FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time Review

Renowned Japanese developer LEVEL5, the creator of well-known series like Professor Layton, Yo-kai Watch, and Ni no Kuni, has long shown a special talent for creating vivid, narratively rich worlds that are heartfelt and imaginative. With its inventive blend of life simulation, role-playing game mechanics, and a whimsical visual, their 2014 Nintendo 3DS game Fantasy Life swiftly rose to fame as a cult favorite.  

More than ten years later, FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is released as a full-length sequel and spiritual successor, extending the cherished premise of the first game into a vast, ambitious experience that is both comfortable and captivating. 

The Girl Who Steals Time, released in May 2025 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, not only brings the franchise up to date for a contemporary audience but also takes its mechanics and narrative in novel and intriguing directions. Encased in a vibrant, inviting visual aesthetic, FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time offers an incredibly deep and emotionally affecting experience, thanks to its expansive position system, open-world island adventure, and creative time-travel premise. 

It's a special game that offers hours of enjoyment while honoring your time and making you feel content and at ease. Setting the scene for a dual-timeline adventure, the story begins with a cinematic 30-minute opening that can be skipped or played automatically.  

As a custom player, you accompany Edward, a resolute and enthusiastic archaeologist, and his team as they explore a mysterious, apparently deserted island. An ancient society and a strange girl named Rem, who claims to have the ability to alter time, are discovered after a luminous dragon fossil is found at the center of the island. 

You are drawn into two distinct times when you start exploring: the modern day and a version of the island from a thousand years ago. This time travel technique is more than just a plot element; it is crucial to shaping the world around you. The island's scenery, NPC behavior, quest availability, and even entire regions can all be altered by your previous decisions. This method creates a potent feedback loop in which choices made about the plot have actual consequences, and solving puzzles often entails altering the course of history. 

Just as memorable as the mechanics are the people. A remarkably emotionally complex cast is produced by Edward's unwavering determination, Rem's enigmatic vulnerability, and Trip's sarcastic humor—a talking parrot in a mining helmet. Trip frequently breaks the fourth wall with vicious wit, acting as a mouthpiece for the player's innermost ideas in addition to providing comic relief.  

Sharp and self-aware, the script contrasts the lively graphics with dialogue that frequently goes deeper than you might anticipate from a game this adorable. The unique "Life" system, which provides 14 different occupations or classes that the player can choose from at any time, is the core of FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time.  

These can be divided into three groups: collecting (Miner, Angler, Woodcutter, Farmer), combat (Paladin, Mercenary, Magician, Hunter), and creating (Blacksmith, Cook, Tailor, Carpenter, Alchemist, Artist). Players are encouraged to freely experiment and discover their favorite role—or, more likely, master them all—because each Life has its own playstyle, mechanics, and skill tree. 

Changing between Lives is smooth and frequently happens automatically. Your character quickly transforms into a woodcutter as you approach a tree; when you approach a smithy, you transform into a blacksmith. Players are encouraged to tackle any obstacle with the appropriate tools, thanks to this user-friendly design, which reduces friction.  

One of the most fulfilling elements of FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is the interconnectedness of Lives. For example, a Blacksmith creates weapons for a Hunter to use in combat using ore that a Miner collects. It is advised to unlock every Live during the first ten hours in order to maximize crafting chains and create additional gameplay avenues. 

A branching advancement tree that unlocks special skills, stat increases, and new moves is a component of every life. You'll discover crafting enhancements that boost output or acquire "sweet spot" techniques that boost resource yields.  

There is a sense of growth and specialization that makes every life feel fulfilling, whether you're making top-tier equipment, cooking meals that improve stats, or collecting uncommon fish. The mechanisms are strong yet user-friendly, providing completionists with depth to dive into while allowing casual gamers to participate without feeling overpowered. 

You explore a vast and meticulously constructed island. Every landscape presents unique visual and gameplay difficulties, ranging from verdant woods and volcanic peaks to sandy beaches and decaying ruins. To go over the terrain more quickly, you can ride horses, swim across rivers, and climb cliffs. You may speed between recently discovered locations and significantly cut down on downtime thanks to a friendly dragon that controls rapid travel. 

Island-building is another notable feature, which was clearly inspired by games like Animal Crossing and Dragon Quest Builders. You can construct homes, create interior designs, terraform landscapes, and adorn the island with ornamental objects using resources you collect or make yourself.  

