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[jshackles]

Welcome to the NeoGAF OT for Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Today is the day you and the archaeologist Edward set sail on an adventure.
Following the guiding light from a fossilized dragon, you stumble upon a desolate, uncharted island.

Just as you're nearing your destination, a Dark Dragon appears out of nowhere and attacks.
That's when the fossil awakens, revealing itself to be a Bone Dragon.

A fierce battle breaks out, and you follow the Bone Dragon through a mysterious gate that appears out of thin air.
On the other side, you find... a lively and peaceful place?

Err, well, time to embark on a journey to unravel the island's untold mysteries!

The core of this game is a "slow life RPG" or cozy game. In a lot of ways, this game is similar to other games in the "cozy" genre such as Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley. The RPG mechanics and class system are similar to other JRPGs and MMO games, most closely resembling that of Final Fantasy XIV.

This game features 14 different "lives" you can choose from! Each life is what is traditionally called a job or class in most JRPGs. Each life has its own in-game guild and storyline to explore as you level up each job.

This game supports cross-play - Multiplayer between Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Xbox players. Additionally, this game supports Cross-Save (using an Epic Games account) so that if you purchase the game on multiple systems, your save file can be synced between them.

Cross-Play is automatic. For instructions on Cross-Save, please see here

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Live as you please in the latest game in the Fantasy Life series!

www.fantasylife.jp

This game supports multiplayer for up to four players at once. You can team up online to go on adventures together, or the game supports couch co-op for up to two players using the same console.

Introduction trailer:


First trailer:


Second trailer:


All trailers:

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Live as you please in the latest game in the Fantasy Life series!

www.fantasylife.jp

Article:

As with previous installments in the series, gameplay here is a mix of life simulation and role-playing elements. The game offers players the choice of various "Lives" or professions, including returning classes and new additions like Farmer and Artist. Unique systems, such as town planning and island restoration, are integral for players to build and customize their own cities. The game supports single-player and multiplayer modes, including two-player couch co-op and four-player online cross-play. 8/10

Source: https://game8.co/articles/reviews/fantasy-life-i-the-girl-who-steals-time-review

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site

Buy FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store.

www.nintendo.com

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time Digital Deluxe Edition PS4 & PS5

This product entitles you to download both the digital PS4® version and the digital PS5® version of this game. This product includes the content of FANTASY LIFE i The Girl Who Steals Time along with the following items. - Exclusive Mount Mini Napdragon - Exclusive Napdragon Weapons Napdragon...

store.playstation.com

Buy FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time | Xbox

Step into this Slow-Life RPG where you can freely switch between 14 unique jobs, so called "Lives," and enjoy a carefree life in a fantasy world. Fish, cook, shape the island to your liking, or team up with friends to battle monsters across the vast world. It's up to you to choose what kind of...

www.xbox.com

 

[Hookshot]

The last one was so basic but it's still fun to do every thing in each biome.

I want to play this one but I might wait for my Switch 2 to turn up first.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

I enjoyed the first one playing with my wife. Not exactly a masterpiece but it was a fun and addictive game that was great in co-op.

I see it has early access going on right now, hopefully we will see some impressions soon

 

[jshackles]

I see it has early access going on right now, hopefully we will see some impressions soon

I'm hoping so too, looking at the Steam forums it looks like the game has a lot of issues (in addition to a kernel-level anti-cheat). I'm planning on picking this up for the Switch, and then upgrading to the Switch 2 version when it releases - though they haven't announced a date for that yet.

I wish we got a physical release here, it's exclusive to Japan.

 

[cormack12]

The last one was so basic but it's still fun to do every thing in each biome.

I want to play this one but I might wait for my Switch 2 to turn up first.

I would never have pegged you as someone who likes these games

 

[Vandole]

Are there any details on the multiplayer component? I've been kind of looking for an MMO to play recently, but one that doesn't require the usual level of commitment. This looks like it could maybe scratch the itch.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

I'm hoping so too, looking at the Steam forums it looks like the game has a lot of issues (in addition to a kernel-level anti-cheat). I'm planning on picking this up for the Switch, and then upgrading to the Switch 2 version when it releases - though they haven't announced a date for that yet.

