Rune Factory 5 trailer sets the stage for more farming and fighting

Tending crops, exploring dungeons, and even tying the knot

Rune Factory 5 is making its way to North America this year, with more fantasy friends and farming activities in tow. Ahead of the March 22 release date, XSEED and Marvelous put out a story trailer today, highlighting what exactly you’ll be doing in the action RPG.

If you’re unfamiliar with Rune Factory, it’s an offshoot of the Story of Seasons (or Harvest Moon) franchise. While that series has split in its own way and tends to be more about the farming, Rune Factory generally incorporates more action and RPG elements into the mix. There are dungeons to explore and enemies to fight, alongside the fields you’ll be tending to.

Of course, there are still the aspects of these slice-of-life games you’d want. Aside from tending to crops and livestock, you can also get to know the townsfolk and help build the town up to new heights. And, as shown in the trailer, you can even get married!

I got hooked on Rune Factory 4 when it arrived on the Nintendo 3DS, and that ended up rekindling a love for the farming life sim that roared into a blaze with Stardew Valley. And while the latter has certainly become the dominant force in the farming-focused side of the genre, I’m actually pretty interested in Rune Factory 5 for where the series differs. Some lighthearted action RPG tossed into the fold, alongside its colorful aesthetic and this entry’s leap into fully 3D worlds, has me interested.

Though it’s already out in Japan, North American Nintendo Switch owners will get their chance to cultivate crops and relationships in a few months. Rune Factory 5 is set to launch on March 22, 2022.