At an unique preview occasion final week, I had the chance to go arms on with the PC construct of Rune Manufacturing unit: Guardians of Azuma. Having solely dabbled within the sequence thus far, I used to be desperate to see if this could be the entry that will hook me in. I’m completely satisfied to report that there is a lot to like concerning the sport, and Rune Manufacturing unit might have a brand new devotee after a formidable demo exhibiting.
I used to be taken by way of three separate segments that showcased distinct gameplay components of Guardians of Azuma, and I used to be supplied the selection of feminine protagonist Kaguya or male protagonist Subaru earlier than each. The primary was the “base constructing/metropolis constructing” aspect the place you possibly can filter your land of particles and diseased roots referred to as blight to liberate area for farming plots and different buildings. I arrange a carpentry enterprise and a bakery cart the place I may assign sure townsfolk to work and supply their companies. After that, I used my hoe to until extra farming plots and set them up with seeds. What’s most compelling concerning the acquainted farming mechanics is that you’ve particular instruments that may expedite the method, even dashing up the speed at which your crops develop. Whereas unassigned of us within the village will assist out with duties like farming and mining, you’ve gotten the power to shortly and effectively develop, domesticate, and collect your harvest. Organising every seasonal village looks as if an pleasant and clean strategy to customise every area to your liking. Probably the greatest elements of this phase of the demo was the power to modify to an overhead view to shortly clear the land and actually expedite making ready and growing the area.
The second phase took me by way of a extra open space that centered on fight and exploration. Whereas there was a bevy of sources and treasures to gather, the spotlight was the fluid fight, which noticed me and my three celebration members taking out a wide range of demon-looking foes on a rocky seaside. Shortly after, we made our approach into a short dungeon with extra enemies and goodies. A boss encounter on the finish was pleasant however not overly difficult; my celebration might have been overleveled or overprepared. The centaur-like creature had a few displayed weaknesses, bodily and hearth, and benefiting from these by switching between my obtainable weapons allowed me to fill its stun meter and make brief work of it. You’ll be able to swap between two outfitted weapons on the fly and the entire guardians instruments obtainable to you with ease, making fight really feel diversified and fast-paced. I am desperate to strive extra of it however the first impression was optimistic. One facet that genuinely stood out was the umbrella, one of many sacred devices, that allows you to float down from excessive locations, which elicited an enormous grin each time I did my finest Mary Poppins impression.
The third phase revolved round relationships and characters that you just encounter within the a number of seasonal villages which you could open up. Waypoints and useful map components make traversal and pathing a breeze. My encounters revolved round two characters, Iroha and Murasame. The previous gave me a easy retrieval process to finish and I used to be in a position to elevate my bond degree together with her by selecting one among 4 kinds of dialog matters. The interplay with Murasame was extra like a date as we headed out to gather chestnuts at his request. An extended, deeper dialog occurred about his previous and private emotions he was attempting to reconcile. An added contact throughout these conversations is which you could rotate the digicam round to arrange the attitude nonetheless you select. The scenes with Murasame particularly have been heartfelt, and I left the demo excited to be taught extra about him and the opposite romanceable characters.
After the demo, I had the privilege of interviewing producer Hisashi Fujii, who had some fascinating issues to say concerning the sport. He talked about having labored on Monster Hunter Tales 2 and was bringing his expertise with that RPG to Guardians of Azuma. Fujii-san additionally highlighted the Japanese myths that influenced the sport and set it other than earlier Rune Manufacturing unit titles. I requested whether or not Guardians of Azuma could possibly be an excellent entry level for gamers who have been new to Rune Manufacturing unit, and he famous that the expanded RPG and exploration components may attraction to those that aren’t as into farming simulation video games. I at all times save a enjoyable query for the tip of the interview: “What’s your favourite online game of all time, and why?” In reply, Fujii-san shared that Hearth Emblem: Family tree of the Holy Conflict for Tremendous Famicom was that sport, a method RPG that has marriage and youngsters who can develop into the subsequent era of heroes. This was the primary time he had encountered such a component and it had a significant affect on him. I respect the insightful dialog I had with Fujii-san after enjoying the Guardians of Azuma demo.
Final yr, I reviewed Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, and it felt like that entry in a long-running sequence could possibly be the one to drag in a mainstream viewers. Rune Manufacturing unit: Guardians of Azuma has an analogous potential, with acquainted, approachable methods which have been upgraded to reduce a number of the built-in monotony and repetition of farming video games. It is necessary that this is not a numbered entry, too, as a result of it feels distinct from what got here earlier than, and I really feel like there are numerous positives right here. Guardians of Azuma is snappy, vibrant, and vigorous, and I can not wait to get much more into the sport as we method its Could 30, 2025 launch date.