It seems like every other Japanese game needs some kind of “system” in it now. Final Fantasy has the Active Time Battle system, Tales of Graces has the Style Shift Linear Motion Battle System, and Rune Factory 3 has the Active Seed System.
Active Seeds don’t need to be watered and grow into their final forms immediately after being planted. They allow you to use certain abilities that you wouldn’t have access to otherwise. Jack (which looks like a pumpkin) can be used to suck enemies in to deal damage, Haslider (a leaf) can be used to float across water bodies, and Mizubasou (a flower) can be used to water crops in areas where there is no water to be found.
Last week’s Famitsu also had details to share on some of the game’s heroines. RF3’s version of Mist is named Shia, and she, too, finds you passed out at the start of the game. The cute elven girl is named Touna, and is a blacksmith, just like Ganesha from Frontier. The two other ladies mentioned are Marion, a witch in the making who — wait for it — also serves as the town nurse, and Chocola, who — as you’d expect — has a huge appetite.
Marion either wants to be a sorceress or a doctor when she gets older. Talk about confused. Famitsu also mentions that Marion and Chocola are childhood friends, and Chocola is like Marion’s test subject for her magic cures.
Rune Factory 3 is scheduled for an October 22nd release, and pre-orderers get a romantic comedy radio drama CD and an artbook with a manga set in the Rune Factory 3 universe along with it.