I wish we got a physical release here, it's exclusive to Japan.

I'm hoping to get it on Steam Deck and play via cross play with my wife on Switch. I'll probably wait a bit until all the issues are ironed out though. No need to be an early adopter for this one

 

[RaptorGTA]

Really wish the Switch had early access, would be playing it now if it did.

Will get it on the Switch and upgrade to the switch 2.

 

[jshackles]

 

[Hookshot]

I would never have pegged you

Thanks.

They are like little MMO's but you do all the professions on the same character and by yourself, although this one has multiplayer. It's a game you can switch your brain off and cut down trees for a bit then go beat up some monsters, make a table, catch a fish or fight a dragon.

Sometimes it's just fun to watch progress bars go up doing insignificant things. The previous one had levels to sneaking and sprinting so just wandering about was doing something.

 

[cormack12]

Thanks.

They are like little MMO's but you do all the professions on the same character and by yourself, although this one has multiplayer. It's a game you can switch your brain off and cut down trees for a bit then go beat up some monsters, make a table, catch a fish or fight a dragon.

Sometimes it's just fun to watch progress bars go up doing insignificant things. The previous one had levels to sneaking and sprinting so just wandering about was doing something.

 

[rubik's dude]

I'm hoping so too, looking at the Steam forums it looks like the game has a lot of issues (in addition to a kernel-level anti-cheat). I'm planning on picking this up for the Switch, and then upgrading to the Switch 2 version when it releases - though they haven't announced a date for that yet.

I wish we got a physical release here, it's exclusive to Japan.

You can buy the JP version from PlayAsia and play it on a US/EU Switch I believe. Games are region free, and the JP version has English on it. The only potential issue is you might be locked out of DLC/Switch 2 upgrade if the game requires you to use that region's online store. Seems to be random, some imported games are compatible with all region stores, others are exclusive.

 

[jshackles]

You can buy the JP version from PlayAsia and play it on a US/EU Switch I believe. Games are region free, and the JP version has English on it. The only potential issue is you might be locked out of DLC/Switch 2 upgrade if the game requires you to use that region's online store. Seems to be random, some imported games are compatible with all region stores, others are exclusive.

I'm going to be in Japan for a month later this year, I'm 100% planning on double-dipping and picking up a copy while I'm there even if it's not compatible with the Switch 2 upgrade. Way cheaper than play-asia, and I should be able to find a used copy by then to save even more. I'll probably pick up a physical PS5 copy for the cross-saves too (I'm not planning on buying it digitally on the PS5).

 

[IFireflyl]

The use of Easy Anti-Cheat on a laid-back game like this is an easy pass for me. It's an extremely intrusive anti-cheat program, and for no reason.

 

[bender]

I'm going to be in Japan for a month later this year, I'm 100% planning on double-dipping and picking up a copy while I'm there even if it's not compatible with the Switch 2 upgrade. Way cheaper than play-asia, and I should be able to find a used copy by then to save even more. I'll probably pick up a physical PS5 copy for the cross-saves too (I'm not planning on buying it digitally on the PS5).

Bring me Witch on the Holy Knight you filthy animal.

 

[jshackles]

The use of Easy Anti-Cheat on a laid-back game like this is an easy pass for me. It's an extremely intrusive anti-cheat program, and for no reason.

Not trying to justify it exactly, but since the game is cross-play with consoles I could see why they might want to prevent people from just hacking their saves or doing other sorts of weird things to ruin the experience for everyone. That being said, I would have loved if they had the option on Steam to only have to install the anti-cheat if you were planning on using the multiplayer functions (I'm not).

Bring me Witch on the Holy Knight you filthy animal.

I've been compiling a list of physical Switch games I'll be on the hunt for there. I was on the fence about adding that game because it technically got a (very) small US release in a special edition, but that edition goes for $300+ on eBay now.

