Reviews

Not many games would dare release themselves around the same time as the undisputed king of the genre. While many people are still ploughing through Final Fantasy XIII's gaming party, Sega / Tri-Ace's Resonance of Fate shows up, bringing with it its own array of beverages. While the newcomers to Japanese role-playing games will keep dancing to Square Enix's glossy rhythm, the hardcore will likely be turning their heads towards the gate crasher with avid curiosity. Resonance of Fate isn't here to please everyone. It's here to deliver the best of what the JRPG has to offer. It's not the coolest kid at the party, nor does it care, and for that reason it ends up being the most interesting. Just expect it to frustrate and entertain you at the same time, like a real friend does.

Set in the distant future, a time without magic and where survival with Uzis is the key, Earth's environment is plagued with poisonous gasses. With the majority of the population falling victim to the severe climate change, the survivors gather around Basel: An environmental purifier buried deep within the Earth. Over the years, Basel became a thriving tower where hierarchy still played a key role in society - the rich reside in the upper sections of the enormous tower, while the poor reside down in the slums. Things were going so well, until the purifier began to break down.

This is where you come in, with control of freelance mercenaries Zephyr, Vashyron and Leanne. This trio take on rough jobs given to them by the rich folk who aren't brave enough to leave the house in case they run into the many bandits and thieves scattered around the tower. These good looking young adults thrive on this sort of deal, even if it does mean messing up their tidy blonde hair. Although the plot isn't exactly as memorable as the premise makes it seem, the trio are very likeable characters, who'll keep your interest throughout. Mainly to know their back stories and why they are the way they are. It's this curiosity that'll keep you grinding through the battles hour after hour (after hour after hour).

What's more interesting is the setting. Resonance of Fate's playground wouldn't be out of place in a Hayao Miyazaki animation. With its Elizabethan style world full of cogs, mechanics, candles and old-fashioned brick work and fashion. It's a world you'd truly love to explore in full 3D glory, but unfortunately it's left to 2D planes and small static towns. It does the job though, and certainly adds character to the world of Basel and the struggle the characters find themselves in.

Exploring the magnificent tower is left to moving a cursor along a path ridden grid, were the surprise attacks occur as they tend to do in RPGs. You're not quite free to explore the tower as you please, as each pathway is blocked off. Only by defeating enemies and collecting hexes will you be able to unlock the path and progress to new outlets and missions. These Energy Hexes come in different shapes, sizes and colours and can fit nicely into certain paths, unlocking them. This is a bit of a puzzle in itself as you rotate the random shapes to fit perfectly into an area, as to not waste one. You can also uncover items as well as unlocking new areas to roam and battle in. Clearing space with the hexes is surprisingly therapeutic, and you'll strive to clear every last area to see if secrets await.

Now, what may seem like your average JRPG, with hexes, takes a turn towards the complicated with its battle system. Running and gunning may seem as simple as it sounds, but there's a lot more to it than point and shoot. After all there are three characters to think about, multiple enemies and the positioning of each and every one of them. Even this plays second fiddle to the weaponry, which is the essential ingredient to levelling up your characters, as it's actually the guns you are levelling up and not the characters themselves.

Each character can handle any of the gun types on offer: pistol, machine gun and thrown weapon (grenade, Molotov cocktail etc). While you can have the trio using pistols, only one can be armed with the machine gun and only one with thrown items. With this in mind, it's always a case of switching each character's weapons in between battles to ensure they're all up to speed with each one as, naturally, the more they use each gun as their primary weapon, the more it'll become stronger and much more worthwhile in battle.