It’s been quite some time since a Harvest Moon game appeared on a Sony system. The last console release was Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life for the PlayStation 2, and the last handheld title was Harvest Moon: Hero of Leaf Valley for the PlayStation Portable. However, an independent game from Norwind Interactive called Astraea may mimic the experience when it comes to the PlayStation 4.
Like Harvest Moon, Astraea is an open-ended game where players maintain a farm and town. You can do what you want, when you want, and interactions with villagers are key to making them happy. Players can customize their homes, farms, and towns, even determining which minigames will appear in their areas. Someone could become profitable by raising crops, fishing, or raising animals.
There are two areas in which Astraea stands out. The first is that it allows people to invite friends to play minigames. Examples given were archery, fishing, and racing contests. People who stop by will visit their friend’s town to participate in the events. Split-screen multiplayer will also be available.
Astraea will also have a larger city for players to visit. While each person has their own town to shape and mold, the game also offers a capital city. Characters can go visit to shop for items not available in their normal town.
An Astraea alpha is immediately available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and the game has been greenlit on Steam. It will be coming to the PlayStation 4 in 2016.
