Alright, so here’s the thing. This game, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, it’s like if Animal Crossing and Zelda decided to have a wild weekend together. Not kidding, you get this blend of a chill life sim and some intense dungeon-crawling. It’s got this kind of binge-worthy RPG vibe that hooks you in, like when you accidentally binge an entire season on Netflix. I didn’t even realize how many hours I sunk into it until I looked at the clock one day. The story’s kind of goofy, in a good way, with characters that actually feel like they have more going on than just filling space.
Now, imagine you start up thinking you’re just gonna be catching fish or mining ore for a bit. Classic, right? Then bam, massive open-world map with monsters popping up and puzzles happening. It’s like when you think you’re getting a simple vanilla ice cream, but then there’s this surprise swirl of chocolate fudge or something. And just when you’re nodding along, thinking you’ve got this game pegged, it tosses an island at you to build – surprise! Then it’s all dungeon crawling with roguelike mechanics coming out of nowhere. Keeps you guessing, you know? You’re chopping trees one minute, facing off against an angry tree boss the next. It’s wild.
And get this, usually when a game has so much going on, something’s bound to fall flat. You’d think, right? But here? Nah. You’re diving into dungeons where somehow they’ve turned cozy stuff like fishing into a boss battle. Seriously? A fishing boss? Yep, and it works. And you’ve got the standard life sim jazz like cooking, crafting, errands – top notch. But then you’ve also got the whole RPG adventure side that’s all laid-back but still engaging. Everything’s got this chill vibe, like Sunday afternoon energy.
The story side? It’s surprisingly full. Dragons, time travel, magic, the whole shebang. In this place called Reveria where the whole culture is built around these jobs, or ‘Lives’. There’s this archaeologist dude, Edward – kinda pompous but grows on you, and a very chatty bird named Trip who manages to not get annoying, somehow. The narrative stretches a bit at the end, going kinda cliché, but it’s more engaging than most, which was a nice twist in this genre.
Now, in between saving the world, you’re basically crafting everything. Can’t rest after you finish one thing because there’s always more. Sound familiar? Like when you set out to clean just your room but end up rearranging the entire house. Anyway, you start one thing, need something else to finish it, and off you go on another quest to gather materials. The cycle could drive you nuts, but it’s oddly hypnotic, like how you just CAN’T stop playing The Sims even though it’s mostly just living life but virtually.
The grind though, woo, it’s intense. At times I wanted to fling my controller because why on earth do I need to chop down ten million trees for a single upgrade? The crafting minigames can be repetitive, but the game knows and lets you skip them if you level up enough. It’s kind of merciful once you get into the swing of things, letting you focus on hunting down more interesting materials from specific places or creatures.
You also get a little land to design into a village. If you’ve touched Animal Crossing, this part will feel like déjà vu. Crafting furniture, giving gifts, decorating – you get the drill. It’s not as deep as New Horizons, but it’s still nice to potter about with between your epic adventures and smithing marathons. And yeah, you gotta stash all the loot you accumulate somewhere.
This game even throws combat into the mix. You’ve got your classic classes like Paladin, Mercenary, Hunter, and Magician. They’ve got neat abilities to mess with, though battles are more about chilling out and swinging your sword around without much stress.
The open-worldy bits are fun too. Full of resources, enemies, and the occasional light puzzle. They serve as a great escape when you’ve had enough of the town life. Climb mountains for minerals, chase loot-filled mimics, and find shrines with minigames. Some shrines even give you companions to tag along, who, while helpful, can drive you up the wall if they keep repeating the same lines. But still, they’re fun to have around.
Oh, and there’s a roguelike mode that’s pretty clever about using your non-combat skills in dungeons. Rooms with specific tasks like fishing or veggie-gathering, all on a timer, make it a race against the clock with some strategy thrown in. Helps make grinding not feel like, well, a grind.
There’s even a multiplayer bit, although it feels like an afterthought. You can show off your town or explore with friends, but sessions end after 30 minutes for some reason. It’s a weird cap. Best part? Taking on dungeons together, definitely.
This game is a crazy mix but somehow pulls it all together. If you’re into cozy games with a side of chaos, it might just be your next obsession.
