During my last preview, I talked in broad terms about Fantasy Life and its structure. This simulation/RPG game made a great first impression, and this time, I’m focusing more on the wider world and story in Level-5’s next 3DS game.

The world of Reveria is in great danger as a mystic evil is approaching the world. From out of nowhere, mysterious objects called Doom Stones drop in the various kingdoms. The stones bring chaos and destruction to the world, making every beast that touches one wrought with rage. This is where you, the hero, come into the picture. You have to figure out why this is happening and where the threat is coming from. Together with the butterfly Flutter, who has more to hide than you think, you travel and meet many new faces along the way. The Doom Stones have quite the back story, and there are even a few plot twists along the way.

The characters you meet all have quirky dispositions, and your primary task is to convince them that you mean no harm. You forge friendships with these characters by resolving problems and bringing everybody closer together. Sometimes you just need to listen to these characters, while other times you have to go on a specific quest to make them happy. No matter what type of quest you embark on, the end result is always the same, as you make the world a better place and progress the story

Even as you move the main story forward, you still return to a lot of these characters, mostly by way of Flutter's Requests. These optional quests provide more of a conclusion for each of the colorful characters you meet. Everything’s relatively light hearted, and these extra quests do a good job in making Reveria feel like a living, breathing world. Characters are at different locations at various points throughout the day and each have a daily routine. If you set out to complete all of Flutter’s Requests, it’s made easier after you wrap up the main quest, as you can use a quick travel system that makes this supplementary content easy to complete. All of this works in tandem to make Fantasy Life not feel padded. Instead, it just feels fully realized. In addition to all these characters and quests, each location offers unique quick travel mansions for purchase, items to brighten up said mansions, and a selection of gear unique to the locale.

While there is a lot to do in each town, there aren’t a lot of towns to explore. The locations themselves are bright and colorful, each with their own unique flair. One of my early favorites is Port Puerto, which is a booming beach town with pirates and palm trees. Here you meet a young female governor, who turns out to live a secondary life as an actual pirate. It is one of the prettier areas in all of Reveria. It also helps that the plot talks deeply about family bonds and having some faith in the future, which hits me in the right spot.

The story and the cities make up the base of Fantasy Life, but the coolest part of this upcoming 3DS game are the jobs. It’s not quite a traditional job system, but it is definitely an engrossing and crucial element of this package. Next time, I’ll go in-depth on all the different jobs you can take on and why they rock so hard.