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

"heeeeyyyy…what's with the existential crisis"

Loooool

 

[Anthony Soprano]

Anyone have an in-depth grasp of how multiplayer works? From a comment on Steam discussion page, it sounds like you just invite up to 3 players to your world, then you gain points to spawn a timed boss on the map. I really want this for multiplayer, but it sounds pretty shallow if there's no inclusion of story mode in the multiplayer and it only exists in the single player? Can you at least level up in multiplayer and have it carry over to your own save?

 

[Hideous Snake]

Hello? Why the hell do I not know about this game? It looks right up my alley especially that I'm an MMO head!

 

[bender]

I've been compiling a list of physical Switch games I'll be on the hunt for there. I was on the fence about adding that game because it technically got a (very) small US release in a special edition, but that edition goes for $300+ on eBay now.

You can buy a second copy for yourself then.

I played Fantasy Life on the 3DS but didn't give it much time. I'm thinking about picking this up, but I'm not sure what platform to get it on. Feels like it belongs on the Switch, but I'd be curious what the technical differences will shake out to be between Switch 2 and PS5. Thankfully it doesn't have any significant FOMO pre-order bonuses, so I might just wait a few weeks.

 

[jshackles]

Anyone have an in-depth grasp of how multiplayer works? From a comment on Steam discussion page, it sounds like you just invite up to 3 players to your world, then you gain points to spawn a timed boss on the map. I really want this for multiplayer, but it sounds pretty shallow if there's no inclusion of story mode in the multiplayer and it only exists in the single player? Can you at least level up in multiplayer and have it carry over to your own save?

I haven't played the game yet, but I've watched a lot of videos about it - so I might be able to answer this.

The game is essentially split into two different modes / maps, story mode and "open world" mode. You use the same character for both modes, and in single player you can swap between them basically at any time that you're not in a story cutscene. Think of it like being able to swap between A Link to the Past and Breath of the Wild gameplay, in Zelda terms.

In story mode, you have your base. It's where you change jobs and progress the story. If you played the first game, story mode is a lot like that - it has its own map that's pretty linear. Open world mode takes place in Ginormosia

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Live as you please in the latest game in the Fantasy Life series!

www.fantasylife.jp

This is where you uncover Ubisoft-style towers, find dungeons that are randomly generated, but you can also visit to just farm EXP for your jobs, cut down trees, fish, etc.

So, multiplayer - You can invite other players to your base (think like inviting someone to your Animal Crossing island in New Horizons, basically to show off), but there isn't any shared single-player progression. While in multiplayer mode you can travel to the open world and explore together, battle through dungeons, basically do all the open world stuff. Every player's progress carries over - that is items, job exp, etc. I'm not totally sure, but I think fog of war on the map and locations you find while in multiplayer will also carry over to your own save when visiting again in single player.

As I mentioned before, I'm planning on getting this for the Switch which unfortunately doesn't have early access, so I won't be able to fully test this for a few more days. Hope this helps maybe clear things up until someone who is playing this in early access can clarify.

 

[Fabieter]

Anyone have an in-depth grasp of how multiplayer works? From a comment on Steam discussion page, it sounds like you just invite up to 3 players to your world, then you gain points to spawn a timed boss on the map. I really want this for multiplayer, but it sounds pretty shallow if there's no inclusion of story mode in the multiplayer and it only exists in the single player? Can you at least level up in multiplayer and have it carry over to your own save?

Naah its just for some combat and exploration. It's not even open from the start but the game is still totally worth it.

 

[Punished Miku]

The first one on 3DS was enjoyable for 10 or 20 hours. Dropped off after that but each activity had an addicting quality to it.

 

[Jinxed]

It looked like a cozy game but then I saw the price tag, 80$ CAD wtf

 

[Punished Miku]

It looked like a cozy game but then I saw the price tag, 80$ CAD wtf

Seriously. Theres a reason I jumped on this day 1 on 3DS. They're making the same mistake with their Layton games.

 

[nikos]

Just tried the game for about 30 minutes. Skipped every piece of dialogue because I wanted to see if the gameplay was for me before really getting into it.

