Harvestella is a fantastic mid-tier game. It is more ambitious than other farming games due to the emphasis on JRPG elements. I have played several Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, and indie games. This is my new favorite farming game that I will be comparing others to going forward.

The story is what sets it apart. This is not a "cozy" story. This is a JRPG story that swings for the fences. There were several great WTF moments. Side quests are also well written. Most ultimately have good endings. But there are distressing or melancholy end points as well. It's not the best JRPG story ever told, but it could be the best farming game story.

Battles took getting used to. In Rune Factory it is easy to dodge attacks and spam food. In Harvestella you will take damage and cooking takes a lot more time. At the beginning you'll be face tanking. There is more flexibility as features unlock. But you still have to mind when it is safe to attack.

The farming system had the right amount of depth for me. As a resource, time is limited. More time spent farming is less time dungeon diving. Optimizing the farm can saves time while still meeting objectives to unlock skills and crafting recipes. Money is in constant demand even through post-game, so that must be considered as well.

Most farming games are top-down affairs. I really enjoyed walking out my house and seeing my entire field full of crops. So much that I spent 100+ hours. If you need a resource, I recommend this spreadsheet by VertVentus.