Harvest Moon: The Wind of Anthos Vs. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos is a title within the long-running franchise that has recently been released. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a remake of one of its franchise's most beloved titles. That said, we are here to ask which game is technically superior. That is a question that we hope to provide an answer to today by examining the strengths and weaknesses of both games, comparing and contrasting the two, and providing the player with an informative result. So, with all of the technicalities out of the way. We present to you Harvest Moon: The Wind of Anthos Vs. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. 

What is Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos?

Players are able to keep a variety of animals on their farm. Some you can keep as pets, others as livestock to raise. The raising of these animals serves as the main gameplay loop for Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos. Along the way, players can meet a variety of villagers, and help them with a variety of problems. In addition, the game features a romance system in which players are able to choose from the five available bachelors and bachelorettes respectively.

In addition to these inclusions, the game also features contests and festivals for players to participate in. This really gives the game a lived-in feel and adds to the festivity of the game. There are also rare minerals and materials for players to find throughout the world of Anthos as well, rewarding patient and adamant players with fantastic resources. The game might be noticeably lighter on the social aspects than Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, but for some players, that's just fine.

What is Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life

Continuing on today, here we have Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. Serving as a remake of a beloved classic such as Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, this title had a lot of potential to live up to. The land of the Forgotten Valley initially seems to open itself up to the player. The many memorable characters in the game serve to form bonds with the player as you continue on your journey, which is great. Each of the villagers in this game feels distinct. In terms of the sheer amount of bachelors and bachelorettes in the game. Tt outweighs Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos, with eight total romance options compared to the former's five.

This might be an aspect that many players consider, making it a great point to pick one over the other. Aiding in this feeling of player choice and longevity. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life allows players to live out a full life. This inherently makes it more in-depth as a whole from that perspective. Players are able to see their character's age, marry, have children, and more. This can really serve as a point of interest for players who enjoy that style of long-form gameplay.

There is also a wealth of new content added to the game that wasn't present in its initial release. These inclusions cover things such as new marriage options, and animals, as well as seasonal events. As well as enhancements to the overall gameplay loop. While to some, it may be lacking the soul that the original version of the game had. For others, it serves as a great walk down memory lane for them to enjoy. All around, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life has many great aspects that it brings to the table.

Gameplay

Now comes a very important section, as it makes up the majority of the player's time in the game. The gameplay between these two games is really quite different, despite having somewhat the same premise. It is these differences that flavor both experiences to the player's different tastes. While each of these titles has its strengths and weaknesses, it cannot be understated how much the gameplay differences between the two can shape the player's opinion of either title.

Where the gameplay between these two will vary the most is in how the player's time will be spent overall. In Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos, there is quite an emphasis on farming. Whereas in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, players will be spending most of their time either getting to know the villagers in the game or tending to their animals. All in all, these are two different experiences that target different types of players with some overlap. So it is best for players to decide what type of gameplay they enjoy, and make an informed decision based on that.

Verdict

Now comes the time for our verdict regarding Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos vs. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. A lot of this boils down to what the player wishes to receive from either game. However, in terms of the quality of the games themselves. Stripping away any sense of nostalgia or legacy, it would appear that Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos pulls ahead here. And while that doesn't mean you can't enjoy both titles. For someone new to these games, or even a returning player, the Harvest Moon title offers a better experience, without some of the problems that Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life introduces.

For these reasons, it is far and away better to recommend the prior over the latter. So to close, if you are looking to choose between these two titles, we'd bet the farm on Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos.