Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town Has Potential to Limit My Time With Animal Crossing

Since March, I’ve been consistently playing one game on my Nintendo Switch, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game has taken over my daily life to the point where I block out specific times of the day when to log on. It’s an obsession, and I’m willing to admit that.

Before Animal Crossing took all of my free time, I considered myself a fan of the Story of Seasons series. Now that XSEED is gearing up to bring Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town to the west, the big question is, will it take me away from my Animal Crossing addiction?

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is a remastered version of 2003’s Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town on Game Boy Advance. Given the amount of time between releases, the series has seen some significant updates in terms of mechanics. While this is evident in some portions of this release, there was some quality-of-life work done to the farming elements that streamlines the experience to be more in line with recent releases.

Friends of Mineral Town can be an overall relaxing experience, but it’s not as easygoing as Animal Crossing. Sure, you plan out your days, but a farming sim has many more systems that take up your headspace. This does require some getting used to as you level up your items and complete your tasks.

If you’re looking for new friendships, then Friends of Mineral Town has a lot to offer. There aren’t too many throwaway interactions with townspeople as you grow your relationship through dialogue. I’ve never been a big fan of the dating systems, but that doesn’t stop this game from offering them.

When it comes to the farming systems, Friends of Mineral Town offers enough depth to spend your days growing your favorite crops and tending to your animals. I will say it’s a significant change to my normal days trying to mix flower colors in Animal Crossing.

After many months spent traveling to friend’s islands and finding new items for my home, I might be limiting my time in Animal Crossing to grow my dream farm. However, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town doesn’t provide that cathartic experience that I need sometimes. Playing a farming sim has the potential to consume more time than I have, and the adorable presentation of this updated GBA game is proving to do just that.

I look forward to the coming seasons, and you should look forward to my full review coming soon.

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Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is coming to Nintendo Switch and PC on July 14.