Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar Preview – Preview

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma wasn’t the only farming-flavored game I was able to go hands on with recently. Another title I played at a recent preview event for developer Marvelous was Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, a remake of the 2010 DS game (at the time still under the Harvest Moon name). As the name implies, the unique aspect of this entry in the long-running series is the Grand Bazaar, a weekly marketplace where you can sell the fruits of your farming and production labor. Considering myself a Story of Season-ed veteran, I was excited to see what the return of the Grand Bazaar had in store.

After meeting larger-than-life character Mayor Felix, the first portion of the demo allowed me to explore my farm, some of the surrounding areas, and Zephyr Town itself. My first impression was that the visual aspect of this Story of Seasons had been improved over the games I’d played previously, namely Pioneers of Olive Town and Friends of Mineral Town. A new glider tool allows you to float down from higher points in Zephyr Town to other sections by catching a ride on the area’s signature winds. On particularly windy days, you can reach places that are even more out of the way. I was also able to take my horse for a stroll around the town and towards a race track area, but I didn’t get to partake in the competition. Another impression I kept coming back to is that the gameplay just felt snappy; it was easier to do what I wanted to do and the feedback and results of my actions were more immediate and satisfying. It does feel like there’s been a noticeable leap from past Story of Seasons entries to Grand Bazaar.

The second portion of the demo gave me the chance to partake in the relationship-building element, with a total of 12 romanceable characters (two of whom are new to the remake). My first interaction was with Jules, and the added voice work made the conversation more engaging and memorable. When I reviewed Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town in 2020, one of my primary issues was with the lack of depth to the conversations and relationship events; in my brief time with Grand Bazaar, I can see that much more thought has gone into the dialogue and the presentation of these encounters. Sophie, the mayor’s daughter, was the second eligible partner, and this scene took place inside the home she shared with her father, providing some neat backstory on their own relationship. I came away feeling much more motivated to get to know the townsfolk seeing how much deeper and more meaningful the relationship element of Grand Bazaar appears to be.

Given that it’s been about 15 years since the DS version of this Story of Seasons entry released in North America, it’s worth explaining the key mechanic that distinguishes Grand Bazaar from other games in the series. The titular Bazaar runs every Saturday and allows you to bring your veggies, milk, eggs, and other goods to market and sell them via a fairly simple but fun mini-game. Your fellow villagers become customers at your stall, where you set up a handful of items for sale and ring a bell to entice people to buy from you. As you progress through the game, you can expand the size of your stall and even boost your profits via a special event bestowed upon you by the various Nature Sprites. Raking in the bucks at the bazaar is much more compelling than just dropping your items off in a collection box, and it’s enjoyable to feel like you have more control over the commerce aspect of the game.

Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar seems like not only a massive upgrade over the original release; it’s also a noticeable step forward for the franchise as a whole. The attractive presentation and more compelling relationship scenes complement the tried-and-true farming mechanics, leading to what could be a must play for fans of the genre. I’m eager to see more of Grand Bazaar leading up to its August 27th release date, and we’ll have dedicated Switch impressions as part of our coverage, so stay tuned!