I think one of my favourite things about being a games journalist is that I have an excuse to play cute farming games. This one is a little different than my usual though. Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom is very much aimed at a younger audience. Truth be told, that did hinder my experience. I’ll get into that later, though.
What is Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom?
Doraemon makes his return to the Story of Seasons franchise in this new, original story. In Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom, Doraemon and his friends are transported to another planet. On this new planet, they meet new people, make new friends, and set up their own little farm.
Unlike the majority of Story of Seasons games, this game doesn’t include marriage or romance. Instead, the importance is on friendships and familial bonds, much like its predecessor. Considering this game is intended for a younger audience, this is a nice factor.
Story of New Planets?
A unique aspect brought to the franchise by the inclusion of Doraemon is the ability to travel to another planet. We play as Noby, a child who isn’t particularly happy with the thought of having to do his homework. Let’s be honest, we can all look back and relate to that. Admittedly though, I thought Noby was a total jerk for the way he spoke to his parents. I know as kids we all act out, but as an adult my first instinct is to think “wow, what a jerk!”
The new planet concept is something that I really enjoy. I love the different types of characters that it brings with it. The different species, but everyone gets along. It’s very sweet and heartwarming. The environmental design is really nice also. The world itself is beautiful. As a whole, the characters are super likeable. The dialogue and stories are also super easy to understand.
The mechanics and gameplay are pretty standard. Very much the same as pretty much all farming games.
Friends of the Tutorial Kingdom?
This is where the game fell down for me. I am very much giving leeway here, as Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom is aimed at a younger audience. And for that younger audience, this game is fantastic. There are super explanatory tutorials, with easy-to-understand language. But for someone of my age, (I’m 25), the tutorials are a bit too hand-holdy. They’re definitely great for kids.
And that’s where my recommendation is going to go for this game. Don’t get me wrong, overall it’s a really great game. And if you don’t mind a ton of tutorials essentially holding your hand for the first chunk of the game, you’ll enjoy this too. You can skip the tutorials, but if you accidentally click in, you can’t get out of it. That was something I did more times than I’ll admit.
As a whole, Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom is a wonderful farming game, with a nice exploration into feelings and familial bonds. It’s super accessible and graspable, and well worth playing.
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