Rune Factory Tides of Destiny for Wii

The “Rune Factory” series of games are a spin off of the “Harvest Moon” series. The Nintendo Wii Rune Factory games continue the same game play available in past “Rune Factory” games. This particular Rune Factory Wii game focuses on a new story line.

The story line of Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny features a character that has a male and female soul fused together. The male is Aden and the female is Sonja. Players must try to find out how to separate their souls and save their island. They will eventually meet dozens of characters, perform a wide variety of activities and even ride back of a giant beast named Ymir.

The most exciting aspect of this Wii Rune Factory game is its open ended nature. Players aren’t steered through game events in a predictable manner. Instead they can explore the game world, fighting monsters, exploring dungeons, pursuing relationships, performing simple tasks for townsfolk and much more. Though some players may want to simply go through the game’s story quickly, other players will appreciate the open ended experience.

All these experiences are controlled via simple mini-games. For some players, these mini-games may be way too simple and boring. They usually revolve around stopping a moving bar at a specific time. Beginning players, however, will appreciate how easily these tasks are resolved.

There are literally dozens of stats you can level, from speed to strength and even sleeping or greeting. Juggling these stats may be too complex for some players but advanced players will like the opportunity to fine tune their character.

Combat is simple. Players press buttons rapidly to attack enemies. However, they must stop when the enemy attacks. Players can use special attacks but these drain your Rune Points. Running low on these points drains your health, making combat difficult to balance.

This is a common theme with the game: many aspects of it are easy to understand but hard to balance. As a result, beginning players may be challenged heavily at certain points. Advanced players will find the basics of the game too easy and may abandon the game.

Which would be a shame because this Wii Rune Factory game really has some of the finest visual and audio on the platform. The well flowing, detailed and colorful graphics fully demonstrate the Wii’s capabilities.

In conclusion, Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny has huge potential for a patient and skilled player. The open ended world gives them hundreds of things to do and the challenge of balancing the games activities can keep a player coming back for days.