Welcome to another YvoCaro Plays!
We waited long enough for a sequel to the original Fantasy Life on 3DS, didn’t we? That game first launched in Japan in 2012 and stayed exclusive for quite a while — long enough that I ended up importing a Japanese 3DS just to play it! (Remember when the 3DS was region-locked? Thankfully, that’s no longer an issue with the Switch.) It wasn’t until 2014 that the game finally made its way to the West, and we could all join in on the fun.
With its lovely mix of simulation and RPG elements, Fantasy Life quickly won over fans, so it’s no surprise that many were waiting eagerly for Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. And now, the wait is over, the game is available on all major consoles and on Steam. Is it as good as we hoped it would be? And while there is certainly a lot of cuteness going on, is this a cosy game?
Time Travel at its Finest
In Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time we get to meet explorer Edward, his feathered sidekick Trip and small pig-like creatures while you journey on a ship towards a mysterious island. Edward has found a fossil of a huge dragon, one that comes to life in a crucial moment whisking you away. And not just to the island of Reveria, but also to the past.
It seems that Reveria of the past, a living and thriving gorgeous looking place, is quite different from Reveria of the present. Some catastrophe has taken place, and you’re there to get to the bottom of it, meanwhile constantly saving Edward from mishap (seriously, can’t that man stay out of trouble?). Current-day Reveria, or what’s left of it, turns into your Homebase which you can rebuild from scratch. You can add homes, design their interior and so a spot of landscaping.
What makes Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time so cool (among other things) is the time travel. Dragon Skelgon takes you effortlessly back and forth, and when another layer opens up, Ginormosia, there’s even more to do. Uncovering secrets, meeting historical islanders like Lady Rem and Ranoah, you slowly piecing together what happened.
Mastering 14 Lives
Much like its predecessor on the 3DS, Fantasy Life i is all about picking your “Life” like a Paladin, Cook, Miner, or one of the other in total 14 jobs. You have to master the basics for each one, making it to fledgling, after which you can switch between them whenever you’d like.
It’s a mechanic that makes Fantasy Life very special. If you’ve got them all under your belt you can explore any place you want to, fight with the monsters and just change into chopping trees, mining for gems or harvesting crops at any moment.
What I don’t like about mastering the lives is the mini-games. Fortunately it’s not a thing for all jobs, but you wouldn’t believe how long it took me to make simple potions while being an alchemist. I feel the game is quite unforgiving too, you have to score 100% with no margin for error. Eventually you get help from teammates that have the same job abilities, but it’s that first threshold that is hard to get over. Aside from the difficulty, it can start to feel a bit grindy, trying to get your levels up by pressing buttons at the right time.
Plenty To Do
There is so, so much to do in Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. The beauty of it is that you can decide what to do next, sort of go where the mood takes you. I like following the storyline, only taking time to learn all the jobs in between. Might be because I’m not a big fan of constant fighting, though there’s plenty of that to do in Ginormosia. Or you can loose yourself in the Treasure Grove, a sort of dungeon with nice spoils to be had. Between all that, exploring new areas in Reverie, building the Base Camp in the present and mastering all the lives there’s always something to do.
The game also features multiplayer, and is even able to do so cross-platform. You can gather friends to make the most out of the Treasure Grove, or tackle bosses together. Level-5 is also very active in making sure players stay engaged, by publishing gift codes that get you some nice stuff. Like a Flying Pegasus for a mount!
This isn’t a review, but rest assured that the game would have gotten a Two Thumbs Up from us!
Hyped As Animal Crossing?
Having said that, I have one gripe with the way the game is hyped. Not by Level-5, mind you, but by media and chat groups. More than once I’ve seen that Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is Animal Crossing but with RPG elements. The thing is, it looks cute and colourful, with gorgeous graphics and sweet characters. And true, you can build your own basecamp and decorate your home by items you craft. But to get a nice catalogue of possibilities, you’ll have to put in many hours of RPG-ing. And by collecting Strangelings, you can also populate your Base Camp but you can only build a maximum of 6 homes for them.
I feel Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time doesn’t reach the polished heights of a major Animal Crossing release, and it doesn’t go as deep as more focused farming or life sims. Instead, what it offers is a wide variety of engaging activities that are easy to pick up, and it’s surprisingly hard to stop playing. The game is it’s own game and it delivers a cosy, heartfelt RPG adventure that’s perfect if you’re craving a light social sim experience with an emphasis on battles.
Do you like our content?
Support LadiesGamers as a member on Patreon!
Or buy us a cup of coffee or tea on Ko-Fi!
