Story of Seasons games are known for being the best in the farming genre and Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom is no different. It is a standalone sequel to the first Doraemon Story of Seasons game of the same name. It lets you take control of fan-favorite Noby, while Doraemon and the gang keep appearing in between to add to the lore.
I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of the most recent installation in the Doraemon Story of Seasons series. Being a huge fan of the anime by Fujiko F. Fujio, I was elated to get my hands on the game and advance with the gang's journey to another planet.
The title follows the story of Noby and his friends running away from home after a disagreement with their parents. They decide to travel to another planet with the help of Doraemon's spaceship. Upon finding a suitable planet that looks quite similar to Earth, the group land amid a forest.
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This kicks off their journey, which is followed by a heavy story-based gameplay that features elements of farming and building. The game managed to get me hooked thanks to its beautiful art style and lighthearted plot. While there were a few moments when I felt that the gameplay got a tad slow, I loved taking control of the characters I grew up watching on screen.
Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom is a story-focused farming experience that will surely make fans nostalgic
Friends of the Great Kingdom is sure to make OG fans travel back in time to their Doraemon days. Growing up as a kid in an Indian household, there wasn't a day I would miss watching the show after a tiresome day of school. Marvelous, the developers of the game, surely took me back to the good old days.
However, Story of Seasons fans with no prior exposure to Doraemon won't have to break a sweat to follow the story of the cute robot cat from the 22nd century.
The fun and light plot
Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom follows Noby and the gang's journey beyond the stars. Upon landing, the kids discover a young boy, roughly their age, lying unconscious under a tree. Doraemon treats his wounds and uses the translation tool, one of his many gadgets.
The foreigner introduces himself as Lumis, a local, who befriends the group very easily and takes them to the old farm that his father used to take care of. This is where I was introduced to all the gameplay mechanics and how things at the farm work. The story is fun to progress through, with surprising events taking place at regular intervals.
On the third day of the game's cycle, the royale guards of the Queen arrive and take the gang away to the Castle as summoned by Her Highness. Doraemon & friends soon find out that they're being considered a threat by the Kingdom because of the futuristic gadgets they possess.
Lumis arrives at the scene and tries to dismiss the commotion as the kids discover his real identity - the Prince of the Kingdom. Nonetheless, the Queen confiscates all of Doraemon's gadgets, including the spaceship they traveled on. Now, the heroes must prove their loyalty by helping the townspeople and rebuilding the farm.
The story is pretty simple to follow along for gamers of all ages. However, there are too many cutscenes that slow down the pace, to a point where my patience was tested.
The open world and gameplay mechanics
Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom features several locations to visit, meet NPCs, take up side quests, and do a lot more than horticulture. Noby can catch bugs, go fishing, raise cattle, and mine, to name a few.
However, it is easy to get lost in the world. Figuring out your way to another location takes a bit of time since it requires one to get used to the different pathways. The mini-map is something that I feel could have been built in a much clearer way to make traversal easier.
Fortunately, traveling around from one extreme to another gets a bit easier when Doraemon's popular gadget Anywhere Door is unlocked for Noby's use. As the name suggests, it can take a person anywhere they wish. Regardless, here in the game, it is restricted to the bounds of the map. Many such gadgets are introduced in as you progress through the story.
One feature I loved seeing was the offline multiplayer (Co-op) mode. It lets you add another player to the game and take control of Doraemon to assist Noby in several tasks. One would need a spare controller in that case.
The expansive map and different fun chores to take on
As the story progresses, Doraemon and the gang are tasked with multiple different things to gain the Queen's trust. Sue, Big G, and Sneech decide to continue their job to make acquaintances with the townspeople, which would help in bringing more people to the farm.
Doraemon and Noby, on the other hand, stay back at the house to revive the farm. However, their very first task is to expand their home. Another very important feature that plays a key role in gaining the Queen's trust is completing requests on the Plaza Bulletin Board. There are three types of boards: the Local Bulletin Board, Online Bulletin Board, and Farm Visit Board.
All three are fun to use and serve completely different purposes. The Local Bulletin Board contains information about events and requests from townspeople. The Online Bulletin Board lets you post messages and check out those posted by other players. The best among the three, the Farm Visit Board grants one the ability to visit your friend's farm.
At some point during my playthrough, I realized that the pace of the game suddenly changed. While I felt a little overburdened with all the new information and features that were showered upon me, other experienced players might do just fine.
In conclusion
Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom features a great narrative-driven experience. Both long-standing fans and first-timers can follow the plot without any problem. The game presents a gorgeous water-colored art style that is not only appealing but also animesque in nature.
However, the ever-running soundtrack got me quite distracted at times and I wished for it to stop playing in the background (you can reduce the music volume from the main menu).
In the end, Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom offers players a lot of things to do, and at times so much that it gets a bit difficult to register altogether. Regardless, it creates a heartwarming experience for gamers of all ages and it's definitely a must-play for those who want a laid-back and chill time.
Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 (code provided by Bandai Namco Entertainment)
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PC (Steam)
Developer: Marvelous
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Release Date: November 2, 2022
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