• Publisher: Natsume
  • Release Date: Sep 30, 2008
Metascore
65 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 18
  2. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Tree Of Tranquillity will please both the newcomers and the fans of the brand. By reducing the complexity of some actions and enriching the gameplay’s structure it stands in the series’ high spots. There are some issues: festival are less fun than usual, and the character design differs a lot from the classic. But these are collateral elements, and those who are looking for a solid Harvest Moon experience will find what they want.
  2. It has made progress in the social simulation, going from simple mechanics to a quite realist simulation, and it could be a pleasant surprise for players looking for a quiet game.
  3. Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility is a cute little farm simulation game with some decent additional features. However, even with the new features, it’s still too similar to past games in the series so if you have played these games in the past and they didn’t take, this won’t recharge your farming batteries – but dedicated fans should get their money’s worth.
  4. If you are really into farming, and don’t mind the repetitive tendencies of the series, then Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility is a solid entry and definitely worth your time.
  5. Lame controls, rubbish camera, loads of crappy loading pauses. It seems very cheap. [Jan 2009, p.66]
  6. Basically the same old Harvest Moon formula with a few new features, but a pleasant little diversion from the pressures and pace of real life - and good value for money.
  7. Bottom line: if you expect nothing out of the Tree of Tranquility except the same old same old, then this will do the trick. [Oct 2008, p.106]
  8. 65
    In the end, Tree of Tranquility is a decent - but at times, weak - first offering on Wii, and while we had a good time playing it, we couldn't help but think of the better times the series has already seen, and hopefully the better it has ahead.
  9. The problem is that the game feels phoned in, from the tacked-on motion controls to the scan tutorial system that assumed you've already played every other Harvest Moon game. [Oct 2008, p.90]
  10. Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility is not the right game for everyone and there are a lot of mistakes that make the game less fun. Loading screens, the missing of voice-overs, repeating gameplay and controls that aren’t that great are examples of that. There is a lot to do on Waffle Island, maybe for weeks or even months!
  11. The old gameplay is still the same. If you aren't afraid of that, or if you're a new fan of the series, you could have fun with this Harvest Moon episode. Even if there are tons of loading times and some old gen graphics.
  12. 60
    Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility has all the staples of a successful Harvest Moon title as well as a few new welcome additions, but it's not without its flaws.
  13. Old school Harvest Moon-style, with all the positive and negative things that follows with that.
  14. With only minimal improvements to a well-worn formula, the Harvest Moon series is starting to show its age.
  15. Tree of Tranquility is very much the essence that this franchise has always dealt with. We have to harvest a different number of fields, looking forward to earn some money, to marry and all that familiar stuff that we should know very well at the date. There's nothing particularly wrong with the game, but lacks some new additions like the one's we've seen in Rune Factory.
  16. 60
    Combine the sub-par sound with the repetitive gameplay and you'll quickly get bored with Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility. The combination of English text with Japanese text bubbles largely passes by on the intended age group of young gamers in the Benelux. The one somewhat addictive aspect is making your farm bigger and finding a partner. Finding a good balance between social life and farm life is what this title is about. Fans of the series will love it: a farm life sim, which could've turned out so much better.
  17. The addictive gameplay of past titles is still there, but Tree of Tranquility simply repeats too many past mistakes, with little advantage taken of the Wii’s capabilities other than a few motion controls and minigames.
  18. 50
    The most depressing issue, however, is the four- to 10-second load time you'll suffer each time you enter a new environment, but methodically engaging gameplay helps make up for this.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 2 out of 12
  1. TattP.
    4
    Had been enjoying A Wonderful Life and waiting to for the new version on the Wii, Tree of Tranquility is a huge disappointment for me. First of all, the first impression is the low graphics quality. In A Wonderful LIfe (GameCube) has much nicer and cuter design and details. Before you can hold a chicken and run anywhere with it..now you can only hold it and put down exactly where you got it from. So if it's blocking the eggs then you will keep picking the chicken up rather than the eggs which is super annoying. Also, in AWL, you can see the character rubbing his face with the cows and horses with love and passion.. now it's just a tap.. I think it has lost these kinda details, which I think they made Harvest Moon a great game play. Secondly, the controls...in ToT you can't change angles..when I try to water the crops, higher crops are blocking the ones behind (if there are any!). The good thing is that you can level up your skill and can now water/till more squares at once which saves a lot of time and energy. Thirdly, in AWL, you can order delivery of seeds or animals, but in ToT, you have to run all the way to the shops to be able to buy things and it could take up to half a day because there are more areas to cover. The telephone is merely for weather forecast (which is much more quicker and cheaper than telly) and shops opening time. Fourthly, I agree with previos reviews, the storyline is not solid enough. Also, a good game does not need game faqs walk through, but this game you can't play without one. Fifthly, one great thing (of many great things) in AWL is that you can manage sleeping time. In ToT no matter what time you sleep you'd wake up at 6am. If you don't go to sleep before 6am your character will suddenly become fatigue and super slow..and in ToT game, a day goes by in a blink. Although ToT has has unnecessarily taken away those great features from the previous Harvest Moon (i'm really curious why they did it). Improvements? More areas to explore; you can play as a boy or a girl, or your child (should have spent that time improving the controls and graphics). Full Review »
  2. While this game was enjoyable enough to keep playing it has its issues. The map was expansive but most of the areas there don't serve much of a purpose other than a minor one off plot area (ex: Lighthouse, peak of the mountain, inside the church) and there wasn't a whole lot of surprises to be found after the first short scavenger hunt. I found myself not really caring if I made a connection with the villagers because there wasn't a lot of character development and the story was so-so. The rainbow recipes were a little annoying because you could easily miss an item you needed to create them and be subject to wait an entire year before being able to get said item but I did enjoy having a purpose other than profit to grow crops, fish, mine, and raise animals. Festivals didn't feel as fun as in previous games. Last minor complaints are the stuck camera view was mildly irritating but overall not a big issue and there was no easy way to separate stacks of items. That being said, the game play mechanics were major improvements from previous installments! Switching between tools was easy, I could walk over crops, leveling up tools was handled well, animals could die of old age, I was allowed to continue after beating it or I could start over new, but with all my money, if I wanted to marry someone else, the kid could help out in daily chores, I could find out where each and every villager was at any given time, see their affection level, find out what they like at town hall(instead of guessing or looking it up online), and should a typhoon come I didn't lose an entire day(just crops).

    All in all, it could be improved greatly with more story/character development but the basic core of the game(farming simulator) and game play mechanics are solid. It's not my favorite in the series and I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, but it's not a bad game if you have some time to waste.
    Full Review »
  3. Simplemente el mejor juego de la franquicia. Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility supone lo máximo para la saga y establece un techo que será muy difícil superar. Full Review »