Natsume President and CEO Hiro Maekawa credits the hard work and dedication of the development team for putting the game ahead of schedule and making its early Steam release possible. He sees the game as a celebration of a combination of things, including fans, their wishes, and, of course, the series’ 20th anniversary.
Here’s what it’s all about. Light of Hope begins with you setting sail on a voyage of new discovery, only to have your vessel wrecked in a storm. You drift into a small town which was battered by the same storm, and your life’s task becomes rebuilding and making the town better than ever before. The ultimate goal is to rebuild the lighthouse, but along the way, you’ll still be carrying out the daily chores that give Harvest Moon its identity, from raising crops and animals to making friends and settling down with that special someone to start a family.
The game itself is also a mix of implementing new ideas and honoring the series’ past. It features an art style based on the 16-bit SNES Harvest Moon, though adds some modern graphical updates as well, and fans should expect to see some familiar faces return from previous games too. In terms of gameplay, Light of Hope adds several new features. One of them is the ability to repair broken objects and buildings, and using that ability eventually unlocks new shops and tools, among other things. Then there’s the Farming Friend, an addition that helps increase your farm’s abundance.
Do you plan on picking this one up? Let us know down in the comments!
