The game begins with my character, which I named after myself, on a ship en route to Waffle Island. The ship's captain, Pascal, asks me questions about myself such as my name and birthday in a manner similar to Nintendo's Animal Crossing series. However, the turbulent seas cause me to fall and bump my head, rendering me unconscious until I awake, safely on Waffle Island and in the care of the proprietors of Sundae Inn.
After fully recovering from my accident, Hamilton, the Mayor of Waffle Island, asks me if I would prefer a Town Plot, Mountain Plot, or Seaside Plot, and upon my decision, takes me to my new ranch. Each plot has its benefits and drawbacks. The Town Plot, which is close to Waffle Town's shops and inhabitants, has the smallest amount of land, which limits the amount of crops one can farm. The Mountain Plot is the furthest away, but has the most land. The Seaside Plot has a medium-sized land parcel, but is on the beach, making it ideal for those who like to fish. I selected the Mountain Plot, which worked great for me once Luke, the carpenter's son, chopped the Harvest Tree that was blocking the path from my house to the Ganache Mine District. This was ideal since I had chosen Owen, who spends his days in Ganache Mine, to be my one true love.
The game is difficult in the beginning, as the character isn't used to the hard work of ranch life and runs out of energy really fast from mundane tasks like pulling weeds and digging holes, let alone sowing seeds and watering plants. Money is also hard to come by in the beginning, and I would often spend an entire day in Ganache Mine just to be able to afford a Buckwheat Cocktail to woo my beloved Owen. As with other Harvest Moon games, the player gives gifts to other characters, and in return the character begins to like them, measured by hearts. Heart levels make certain events possible, such as going on a date with an eligible bachelor or bachelorette, and even later marrying them. It's also necessary to raise heart levels of Rival Couples, who will also marry.
Harvest Moon is all about smart investing, and investments take money as well as time. For instance, saving up to buy a Calf takes quite a bit of time, as does allowing it to grow for a season (28 days) until it is an adult and can produce Milk. However, Milk is an excellent product, which brings in the Gold as well as raises the level of Brownie Ranch, making more animals available for purchase. Players can also turn Milk into either Cheese or Butter; Wool, Flax, and Silk into Yarn and Thread; and Eggs into Mayonnaise, Duckonnaise, and Ostonnaise. Insider's tip: Silkworms are well worth their high price, as silk thread has an absurdly high shipping value.
However, there's more to the game besides making money and buying presents. There's also a story to the island! Before your move to the island, the Harvest Goddess Tree fell, causing great distress. This broke the Rainbows that kept the seas calm, which explains your rough voyage on the high seas. As your character settles in, he or she is expected to work towards restoring these Rainbows by speaking with the Harvest Sprites who guard them and concoting Rainbow Recipes which bring the Rainbows back! Each Rainbow serves as a Bridge to a new part of the Island that was previously unable to be reached. The first Rainbow calms the seas, which sends Pascal out to sea again, returning twice a month with new residents. The best part about this is that it furthers an actual story, convincing you to keep playing the game, to make the next Rainbow so you can walk across it to Toucan Island and Mount Gelato.
Despite these interesting, fun, and sometimes plain cute aspects of the game, there are a few flaws which need to be addressed. The most obvious are the load times, which are sometimes painstakingly slow. I really don't know why it would take so unbearably long to enter my chicken coop, but it does. The loading isn’t bad enough to turn me off to the game, but for someone who isn't instantly hooked by the cute graphics and story it might be impossible to forgive. Another issue that I've encountered is the game's inability to recognize which direction the player is facing. Often times I find myself standing directly in front of an egg pressing A to pick it up, only to wind up picking up the chicken who is 45 degrees to my left. Frustruating, but definitely not deal-breaking.
One thing that I cannot deny is how absolutely lost I would be if I had not bought the Player's Guide, which let me know which Cocktails Owen loves best, in what Season I can grow a Good Tomato for Ben's Rainbow, or if it's more profitible to ship an Egg or fry it first (fry it only if it's not Perfect of Shining). All in all, the Player's Guide is as crucial as the game is a blast.
I might be new to the series, but Tree of Tranquility has definitely hooked me. While games like Rune Factory: Frontier and Animal Crossing: City Folk might be more polished, I'm not interested in the combat of Rune Factory or the real-time mechanic used in Animal Crossing. Harvest Moon is a game I can take at my own pace, and quickly get back into after putting it down for a little while.