Definitely seems solid so far. Gameplay was fun so I'll give it a proper start when I'm in the mood to read, because there seems to be a pretty good amount of it at the beginning.

Supports ultrawide, has proper multiplayer functionality, haven't tried Steam Deck yet but heard it can run at a solid 60.

Looking forward to giving it a proper go.

 

[Cfh123]

I'm looking forward to impressions of this one. I put 100+ hours into the 3DS game. A new Rune Factory is coming out in a week, so we have a lot of options in this genre.

I read the Xbox early access was cancelled for Fantasy Life 2, otherwise I'd probably be playing it now.

 

[SomeNorseGuy]

I do enjoy myself some quality grinding and cozy gameplay from time to time. Friends of Mineral Town and Runescape 3 being highlights. Will definitely pick this up once it goes below $40.

 

[Danjin44]

I might get this for Switch 2 one day but the game I'm most looking forward to from Level 5 is Decopolice.

 

[Jack Videogames]

Game is exactly the kind of dopamine hit production line I needed. It's silly, it's fun and its chaotic yet cozy structure is perfect if you get easily distracted by modern games.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Never played the 3DS one but it looks interesting for sure, like a mix of Animal Crossing and Runescape.

Added this to the wishlist, will get once it's a bit cheaper.

 

[STARSBarry]

Enjoying it, i kind of wish the minigames didn't share mechanics. Like cooking, blacksmithing, woodworking, alchemy is essentially the same minigame. And Tree cutting and mining share the exact same sweet spot mechanic.

Like I would have been nice if woodcutting for example was about rythem and not the sweet spot or something, or if the other crafting disciplines had more unique minigames, like blacksmith hitting specific areas until it takes form, then quenching and sharpening the blade.

But its still fun.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Thanks for the reminder

I just preordered this digitally on Switch

 

[TintoConCasera]

How's the combat in this? Mindless button mashing or does it require some skill?

 

[Jack Videogames]

How's the combat in this? Mindless button mashing or does it require some skill?

Mindless button mash at least for the first two hours

 

[TintoConCasera]

Mindless button mash at least for the first two hours

Super easy stuff? No need to dodge or block or anything like that? That would be quite boring imo.

 

[Jack Videogames]

Super easy stuff? No need to dodge or block or anything like that? That would be quite boring imo.

You CAN but it's quite unnecessary if you don't overlevel

 

[TintoConCasera]

You CAN but it's quite unnecessary if you don't overlevel

Ugh, ok. Sounds like the game will end up boring me quite fast if that's the case. Might still grab it but much later when it's on a sale or something.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Game seems to be doing extremely well at least on Steam, currently at the top of the best sellers list above stuff like Schedule 1, REPO, E33 and DOOM.

Bet they are happy at Level 5.

Inafune probably not so much but yeah fuck that guy lol.

 

[jshackles]

Game seems to be doing extremely well at least on Steam, currently at the top of the best sellers list above stuff like Schedule 1, REPO, E33 and DOOM.

Bet they are happy at Level 5.

Inafune probably not so much but yeah fuck that guy lol.

That's awesome, I'm glad they're having some success especially after the 3DS game was pretty niche. Hopefully a lot of other Japanese devs follow suit and release their games on PC day one.

Still a shame about the kernel level anti-cheat. I'd 1000% buy this on Steam right now if it didn't have that.

 

[TintoConCasera]

That's awesome, I'm glad they're having some success especially after the 3DS game was pretty niche. Hopefully a lot of other Japanese devs follow suit and release their games on PC day one.

Yes! I'm reading that this is also a pretty cool PC release, with support for cloud saves and ultra wide and some actually good KB+M controls.

Still a shame about the kernel level anti-cheat. I'd 1000% buy this on Steam right now if it didn't have that.

EAC? yeah that sucks but I heard there's a workaround to remove it, which should be fine for as long as you don't do multiplayer.

 

[Cfh123]

Enjoying it, i kind of wish the minigames didn't share mechanics. Like cooking, blacksmithing, woodworking, alchemy is essentially the same minigame.

That's too bad. I see that as a flaw in the original. I was hoping in the sequel there would be distinct minigames in the crafting.

