History VideoGame / RuneFactory4

''Rune Factory 4'' was released in Japan on July 19th, 2012 by [=MarvelousAQL=] while North American version was released by Creator/XSEEDGames on October 1st, 2013. [=ZenUnited=] later announced plans to release the game in Europe during Spring 2014, [[http://www.siliconera.com/2014/01/20/rune-factory-4-european-release-cancelled/ but possibly due to Neverland Co. filing for bankruptcy,]] the game was cancelled for release in European countries. However, on October 3rd, 2014, Creator/XSEEDGames announced plans to release Rune Factory 4 in Europe and later released December 11th, 2014 on the Nintendo eShop. An UpdatedRerelease for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch was confirmed during a Nintendo Direct on February 13, 2019, and was released on February 25, 2020. The rerelease was later announced at E3 2021 to be ported to UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and Steam, and was released on those platforms on December 7, 2021.

* AccidentalGoodOutcome: Lin Fa's trait is she is a very absent-minded woman, but it always comes out right for her, she forgot a customer's order? the customer thanks her because they're on a diet, among other improbable good turns that baffles the main character.

* AccidentalGoodOutcome: In "WORLD RECORD BREAKING!!!", Chris and Ian attempt to break the world record for the world's largest head tower. Ian forgets to contact the air marshal to make sure no airplanes accidentally knock over the tower, but the data is recorded in time and Chris and Ian celebrate with a midair high-five before attempting to break an additional world record for the longest midair high-five. As they do this, they end up breaking a third world record for the most head injuries caused in a minute as air traffic knocks over the head tower, which Ian does feel slightly guilty for causing.

* CrateExpectations: Crates can be found in dungeons and in some parts of Selphia Plain. They can be broken by attacks or by throwing them at enemies, both which sometimes reveal items. However, crates found in some of the dungeons owned by the Sechs are explosive that can hurt Lest/Frey if they are too close.

* PowerFist: This game introduces Fist weapons, which take the form of gloves that are used to punch enemies. Lest/Frey can also use Fist weapons to pick up enemies they've hit, leading to a [[WrestlerInAllOfUs few]] [[HumanHammerThrow follow up attacks.]]

* OutsideTheBoxTactic: You can throw an Object X at enemies to cripple them with every status effect possible. While somewhat superfluous during normal gameplay this tactic can be very useful in low level runs. It can cripple Hover series of enemies found in the Floating Empire as their bullet attack counts as a magic attack and the sealing effect of Object X deprives them of their only means of attack.

* OutsideTheBoxTactic: You can throw an Object X at enemies to cripple them with every status effect possible. While somewhat superfluous during normal gameplay this tactic can be very useful in low level runs.

* PowerCopying: By upgrading staff weapons with unique enemy drops, the staff's charge attacks change to that of the monster that material came from. For example, upgrading a staff with the Bane Dragon's Electro Crystal will allow the staff to use the boss' electric attacks.

* TagAlongKid: Lest/Frey can take their child into dungeons with them. One part of the map within the wintery Sechs Territory requires the player's spouse and child to be tagging along to unblock the path.

* {{Bishonen}}: Leon, Vishnal, and Dylas are all very pretty with long hair.

** Holding the grab button will have your character grabbing the same type of item regardless of level, which can be very helpful.

* LeakedExperience: Monsters in your barn gain 50% of your combat EXP. This is particularly useful for monsters that drop items in the barn every day, as that item's level depends on the monster's level.

* SerialEscalation: Unlike the first three games Selphia has more areas than the town and the seasonal dungeons there are far more non-mandatory locations and dungeon to explore now with lots of secrets sprinkled across the maps. You can invite two party members instead of one.
** Statuses and damage numbers are bigger and larger. Whereas the previous game strongest equipment rarely broke the 500 ATK, in this game if you don't break the ''thousands'' stat wise you probably won't survive the final areas of Arc 3.

* StatusBuff: As it was with ''VideoGame/Rune Factory3'', if you have Sun Pendant equipped on Lest/Frey it'll give a big stat buff to any townsfolk of Selphia following them. The effects work separately from the PowerUpFood and both can be stacked.

** Monsters have "EV training" mechanic meaning that they can grow far stronger if you take your time to defeat certain monsters before you start leveling them up. There's no mention of this mechanic anywhere in the game let alone what monsters help grow what statuses.

* AntiFrustrationFeatures: This game brings a good number of positive quality of life changes which is impressive given how much the previous game already had improved.

* AntiFrustrationFeatures:

