A classic game that is well worth the download for long-time fans and newcomers.
Your character (official name being Jack) inherits a farm from his parents and has two and a half years to get the old weed-infested farm back to the way it once was. You also have the option to marry one of five potential spouses, and also have up to two kids. As you play, seasons change along with what kind of crops you can grow.
One of the best things about Harvest Moon is how many different styles of play there are. You can focus on raising livestock or growing crops. You can spend the game just foraging in the mountain area to make a profit, or you can just say screw farming and focus on the social aspect of the game. Or you can be an over-acheiver like me and do a bit of everything, it's all up to you.
When you first hear the words "Farming Sim" you may be very wary. How the heck can farming be fun? All doubts vanish from your mind as soon as you start playing. Watching the crops grow and shipping them off gives you a satisfying sense of accomplishment, as is raising cows and chickens and shipping off milk and eggs.
The graphics still hold up very well, even in this day and age. It's very colorful, it animates nicely, and the rain and snow effects look quite nice.
The game also sounds pretty nice, though it isn't amazing. Sound effects are rather simple, but the music does a good job conveying the scenery. Spring is a catchy, relaxing melody that fits nicely with the season, for example. It does get a bit repetitive, but it's nothing you'll want to mute because of it.
The game certainly isn't perfect, but you'll really only notice most of the shortcomings if you've played the newer games. There is no rucksack (meaning you can only carry one item and two tools at a time), and trying get the cows to go where you want them to go can be a major pain in the ass. Things you may notice as a newcomer is that the game has a mega lag when many animals are displayed at once, and the translation is laughable at best. The latter, however, has become a staple of the Harvest Moon series, and it actually adds to the charm a little bit.
All in all, Harvest Moon is a must have for anyone who likes simulation games or RPG's. If you don't like sim games, this isn't for you. Otherwise it's a great game to start with in the series, and any long-time Harvest Moon fan will get a kick out of playing the game that started it all. It's well worth $8.