Japanese outlet 4Gamer recently interviewed Marvelous staff member Shiro Maekawa regarding the recently announced Rune Factory 3 Special.
Rune Factory 3 was chosen as the next entry to get the Special treatment because it was the title that, according to Maekawa, perfected the series formula. It was also the numbered entry fans most wanted to see remade for modern platforms. Players can look forward to an increased number of save files. For those unaware, the original release only had three save files.
The “new series title in development” won’t be Rune Factory 6. However, it will signify a considerable leap for the series. He clarifies that this new game will be closer to Rune Factory Frontier and Rune Factory Tides of Destiny/Oceans rather than a mainline numbered entry. The team yearns to innovate but feels that taking a shot at making Rune Factory 6 would be a bit too much, so instead, they’re going to experiment first by making a non-numbered adventure.
There aren’t any concrete plans to remake other Rune Factory games. Though they might consider developing a Rune Factory 1 Special and Rune Factory 2 Special depending on how much Rune Factory 3 Special sells.
Rune Factory 3 Special is an HD remaster of the original Rune Factory 3 game initially released on the Nintendo DS. In this title, players play as Micah, an amnesiac protagonist who can transform into two forms. Farm, fight, and fall in love as you revisit a classic in the series that perfected the blend of RPG & Life-sim genres.
Rune Factory 3 Special will be releasing in Japan on March 2, 2023, for Nintendo Switch. XSEED will be localizing the game in North America, while Marvelous Europe will be handling distribution in the titular region, though no specific release dates have been given yet. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on more details regarding the Western release.
