Rune Factory 4 Special is getting a limited "Archival Edition"

rf4s.jpg

XSEED is offering a special limited edition version of Rune Factory 4: Special, for the Nintendo Switch. Referred to as the "Archival Edition", this version of the game will come with a physical box and cartridge, a collector's box, a 160-page artbook, a soundtrack CD, and a bonus swimsuit DLC pack. The Archival Edition will be available to purchase on both XSEED's offical site, or through certain western retailers. Those in Europe will also get a chance to purchase the limited edition, though they can only do so via Marvelous' online store. Rune Factory 4 Special will launch both digitally and physically in the west this winter, for $39.99, while the Archival Edition will sell for $59.99.

Torrance, Calif. – September 9, 2019 – XSEED Games, the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., today announced a retail limited edition of Rune Factory 4 Special, the remastered version of the critically acclaimed RPG simulation title coming to the Nintendo Switch™ system later this winter in North America. This ‘Archival Edition’ will be available for preorder soon for an MSRP of $59.99 at the XSEED Games Store and other participating retailers, while a physical standalone edition will also be offered for an MSRP of $39.99.

Rune Factory 4 Special ’Archival Edition’ is a beautifully crafted collection including an art book commemorating the work on the entire Rune Factory series by character designer Minako Iwasaki, as well as new illustrations for the premium box and art book cover by the artist. Full contents include:

  • Physical copy of Rune Factory 4 Special for Nintendo Switch
  • 160-page art book measuring 5.8” x 8.2” featuring the works of Minako Iwasaki from Rune Factory 1 through 4, Rune Factory: Frontier, and Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny
  • Official soundtrack CD consisting of 33 tracks from the original release, plus 3 new tracks
  • ‘Swimsuit Day’ DLC that adds an option to have characters appear in their swimsuits
  • Premium custom box with original illustration by Minako Iwasaki

Rune Factory 4 Special marks the return of the beloved entry in the popular STORY OF SEASONS spinoff series that combines farming with dungeon adventuring. The original game on the Nintendo 3DS™ system, which has sold over 300,000 copies in North America and Europe, makes its debut on Nintendo Switch in HD bringing the joys of growing crops, raising monsters, and building friendships in an epic fantasy world to players old and new, while seasoned explorers will be delighted to discover features such as a brand new opening movie and the challenging “Hell” difficulty level. Other farm-fresh features include ‘Newlywed Mode’, which introduces special episodes about living the married life with the game’s 12 eligible bachelors and bachelorettes featuring new voices and in-game cutscenes.

About Rune Factory 4 Special
The curtain rises on a beautiful sunny day, as the hero tumbles from the heavens… After being saved by the dragon Ventuswill, the hero comes to live in the local castle as a newly designated ruler and begins life anew while developing the town, making difficult decisions, and cultivating the soil. While exploring a nearby forest, the hero encounters and defeats a monstrous butterfly. Left in the fallen monster’s place is a mysterious young girl. Seeking the answers as to why, the hero’s search for the truth will lead to a grand adventure that will shake the very foundations of their world...and draw them closer to the secret buried in their own lost memories.

In this standalone story, players choose to play as a male or female hero and will encounter a diverse cast of potential suitors and other loveable townsfolk. As the newly appointed prince or princess, royal duties are fulfilled by issuing orders to help the town prosper, or by taking a more relaxed approach to governance by raising crops and helping townsfolk. Should some dungeon adventuring be on the day’s itinerary, a vast array of weapons along with magic can be crafted or bought for battle against dangerous foes—companions or friendly monsters can also join to aid the player during their travels.

Developed by HAKAMA Inc. and Marvelous Inc. and published in North America by XSEED Games, Rune Factory 4 Special ‘Archival Edition’ will be available for preorder soon for Nintendo Switch on the XSEED Games Store and select retailers for $59.99, while the standalone game will be available for $39.99 both physically and digitally. This game has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

More information about XSEED Games’ products can be found at www.xseedgames.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch and get in depth info from their developer blog on Tumblr.

About XSEED Games
XSEED Games is the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Marvelous Inc., which is a publicly traded company listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Formed in 2004 and located in Torrance, California, XSEED Games publishes interactive entertainment content for PC and consoles from the Marvelous portfolio as well as from a wide variety of third-party partners. Whether it’s Marvelous properties such as STORY OF SEASONS (Bokujo Monogatari), SENRAN KAGURA, and Rune Factory, or third-party titles such as the Corpse Party, AKIBA’S TRIP, and The Legend of Heroes: Trails series, XSEED Games has grown its reputation among gamers with its critically acclaimed localizations and commitment to fans, remaining ever dedicated to its “indie spirit, player-first” approach.

:arrow: Source: GBAtemp Press Inbox
 

ThoD

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I'd rather they just gave us RF5 already instead of re-releasing a 7 year old game for a pretty high price to boot...
 
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ThoD

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Where do you think the money to fund RF5 comes from?
From the 300000+ sales of RN4 perhaps:P That's the most idiotic arguement I've seen all day (second is pretty close to yours though), you think a large company like Marvelous can't afford to fund a game sequel after 7 years when they've had well above good sales on most their games in the past half decade (tons of Fate games, God Eater games, even Skullgirls)? They have money, this is just for the sake of greed. Normally such old games should be at ~20€ like the Nintendo Selects, not double that and then having an even more expensive version on top...
 

ChaosBoi

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It has some extras or is just a port?

It's an enhanced port. I don't know all the specifics off the top of my head, but it's basically an HD remaster, has a new difficulty mode and I think more movie cutscenes, and the save file can be linked with RF5 for a bonus. I also heard something about a newlywed mode, but I couldn't dig up any info on what that is.
 
