Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Review – The Shining Gem of an Amazing Series

Rune Factory has remained a beloved series by JRPG and Simulation fans for decades. With its combination of epic battles, cozy farming mechanics, cute graphics, and romance inclusion, it offers almost everything players could want. While I have always loved each game in the series, I always found that there were quirks – little areas that felt like they needed some extra polish. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma took notes on every single one of those areas, and delivered a game so wonderful I simply cannot put it down.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma keeps a handful of the tropes that have become a staple of the series. The main character has lost their memories, great evils are at work, and farming is the key to staying alive while exploring the vast world maps.

However, there is a sort of magic in Guardians of Azuma that is captivating. The art style is absolutely beautiful. The combat is addictive. The story is etched with mysteries that propel you forward. Mix in the fantastic writing and a cast of particularly memorable characters, and fans of the series are in for a serious treat.

Key Details

• Developer: Marvelous
• Publisher: Marvelous/XSEED
• Platforms: PC / Nintendo Switch / Nintendo Switch 2
• Price: $59.99+
• Review Copy Received: Yes

Smooth Combat Makes Battles A Breeze

One of the things I was most excited about with Guardians of Azuma was the combat system. Players will recognize the gauntlet of weapons that have been a staple since the first game, like longswords, shortswords, hand knives, and more. However, this game introduces a handful of special weapons, and the concept of dance as a battle mechanic. From a magical drum that heals wounds to a plum blossom branch that enhances friendships, there are a great many new ways to interact with the world and tackle combat.

Guardians of Azuma encourages players to use the new weapons and dances in combat and while interacting with the world. I personally found this more enjoyable than Rune Factory 5, where all open-world engagement was hitting things with the most powerful generic weapon I could get my hands on.

Additionally, there is a modular upgrade tree for every weapon, both traditional and new, with a slew of upgrades, abilities, and boosts that turn a simple drum into a mass healing tool, or a sword into a combo-powered mass mayhem inducer. With so many ways to customize battles, players can absolutely obliterate opponents. Combat is quick, and the improved party system that allows players to bring up to three villagers makes even the heftiest battles a breeze.

That said, there have been several moments where I wished the combat was harder while playing on the standard gameplay difficulty, and I can’t wait to go through again on a harder setting. I hope that Marvelous puts out more difficulty options as DLC or updates post-launch, because this is exactly the type of game where I’d want an expert or god mode.

Improved Bonding Systems Make Relationships Worth Building

I could say a lot of things about everything that makes Guardians of Azuma a wonderful game, but none will be quite as consuming as my joy at the bonding system. I have always struggled with Rune Factory‘s romance systems. The characters often look far too young to be in relationships, let alone engaging in marriage or children. The maturity and relationships built on throwing items at the lineup of suitors make the entire process feel a bit sterile.

Marvelous seemed to recognize this and has debuted a romance and friendship system that I hope every cozy game tries to copy. Each character has a dedicated storyline that is much deeper than just a few quick cutscenes. Players get to know them through the new conversation system that generates bond. This menu, which offers different options based on bond level, allows players to have conversations, learn interesting facts, go on dates, and engage in the sweetest romance interactions ever included in one of these games.

Additionally, this system isn’t just locked to romanceable characters. Most of the important NPCs can be engaged with in this manner, allowing players to develop connections with a vast array of personalities. I’ve never been one to really dig into a social mechanic in a farming sim, but I have gobbled up these storylines and delighted in the bond process in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

I really feel like this mechanic makes the game much more rewarding, and fuels the overarching storyline in a way that a lot of management and farming sims rarly achieve.

Town Management Is Somehow Not Horrible

I am not a management sim kind of person. I don’t like building vast cities or managing the supplies and funds of a location. That sort of dedication and expectation stresses me out. Because of this, I was a little nervous about what the new village management system would be like in Guardians of Azuma.

Shockingly, I didn’t hate it. While there is a bit of a learning curve to getting the balance correct, once I had my villages rolling, I found that the automation solved a lot of the issues I had while playing previous games. Villagers help gather resources and farm, extra buildings offer different types of shops, and the streamlining of many tools to speed up certain elements of daily chores makes everything flow better.

While I still am not the person to look to for a beautiful town setup, I have really liked how these changes have made exploration easier, without taking away the joy of the mundane tasks that make Rune Factory part of the farming genre.

Final Score – 10/10

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a vast, colorful, consuming addition to the series filled to the brim with surprises and wonder. It is hands-down my favorite entry currently available, and will be one of my go-to games for years to come. I am so excited to play through every route, romance every character, and discover every hidden detail the world has to offer.

I can’t recommend this game enough to fans of the Rune Factory series or anyone who loves a good RPG with cozy elements. It’s beautiful, fun, and exactly what I want from games that include so many mechanics. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is brilliant, and I can’t wait for everyone to play it.

**Bonus Action was provided with a Nintendo Switch copy of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma for the purpose of this review**

About the Author

Laura Gray

Administrator

Laura Gray, known as Ezra when not putting pen to paper, is a D&D enthusiast with a love of all things written. They are a collector of fantasy and sci-fi novels, a lover of cooking weird food, and a player of farming sims and Pokémon games. When not engrossed in a re-read of Anne McCaffrey or a deep dive into the Adventure Zone: Balance, they can be found sniffing the cats and napping in half-finished crochet projects.

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