Review: Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (PS5) -5 Returns with Its Most Addictive RPG Yet

It’s been a long wait, but the skilled Japanese studio Level-5 is finally back — and it returns with excitement.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time adopts the framework of the original Fantasy Life — a Nintendo 3DS game from 2014 — and greatly enhances it.

Seriously, we are still stunned by the sheer volume of content crammed into this follow-up. What begins as a simple adventure quickly evolves into an immersive experience of grand scale, as the game intensifies practically everything it offers.

Fantasy Life draws inspiration from numerous beloved franchises, melding action RPG exploration with elements reminiscent of Animal Crossing-style life simulation. The outcome, as noted, is an impressively substantial release that will attract a diverse array of players.

The entire concept revolves around ‘Lives’ — professions that your customized character can unlock and subsequently excel in. The premise allows you to play in any manner you prefer — you can adopt a combat-oriented role such as a peacekeeping Paladin and refine your abilities against wild creatures, or dedicate your time to smashing boulders as a Miner.

With a broad array of Lives available, each one offers a unique viewpoint on the structure of the game, as well as the way its (somewhat open) world is crafted. However, as you advance, it becomes increasingly evident that Fantasy Life encourages you to diversify into multiple Lives — it shifts focus from creating your own character and playstyle to utilizing every resource at your disposal.

For example: your journey to becoming the land’s most renowned Mercenary is significantly easier if you can create your own weapons and armor as a proficient Blacksmith. And what’s the most effective method to gather the metals needed to forge that gear? Yup, you’ll want to start grinding through that Miner Life.

Thankfully, The Girl Who Steals Time strives to simplify your advancement across various Lives. Simply interacting with a tree, for instance, will allow you to instantly switch to the Woodcutter Life, and equipping your weapon lets you revert back to your selected combat Life.

But do not misunderstand, you’re going to be grinding if you wish to uncover everything the game has in store. In addition to leveling up your Lives, you’ll have to complete missions assigned by each Life’s master, upgrade your gear appropriately, unlock Life-specific abilities through individual skill trees, and monitor all the optimal locations to gather experience points, materials, and additional resources.

Combine a fairly intricate town-building system on top of all this — complete with unlockable companions, each of whom can be won over through extra side quests — and it’s simple to feel inundated.

Fantasy Life i necessitates a systematic approach, then. On the surface, this is a light-hearted, all-ages adventure, but you can find yourself investing hours upon hours just completing basic tasks — and that’s before even addressing the overarching narrative.

In terms of story, the title utilizes nearly every trope and cliché known, but similar to titles like Dragon Quest, the narrative is delivered with such charm and authenticity that it’s hard not to be drawn in. We wouldn’t go so far as to claim that you should play solely for the storytelling, but it’s entertaining enough to keep you engaged, and it will likely captivate younger players.

Speaking of which, it’s significant to mention that Fantasy Life i features a limited form of couch co-op. A second player can assume the role of Trip, the protagonist’s eccentric bird companion, and support their partner both in and out of combat. It’s a considerate addition for parents wishing to assist their children through the game’s more challenging segments.

Undoubtedly, the release shines once you’re past the initial wave of tutorials and newly introduced mechanics. It takes several hours to reach this stage, but with an array of Lives at your disposal and much of the game’s semi-open world ready for exploration, the thrill of adventure becomes an enticing lure.

The gameplay rhythm peaks as you seamlessly alternate between battling monsters and collecting resources via enjoyable minigames. Once the tutorial phase is over, this is an exceptionally addictive RPG, and it consistently feels as though there’s a goal worth pursuing.

For numerous players, seeking out the title’s most formidable adversaries is one such endeavor, and it certainly helps that the combat system is so straightforward to grasp. Essentially, this is a very basic interpretation of action-oriented fighting, revolving around one-button combos, special moves, and dodges — with positioning being crucial if you’re facing multiple foes.

It may lack the mechanical complexity to keep hardcore action enthusiasts returning consistently, but like everything in this game, there’s a gratifying progression curve at play. Each combat Life offers a distinct experience, and progressively overcoming tougher foes feels satisfying — particularly when rare materials are at stake.

Indeed, it’s the interconnection of the various systems in the title that gives Fantasy Life i its enduring appeal. Completing the story may only take between 20 and 30 hours — largely depending on the amount of grinding you engage in between primary quests — but you might find yourself spending double, triple, or even quadruple that time merely pursuing your own aspirations.

Conclusion

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is an unexpectedly colossal experience. It can be a highly addictive RPG journey, completely filled with things to discover, engage in, and ultimately master. The grind can be somewhat daunting at times, but Level-5’s signature charm and well-crafted gameplay loops should entice you to return. This is lively, all-ages enjoyment, virtually from start to finish.