Recently, Nintendo revealed a lineup of games that would be appearing later this winter and early next year. One of the understated titles that was shown off in a Nintendo Direct sizzle was Rune Factory 5. Rune Factory 5 was first announced last year in September, and is a sequel to the 3DS game from eight years ago. A full trailer was eventually uploaded to YouTube, showcasing some of the important features that will be present in this game. One of the most important features that will be coming to the western release of Rune Factory 5 is a highly-requested one, as it has to do with marriage.
Rune Factory 5 is the latest entry in the series, which is a spin-off of the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons franchise that boasts a heavier focus on RPG mechanics alongside with the series' staple life simulator elements. Players are able to fight and tame monsters, craft items, explore dungeons, and level up while they tend to crops and befriend villagers, like usual. With enough time, players are able to date and eventually marry any of the Rune Factory NPCs, regardless of the player's gender.
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As detailed in some blog posts posted after the Nintendo Direct, the process of this mechanic's implementation started back in 2018, with the release of Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town paving the way. Rune Factory 5 in particular has 12 eligible partners that the player can marry, with no adherence to gender restrictions. According to the blog post, the concept of same-sex marriage in the game was first proposed in 2020, which is when the English localization process started.
In the beginning, the development of Rune Factory 5 started without the inclusion of same-sex marriage in mind. However, after consulation with the development team and producers at Marvelous Entertainment, it was agreed that its inclusion was important. As such, the new Rune Factory marriage options to be implemented. The process took a lot of different teams coming together in order to get it working properly and deliver an inclusive experience, as brand new cutscenes and a stamp design change was necessary for these same-sex marriage options.
The last part of the blog post notes just how proud the localization team was in fighting to bring this feature into reality. XSeed Games also thanked the many fans who have been patiently asking for this representation to be included, with the developer sharing its hopes that Rune Factory 5 will deliver a wonderful experience for all players.
Rune Factory 5 will launch March 22, 2022 on the Nintendo Switch.