occupied and busy. When I first began playing, I found I never had enough time in the day to accomplish what I wanted to do. I feel that Tree of Tranquility took what you could do in other Harvest Moon games and enhanced them to suit the Wii and the player. I also found this storyline challenging and unique than that of other games. You may be saving the Harvest Goddess, again, however, it is in a different way from any other game.
Graphics: After a solid effort in the DS versions of the series, Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility is on the big screen in fantastic colours and images. The colours are very pastel like and extremely pleasing on the eye. The graphics themselves are the same way. The characters have such fine detail, but there is no question that these details are crystal clear. The worlds seem more realistic in their colouring than any previous games. You can see in the above video that the graphics are done wonderfully and really add to the game. The characters are created in a very cute manner, keeping almost child-like quality to them. Cut scenes are also executed to an excellent standard and do not lose their superior graphics. As an owner of other Wii games, I am extremely pleased with these graphics. They are superior to most games I own and really enhance the playing experience for me.
You can see in this image the clarity of the character, the objects/décor and even the basic game clock/status bar.
Controls: What I love about this game is how virtual and realistic it has become. With the use of the Wiimote and Nunchuk, you really feel more into it. The Wiimote has sensitive controls to actively perform tasks with various objects. You can throw your arm out and pull back when fishing, you can hammer down and perform much similar tasks. The button controls are also simple to use:
- : All basic controls, for Nunchuk and Wiimote
+ : Current map menu/locations
D-Pad (direction +) : Camera control and to select item/object/switch page
C : Open rucksack
Hold C : General menu
Z : Select farm field (highlights squares)
A : Eat, give gift, interact with people/objects, choose or use items, charge tools, mount horse/ostrich or talk
B : Cancel, exit menu, put away/take out last tool or dismount horse/ostrich
Hold A & B : Whistles for horse/ostrich
My only issue was how sensitive the controls could be. You may accidentally pull your fishing rod out if you fidget your arm. Eventually, I was too tired of risking these accidents and just used the buttons. It doesn’t make a big difference, but it does sort of ruin the whole ‘realistic’ feel to the game.
Sounds: For a game where nature and animal sounds should be familiar, this game nails it down. The sounds for just walking around, like the sound of snow crunching, are extremely realistic. The animal sounds are too, realistic, however, I find that the background music is what is really special. In the above video, you can hear a sample of what some of the music is related to. It’s cheery and suits the graphics in a perfect harmony. It seamless ties what you’re seeing to what you should be hearing, or what you would imagine to hear.
Connection to Series: The obvious title indicates that this is a continuation of the popular Harvest Moon series. It stacks up very well to the classic RPG game that it’s console predecessors served. For the first Wii version of the series, the game runs quite smoothly. There are some lags in between screens; a more delayed version of Animal Crossing for the GameCube if you want a comparison. Overall, the game is fun to play and is a great addition to an already popular series.
A view of the gameplay new addition, the ostrich, can be used in lieu of a horse; a unique twist to the series.
Lasting Impressions: I felt that as a previous player of the Harvest Moon series, the game was excellent and a lot of fun. It, however, does some minor issues. When playing, I found the things that bothered me most were the occasional sensitivity of the Wiimote, the loading times and that time only stops in your house. This proved to particularly annoying when you wanted to stop in a house and re-organize yourself. However, despite these negative aspects, I thoroughly enjoyed the game and it’s storyline. There is so much to do that any poor area of the game is practically disregarded. I highly recommend this for anyone a fan of the series, a fan from afar or someone who wants a fun RPG on their Wii.
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