Story of Seasons is a series that soothes my gaming soul. Easy to pick up and play for short bursts or sink into for long stints, and even easier to fall in love with without ever needing to receive a Blue Feather. We’re now in the back half of 2025, and I was severely overdue for a cosy game. Thankfully, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar scratches that itch in all the right ways.
For those unaware, Grand Bazaar isn’t a brand new entry to the series, as it’s a remake of 2010’s Harvest Moon DS: Grand Bazaar. However, Marvelous has done an excellent job of overhauling it and reworking it for modern consoles, with so many changes and improvements that it often feels like a whole new game rather than reploughing old ground.
Winds Of Change
The improved graphics are the most immediately striking difference, allowing players to explore the beauty of Zephyr Town in clean, new 3D visuals that retain the charm and style the series is known for. The world around you feels even more alive now that there is also voiced dialogue – a first for the series – and something I hope becomes a staple going forward.
It’s more than just a visual and audio upgrade, though; the core elements beneath it all have been changed and improved, too. Grand Bazaar has you breathing new life into Zephyr Town’s bazaar, making it bigger and better than ever for an unforgettable comeback, and rather fittingly, that’s exactly what Marvelous has done by revisiting this older title.
New tools, such as the glider, provide a new sense of verticality and ease of exploration like never before, utilising the winds that are a focal point in the game to even greater effect. I never thought I’d spend this much time running across rooftops in the series, but Zephyr Town feels less restrained as you can glide over buildings, climb over roofs, use jump barrels to reach higher ledges, and explore every nook and cranny.
The fan-favourite nature sprites are back, adding a new element to increase the quality of your forageables, and a fun new way to rack up some extra sales while hosting your bazaar. There are new areas to explore, as well as new characters to meet and romance (and yes, I absolutely went after Arata).
There are also additional townsfolk to meet, including some returning favourites from other past titles, which is a nice nod to long-term fans of the series.
There are numerous smaller tweaks and improvements too, such as the windmill recipes being split more evenly, rather than each one having a specific recipe type, so crafting doesn’t feel as locked down. Now you can also quickly greet townsfolk with a simple press of a button, which means people you want to raise friendship with but not necessarily waste time speaking with can be befriended more easily as you run past them in town.
One of the biggest improvements over the original is that you can now save more frequently than only at the end of the day, which, as a save file hoarder, I absolutely appreciate. Characters can be customised, and there are no longer gender restrictions on marriage. Overall, this combination of wider sweeping changes and improvements alongside the myriad of tweaks and fixes makes for the perfect way to experience Grand Bazaar, whether you’re a SoS veteran or a total newcomer.
The original DS version featured multiplayer, which is something I’m glad has been removed. I’ve never felt that multiplayer fits well in Story of Seasons, as the games are about playing as an individual, at your own pace, and regrowing whatever farm and town you find yourself in. I don’t need other farmers prying into my life; I just want my farm, my animals, and my beloved Arata.
Putting The Grand In Grand Bazaar
The familiar gameplay we all know, love, and want to roll up our sleeves to dig into is still there. You’ll be living through the seasons, tending to your farm and animals, building relationships with the townsfolk, and starting a family of your own. However, Grand Bazaar gives fans a fresh take on the tried and tested Story of Seasons gameplay loop by introducing the titular bazaar and wind elements.
The weather element in Grand Bazaar goes beyond just affecting your crops with rain or storms, as the windmills that are crucial to crafting use the wind to process goods. Stronger winds mean you can make more items more quickly. That very same wind can help or hinder you trying to get around the town, as the right gale can send you soaring to your destination with ease, or throw you off course and into the river.
We’ve always had to grow the farm, the town, and our relationships with the townsfolk, but the bazaar throws in another area that you need to invest in and grow. The weekly bazaar also adds new obstacles, as specific items and upgrades you may need can only be purchased on a Saturday, so I found myself planning ahead a little more with timing and spending to ensure I wasn’t left waiting yet another week for the purchase I wanted.
The bazaar finesses selling items; it’s no longer a case of throwing them in a box and hitting your payday. Now you have to choose how best to sell your items, which to display, which furnishings to adorn your bazaar with to get the best buffs, and attentively serve your customers. You’ll also find yourself wanting to stockpile your wares for each Saturday (so invest in those inventory and storage upgrades quickly).
The Importance Of Reimagining A Beloved Gameplay Loop
I love Story of Seasons and its familiar gameplay loop, and inevitably, I end up pumping countless hours into cultivating my perfect farm life. Eventually, no matter how much you love the gameplay, the in-game years roll by, and you find yourself with less to do week to week or season to season, and that’s why iterating on the classic formula is so important.
I’m always pleased to see the series try something new, and that’s part of why A Wonderful Life and the way the town aged and changed always resonates with me, and why I appreciate Grand Bazaar’s unique features and attempts to try something different. If new entries don’t have something to make them stand out from what came before, we’d just keep playing some of the classics for that beloved farm sim experience.
I’ve never begrudged the stereotypical premise in each game of a new farmer taking over an old farm and helping the town to flourish; after all, it wouldn’t be the same without this. However, I’d love to see the series add a bit more depth to the narrative and characters. Arguably, doing so may upset the game’s balance as the core gameplay loop has always been the central focus, but it would be a bold and interesting challenge for the series to undertake.
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar takes an older title that is far from being a series favourite and refines it into something that fans are sure to enjoy. Unrestrained from the restrictions of the Nintendo DS and with a new lease of life thanks to new features, refinements, and an overhauled presentation, Grand Bazaar finally manages to live up to its full potential.
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar
Played on Nintendo Switch 2.
4.0/5
- Released
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August 27, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone
- Number of Players
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Single-player
- The bazaar and wind elements add a fresh spin on a familiar and well-loved gameplay loop.
- Modern improvements, especially the voice acting, set a new standard for the series.
- I?d love to see the series start adding more depth to narratives and character backstories.
- Additional reasons to keep playing in later years would extend the gameplay loop further.
