Harvest Moon - Save The Homeland

PlayStation 2 · 2001 · JP

Also known as: Harvest Moon : Save the Homeland (US) · Bokujou Monogatari 3 : Heart ni Hi wo Tsukete (JP)

Natsume Victor Interactive Software

Publisher: Natsume · Developer: Victor Interactive Software

Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland marks a significant shift in focus for the series, becoming more of a "life simulation" than the "farm simulation" it once was. Unlike previous incarnations where the main objective was to resurrect a dying farm and ultimately turn a profit, this PS2 title presents players with a slightly more desperate predicament: The land upon which the village is built has been earmarked for the development of a new resort complex. Construction begins in exactly one year and in that time you'll have to find a way to save the village. Incidentally, there are nine different ways that this can be achieved, providing nine different game endings. Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland is also the first title in the series to make use of 3D environments, and has included a user-definable camera that can be manipulated as needed with the aid of the right analog stick. The game also makes use of "cel-shading" -- a technique that has become synonymous with cartoon-style games.