A collaboration between Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town and Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin will soon see Story of Seasons players able to dress up as everyone’s favourite harvest goddess. From September 15 to September 30, the “Princess Sakuna’s Heavenly Garb” outfit will be available as free DLC for Olive Town.
This announcement comes as part of Marvelous’ 25th anniversary celebrations for Story of Seasons, the first game of which launched in Japan in August 1996. The crossover is a natural fit, really—both games are farming simulations, albeit very different in style and tone, and they share a publisher in Marvelous Games. To be able to dress like Sakuna while tending your farm and hanging out with the Olive Town locals is an appealing one, and like all clothing options in Pioneers of Olive Town, the Heavenly Garb won’t be gender-restricted.
Additionally, Marvelous announced a PC release of Pioneers of Olive, which until now has been exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. It launches on Steam on September 15 (September 16 for Australia and New Zealand, due to time zones), with a 10% pre-order discount off the standard price of NZD $49.99. And yes, the Heavenly Garb will be available in the Steam version, too.
Rounding out the Story of Seasons news dump is the reveal of Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the very good Friends of Mineral Town remake, which came out last year for Nintendo Switch and PC. In Japan, it’s coming to Xbox One on October 27 and to PlayStation 4 on November 25; dates haven’t been announced for a worldwide release, but they’re set for this southern spring / northern fall.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town launched earlier this year, staying true to the comfy farm life sim the series is known for while also taking it in some interesting new directions. Some frustrations held it back from its full potential, but Marvelous has been working ongoing post-launch updates to resolve some of the most troublesome issues, like the busywork needed to keep Maker machines producing resources. It was still a great game at launch despite those nuisances, but it’s in a much better state now, making it much easier to enjoy its charms.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, meanwhile, launched late last year. Its brilliant combination of surprisingly detailed farming sim, action platforming, and a story that effortlessly blends playful energy and colourful characters with a rich exploration of Japanese mythology and rice farming tradition turned it into a runaway hit (and my own game of the year, among a tough crowd)—an impressive achievement for the three-person studio behind it.