Review of Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Gosh, where do I even start with “Fantasy Life i”? This game kinda feels like if Animal Crossing and Zelda had, well, a wild night out and decided to merge their worlds. Sounds weird, right? But it works, somehow. You’ve got this kinda mash-up of chill life sim stuff and deep, dungeon-y adventuring. It’s like, you blink and suddenly you’ve sunk hours into it without a clue where your day went. Characters and the story? Haha, way goofier and more in-depth than you’d think for this type of game. You sorta get lost leveling up your jobs ‘cause it’s so easy and addicting, and they’ve somehow balanced everyday mundane tasks with gripping action perfectly. Seriously, after chopping wood and boss-slaying for over 50 hours, it’s like my personal game-of-the-year contender.

So, you start off like, “Oh cool, life sim. I know this story.” But then, bam, curveballs. You think it’s gonna be all about mining and fishing and helping out the local folks – which it is – but before you know it, you’re in this giant world battling colorful monsters and piecing together puzzles. Oh, and suddenly, you’re building a village. Just when you think you’re in stride, it pulls the rug out from under you with roguelike dungeon crawls. It’s got this whole keep-you-guessing vibe. Like, one minute you’re chopping wood, thinking it’s all routine, then out pops this massive tree boss that’s like, “Nope, not today.” And even post-credits, the game throws new stuff at you. Honestly, it’s bonkers.

You know how some games just try to smush every possible feature in and end up doing none of them well? Yeah, this isn’t one of those. I remember being in this cave, like, fishing boss fights – who’d have thought that could be fun? But here I was, thoroughly entertained. The whole life sim thing – leveling careers, running errands for villagers, pimping out your house – it’s right up there with the best in the genre. The combat, exploring, just gearing up and honing skills – it’s all simplified, sure, not stressful, but engaging enough. This laid-back feel is all over the place.

Oh man, the story! There’s time travel, magic, dragons – adventure central! Plus, this place, Reveria, it’s crazy! You pick a gig from these jobs called Lives, and you’re off on this weird, sometimes silly, but really captivating journey. Edward, the archaeologist, cracked me up, and this bird, Trip, never stopped with the sass. Sure, the third act drags, goes a bit cliche, but compared to other games that kinda just ignore story, this one leans in heavily. It was a nice twist.

Beyond saving this world, it’s mostly about chilling, like, jumping between jobs, grinding out skills, helping folks out. It’s that typical life sim treadmill – start something, and waaaay later you’re like, “How’d I end up here?” You craft, need a new material, start a quest chain, and suddenly you’ve got a backlog of things to do and make. There’s fishing and bug catching, nothing revolutionary, but like The Sims, you’re just sucked in.

Though, lemme tell you, the grind gets real. I was like, “How many trees am I chopping today?” The repeated button-mashing in crafting was kind of a buzzkill. Fantasy Life i gives you ways to dodge the dreary bits, thankfully – you can skip stuff when you’re sick of it. It’s like when you’re on resource overkill mode, hunting rare finds instead of endless farming.

And then there’s your patch of land – like, the whole Animal Crossing vibe without the full works. Crafting, gifting for friendships, town decor – it’s all there. More shallow than New Horizons for sure, but it’s a sweet downtime activity between your blacksmithing shifts and monster hunts. Gotta stash all your loot somewhere, right?

But hold up, it’s not just about cozy nooks and crannies. There’s combat, open-world exploration, roguelike stages! Fantasy Life i pushes more into action and adventure than other hybrid sims do. Four combat-focused Lives – Paladin, Mercenary, Hunter, Magician – and all these cool abilities to unlock. Yeah, it’s basic battling, but still, a welcome relief after a fruit-picking spree.

Roaming these open spaces, you’ve got resources everywhere, enemies to take on, even some light puzzling. After mingling with townsfolk or crafting for hours, this adventuring breathes new life. From mountaintop climbs to looting mimics and unlocking companions, there’s this whole new level of discovery. Companions tag along and help level up skills, which is super rewarding. But they do kinda repeat themselves to the point where I’d be muttering for some peace and quiet.

There’s this roguelike mode, though – a twist on the dungeon idea, merging usual skills with new challenges. Every room’s got an objective, gathering veggies, fishing – all under a timer. It’s linear compared to the open-world map, but great for grinding. Multiplayer, funny enough, isn’t really a highlight. You can show off your digs or battle bosses with pals, though sessions are weirdly timed. Still, clearing dungeons with friends rocks and gives better rewards – nice to see you can unite with buddies. But, yeah, this part didn’t feel as fleshed out as the rest.

Man, this game is a trip – in every way.