FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is quite the time sinker. The title has a bit of everything in it, making it an effectively addictive game to commit to.
While its plethora of potential “jobs” or Lives will keep you busy mastering one by one, you might be curious if certain mechanics found in other similar games are also present in FANTASY LIFE i.
Does FANTASY LIFE i have romance? Answered
Similarly to the original Nintendo DS game, FANTASY LIFE i does not feature any romance. Any form of relationship building between the player character and its NPCs is not a mechanic in the game. The title is heavy on island expansion and exploration, with a focus on RPG-esque quests that progresses its story.
How the buddy system works in FANTASY LIFE i
The closest element to a relationship building mechanic found within FANTASY LIFE i is its buddy system. Buddies are the human form of Strangelings. You will find Strangelings through exploration, quest completion, and defeating crowned enemies. You will be able to transform a Strangeling into a Buddy once you reach chapter three and unlock the Guild.
In their human form, Buddies can support you during combat and foraging, and can be interacted with at Base Camp. They level up alongside you and have an additional meter underneath their title—the affinity meter.
You can increase the affinity meter in the following ways:
- Add Buddies to your party formation by talking to Boyle at the Guild
- Talk to your Buddies daily at Base Camp
- Fulfill your Buddy requests
- Give your Buddies their preferred gifts in relation to their class
Maxing out a Buddy’s affinity will take time since each one reaches level 50. Doing so provides you with the following benefits:
- Temporary boosts in combat, such as stamina, health, and attack.
- Unlock special skills relating to their class.
- Unlock special clothing items.
- Increase your island’s rank.
If you add a Buddy to your party, this will open up equipment customization for them. This can be found under the same option in your Weird Pad (the main menu) as your player character customization screen.
There’s a total of 50 Buddies to meet, so remember that as you rotate or try out different Lives, ensure that you’re prioritizing the right Buddy for the job at hand to level up their affinity and get objectives completed as quickly as possible.
