FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time

The Nintendo 3DS was home to some truly fantastic RPGs, with Fantasy Life being one of my personal favourites. So, when developer Level-5 announced FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time in 2023, needless to say, I was pretty excited! Now, two years later, the game is finally here, and it looks just as charming as the first!

- By Mike Crewe

Publisher: LEVEL5 Inc.

Developer: LEVEL5 Inc.

Genre: Action Adventure Release Date: Out Now Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox X | S, Switch, Switch 2

Your journey begins at sea; your created adventurer joins archaeologist Edward and his team as they are guided by a bright light emanating from a fossilised dragon they brought aboard towards an uninhabited island. The jaunty sea voyage turns dangerous as the group are attacked by a Dark Dragon, though thankfully the fossil turns out to be not quite as dead as it first appears and magically reawakens as a Bone Dragon.

After a few near misses, the Bone Dragon aids our hero in escaping through a mysterious portal. As it turns out, this tear in reality led to the same island they had just discovered, only 1,000 years in the past and teeming with life! Thus begins the overarching narrative of FANTASY LIFE i: finding out how the prosperous island of Mysteria came to ruin in the present day! As far as stories go, this one won't have you hooked from start to finish, and often takes a backseat to smaller plots or the huge variety of gameplay elements. Regardless, it is endearing and silly enough at times to make even the grumpiest of gamers crack a smile.

This isn’t a typical “hero saves the land” type of game, though, as your character will go through different “Lives” (which are basically various jobs), with each of the 14 having their own unique tales. These Lives are the centre of FANTASY LIFE i, allowing you to try out an assortment of roles, from the combat-focused Mercenary to the humble Farmer. There’s an almost overwhelming amount of content that is daunting at first, but being able to easily switch between vocations allows players to take their time and progress at their own pace.