no one knows this but rune factory is a series that is very near and dear 2 my heart bc it's one of the first video game series i ever got into as a kid so i like to keep up with it's doing... all this to say that i recently finished goa and i think it's a very charming spin-off!!!
gameplay-wise, it places more of an emphasis on town management and combat in exchange for simplifying farming and crafting. they also streamline a lot of the social mechanics. i will say it's a little disappointing the romance felt more flat and the charas don't get as much unique dialogue, but it's hard to beat out rf4 in terms of its content lol...
in terms of story and characters, i found everyone very charming and i enjoyed their interactions together. the story was also very fun--a little simple, but i don't think that's bad, since rf is a very casual series that has its specific niche and does it well. i think the cast was so large, though, that it felt like some characters didn't get as much of a chance in the spotlight.