Here's a lengthy look at Square Enix's fantasy farming sim Harvestella

As part of its latest Treehouse: Live showcase, Nintendo has shared a lengthy look at Square Enix’s upcoming fantasy farming sim Harvestella, showing off its story, its world exploration and combat, its farming, fishing, and more.

Harvestella – a sort of blend of Final Fantasy, Harvest Moon, and Rune Factory – begins with players waking up with a bad case of amnesia in a world where the seasons are governed by four giant crystals known as Seaslight. Unfortunately for the locals, something has gone awry and a deadly dust known as the Quietus has started seeping from the crystals, trapping people indoors and causing crops to wither and die.

And that’s not the end of their problems; as players settle into a vacant house on the outskirts of Lethe Village, a huge comet falls to the earth nearby, bringing with it the armoured body of an Omen, thought to be the cause of the calamity. We see some of this in Nintendo’s showcase, but the bulk of the play-through is focused around Harvestella’s second chapter as players start to explore the dungeon-like Higan Canyon, with help from new pal Dianthus.

If you’ve played a farming life sim before, Harvestella should be immediately familiar, with the genre’s time-limited loops of farming, socialising, and adventuring all present and correct. Farming, for instance, requires the regular planting and watering of seeds in order to grow crops to raise money. Money can then be used to purchase new farming and adventuring equipment in Lethe Village, which houses a doctor, blacksmith, store, renovator, and more – and, crucially, is able to experience all four seasons given its proximity to every Seaslight.