Land reclamation is aided by your golem companion, but it takes a while at the beginning of FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time until you can access more potent equipment. Buildings provide storage, boosts, and even bonuses for recruiting NPCs, so the system is more than just a visual one. 

Another unusual development is the hiring of "Strangelings," who are magical items transformed into humanoid companions. These companions can level up with you and battle, gather, or help with crafting. With cross-play and cross-save capabilities provided by Epic Games, multiplayer lets up to four players explore, fight, or gather in local or online cooperative settings.  

Some Life missions include timed online sessions that hinder progress; however, these restrictions might be lifted in future versions. It's perfect for casual play because the local co-op is lighter and allows a second player to control Trip with limited powers. 

Combat is adaptable and fluid. Every battle that Life plays has unique strengths and weaknesses that accommodate diverse playing styles. Paladins are versatile tanks that are ideal for beginners. 

Mercenaries use heavier, slower attacks that deliver a lot of damage. Whereas magicians must be mobile and employ elemental spells, hunters are skilled at accuracy and distance.  Dodging is essential in high-level combat; a perfect dodge will negate damage and award you additional experience points. 

Treasure Groves, which continuously create dungeon-like areas with a variety of prizes and adjustable difficulty, are unlocked in Chapter 4. To fully explore these challenging zones—such as mining through blocked routes or building bridges—multiple Life talents are frequently needed. The "weird pad," an oddball gadget that serves as your hub menu and inventory access point, is how your progress is saved while playing them alone or in multiplayer. 

Although they provide engagement, collecting and creating mini-games like tapping to catch fish or pounding in time to build a sword can become boring. Once players have mastered these, they should be able to bypass them in a future release. Even simple activities are important because life growth is linked to XP and milestone prizes, and it feels good to achieve "excellent" results or do uncommon things. 

The game's visuals are gorgeous in their own unique manner. The universe is brought to life by the diorama-like, cel-shaded visual style's vivid colors, emotive animations, and whimsical character designs. Waves shimmer, forests move, and each town or village seems meticulously designed. LEVEL5 has obviously put a great deal of affection into every aspect of FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time. 

In general, performance is steady. Consoles execute the single-player game at a steady 30 frames per second, although PC players can easily reach 60 frames per second. The Steam Deck also does well, reaching up to 50 frames per second when motion blur is turned off.  

Overall, the experience is fluid and free of glitches, while some textures are low-resolution up close, and multiplayer may occasionally have dropouts when places get congested. Inventory, quest tracking, and life management all feel fluid and natural, thanks to the user-friendly interface. 

Another highlight is the soundtrack, which changes constantly according to what you're doing. During violent boss bouts or emotional tale scenes, orchestral flourishes take over, while serene acoustic music accompanies gatherings or buildings.  

Every sword swing, pickaxe click, and water splash has a pleasant, grounded sound, and the sound effects are rich and tactile. Characters in FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time have a lot of individuality thanks to expressive animations and short sound samples, even if the game lacks complete voice acting. 

Numerous reviews have commended the audio design, awarding it nearly flawless ratings. It strikes a careful balance between ambiance and involvement, enhancing immersion without overpowering the senses. 

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a fascinating combination of life simulation components, strong RPG systems, and whimsical storytelling. While the time-travel storyline provides emotional depth and complexity not often found in games of this genre, its 14-life career structure offers an incredible amount of variation. The game adapts to your playstyle and pace, whether you want to solve ancient mysteries, build your ideal home, or battle monsters. 

Although there are a few things that may be done better, such as repetitive crafting mini-games and limited online growth, these are small drawbacks in an otherwise excellent package. With cross-platform compatibility, multiplayer is a nice addition to FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time stands out as a 2025 title because of its technical depth and aesthetic appeal.

Ultimately, FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time skillfully combines a surprisingly emotional time-travel narrative, intricate RPG systems, and a nice living simulation. Its lively, charming characters and amount of material make it one of the most endearing and fulfilling games, even with its few multiplayer annoyances and small problems.  

There's always something worthwhile to accomplish, whether it's making medicines, fighting monsters, or altering the course of history. For $60, you can play FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time for 40 to 150 hours, or more than 500 hours if you're a completionist. The game has a small 6.3 GB download size. While pre-order perks like the Adventure Pack are nice, they are not required to fully experience the game.