 

[Jack Videogames]

I wonder why Farmer and Artist are locked at the beginning. Makes me want to keep going through the game without unlocking everything but my brain won't allow that.

 

[jshackles]

I haven't played the game yet, but I've watched a lot of videos about it - so I might be able to answer this.

The game is essentially split into two different modes / maps, story mode and "open world" mode. You use the same character for both modes, and in single player you can swap between them basically at any time that you're not in a story cutscene. Think of it like being able to swap between A Link to the Past and Breath of the Wild gameplay, in Zelda terms.

In story mode, you have your base. It's where you change jobs and progress the story. If you played the first game, story mode is a lot like that - it has its own map that's pretty linear. Open world mode takes place in Ginormosia

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Live as you please in the latest game in the Fantasy Life series!

www.fantasylife.jp

This is where you uncover Ubisoft-style towers, find dungeons that are randomly generated, but you can also visit to just farm EXP for your jobs, cut down trees, fish, etc.

So, multiplayer - You can invite other players to your base (think like inviting someone to your Animal Crossing island in New Horizons, basically to show off), but there isn't any shared single-player progression. While in multiplayer mode you can travel to the open world and explore together, battle through dungeons, basically do all the open world stuff. Every player's progress carries over - that is items, job exp, etc. I'm not totally sure, but I think fog of war on the map and locations you find while in multiplayer will also carry over to your own save when visiting again in single player.

As I mentioned before, I'm planning on getting this for the Switch which unfortunately doesn't have early access, so I won't be able to fully test this for a few more days. Hope this helps maybe clear things up until someone who is playing this in early access can clarify.

Revisiting this since there's now a lot more info online, and multiplayer seems to be the game's biggest complaint, as far as I can tell.

• Multiplayer doesn't unlock at all until several hours into the story mode. I guess this more or less makes sense considering the lack of campaign co-op.
• Job progression quests don't unlock during multiplayer - huge oversight, considering this is one of the game's core development and progression mechanics.
• Multiplayer is done on a timer - also a huge turn-off for most people. You join a multiplayer session and as soon as you "venture out" into the open world, you've got a certain amount of time to complete the objective. Once you either complete the objective or the timer runs out, the session is over. No "chillin with the homies", which is a shame given the multiplayer's open world roots.

It'll be interesting to see what (if anything) Level5 does about any of these gripes.

 

[jshackles]

Patch 1.1.2 released

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Live as you please in the latest game in the Fantasy Life series!

www.fantasylife.jp

• Adjusted the UI in the "Life Challenges" tab of the Quests screen to make it clearer that a Life can be selected.
• Addressed an issue where the required recipe in Novice Life Challenges for Crafting Lives were difficult to locate.
• Fixed an issue where players were unable to draw their weapon during the first battle tutorial, preventing progression.

 

[Fabieter]

Super easy stuff? No need to dodge or block or anything like that? That would be quite boring imo.

Most classes ain't even for fighting. Its a chill out rpg. Give it a go if its a bit cheaper but its definitely worth it.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Most classes ain't even for fighting. Its a chill out rpg. Give it a go if its a bit cheaper but its definitely worth it.

Yeah I think I'm already sold on the game lol.

Not sure if I'll like it but at least I want to try it, since all the open world exploration while grinding jobs seems right up my alley. Also the game looks very funny, cute and relaxed, which I think is something I'm in the mood to enjoy.

Game seems like one hell of a weed game.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Yeah I think I'm already sold on the game lol.

Not sure if I'll like it but at least I want to try it, since all the open world exploration while grinding jobs seems right up my alley. Also the game looks very funny, cute and relaxed, which I think is something I'm in the mood to enjoy.

Game seems like one hell of a weed game.

Yup it's definitely one of those games where you can pull weeds to your heart's content.

 

[Spukc]

thanks now i won't fucking touch this game

 

[Diseased Yak]

Just bought it off Steam. Was really tempted to get it digitally on Switch so I could play it on Switch 2, but eh I'll snag it down the road if it turns out to be a good version.