Farmagia Review

Initial release date: November 1, 2024

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows

Genres: Role-playing game, Action game, Adventure game

Developer: Marvelous

Publishers: Marvelous, XSEED Games

Farmagia is one of those ambitious projects that aims to combine a variety of genres. Aside from some Pokémon-esque creature management, there’s Story of Seasons-style farming, real-time strategy-driven fighting, and even some graphic novel-style storytelling. If that wasn’t enough, the game has Hiro Mashima’s (Fairy Tail, Edens Zero) unique character design.

Although many of Farmagia’s components are simple, there is a somewhat addicting gameplay cycle that could entice gamers. Several times, I couldn’t wait to get back into the loop and prepare my Battle Buddies for their next battle.

Freedom for everyone except my buddies.

The plot begins with the death of Felicidad’s king and the effort of a power-hungry opportunist named Glaza to grab world dominion. His early speech, like that of far too many politicians, appears progressive, but his actions betray a desire to enslave people on all five continents of Felicidad. You play as Ten, a Farmagia who can sync with monsters and becomes a key character in a growing insurrection.

The protagonist and his humorous friend, Lookie-Loo, share personalities and a rapport similar to Fairy Tail’s Natsu and Happy. However, I did not find the fairly predictable tale beats and reliance on clichés to be negative. Farmagia delivers the expected banter, baddies, and busty shopkeepers. It maintains the dialog punchy and succinct, allowing you to return to the game’s other components. The main issue is that the narrative emphasizes the significance of bonding with your Battle Buddies. Unfortunately, you won’t have much opportunity to really get to know them; they’re barely more than combatants.

Sprouting Fangs

Ten’s desire to fight Glaza takes root in a tiny garden. You’ll till the field, plant seeds, then meticulously water your flowering friends until they’re ready to be harvested and join your army. Like most agricultural simulators, you’ll have a limited quantity of energy for monster gardening, which replenishes as you explore the game’s dungeon-like mazes.

Weeds, pieces of wood, boulders, and your farm’s small size are all expected obstacles. However, they are all easily overcome as you go through the game, spending money on new tools and earning points to grow your ranch. After a day or three, your companion crops will be ready to harvest. Once uprooted, you’ll teach them and keep your swarms satisfied with their favorite snacks.

When you are hurt, I am hurt too.

Undoubtedly, the most exciting aspect of Farmagia is discovering the game’s mazes. Ten and his comparisons will be shadowed by up to four customized Battle Buddies teams. When using a controller, pressing one of the face buttons launches a squad to attack any close adversaries, while holding down a button sustains the assault.

Given that your troops have various assault techniques (formation, melee, ranged, and support) as well as elemental qualities, you’ll need to be strategic while issuing attack commands. I primarily relied on the game’s on-screen damage values, which are conveniently color-coded. The crucial thing to remember is that if your troops are damaged, your chosen Farmagia can walk over them to break their concentration. However, injuries to your Battle Buddies will diminish your character’s health bar. Fortunately, a well-timed guard can help you regain vitality while depleting an enemy’s KO meter.

Fusion and Confusion

Exhausting a KO gauge is the most effective way to kill big opponents and behemoth bosses. When this occurs, you can prompt one of your factions to launch a Unite Blitz or all of your groups to merge for a Legion Attack. The final option is to assemble your Buddies and change forms, with a hybrid unleashing massive quantities of damage.

At times, battle might feel both conventional and chaotic. The former results from issuing finisher-style assaults in reaction to on-screen commands, which lacks autonomy. However, when you’re surrounded by attacking enemies and the camera doesn’t provide an appropriate perspective, protecting becomes difficult. However, battle may be weirdly exciting, particularly when hit points are scarce. Selectable perks hidden throughout each maze add nuance by either augmenting your farmagia, enemies, or even expanding your unit numbers. Unfortunately, these perks disappear at the end of your journey.

Not all of your buddies are endearing.

Although the title works nicely on portable PCs such as the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, there are some visual compromises. Not only is there a lack of environmental diversity, but there is also some enemy palette switching. A bigger concern, however, is the appearance of some of the Battle Beasts. Yes, the Fangs, who resemble red foxes and run alongside you, are enchanting. However, the mantis-bird hybrids known as Arkies resemble faceless, bootleg Pokémon. Occasionally, the game can be difficult. One side-quest required me to raise a Fang, which I readily achieved. However, getting the game to recognize the competition of the task took several in-game days.

However, for every flaw, Farmagia appears to provide some intriguing features in return. It took me three hours to find a hexagonal tech-tree with hundreds of useful bonuses. Building affinity with elemental spirits will also unlock new Buddies and Fusions, which will serve to keep combat from becoming stale. Accompanying Farmagia can deliver a variety of passive effects, giving you the edge you need to destroy a monster nest. Sure, the game’s basic components may not appear to be particularly profound, but they are enhanced with a plethora of creative details. Collectively, this improved Farmagia’s gameplay cycle and allowed me to ignore a few flaws.

Review Overview

Gameplay: 85%

Controls: 83%

Aesthetics: 88%

Content: 84%

Accessibility: 81%

Value: 86%

Overall: 85%

MAGICALLY CHARMING FARM SIM!

Summary:

“Farmagia” combines traditional farming simulation with alluring magic, creating an enthralling experience in which players raise crops, perform spells, and interact with magical animals. The gameplay is well-balanced between farming mechanics and spell-crafting, offering intriguing alternatives for both casual players and sim fanatics. The controls are straightforward, making it simple to swap between tools and spells. Visually, “Farmagia” is vivid and detailed, with a whimsical graphical style that brings the magical world to life. “Farmagia” captivates genre aficionados with its rich material and diverse activities.