When Rune Factory’s original studio Neverland closed in 2013, the idea of another installment in the series seemed like a pipedream. Though Rune Factory 4 was a resounding success, with every year that passed Marvelous seemed content to pass up Rune Factory for its other IP’s. Until E3 2019, that is. That June, Rune Factory fans young and old alike got the surprise of their lives with not one, but two Rune Factory related announcements. First up was Rune Factory 4 Special, a remastered and updated version of Rune Factory 4 for the Nintendo Switch. Then the greatest surprise of all, Marvelous has finally dusted off the six-year-old IP to bring fans the newest installment in the series: Rune Factory 5.
While no information was forthcoming at E3, Marvelous has now released a teaser trailer… and it’s still very vague. From silhouettes of the protagonists to artwork of a very cozy looking house, we’re definitely left with more questions than answers. You can check out the video below and see for yourself.
While previous Rune Factory trailers focused more heavily on the farming, romance, and fighting aspects of the game, this Rune Factory 5 trailer manages to be all about the monsters. Farm staples such as Buffamoo, Cluckadoodle, and series mascot Wooly show off their new 3D looks. Also shown are enemy monsters, including Death Fungus, Flower Blossoms, Ignis, and Slimes. However, what’s most interesting in the trailer are the creatures found towards the end. Presented in a 2D format and colored in sepia tones, it’s hard not to infer that these creatures may end up being important to the game in some way. They include two dragons, a fish-like creature with a smoking crater on its back, and an imposing kitsune.
This heavy focus on monsters, especially those that haven’t been seen before, brings up a lot of questions. Will monster fighting and raising take the lead over farming and romance this time around? What do those four separate creatures have to do with the story? Will your protagonists be researchers or historians rather than farmers, royalty, etc? With any luck, Marvelous will release another trailer to answer these and even more pressing questions. Until then, we’ll have plenty to mull over until Rune Factory 5 releases some time in 2020.
