I honestly don't know what Marvelous was thinking when they decided to do the digital equivalent of smearing Vaseline all over Rune Factory 4 and re-releasing it. It looks awful. I suspect that they'd lost most of the original files thanks to Neverland's closure and picked the first "pixel art upscale" algorithm/shader on Google and went with that. actually, it's even worse. they used waifu2x.

At first, I thought it would be easy to fix. "Just port the stuff over from the 3DS, it should be no sweat." Yet here we are, 2 and a half years later — as of writing this — and it's just now at a state where I feel like I can release it. It has taken a lot of work, a lot of blind attempts at reverse engineering files, and a LOT of hex editing, but at least now I can play the game.

Features:

The maps and items have been upscaled to 1.5x their original resolution. The original 3DS map resolution was just too pixelated for the maps, and I found that higher-definition didn't look good. Better than Special's vanilla, but barely. There is an optional file that covers the inventory items if you would prefer them to look like the 3DS items.

A handful of the maps needed manual fixes. Most of the issues existed in the 3DS version (I had to go check because I was in disbelief) so no more weird background doubling in Yokmir Forest or Obsidian Mansion, and no more green outlines on the trees in the lakes (thanks to Rastrum.) Want a vanilla version instead?

Also included is a shader file that disables the xBRZ shader that runs during gameplay. That's right... they applied not just one, but two ugly filters onto everything. Isn't that great?

The "butterflies" have been replaced with the butterflies from Rune Factory 3. If someone out there really likes the vanilla ones I will make a patch to restore them.

Every mushroom has a unique sprite (I promise that I did not steal that idea from Colorful Mushrooms, great minds just think alike I suppose.)

I've edited the HUD to resemble the one in the original. If you're not a fan of my changes, just delete the "Rune Factory 4 Special\Bundle\RF4S Unfiltered\UI\HUD" folder.

Optional (still in beta):

Did you know that 95% of the (non-boss) monster models are the exact same resolution they were since the DS games? Nice, crisp 64x64 textures. And even better, in the Special re-release, they just used the already compressed 3DS files so the ones in the "remaster" have twice the artifacts.

After a lot of fumbling around, I've found out how to take the model files from the Switch release and convert them to the PC's format. What does that mean? Well, that means that we can now edit the Switch release's models in Switch Toolbox and use them. In theory, that means higher resolution textures and potentially new models beyond quick edits and model swapping. If you'd like to learn how to do it yourself, I'm planning on writing up a quick guide and uploading the script that I use to bulk edit the models. If I haven't done that yet, feel free to drop me a message here and I'll do my best to explain.

Included in the optional files are models for Venti, every shield, every non-boss monster, and the generic traveler NPCs, all with upscaled textures. I've had a few crashes with Venti that I think I've fixed, but I feel that it requires more testing before I can put it in the main release with confidence. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Compatibility:

There is a compatibility patch for Rastrum's Genderswap mod that covers the two icons for the player character. As for everything else, the game will not crash or anything, they just won't match stylistically. Any loose files in the \Bundle folder will take priority over my files. If you would like me to make a compatibility patch for other mods, I will do my best to get in contact with the original mod's author and make a patch.

This mod works great on the Steam Deck.

Installation:

Extract the "RF4S Unfiltered" folder from the 7z and drop it into your "Rune Factory 4 Special\Bundle" folder. If you need help finding that folder, just right click the game in your Steam Library and go to Manage and then Browse Local Files. To uninstall, just delete the RF4S Unfiltered folder.

Permissions:

Do whatever you'd like with it. WTFPL.

Special Thanks:

The Chainner developers and the "Enhance Everything" community as a whole. I would not have been able to do it without them.

Rastrum, for helping me suss out exactly wtf was going on with Venti's room and the fix for the lake.

And, most importantly, to my anonymous friends who always encouraged me, even when I was at a loss. You know who you are.