Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley
A farm sim where players reshape terrain and restore seasons.
Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, also released as Harvest Moon 3D: The Lost Valley in North America, is a farm simulation role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS. It was created by the Japanese developer Tabot, Inc. and launched in North America on November 4, 2014, followed by Europe on June 19, 2015, and Australia on June 20, 2015.
In the game, players can customize their home by expanding it and rearranging furniture inside, though the house itself cannot be relocated. They can also reshape the surrounding terrain and move buildings around the map. Other activities include getting married, having a child, buying pets, and completing requests for villagers. The default male character is named Mark, and the default female is Claire.
The story begins with the player arriving in Hillsville, a mountain village trapped in an endless winter. A Harvest Sprite named Rowan asks for help reviving the town. After restoring the Harvest Goddess, she explains that the eternal winter can only end if the player recovers three Season Crystals. As the story progresses, new villagers move in. By reviving a total of three Harvest Sprites, the player restores the Spring Crystal. Later, after reviving another Sprite, they grow a tree to reach the Harvest God’s domain, who helps recreate the Summer Crystal. To restore the Fall Crystal, the player must seek help from the underworld king Gorgan, who caused the village’s plight. He initially refuses, but after reviving a Sprite close to him, Gorgan reveals that a special crop called the Blessed Fruit is needed—a task thought impossible. The player succeeds in growing the Blessed Tree during a storm. An unidentified Harvest Sprite who led the player to Hillsville urges Gorgan to calm down. The storm stops, and Gorgan explains he stripped the land of life because humans had abused it. Regaining trust, he reveals that the Blessed Fruit has become the Fall Crystal, allowing the Harvest Goddess to fully restore the land.
The game was announced at E3 2014 by Natsume Inc. Unlike earlier Harvest Moon titles in the West—which were part of the Story of Seasons series developed by Marvelous—this game was not made by Marvelous. Instead, Natsume Inc. holds the rights to the Harvest Moon brand in North America and Europe, while the latest Story of Seasons game is published by Xseed Games in those regions.
- Developer
- Tabot, Inc.
- Platform
- Nintendo 3DS
- North america release
- November 4, 2014
- Europe release
- June 19, 2015
- Australia release
- June 20, 2015
- Genre
- Farm simulation role-playing game
- Publisher (western)
- Natsume Inc.
Lore & Background
The game begins with the player arriving in Hillsville, a mountain village trapped in eternal winter. They meet a Harvest Sprite named Rowan, who asks for help reviving the village. After restoring the Harvest Goddess, she reveals that the eternal winter can only end if the player restores three Season Crystals. As the story progresses, new characters move into the village. The player revives a total of three Harvest Sprites to restore the Spring Crystal, then grows a tree to reach the Harvest God's domain, who helps recreate the Summer Crystal. To restore the Fall Crystal, the player must seek help from the underworld king Gorgan, who initially refuses. After reviving a Sprite close to Gorgan, the player learns they must grow a special crop called the Blessed Fruit. Despite the task being considered impossible, the player succeeds in growing the Blessed Tree during a storm. An unidentified Harvest Sprite who guided the player to Hillsville urges Gorgan to calm down. The storm subsides, and Gorgan explains he stripped the land of life because humans had abused it. Regaining trust, he reveals that the Blessed Fruit has become the Fall Crystal, allowing the Harvest Goddess to fully restore the land.
Reader's Guide
Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley represents a significant shift in the Harvest Moon franchise. Developed by Tabot, Inc. rather than Marvelous, it was the first game published by Natsume Inc. using the Harvest Moon name after the split with the original Japanese developer. The game received unfavorable reviews according to Metacritic, but it introduced new customization features: players could modify their home by expanding it and moving items inside, though the home could not be moved from its original place. More notably, players could modify the world itself, including terrain elevations and building locations. The game also retained series staples such as marriage, having a child, buying pets, and helping villagers with requests. Its legacy lies in marking the divergence between the Story of Seasons series (developed by Marvelous) and the Harvest Moon series (published by Natsume), with The Lost Valley being the first entry in the latter line. The game's plot, involving restoring seasons by reviving sprites and growing a Blessed Fruit, was unique to this title.
Did You Know?
- The game was announced during E3 2014 by Natsume Inc.
- Players can modify terrain elevations and building locations in the game world.
- The player's home cannot be moved from its original place.
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