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Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)

Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)

A Special Vision of the Future?

Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon on the PSP was a pretty good game. Sure, it stuck to the generic farm-to-save-the-world plotline that is the cornerstone of the Harvest Moon franchise, but its departure from the series as a “futuristic” title set it apart and made it one of the better Harvest Moon titles out there. There were all kinds of machines and robots that you could use to interact with, and the possibilities for farm growth were much greater in this game than in previous Harvest Moon titles.

Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon screenshot

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I’m guessing that the folks at Natsume have realized that this previously PSP-only title was one of the best in the series and have recently ported it over to the PS2 in the form of Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon (Special Edition). But for all points and purposes, the PS2 version is basically the same as the PSP version. It is still pretty fun if you have never played the PSP version, and is definitely worth a playthough if you are a completion-obsessed person when it comes to Harvest Moon. But beware, there are a few pitfalls in the PS2 version of this game.

The game starts you off as an “Innocent Life” model robot. You don’t quite know why you were created, but your main job is to go to a very remote part of Heartflame Island and farm amongst the ruins of an ancient lost city. You eventually come to learn, through talking and interacting with various townspeople that the island is facing imminent demise from earth spirits who are unhappy that the residents of Heartflame island have given into the convenience of industry and have forgotten their traditional roots as an agricultural people. This spirit is said to control a volcano on Heartflame Island, and if it gets upset enough, then many people believe that the volcano will blow. So essentially, the plan is to build a robot that can farm very efficiently, and make the earth spirits happy again. So yes, you are farming to save the world. Again.

Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon screenshot

But the point of Harvest Moon has never really been its most distinguishable feature. Indeed it has always been the farm simulation that has captured the hearts of the Harvest Moon faithful. And, for the most part, this title does everything you would want the Harvest Moon series to do. You start off with an expansive rooftop farm that is in terrible shape. Although there is certainly a great deal of potential, it is bogged down with large stones, and most of it was paved over with ceramic tile. But once you start farming on the small plot that is usable, you’ll find that the rest of your rooftop opens up rather quickly. But as I said before, the farm area is huge, and is way too much to deal with all by yourself. And since you are a robot, it’s rather hard to recruit a girlfriend to help you out. So what’s an overworked android to do? Well, this is a futuristic Harvest Moon, and there are robots and machines that will be able to help you. Though not available immediately, you will be able to unlock robots that will assist you with your chores. You will also eventually be able to get livestock that you will have to raise.

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Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon screenshot

In addition to raising animals and growing crops, there is a secondary goal for your character. Because he is a robot, he is not really well-liked in the community. His personal goal is to become more human. The game provides many opportunities for this type of development. You can go around talking to people, watch TV, or even learn how to cook in order to facilitate your progress as a person. This facet is probably what makes Innocent Life the most unique Harvest Moon title to date, and it really adds some depth to the game.

Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon screenshot

Since this version is the “Special Edition” of a pre-existing game, I feel compelled to say a few words about the differences between the two versions. There are a few new events that can be triggered in the game, and a handy dictionary/index system that helps you keep tract of your farm activity. And that is about it. Honestly if you have already played this game on the PSP, then there is no real reason to pick up the PS2 version.

And if you haven’t played the PSP version, I would still recommend the PSP version because while the two games are basically similar as far as content is concerned, Innocent Life looks a lot better on the PSP. When you look at the PS2 game, it looks like a super-sized PSP game, and this is a huge problem. Proportions look all wrong for a game that is supposed to be played on a full-sized screen, and everything just looks a little dull. If the team that produced the Special Edition could have given the graphics the proverbial once-over then I don’t think it would have been so bad, but this game honestly looks like someone just plugged in their PSP and was playing it onscreen.

Overall I would only recommend this game to people who have never played the original and do not own a PSP. It is a perfectly good game, but I feel that the handheld version is just a little better in the visuals department, and the new game’s special features hardly make up for its poor look. But it is definitely a fun game, and I would recommend any version of the game to fans of the Harvest Moon franchise. It is a completely fresh approach to the franchise, and is a blast to play no matter which version you end up having.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 2.5 Graphics
Worked well on the PSP, but looks out of place on the PS2. Characters look too big and environments are too small for a game meant for a full size screen. 3.0 Control
Work well enough, although having the triangle button as your action button feels a little weird. 4.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Score is quite good. There are some parts where the music stops, but it’s ok because it’s generally while you are reading, doing something important or in a cave. 3.5 Play Value
It’s a pretty lengthy title as far as Harvest Moon games go, but if you’ve already played it on the PSP the special features on the PS2 version (or lack thereof) do not merit a repurchase. 3.0 Overall Rating – Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Use futuristic farming tools as you grow a variety of crops!
  • Tons of new events!
  • Register all the items you unlock in a new dictionary system!

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    We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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