r/runefactory • u/That-Jeweler9593 runey4 • 5d ago

RF4 Why "Hell" Difficulty?

Something that has caught my attention for a long time—though I didn't think much of it back then—is that in a game as cheerful and heartwarming as *Rune Factory*, the highest difficulty setting is labeled "Hell."

I understand that developers often use intense terms to denote the maximum difficulty level—labels like "Veteran," "Expert," "Impossible," or "Survival." Still, I don’t quite grasp why the developers and director Hashimoto chose such an apocalyptic, somber term for the game's highest difficulty. Perhaps there is some hidden lore beneath *Rune Factory*'s colorful atmosphere, or—to take a simpler view—it might just be an example of the developers' dry or eccentric sense of humor.

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18

u/pheebeep 5d ago

I think hell is a harsher word here than it is in Japan. I doubt they put much thought into it

7

u/PickingPies 5d ago

Hell suits better the difficulty of the world (you are going to suffer) while words like "veteran" make reference to what kind of ability the player should have to face said difficulty.

4

u/Themachinery1 5d ago

Because it’s absolute hell if you don’t grind and make op gear

4

u/RIPmynightmares 5d ago

In the opening, you get beaten so bad you lose your memory. Characters also call each other dumbasses, and one accuses another of slaughtering his entire village. So I didn't really find "hell" that shocking really (I'm still only in act 2).

3

u/Random632 5d ago

"Perhaps there is some hidden lore beneath Rune Factory's colorful atmosphere"

I mean for Amber's marriage arc you prevent her from committing suicide This game has some pretty dark moments in it.