It has been a while since my last post here, and for that I apologise. Studies and YouTube have been rather time consuming.
Today, however, I bring to you my review of Hand of Fate, by Brisbane-based developer Defiant Development.
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| Hand of Fate - Sourced under fair use from Wikipedia.org |
Hand
of Fate
Developer: Defiant
Development[1]
Publisher: Defiant
Development
Genre: Action Role-Playing Game
Released: February 17, 2015
Often,
I say as an Australian, the Australian presence within the Video Game Industry
is overlooked. This is probably due to a number of reasons. Often, video
game companies are multi-national entities, staffed by people from all over the
world. Don’t get me wrong, this is a wonderful thing. Further to this, there is
the factor of few Australian game companies having a presence on the global
radar. Sometimes, Australian Devs aren’t even identified as Australian, instead
entirely separated from their nationality. I don’t want to make a big deal of
this, but did you know that Pandemic
Studios (Destroy All Humans, Dark Reign 2, and Star Wars: Battlefront) had a studio in Brisbane, Australia? And that
Medieval II: Total War, was in part
developed by the now defunct Australian branch of Sega?[2]
This
is neither the time nor the place to discuss the past glories of the Australian
Video Game Industry, because there is good news! There is a new(ish) Australian
Developer on the scene: Defiant Development. After playing their first PC game,
which is self-published, you can certainly believe it when they say that their company
is “composed of a veteran team of game developers doing what [they] do best…” The
game I am looking at, Hand of Fate,
certainly demonstrates that. While certainly not perfect, its charming
aesthetic, great voice acting, spot-on soundtrack, and innovative gameplay earn
it a place up there with the best of Indie games.
So,
let’s dive right in shall we?
Plot
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| The Dealer greets thee. |
The plot,
while a player could ignore it in favour of the gameplay, is drip-fed perfectly
through the excellent character that is the Dealer. Hints and allusions to past
events fill the game, but leave enough unsaid to let the player fill in the
blanks to their own satisfaction.
The
plot certainly is not the lynchpin of the game, but is not so absent as to be
detrimental.
This
is where Hand of Fate plays one of
its strongest hands (ha ha). Combining Action-RPG combat (feeling like a simplified version of Batman: Arkham Asylum, or Shadow
of Mordor) with a well thought out card game, and some elements of choose
your own adventure game. When you read that, it sounds like a mess, but by
golly it isn’t. Defiant have executed this combo in such a way that it feels
balanced, and is very immersive. You find yourself hankering for the next
fight, despite the somewhat clunky feel of the combat. The massive variety of
cards, and the sub-plots that exist therein, pull the player in deeper. For the
special cards that have a broad spectrum of stories to tell, the player (if
successful) is awarded with tokens that then unlock new cards for further
games. There is a strong element of chance involved as one has to often play
the game’s equivalent of “Find the Lady” to determine success or failure (and
varieties of each) for certain actions within the game. The entire game is
narrated and commented upon by the nameless dealer who the player plays
with/against, but more on the dealer later.
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| Rising from the cards to fight. |
As
mentioned before, the combat is clunky. Whilst it models itself upon the combat
system of AAA games, such as those mentioned above, it fails to be executed as
well as them. Its animations certainly do not flow as well as one would like,
and often point of connection doesn’t feel precise. The controls are sound, and
work well under the hand most of the time, and the combat is by no means unenjoyable
or stodgy. It simply lacks the crispness and preciseness that AAA gaming has
made us expect of this combat style. However, if one factors in the limitations
of Indie development, what Defiant Development achieved here is certainly
praiseworthy. The combat, which is primarily melee, is augmented by a variety
of special moves that either arise from equipment equipped by the player
character or, you guessed it, gained from various cards available within the
game.
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| Victorious once more. |
The
variety of enemies, and their somewhat varied combat styles, spice up the
combat. However, this spiciness is still rather limited, and the combat, whilst
solid, does feel a bit repetitive during long play sessions. The varied arenas
that combat takes place in help to ease this feeling, but if you are playing
for more than an hour or so, prepare to feel yourself slot into a groove.
The
inventory interface, and the general UI are all well laid out and are easy to understand
and use. The shop interfaces are incorporated into the game’s concept, and work
well for the most part – never detracting from the immersive qualities of the
game.
Besides
the clunky and at times repetitive combat, the gameplay of Hand of Fate is what makes it stand out from the crowd, and at
times leaves the player forgetting they are playing an Indie game.
Graphics
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| Charming and bold. |
As
is seen almost every time a skilled developer gets their hands on the Unity
engine, the Unity engine can be used to create something beautiful. From the character design, to the card art, to the backdrops
within the card game room and the various combat arenas, Hand of Fate is a handsome game. With a slightly chunk aesthetic in
the 3D elements (seemingly inspired/linked to the art style on the cards) Hand of Fate certainly stands out. Even
the gloomier arenas are great to look at. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a AAA
game in looks, but it certainly stands head and shoulders above other Indie
games. This, I think, is in no small part due to a well thought out and implemented
aesthetic that agrees with itself throughout, and fits the setting of the game
excellently.
The
designs of the weapons and armour in the game are great. Very characterful, and
finding a pleasant medium between fantasy and realism.
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| Beautiful cards. |
The cards
themselves deserve special mention. They are perfect, there is no other way to
say it. They are quirky, crisp, and are filled with character. Anyone familiar
with the art of playing cards will immediately admire these cards – they often
take established themes of card art and then add their own distinct flavour.
I
found myself at times wondering whether this was really the Unity Engine…[3]
Soundtrack
Yes.
That sums it up I think.
The music
is great. Atmospheric when it needs to be, it comes to the fore when the cards
are being dealt, with a great bit of guitar playing that really adds a sense of
urgency to the game – reminding the player that this is more than just a card
game, this is a game where someone is playing for their life.
As
to voice acting, the stage is stolen by the Dealer (voiced by Anthony Skordi).
Every line is delivered brilliantly, with just the right amount of affectation
to keep the player engaged. The Dealer is such a fantastic antagonist – I can’t
think of any better – and this is in no small part due to the mystery and
ambiguity of his character.
(Re)Playability
The ‘Story
Mode’ of Hand of Fate will fill many
hours with challenges and fun. There are a number of different difficulty modes,
some of which simply ramp up the challenge, whilst others add specific
variables that will change certain elements of the game.
Add
to that the presence of ‘Endless Mode’, and you will find dozens of hours of
fun here. Defiant have also been adding new content (for free) which both
sweetens the deal, and adds yet more gameplay time.
For
an Indie title, Hand of Fate provides
more replayability than one might expect.
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| Charity can be rewarded... |
In
conclusion then, Hand of Fate is not
a perfect game. The combat is the sticking point for me, mimicking something
great but not quite hitting the mark. But the rest of the game – its gameplay,
aesthetic, music, and the Dealer – more than make up for it. Add in the fact
that it is currently 24.99 AUD on Steam, and it is easy to see why it has been
recommended so widely by critics and curators. Despite its little foibles, I
cannot help but be charmed by this game, and recommend it to you with no
serious reservations.
this is crisp, clear and erudite
ReplyDeletewell done