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During Marvelous' Game Showcase 2024 we were finally given another look at the newest entry in the Story of Seasons series (previously known as Harvest Moon in the west). Although details are still scarce, the developers wanted to give us a look on the graphical upgrade the series has received, and wanted to let us know about some of the new features the game will offer.

New Features:

More Detailed World

The biggest change to the series is the graphical overhaul. Everything from textures, to models, to the environment in general has been completely rebuilt from the ground up. This was done to make the world feel more alive than ever before, with a great focus on bringing out the beauty of each season. Some of the improvements include, but are not limited to:

• Extra details and creatures added to the overall world (such as hermit crabs and cicadas on trees)
• New lighting effects to bring out the night sky, and show off the beauty of fireworks.
• Redesigned crops
• Redesigned livestock
• New weather effects such as snow storms/blizzards and high wind conditions
  
• A full 3D camera (rather than having fixed camera angles) 
• A more open world style design
  
• And an overall fresh new cellshaded art style

The Glider

A new glider item has also been added to help with traversal. With the new more open ended world design, a new glider allows you to catch the wind and glide across the open fields after jumping off of ledges. 

Return of Pets and Fan Favorite Animals

The pet system has returned. While only Dogs and Cats are currently announced, it was mentioned in the showcase that "furry friends" in general would be added to the game. Past Story of Seasons games had other options, so it's possibly the same here as well.

Of course it also wouldn't be a Story of Seasons game if fan favorite farm animals didn't return. The trailer showed off most of the livestock we've come to know and love from the previous games. Everything from cows, to buffalo, to chickens, to sheep, to llamas appear to be here. 

And that's it! For now...

It's clear that this game is still in the works, with not a lot of new information being released at this time. Last year they let us know it and a multiplayer focused Story of Seasons was in the works, but this is our first time getting any real look at the game. That being said, as development continues we're sure to get more and more updates as we get closer to release.