The next couple of positions are occupied by new releases, though neither have seen particularly impressive sales. Square Enix’s farming sim action RPG Harvestella has enjoyed a modest debut, selling over 26,000 units at launch. Meanwhile, Bandai Namco continues to have poor luck with sales on the Switch, with Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom’s Switch version taking the No. 3 spot, having sold just over 11,000 units.

Bayonetta 3 and the Switch version of Persona 5 Royal, both of which debuted in the previous week’s charts, both had decent second weeks, sitting in fourth and fifth place with over 10,000 units sold and over 7,000 units sold.

On the hardware side of things, the pendulum has swung back in favour of the Switch, predictably enough, with Nintendo’s platform selling over 90,000 units over the course of the week. The PS5 trails behind it by a significant margin, having sold over 13,000 units.

You can check out the full Japanese physical software and hardware sales charts for the week ending October 30 below.

Software sales (followed by lifetime sales):

1. [NSW] Splatoon 3 – 51,715 (3,287,416)
2. [NSW] Harvestella – 26,644 (New)
3. [NSW] Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom – 11,278 (New)
4. [NSW] Bayonetta 3 – 10,103 (51,388)
5. [NSW] Persona 5 Royal – 7,791 (65,829)
6. [NSW] Dragon Quest X: Rise of the Five Tribes Offline – 7,781 (218,732)
7. [NSW] Minecraft – 7,602 (2,840,716)
8. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 7,501 (4,891,234)
9. [PS4] Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II – 7,351 (31,722)
10. [NSW] Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits – 6,854 (30,151)

Hardware sales (followed by last week’s sales):

• Nintendo Switch – 90,478(38,634)
• PS5 – 13,274 (38,866)
• Xbox Series X/S – 3,113 (3,674)

Harvestella is set in a fantasy world where four giant, intricate crystals dictate the passage of seasons, each found in a different part of the world. Lately, however, these crystals, known as Seaslights, have been acting up, which has resulted in a frequent occurrence called the Quietus- a one-day event where the air is filled with a deadly dust that anyone who comes into contact with will die, forcing people indoors. Amidst all this, you step into the shoes of an amnesiac protagonist (because of course the protagonist has to be amnesiac), found unconscious in a tranquil village right in the middle of the Quietus, completely untouched by its deadly effects.

"Part-action RPG, part-farming sim, it’s a game that tries to blend to very different styles of gameplay, and for the most part it does so successfully- or at least successfully enough that it’s always enjoyable on at least a fundamental level. At the same time, however, neither aspect of the experience feels like it’s fleshed out enough, which means that Harvestella is never anything beyond predictably satisfying in any of its core mechanics, and often with plenty of rough edges."

Harvestella’s story has some interesting ideas and ropes in some intriguing elements (like time travel, for instance), while its fantasy world also feels surprisingly rich and fleshed out. Of course, I don’t want to overstate things- the story is fine for what it is, if not extraordinary by any stretch of the imagination. It does a decent job of keeping you invested- and if nothing else, it’s far more comprehensive than what you’d ordinarily find in games where one of your primary focuses is farming. For the most part, the story doesn’t feel like it interrupts the relaxed farming gameplay loop too much either- though conversely, that relaxed structure does impact the story’s pacing at times.

On the gameplay front, Harvestella invokes a similar response- it’s perfectly serviceable, and for the most part, even enjoyable, even if it’s not exactly remarkable. Half of this game is modeled after games like Harvest Moon and Rune Factory– it’s a farming sim (as I’ve mentioned a couple of times), where you’re focused on maintaining and expanding a farm, tilling and watering the soil, planting seeds and harvesting crops, and once you’ve unlocked the ability to do so, tend to livestock. The in-game time moves forward constantly, and you have a limited amount of time each day before you have to return home and go back to sleep, which means you have to decide which tasks to prioritize and which long-term goals you want to work towards.

Meanwhile, Harvestella also allows you to explore the town where you’ve made your home and get to know its denizens. That is done through side quests, which tend to focus on various NPCs and party members, and while I wouldn’t exactly describe any of them as standouts or highlights of the game, there are enough good ones to make sure that side quests don’t feel like a hindrance (even though side quest design and structure at its core mostly tends to be pretty rote). Improving your relationships and bonds with characters is also something that Harvestella lets you do, as farming sims often do, and while the game’s cast doesn’t have any characters that will live long in memory, the activity at its core is engaging enough.

"Combat is a very simplistic hack-and-slash affair- so simplistic that it doesn’t even allow the ability to dodge."

All the expected gameplay mechanics are here – from keeping an eye on your stamina throughout the day and being able to upgrade and improve your house to gathering resources and crafting useful new equipment and more – though Harvestella tends to keep things simplistic for the most part. It never feels too restrictive, and the tools it afford to expand your farm and improve the efficiency of your farming feel valuable, but if you’re expecting something that rivals the depth of, say, Harvest Moon’s farming sim mechanics, you’ll be left wanting.