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ThoD

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It has some extras or is just a port?
It's an enhanced port. I don't know all the specifics off the top of my head, but it's basically an HD remaster, has a new difficulty mode and I think more movie cutscenes, and the save file can be linked with RF5 for a bonus. I also heard something about a newlywed mode, but I couldn't dig up any info on what that is.
You two DO realize the changes to the base version are right there in the OP if you expand the quote, right?:rofl2:
 

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Is this game anything like Stardew Valley?
from what i heard about Stradew Valley its pretty similar to Rune Factory(some people who have played both even say that RF is better in a lot of aspects) in my opinion is a really good game give it a try, the 3ds version had a lot of playtime and since this one will have more content i think you will play it for a lot of time
 
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from what i heard about Stradew Valley its pretty similar to Rune Factory(some people who have played both even say that RF is better in a lot of aspects) in my opinion is a really good game give it a try, the 3ds version had a lot of playtime and since this one will have more content i think you will play it for a lot of time
Yes*

*If you like the farming of Stardew then yes. But there is a huge emphasis on the fantasy element. So I like to think about it like if Final Fantasy and Harvest Moon had a baby, this is what we would get.
Thank you, I guess I'll be trying it then.
 

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シンコン モード (Newlywed Mode) is available from the start, for people wondering. That and Another Story are the only real new modes, the rest is pretty verbatim. (Source: 95% playthrough that took around 120 hours.) You have to actually marry a character to unlock their newlywed mode, or spend 50,000 Prince/Princess Points on a married file to unlock them all in the menu, so marrying everyone is not necessary.

When you start Newlywed Mode it's just a small quest-chain where you start a new file with slightly upgraded stuff (but much less than your main file) and it can be beaten in just a few days. About 1/16th of this is voiced, but there are cool portrait animations for the main character and the marriage candidates in this mode. When you beat it you go back to the Title Screen and that's it. It would be somewhat fun to play in this mode as a half-hearted NG+, but there's always an objective taking up the middle of the screen and your spouse never leaves their one location, so that's not really an option.

Another Story was free DLC in Japan that just adds a short visual novel with one of 13 characters that is 100% voiced and takes about 5 minutes to watch.

Hope that helps.
 

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シンコン モード (Newlywed Mode) is available from the start, for people wondering. That and Another Story are the only real new modes, the rest is pretty verbatim. (Source: 95% playthrough that took around 120 hours.) You have to actually marry a character to unlock their newlywed mode, or spend 50,000 Prince/Princess Points on a married file to unlock them all in the menu, so marrying everyone is not necessary.

When you start Newlywed Mode it's just a small quest-chain where you start a new file with slightly upgraded stuff (but much less than your main file) and it can be beaten in just a few days. About 1/16th of this is voiced, but there are cool portrait animations for the main character and the marriage candidates in this mode. When you beat it you go back to the Title Screen and that's it. It would be somewhat fun to play in this mode as a half-hearted NG+, but there's always an objective taking up the middle of the screen and your spouse never leaves their one location, so that's not really an option.

Another Story was free DLC in Japan that just adds a short visual novel with one of 13 characters that is 100% voiced and takes about 5 minutes to watch.

Hope that helps.
I guess there is little new content for people who already played the 3ds version, i will search for the visual novel later to see it as a video, since i already finished the game 3 times it seems a little pointless to play this version(mainly because i have no switch), i hope people play this and get new people into the series and i will wait for rune factory 5
 

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Can I marry Ventuswill this time around? It still hurts after playing for hours that the "main heroine" is not a marriageable option. Sorry just a weeb ranting around.
Sadly you cannot marry Ventuswill in this one. Her 'Another Story' may touch on this concept in some fashion though. Also her name is something hilarious when taken out of context in Japanese like セルザウィード which sounds like 'sells za weed'.

Also, I just found out that you do not actually need to lose 50,000 Points to unlock Newlywed Mode globally; you just need to unlock it once, save to some file and then it's permanently unlocked even if you overwrite the file. Neat.

I guess there is little new content for people who already played the 3ds version, i will search for the visual novel later to see it as a video, since i already finished the game 3 times it seems a little pointless to play this version(mainly because i have no switch), i hope people play this and get new people into the series and i will wait for rune factory 5
Pretty much. No need to play it a fourth time like I did. 'YouTube'ing the content is probably a good choice. This game is so great on the big-screen though and even looks amazing in handheld. It visually appears like they used whatever 'AI up-scaling shenanigans' that FF9 Moguri uses, and it mostly works, with things occasionally just looking a little 'painterly' from time to time. I tried to play the 3DS version a bit ago and it's actually hard to make out now. >.<
 

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I'd rather they just gave us RF5 already instead of re-releasing a 7 year old game for a pretty high price to boot...
Rune Factory 4 is 40$ new on 3DS. This game add in more content and upgrade the graphic yet the price is the same while Nintendo try to sell a game from 16 years ago for 60$.
 
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ThoD

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Rune Factory 4 is 40$ new on 3DS. This game add in more content and upgrade the graphic yet the price is the same while Nintendo try to sell a game from 16 years ago for 60$.
The fact that after 7 years they STILL haven't lowered the price just goes to show the greed honestly. Most games have price drops after 2-3 or so years, even if really successful, so my point stands, it IS expensive, just because other companies have sometimes done more expensive re-releases doesn't change that.
 

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The fact that after 7 years they STILL haven't lowered the price just goes to show the greed honestly. Most games have price drops after 2-3 or so years, even if really successful, so my point stands, it IS expensive, just because other companies have sometimes done more expensive re-releases doesn't change that.

Why the fuck do they need to low the price? Did they low the price of bread because the use the same recipe from hundred of years ago? Do you want to low the price of your work just because you had do it before? The company doesn't own you anything for remake their game, why would they low the price for you?
 
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