Faming simulators are known for creating worlds for us to throw ourselves into, so it’s not too surprising that Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar—a remake of the 2010 DS game—follows suit. But, instead of just being your bog standard, friendly but still somewhat stand-offish farming simulator setting, there is something incredibly special about Zephyr Town. Whether you’re speaking to its human inhabitants or interacting with its nature sprites, it feels like everyone really has a place here, and before long it’ll sink its small town claws into you too.
It sounds pretty obvious, stating that every character in a game has a place there. But what I mean is everyone works in tandem with one another to create the kind of community spirit I haven’t experienced in a farming simulator before. Each character still has their own stories and routines, but their lives are so intertwined with one another it’s hard to really see them as standalone units. It feels different to a game like Stardew Valley, or even other Story of Seasons remakes—Friends of Mineral Town or A Wonderful Life—where each character knows what they’re doing, and sticks to it without showing much care for anyone else.
Each time you speak to someone in Zephyr Town, they’ll bring someone else into the conversation as soon as they get the opportunity. Whether that’s saying something along the lines of “did you hear what they said to that person?” or “I heard from so-and-so that you…” there’s always someone to talk about. These small interactions helped me feel far more involved in the going-ons of the community without having to constantly interact with each person. Even though that’s also made easier with the addition of the call out button, which lets you run past groups of people and greet them all in passing as your daily conversation.
Once I’d dealt with all my crops, pet and fed my animals, taken materials to the windmills to craft with, and stocked my stall for the upcoming bazaar, there was little to no time in a day for in-depth conversations with every single one of Zephyr Town’s inhabitants. I’d happily take the notes from other people if it meant I could still get all of my chores done before my stamina ran out and my avatar once again threatened to pass out.
There’s still the initial uncertainty of a new character infiltrating their town—there always is with games like this—so it takes time to develop these friendships. Depending on how often you’re stopping for a chat, it could be a while before you’re trusted enough by others for them to speak more openly about what’s happening. But once you’ve reassured the locals that you are capable of helping them re-establish the town as a solid location for a weekly bazaar, everyone is keen to learn more about you and is more than willing to stop for a conversation.
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Interactions mentioning other people can sometimes be vital to getting information about the preferences of characters too, which is incredibly handy when you realise there are no guidebooks for gift giving here. There is little to no guidance on how to earn the affection of other characters, besides vague phrases like “Dislikes: quick bites” and “Likes: yellow.” Whereas the conversations you have as you develop deeper friendships will reveal things like a character’s favourite meal, or a fond memory they share involving a specific item you can conveniently craft in a windmill.
Outside of talking about one another, the community spirit is echoed through the favours you’re asked to complete and the events that occur throughout the year—helping the game feel more unified. For example, there’s a friendly rivalry between vendors at the bazaar to see who can make the most money (though conveniently, it’s always you) and everyone will always sing your praises if you win a competition such as the pet show or the horse derby.
If there’s one thing to remember though, it’s that no one in Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar misses an opportunity to talk about you either. The amount of times I’ve completely forgotten to check how much stamina I have before heading to the mountains to mine, and ended up hitting one too many rocks and passing out is frankly embarrassing. But to make matters worse, I haven’t just been able to dust myself off and get back to work the next day. Oh no. Every single character has been talking about you and what could’ve happened while you were out, and will express their concern to you whenever you get around to speaking to them next.
Occasionally you’ll get the odd telling off too, especially from Lloyd who, in his defence, does express the importance of not overworking yourself from the day you meet him. You’re bound to make some mistakes as a first time farmer. Yet as embarrassing as it was the first time this happened, it definitely made me feel like the people of Zephyr Town did care for their new resident. Not in an overbearing, doting way either. In the exact same way you’d care for a friend if they suddenly fell unwell in real life, which only reinforces this feeling of being so involved in their world.
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