The other half of Harvestella is an action RPG- though perhaps calling it referring to it as an action RPG lite would be far more accurate. Nothing exemplifies that better than the game’s combat, which is disappointingly straightforward and limited. Combat is a very simplistic hack-and-slash affair- so simplistic that it doesn’t even allow the ability to dodge. You have a few abilities that you have on cooldown, and there are multiple classes to play as, though the progression, too, feels half-baked. Classes end up feeling bland and, often, not too unique, while combat ends up feeling like a chore. Exploring dungeons and other locations over the course of several in-game days, as such, also feels like a significantly weaker part of Harvestella’s gameplay structure, owing to how much more focused it is on combat.

Meanwhile, when it comes to visuals, I’m honestly conflicted about how I feel about Harvestella, because while there are aspects of how the game looks that I truly appreciate, others are shockingly subpar. Where its art design is concerned, there’s a lot to like about Harvestella. Its setting isn’t going to pull up any trees in the fantasy genre, but you can see that this is clearly a game where the art department had an absolute field day. From a technical perspective though, it’s absurdly lackluster. Things looks muddy, environments and models are lacking in detail, the animations are stiff and wonky, and everything just looks choppy and blurry. Though there are sights in Harvestella that might be gorgeous when viewed in their concept art form, in a much more real sense, the game itself doesn’t look great.

"Though there are sights in Harvestella that might be gorgeous when viewed in their concept art form, in a much more real sense, the game itself doesn’t look great."

The easiest way to describe Harvestella is as a classic example of an unpolished yet enjoyable AA Square Enix game, of which we’ve seen quite a few in recent months, from The DioField Chronicle to Valkyrie Elysium. It’s rough around the edges, it doesn’t shake up any formulas, and it doesn’t ever come close to setting any new standards in its genre, but it’s not an unenjoyable game. In trying to be both a farming sim and an action RPG, it ends up failing to make an impression as either- though it’s a much better farming sim than it is an action RPG, and taken as a whole, it’s a decent experience that’s worth clocking a couple dozen hours into… if you have nothing better to play.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch.

Aside from the Quietus, there are four seasons to experience, each with unique recipes, crops, and NPCs. As Ein, players can farm, fish, craft, and much more to accrue resources and funds to deal with the Quietus. There’s also a Job system for combat, allowing one to switch between different abilities depending on the fight. Various companions will also join your party to help out.

For those on the fence, a demo is available on Nintendo Switch, with save data carrying over into the full game. Various improvements have been made based on demo feedback, which you can learn more about here. Sadly, none of those applies to the demo, so be warned.

Fishing should also be more rewarding, thanks to reduced hit time. The cooldown time for switching Jobs is reducing in combat, and the Mage’s normal attack speed has been increased. Finally, while in combat, a warning effect will play if a character’s HP drops too low.

Other improvements include partially reduced loading times, a modified UI during saves and auto-saves, and various bug fixes. All these changes will only be available in the game, and not in the demo.

Harvestella launches on November 4th for Nintendo Switch and PC. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

There are four seasons in-game, but in between each is the Quietus, which brings death and rot. During the Quietus, you have the option to explore an exclusive dungeon. What is its purpose? You’ll need to defeat the enemies on each floor and venture further to find out. Another Job, Lunamancer, has also been revealed. Specializing in debuffing enemies and wide-range magic, it uses the planet’s mass to its advantage.

In addition to growing crops, making food, and eating it, you can also partake in Cooking Deliveries. As you visit different towns, various residents may request a particular dish. If you deliver, they’ll pay you and even provide new recipes. There are also the Conellu Dolls, found in various locations and dungeons. Collecting these and giving them to Chief Conellu in his hideout can net some “great stuff.”

Harvestella launches on November 4th for Nintendo Switch and PC. Stay tuned for more details on its day-one update.

The classic shooter—originally released 11 years ago—has been critically acclaimed for the strategy afforded by its in-depth scoring system. The game provides players with 8 different weapon types to experiment with through its 5 difficulty settings.

A newly-added feature for the game in the Nintendo Switch port is the Story mode. Radiant Silvergun also features online leaderboards and rankings where players can compete with each other from around the world.

Radiant Silvergun also now has an Ikaruga mode, which is quite obviously inspired by one of the most critically-acclaimed shoot ’em ups of all time, Ikaruga. The mode essentially allows players to use Ikaruga’s rules and gameplay style to play through Radiant Silvergun.

However, more importantly, the publisher announced a free demo for the game. It’s out now for Nintendo Switch via the eShop and contains the “opening days” of your farm’s first season. If you purchase the full game, then your progress will transfer over.

