Interview: Creating Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life and Its Characters

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a chance for more people to meet iconic characters and experience one of the more unusual entries in the series. It’s a completely different way of (virtual) life. Especially since with so many farming sims, the focus can be on min-maxing the endeavor. Here, it’s almost more relaxed, as you are carefully balancing your relationships with family and friends with your farming. To help learn more about the remake, Siliconera spoke with Director Rika Hoshina about the project.

Jenni Lada: How did you get started in the gaming industry, and what led to you becoming a director on Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life?

Rika Hoshina: I joined Marvelous mid-career in 2020 as a member of the Story of Seasons team. Right after I joined the company, one of my first jobs was to work on Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life as one of the project planners. It’s hard to pinpoint what specific moment led to it, but one day while I was pouring all my love and dedication into Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, I was approached by the producer, Hikaru Nakano, and he asked if I would like to become the director of the game. The position came with a great deal of challenges, but I was able to collaborate with our team members both in Japan and overseas.

When did development begin on Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, and what led to it being the next classic Bokujou Monogatari game to be revived?

Hoshina: Project proposals first began in spring of 2020, and actual development began in fall of that year. I joined the project in fall 2020, shortly after development began.

Hikaru Nakano, the producer who first proposed this project, has told me that two key factors made this remake possible. First, there was a lot of enthusiasm for it from team members who work on overseas versions of our titles, as the original is quite popular in the West, and second, timing, internal resources, and staff availability all aligned perfectly.

What sorts of new events can people expect with romance options in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life?

Hoshina: We added new romance scenes after the player has proposed to their future spouse. Each marriage candidate gets completely unique moments just for them, but all of the scenes are quite romantic.
It’s a chance to truly see the person you’ll spend your life with as a romantic partner, not just a friend or family member. I hope you can enjoy this new side of the game.

Screenshot by Siliconera

Hoshina: The biggest reason is that we feel Gordy is very appealing! We also wanted to make an already existing character into a new marriage candidate.

In the DS version of the game Bokujo Monogatari: Korobokkuru Station), many years have passed since A Wonderful Life. Although the characters share the same appearance as characters from A Wonderful Life, they are different characters with their own personalities and stories. So it stands to reason that the characters from the two titles would behave differently.

The DS version of the game and A Wonderful Life are totally different games in the first place. If we chose the same exact marriage candidates as we had in the DS version, those who play both may notice the characters’ personalities not entirely matching up. We wanted to try something new to avoid this disconnect.

How different is Gordy in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, following his appearance in Bokujo Monogatari: Korobokkuru Station/Harvest Moon DS? What elements of his personality did you keep or change?

With Gordy he’s still that combination of sincerity, honesty, and awkward kindness that makes him an extremely attractive partner but the passion he has for art is redirected at his married life and family in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life.

Actually, we’re excited for fans to experience all of the marriage candidates in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life; there’s more depth to each character’s personality and backstory that fans may not expect but will find refreshing.

Image via XSEED Games

Hoshina: Yes, like Gordy, fans can expect updates and deeper backgrounds to existing marriage candidates as well. For example, while Lumina has matured, she’s still a bit insecure and trying to figure out who she is. So she needs a partner who will lend an ear and advise her on her insecurities before falling in love with them.

Did the team adjust farming balancing in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life? Are melons, strawberries, and tomatoes still good investments?

Hoshina: Yes. We have adjusted the entire in-game economy, which includes farming, and redesigned the balance so that you can make more money with ease. As for lucrative crops and dishes… I hope that you will play and experiment yourself to see which ones make the most money!

In the original Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, the child’s personality tended to be influenced by the character you married. How does the child’s development work now?

Your child in the original also looked up to the player and their partner. The interests and skills of the child would be influenced by the actions and relations of the protagonist before settling into their own path.

In addition to that, now your child resembles your partner! Please enjoy watching them grow into themselves.

In the original Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, there ended up being a “Heaven” chapter with an endless play. How did the team handle this for the new version of the game?

Hoshina: We have also prepared a seventh chapter this time around which allows you to focus on end game challenges after beating the main story. In chapter seven, the flow of time differs from the previous chapters, allowing you to relax and enjoy your life on the farm. This gives you the freedom to play as you like and accomplish anything you weren’t able to complete previously.

What concepts or ideas would you most like to explore in future Story of Seasons games?

As announced in our recent “Marvelous Game Showcase 2023” video, one of the upcoming ideas for future Story of Seasons games is “a Story of Seasons you can play with everyone.” I…can’t reveal any details yet. We will continue to work to make Story of Seasons fun and exciting for all our fans, and we look forward to your continued support.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is available for the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.