New 'Harvest Moon' Game For 3DS Announced: 'The Lost Valley' Out This Year, Separate From 'Story Of Seasons'

Following the recent announcement of a spiritual sequel to the Harvest Moon franchise on 3DS from Xseed Games titled Story of Seasons, an official entry into the original franchise has been announced.

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Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley will be launching on 3DS "later this year" from Natsume, which holds the rights to the Harvest Moon name in North America. It seemed that Natsume did not plan on releasing a new entry in the region given that the Story of Seasons game is being developed by much of the original Harvest Moon team, but this news seems to negate that theory.

Regardless, fans of the series are getting two new titles based on the farming and life simulation concept, and the two will likely vary. Presumably, The Lost Valley will be more true to the traditional elements of the series, but it's difficult to say with so few details on either game.

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The only details for The Lost Valley so far were in today's press release:

"Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley is truly evolving the franchise. Hardcore fans will love it, players who haven't played a Harvest Moon game in a while will want to try it out, and new players will be introduced to the unique and charming world that is Harvest Moon," said Hiro Maekawa, President & CEO of Natsume. "But the incredibly exciting thing that really elevates the game is that while it does get back to what everyone loves about the early games, it also innovates in a way that no Harvest Moon game ever has."

A few Story of Seasons screenshots were released, and it looks similar to what we're used to in Harvest Moon, even if the style is somewhat different. Still, The Lost Valley will likely have a leg up in terms of appeal just by carrying the series' well-known name.

That does not imply it will be the superior title, though, so a judgment can only be made when we see more from the team at Xseed. Natsume hasobviously proven itself with the series in the past, but Story of Seasons could end up being a refreshing new take on the concept--we'll have to wait and see.