Harvestella is out on November 4th for PC and Nintendo Switch. For more details on locations like Nemea, character stories and fishing, head here. You can also learn more about combat, Lethe Village, the Omens, and so on here. Stay tuned for additional details on the other seasons and crops that can be grown during them in the coming weeks.

Major releases like Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are included in the lineup, but are listed as “Mega Theater.” This could mean only trailers, and it remains to be seen if new footage will be showcased or not. At the very least, Final Fantasy 16 may receive some new details since producer Naoki Yoshida promised a new trailer this Fall.

In terms of live streams, Square Enix has a fairly hefty schedule. Check out some of the most noteworthy streams below.

• September 15th – Star Ocean Program Tokyo Game Show 2022 Special (8 PM JST), featuring new details and the first live gameplay of Star Ocean: The Divine Force.
• September 16th – Square Enix Trailer Lineup at Tokyo Game Show 2022 (5 PM JST), and SaGa Series Tokyo Game Show 2022 Special Broadcast  (7 PM JST). New trailers could be showcased at the former while the latter offers new details on the SaGa series. This includes Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered, Imperial SaGa Eclipse, and Romancing Saga Re;univerSe. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, Star Ocean: The Divine Force and Forspoken will also appear on Eiko Kano’s Critikano Hit Tokyo Game Show 2022 Special Episode at 10 PM JST.
• September 17th – Valkyrie Elysium and Harvestella Tokyo Game Show 2022 Special Broadcast (6:30 PM JST), featuring new details for both titles, and The DioField Chronicle Pre-Launch Special (7:45 PM JST) with live gameplay.
• September 18th – NieR: Automata End of YoRHa Edition for Switch Pre-Launch (2:30 PM JST), Tactics Ogre: Reborn Tokyo Game Show 2022 Special Broadcast (3:30 PM JST) with new information, and Final Fantasy 14: A Stroll with Yoshi-P in Tokyo Game Show 2022 (5 PM JST, Japanese-only) where producer and director Naoki Yoshida visits a public world in the MMO.

All streams will be broadcast on YouTube, Twitch and Niconico. For the list of titles and live streams, check out Square Enix’s official TGS 2022 site here. Stay tuned for more details and coverage throughout the week, especially with publishers Capcom and Konami confirmed.

Lethe Village is a Fall location (though it experiences all seasons), and the player awakens there after being saved by Dr Cres. After a meteorite lands north of the village, the protagonist stays in a vacant house to watch over it (and the Omen found inside). As with titles like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley, one is free to farm, embark on adventures and whatnot throughout the day. However, they’ll become more sleepy as time goes on and must retire for the night.

Along with a general store, Lethe has a blacksmith and renovator. Higan Canyon is also located nearby and the protagonist must venture there to find a girl who set out for the Seaslight. Interestingly, the Omen, known as Dianthus, tags along. Omens are considered the cause of the Quietus, a calamity that’s befalling the world between seasons. They carry out investigations on the Seaslights, though their motives – and overall involvement in the Quietus – are unknown.

A new Job is also detailed – Assault Savant. This Job uses science and martial arts and can switch the attributes and effects of its attacks with different skills. In combat, players can take advantage of four types of elemental weaknesses. Exploiting these fills the Break Gauge, dealing increased damage and allowing the use of special attacks. There are also Double Breaks, which are learned by bonding with comrades.

The Fall Produce has also been detailed and includes Lantern Pumpkin, Rainbow Bean, Royal Eggplant, and Princess Chestnut. Cuisine made using these materials includes Lantern Pumpkin Gratin, Lethe Egg King Cake, Tomato and Eggplant Cheese Bake, and Mont Blanc.

Other game features include letters, which contain gifts from the mayor and thanks from various NPCs (with some seemingly leading to new quests). You can also keep a pet, which serves as a mount while venturing through the world and may even dig up some interesting things. Leveling it up will strengthen it and increase its functionality.

Harvestella releases on November 4th for Nintendo Switch and PC.

There will also be a showcase of stages and strategies for the Splatfest World Premiere demo. The demo is currently available to download on Nintendo Switch, with some parts playable on August 25th. The Splatfest runs from 9 AM PT to 9 PM PT on August 27th and features three teams to choose from – Rock, Paper and Scissors.

Finally, the world-first gameplay for Square Enix’s Harvestella will also debut. Developed by Live Wire (Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights), the farming sim/role-playing game is out on November 4th for PC and Nintendo Switch. You can check out more details on Nemea, the Town of Spring, along with the new Sky Lancer Job and character stories here. Stay tuned for more details this Thursday when the presentation airs.

Get ready for a Nintendo Treehouse: Live presentation on 8/25 at 9:30am PT featuring 3 segments:

• A deep-dive into the all-new #Splatoon3 single-player mode

• Stages & strategies for the Splatfest World Premiere demo

• World-first gameplay for Harvestella pic.twitter.com/zQryJb9afa

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 23, 2022