Marvelous is extremely well known for its farming series Story of Seasons, which sees protagonists establishing a new farm in a town and slowly getting to know the residents while expanding the range of crops available. In the Rune Factory series, the concept adds monster collecting in barns on a farm. When bonds with the monsters are high enough they can help take care of the crops and join the party on missions outside farmlands. Both series have quite a few titles under their belt, so perhaps it was only a matter of time before Marvelous decided to change up the formula, farming monsters for use in battle on a wider scale instead of food and flowers. It’s time to explore Farmagia to see if it holds a similar charm to both Story of Seasons and Rune Factory.
From the jaunty introductory song, which (as seems to be the norm) does not include English subtitles, Farmagia starts off strong. There unfortunately isn’t a character creation section; the initial protagonist is only a male by the name of Ten, whose other local living friends, as well as companions that he meets, join him over the course of the story. They do include a few females, and they can be used as the team leader in battle, but each character has different attributes so the choice of leader may depend on which skills are needed in combat the most.
The main story involves having the base farm where monsters are magically grown in Centvelt town, on the Avrion continent. Other continents slowly get explored through the dungeons as the story progresses. The way the strategy is decided by those in higher military positions is interesting; care has been taken to strategically affect crucial key areas, as an all-out attack decimates Ten and the allied forces. The overall aim is to bring down the current overlord Glaza, who does not have the population’s best interest at heart. There are interesting twists with a few prominent characters that are unexpected, but otherwise the plot is the standard good versus evil battle. The narration is told mostly in cutscenes that are filled with drama, and while Ten is on the saner side, there are glimpses into the opposition’s activities, which are kept secret from the youthful hero’s team for a while. That extra insight is a good story tool and well woven into the narrative.
A big part of successfully completing missions is related to farming in Farmagia. The term “Farmagia” relates to those who farm monsters for battle. They magically grow in the ground with acquired seeds, which can be gained within dungeons. It seems easy enough to earn new types that are needed to boost research, which in turn earn points for the skill tree, where areas like farm expansion abilities are earned and new monster seeds can be developed. Research is key to improving most aspects of gameplay. It is found on the ranch, which also allows training of monsters, so long as the correct item is held. Training can deplete the monsters’ motivation so immediately rewarding them with a treat helps keep them happy.
Additional skill improvements are earned through elemental shrine quests. These are a crucial part of the story progression, present the most entertaining characters, and are a joy to complete. These quests involve growing and defeating specific monsters or acquiring x amount of an item. Completion leads to increased friendship of that elemental spirit, which in turn gains skills for fusion monsters. These are different to the standard farmed monsters in that all the present monsters merge into a fusion creature for a special attack. These are fun to watch in battle and can really turn the tide.
It is important to balance long and short-range monsters in a team, as well as those who provide support. The number of monsters available in a team is dependent on how many are farmed, and only a set number can be on the active team, so it is down to the individual to decide if more long-range monsters are needed than short-range ones. It’s a fine balancing act, and one that probably is more crucial on the higher difficulty levels.
A pleasant surprise is that during battle, no matter how many monsters are milling about, the frame-rate appears unaffected by the influx, which is something that had been expected yet never materialised. Having so many monsters is good for battle, and while training and rewarding them at the ranch is fun to watch, the sheer numbers of creatures makes it feel a bit less personal fighting with them than selecting individual monsters in the Rune Factory series and a certain pocket monster fighting game. Some players will be happy controlling hoards, but others will miss nurturing individual allies when bonds of friendship feel more realistic.
Both the soundtrack and graphics are a pleasing experience, although nothing major stands out as either positive or negative. Every action is accessed from a main hub that makes it easy to visit the dungeons or the town for story progression, plus the local tavern-like place where quests yielding currency and items as prizes are posted. These are standard JRPG elements that fit the atmosphere of Farmagia like a glove.
Time does pass as actions are taken, and sometimes at unexpected times. The next day can be reached manually, but often time passes automatically. This mean that every day it is vital the farming work is completed first in case other events cause time to jump ahead. Farming energy is initially restricted, as it is with all Marvelous farming games. Calculating enough energy to plow, sow seeds, water them, and remove farm obstacles to create more space isn’t too hard to get to grips with. From early on there are items that reduce growing time and increase crop yields. These can be bought or crafted with the correct materials, and crafting is much cheaper than purchasing with the local currency. Some players may prefer to earn money and not craft much; that is up to the individual.
At the start, there is a lot to take on board with the various systems, and the tips menu is worth glancing at from time to time to refresh the memory. Every useful nugget of information is sorted into categories so it doesn’t take too long to recall a battle tip or find out more about characters already encountered. For both farming and fighting, the main techniques are easy to understand; it is mastering them that takes time and knowledge.
