The upcoming farming simulatorOva Magicahas hit a groundbreaking start on Kickstarter. In a matter of just 3 hours, the game was fully funded, and just a little over a week later,Ova Magicahas been funded by nearly 700%. The campaign breaches new milestones by the day, and sole developer ClaudiaTheDev is constantly searching for new goal ideas to keep the momentum churning for the little fish.
But on the other side of the big pond,Harvest Moon: One Worldis less than a month away from a full release, and many fans are unimpressed on the direction the series has taken.Ova Magicais inspired by oldHarvest Moongames, as well as a number of other popular titles includingPokemonandSlime Rancher. At the base funding level,Ova Magicawould already include a number of mechanics not already present inHarvest Moon, but with each milestone surpassed, ClaudiaTheDev will add more and more elements.
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The Downfall of Harvest Moon
AfterHarvest MoonandStory of Seasonsbecame two separate franchises deriving from the same original name, the newHarvest Moongames have been nothing short of disappointing to veteran fans. The graphics are a great example of how Natsume simply isn’t keeping up with the standards of modern gaming. The franchise has turned into a hollow shell of what it used to be, being used as a cash grab with the belovedHarvest Moonname, whileStory of Seasonscontinues to win the races between the two series.
Still, the oldHarvest Moongames inspired a number of titles, including the major hitStardew Valley, which was created to spark the joy of the oldest installments such asFriends of Mineral TownandA Wonderful Life. And now, the farming sim genre is booming with new additions, such asSakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, which flew under the radar as a big success, and the upcomingGarden Story, which has been recently added toKowloon Night’s lineup of supported projects. Oftentimes, farming sim fans are inspired to recreate a brand that will never return to its former glory.
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Ova Magica’s Promise
Enter:Ova Magica, yet another addition to the genre. But rather than only recreating the same mechanics—farming and marriage—that so manyStardew Valley-styled gameshave done,Ova Magicapulls from other titles as well. FromSlime Rancher, players will get to raise creatures known as Blobs, and fromPokemon, players will get to fight Blobs belonging to NPCs in battles.
On top of the slew of activities coming withOva Magica, the art style is more appealing and graphics are more impressive than what’s been shown in theHarvest Moon: One Worldtrailer. More marriage candidates are available than inOne World, andOva Magicasupports same-sex marriage, whichNatsume has chosen to opt out ofin its upcoming title.
ThoughOva Magicawon’t release until next year, it’s even more impressive knowing that the farming sim is being developed mostly by one person, ClaudiaTheDev, in addition to the composer, artist, and Top Hat Studios, which will bringOva Magicato consoles.
But not only doesOva Magicalook promising and will seemingly include dozens upon dozens of hours of content with all of its bells and whistles, it’s important to take the price of the two games into consideration. If players choose to backOva Magicaon Kickstarterbefore the campaign ends, they can pick up the farming sim for approximately $25. One the other hand,Harvest Moon: One Worldis $49.99, the price of many major titles produced by a corporate company.
Ova Magicais slated for a 2022 release for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
