One of the best aspects of the JRPG genre is that it isn’t constrained by one particular formula. Sure, for the longest time, every game was attempting to ape the success of titles like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, but today we see a far greater variety of JRPGs that eschew the norms of the genre and attempt to deliver something a little more unique. It’s great to have such diversity within a versatile genre, as it means that we get far more experimental experiences that dare to offer something unexpected and, usually, extremely enjoyable.
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Such is the case with the extremely underrated indie JRPG that combines the very best aspects of both Persona 5 and Stardew Valley: SunnySide. It delivered an innovative experience when it launched in 2024 that was, sadly, marred by behind the scenes controversey. Fortunately, this phenomenal JRPG is ready for its much-needed and long-deserved comeback, one that is sure to garner it the popularity and affection befitting its quality and lofty ambitions.
SunnySide Is The Persona-Esque Farming Sim You Didn’t Know Existed
SunnySide, the farming life-sim from developer Aftabi Games, is, at least in theory, the perfect blend of Persona 5’s exploration and combat with Stardew Valley’s friendship system and, naturally, farming. Frankly, the comparison between the games is so apparent that it makes me wonder why Persona 5 didn’t incorporate more farming sim elements. That’s not to say that SunnySide isn’t a unique game, as, especially within the extremely overcrowded farming sim genre, it stands out thanks to its setting, characters, and incorporation of combat. Rather, SunnySide made me ruminate on Persona 5’s bizarre lack of cozier gameplay elements, considering it already utilizes a significant portion of the mechanics that characterize the farming sim genre.
Regardless, SunnySide, with its in-game calendar, Japanese countryside setting, turn-based combat featuring a cat-like companion, and gorgeous, highly stylized character portraits, certainly evokes a lot of Persona 5’s core gameplay loop. Indeed, it is thanks to many of these elements that, even in its current state, SunnySide manages to be one of the most underrated open-world JRPGs. Of course, these aspects are balanced rather nicely with the relaxed farming gameplay and social sim elements, both of which are elevated by a core cast of well-written characters and a stunning world oozing with style.
Players can buy properties, tend to their animals, strike up conversations with the locals, and race around a highly stylized rendition of the Japanese countryside on their bike. There’s character customization, home customization, a plethora of in-depth farming and cooking mechanics that would make even Stardew Valley blush, fishing, moments to bond with your favorite characters, and so much more. I don’t list this all to merely recount the game’s Steam store page, but rather to illustrate just how ambitious an experience SunnySide is. All of this is wrapped in anime-infused stylings and the aforementioned JRPG-lite mechanics that help separate it from the likes of Stardew and Disney Dreamlight Valley. This should, in theory, make it the ideal option for those looking for a little more depth, variety, and excitement out of their cozy experiences. However, there is a rather unsurprising caveat to all of this potential brilliance.
Despite the best intentions of its developer, SunnySide suffers from a plethora of underbaked ideas and technical problems. I mentioned Persona 5’s frustrating lack of farming elements as a point of contention, not merely as a fun aside, but rather because, were SunnySide to receive even the slightest bit of polish, it has the potential to offer what Atlus’ magnum opus could only ever dream of delivering. Beneath the unpolished baggage weighing it down, there is an extremely strong foundation upon which a great farming life sim JRPG can be built. Indeed, with the right intentions and a little bit of finessing, SunnySide could end up being one of the greatest farming sims available. Fortunately, for those perhaps a little let down that such a startlingly beautiful game ended up feeling like a potential waste of a setting, SunnySide is being completely overhauled in 2026 now that some unfortunate behind-the-scenes complications have been resolved.
SunnySide Is Getting A Huge Overhaul In 2026
SunnySide is officially back in the hands of its original developer after having been published by Merge Games and Maximum Entertainment back in 2024. This is exceptionally good news, as many of the prevailing issues and the inability to address them came from Aftabi Games not having much control over the finished product. However, as one would naturally expect, this comes with a handful of caveats of its own, including the delisting of all console versions and an overhaul of existing systems. It is a rather bold move, one that is going far beyond Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.0 update, for example, as Aftabi Games has not shied away from its intentions of gutting entire systems.
The aspect that makes SunnySide akin to Persona 5, its turn-based combat, could be removed entirely, for example. It is a shame, a blow slightly lessened by the inclusion of a Legacy version that allows people to return to the current state of SunnySide, but a necessary evil. Aftabi Games is interested in making the game the version that players have wanted it to be from the start, and hyper-fixating on the aspects that work and removing those that clearly don’t is the only way of delivering that. Sadly, as fun as the turn-based battles in SunnySide’s underground caverns could be, they’re not quite at the level they need to be to feel like a worthwhile inclusion.
This type of overhaul fascinates me, especially in extreme scenarios such as the one that Aftabi Games finds itself in. It is evidence of an impressive level of dedication to both one’s craft and art, a facet only really explorable through the medium of video games due to its inherently adjustable nature. One can’t, at least rarely, re-edit a film once it has been released, nor are books entirely rewritten post-publishing. Video games, however, once in the hands of the public, can more or less be altered entirely, with new features being added, old ones removed, and even the visual identity tweaked should it be ported to a new engine or an upgraded version of an existing one. This level of post-launch adjustments does make one question whether or not video games are susceptible to being compared to Theseus’ ship, although, considering that the original creators are the ones adding the proverbial planks to their own ever-changing ship, it does feel as if the artistry and intent behind the art is still very much intact.
It does raise questions on the perfection of art, however, something that is becoming increasingly prevalent in this era dominated by the perception that nothing will release complete as a consequence of technological innovations facilitating the repairing of a game post-launch. Yet, one could argue that this veers a little into a grey area, considering a game’s performance and underbaked execution of mechanics could constitute a technical problem akin to the binding of a book or the file type of a movie. Regardless, it is certainly admirable to see a studio as small as Aftabi Games so dedicated to the fulfillment of its game’s potential, especially considering the inevitably high costs incurred in the process. I, for one, am excited to see how it transforms SunnySide in 2026 and beyond, and watch the game grow into the farming sim we’ve always known it could be.
Will you be trying Sunnyside in 2026? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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