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One of the exciting announcements made during the recent Nintendo Direct includes a reveal trailer for a special version of Marvelous Games' farm RPG Rune Factory 3. The company also teased that a new entry to the Rune Factory series will be coming in the future, likely generating a lot of excitement for the avid player base of the farming RPGs.
This is the second time in the entire Rune Factory series that Marvelous Games has made a special version of one of its titles. Rune Factory 4, though originally released for the Nintendo 3DS, made its way to the Nintendo Switch through the Rune Factory 4 Special version. Given how long game production usually takes, it seems quite strategic for the company to re-release an older title to allot time for the team to develop a new one while satisfying the community's demand for a Rune Factory game.
During the September 2022 Nintendo Direct, Marvelous Games released a short video trailer for Rune Factory 3 Special. According to the footage, players will get fully updated, high-definition graphics and new 3D models for all the game's characters compared to the original DS version. The gameplay featured in the trailer showcased interactions between characters in Rune Factory 3 Special, a bit of dungeon crawling and battle action, as well as the farming aspect of the remaster. Unfortunately, the trailer only revealed that the remaster will be released in 2023, so fans will have to wait for official updates on the exact launch date of the game.
The Rune Factory 3 Special trailer also shared that a new mode will be added for those who want to spend more time with their chosen partner in the game. This is a feature that was also implemented in the Nintendo Switch version of Rune Factory 4. At the end of the trailer, Marvelous Games teased that a new Rune Factory title will be coming sometime in the future. Though the video did not reveal any crucial details, fans will likely consider this as the sixth title in the series or possibly "Rune Factory 6."
Even though Rune Factory 3 Special does not have a release date yet, there are still other games in the farming RPG series that the player base can dive into. Both Rune Factory 4 Special and Rune Factory 5 are available on multiple platforms such as the Nintendo Switch, Steam, PS4, and more. Hopefully Marvelous Games shares more information about the remaster soon as many in the community would likely love to retrace their steps in the old Nintendo DS title.
Rune Factory 3 Special is in development for the Nintendo Switch and will release in 2023.