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Sick of your life? Want to do something completely different? Well, stop thinking about it and do it – in the meantime, enjoy a little wish-fulfilment on the side with this literally life-changing RPG for the 3DS and 2DS.

Unlike the real world where folks can spend years in a job hating it and dreaming of pastures anew, Fantasy Life lets you change your character’s life in an instant by switching between any one of the game’s 12 ‘careers’ whenever you want.

One minute you’re a paladin able to annihilate all who stand in your way, the next a lumberjack who sleeps all night and works all day; before becoming a chef or an angler or an alchemist – you get the idea. Importantly, this ability to switch lives isn’t skin-deep. Each vocation boasts its own skill sets and items that not only help with day-to-day life in the game’s world such as earning money and rewards – but also within the main quest itself by developing your character’s stats, clothes and even homestead.

Whatever life you choose, all the action is set in the land of Reveria, an idyllic, beautifully-realised cartoon world with squeaky clean towns, lush greenery and sparkling shorelines. Alas, out of nowhere, a meteorite smashes into your own home and triggers a mystery that sees the land under threat from forces unknown.

Cue the player heading out across the third person landscape on a quest to uncover the truth. Of course, no RPG would be complete without battling as you adventure above and below Reveria’s vistas – you’ll face off against a zoo-like collection of critters in need of smiting whether it be using a bow you made as a carpenter, a sword you crafted as a blacksmith or a spell you conjured up as a magician.

The combat system is simplicity itself, requiring you to learn timed button presses to unleash your attacks. Away from the battle arenas and career options, you’ll discover a mass of side quests and characters too, plus the option to team up with two other players for a spot of co-op multiplayer action.

With its rich graphics and imaginative structure, Fantasy Life is a charming title that both engrosses and delights – and shows that Nintendo’s handhelds remain the perfect platform for roleplaying games that offer original, even life-affirming twists.