* ShoutOut:
** [[ApocalypticLog The diary found in Obsidian Manor.]] [[BloodStainedLetter It hurts.]] [[CouldntFindAPen It hurts.]] [[RuleOfThree It hurts.]] [[PosthumousNarration It hurts.]] [[MadnessMantra It hurts.]] [[VideoGame/ChzoMythos It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.]] [[OverlyLongGag It hurts.]]
** Vishnal was inspired to become a butler by a man named [[Manga/BlackButler Sebastian]] who despite being amazing dedicated all his efforts to making his master look even more impressive.
** The game also has a few Franchise/{{Pokemon}} references. Dolce quotes the "I choose you" line and tries to send Pico to use Thunderbolt, and Pico comments on how it would have been super effective if she could use it. Clorica makes a pun off of Tentacool and Tentacruel at the Squid Catch Festival. And then there's Amber quoting a certain Youngster:
--> '''Amber''': "[[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} I like juices. They're yummy]] [[MemeticMutation and easy to drink]]."
** The bath section of the bathhouse is named Bell Bath (and Beyond).
** According to their description, the Power Gloves [[Film/TheWizard are so bad]].
** There is a NPC who would love to go dungeon crawling, [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim but he took an arrow to the knee a few years back]]
** Amber at one point asks Forte "Are you a gumshoe, pal?" Just like Detective Gumshoe.
** You can craft or find a [[Film/TheFifthElement Ruby Rod]]. Its flavor text suggests "[[LargeHam No one can stop the feelings gushing out from this weapon.]]"
** The description for the [[RapidFireFisticuffs Rush Punch]] skill promises: "Enemies are [[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar already dead]]."
** If Frey marries Arthur, when he asks for kids he'll ask her [[spoiler:[[Manga/{{Inuyasha}} "Would you please bear my child?"]]]]
** One town event has Volkanon yell out the memetic "I've fallen and I can't get up!" line from the Life Alert commercials.
** During the [[HopeSpot Hope Spot]], Porcoline has a voice clip where he says, "Show me your moves!"
** The wooden baseball bat's description mentions that [[VideoGame/{{Mother}} only kids in striped shirts makes a weapon like this their first choice]].
** The Twin Leeks weapon contains a number of stat boosts that equal [[Music/{{Vocaloid}} 39]], and using them will make you want to sing polka.
** Upon flying to [[spoiler: The Floating Island]] your airship is attacked by monsters, after defeating them Arthur praises your fighting skills, in which you could be humble, or say "Gimme More!" If you say the latter, Arthur will reply "You're like a Tiger! You're GRRRRRRREAT!", referencing the Frosted Flakes tagline and tiger mascot.
** If the player gets in a relationship with Margaret, when she attempts to tell the player she loves him, she will first attempt to confess, but then claim that there's a "Wooly doing the [[Manga/{{Bleach}} Leekspin]]" behind them; after marrying her, she'll be able to get past the love part of the word... only to then stop short and say [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure To be continued...]]
** The order to let Raven stay home instead of coming to Selphia every day ends with ([[Series/ThatsSoRaven That's so her!]]).
** When you have the fortune teller assess your compatibility with a party member, she chants [[Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse "Mekka lekka hi... mekka hiney ho!"]]
** Illuminata has a number of shoutouts herself:
*** She yells "[[Franchise/{{AceAttorney}} OBJECTION!]]" in at least one scene.
*** Illuminata also has a voice clip where she says "No need, [[Literature/SherlockHolmes my dear Watson!]]"
*** One of the exchanges which can happen during a harvest festival:
-->'''Illuminata:'''"[[TabletopGame/{{Clue}} It was you, on your farmland, with the hoe]]! I accuse you of growing that crop!"
-->'''Lest/Frey:'''''(Possible answer)'': "Yes, [[WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids and your dragon!]]"
** Some of the pet names during the Buddy Battle festival are shout outs to other franchises:
*** Vishnal called one of his combat pets [[Manga/BlackButler Sebastian]] after the man who inspired him to become a butler. The other's name? [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Alfred]].
*** Clorica's beloved fighting duo are called [[Series/KamenRiderBlack Kotaro]] and [[Series/KamenRiderBlackRX Minami]].
*** Xiao Pai, keeping with her comic relief motif, named her two buddies [[Anime/ExcelSaga Menchi]] and [[Creator/ShinichiWatanabe Nabeshin]].

-->'''Lest/Frey:'''''(Possible answer)'':"Yes, [[WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids and your dragon!]]"

* HappyEndingOverride: [[spoiler:The end of Arc 1 finishes with all Guardians rescued and Ventuswill no longer in danger thanks to the Rune Spheres, but then the Sechs Empire decides to make their move. And then there's a second one where after defeating Ethelberd and saving Selphia Ventuswill reveals she was on borrowed time and is send to the Forest of Beginnings...]]

* InterspeciesRomance: While Lest and Frey are humans, they can court Margaret, an elf; Doug, a dwarf; or the former boss monsters: Amber, Dylas, Dolce, and Leon (who were human before, but now possess monster-like traits, such as tails for Dylas and Leon).

** Forte as well.

* BoringButPractical: Toast can be a good early to mid RP recover food. All you need are two Flours and an Oven with a relatively low Cooking skill to make; 8 for Bread and 21 for Toast.

* HappyEndingOverride: [[spoiler:The end of Arc 1 finishes with all Guardians rescued and Ventuswill no longer in danger thanks to the Rune Spheres. But then the Sechs Empire decides to make their move...]]

** Although you still have access to seasonal fields, you can grow any type of crop in your farms during any season, although their growth speed will suffer if you try to raise them in unfavorable seasons, even more if its an outright stated poor season. This way you don't have to worry about getting all your crops withering and dying if you miscalculated the time you needed for them to fully grow.

** [[spoiler:The Sechs Floating Empire for Arc 2. Ethelberd's gigantic flying fortress where he threatens to attack Selphia should Lest/Frey try to avoid the battle against him. Ventuswill's life is also at stake since Ethelberd holds the last Rune Sphere.]]
** [[spoiler:Rune Prana for Arc 3. The place where Lest/Frey must venture into in order to bring back Ventuswill from the Forest of Beginnings. [[BossBonanza Chock-full of bosses, many of them from previous games]] and with enemies having power far beyond the last dungeon of the regular game.]]