Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale puts players in control of a kingdom ruled by fairies, and asks them to grow crops, raise animals and solve small puzzles while saving the world. It is a farming simulator dressed as a fairy tale, and mostly succeeds at being charming even when it stumbles.
Trailer, via Marvelous Europe.
Growing Crops
The core loop is simple. Players plant seeds, water them, harvest the produce, and feed it to livestock or sell it for money. The 3DS hardware supports touch controls, so players can dig, water and sow directly on the bottom screen. It works well, though the system occasionally misreads touches and plants seeds where the player did not mean to.
Puzzles and Dungeons
Between farm duties, players travel to dungeons filled with enemies and small challenges. These dungeons are where the game shows its age. Enemy encounters are simple, and the difficulty rarely rises beyond the basics of managing stamina and dodging attacks. Boss fights tend to repeat the same few tricks, and there is little variety across the game’s later hours.
Characters and Setting
The cast is full of characters who speak in a cheerful tone, and the fairy setting gives the game a distinct look. Towns are bright and colorful, and the world map is large enough to feel open without feeling truly vast. Voice acting is sparse, since this is a 3DS title, but the character designs carry the mood on their own.
Length and Pace
The game runs to about twenty-five hours of play, counting both farming and dungeon exploration. That length is moderate for the genre, and the pacing holds up through most of the middle stretch. The final act, however, slows down considerably, and some players may find themselves rushing through the late dungeons to get to the credits faster.
Where It Falls Short
The biggest problem is repetition. Once the systems are learned, the game offers little new content to justify further hours. Side quests and festival events break up the monotony somewhat, but they do not add enough depth to sustain the whole experience. The game also lacks a strong sense of progression, with abilities and tools arriving slowly and rarely changing how the player approaches the main tasks.
Final Verdict
Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale is a pleasant, if modest, addition to the farming simulator genre. It does not push the genre forward, but it executes its ideas well enough to entertain for a while. The touch controls work better than expected, and the fairy setting gives the game a distinct identity that sets it apart from similar titles.
It is not a game that demands repeated playthroughs, and it will likely appeal most to players looking for a light, relaxing experience rather than a deep challenge. For those who want a short escape, it delivers. For those who want a farming simulator with lasting replay value, it falls short.
Key Facts
– Platform: 3DS
– Genre: Farming simulator
– Playable characters: Multiple, fairy-themed
– Playable hours: About twenty-five
– Critical score: 6.9/10
Schedule
| Event | Time |
|—|—|
| Crop planting season | Spring |
| Harvest festival | Late summer |
| Dungeon clearance | Throughout the game |
| Final boss encounter | Late game |
Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale earns a score of 6.9 out of 10.
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