Like most people, I didn’t go into Resonance of Fate with high expectations. It was yet-another JRPG; featuring vaguely emo protagonists with crazy hair, gruesome monsters, and a story that could only be described as “weird.” Given the incredibly stiff competition it was up against upon release, it was really hard to expect anything other than a merely passable game. And yet, for the most part, Resonance of Fate manages to stand on its own as a unique JRPG. Which isn’t really saying much all things considered.
The most important thing anyone with even a passing interest in Resonance of Fate should know is that it’s fun to play. Like, insanely fun. The combat system is an intriguing blend of strategy, spacial awareness and pseudo-realtime action. It’s almost like playing a game of chess, only you’re limited to three pieces. Also said pieces can flip all over the place while spraying the other pieces with bullets.
To start with, I’m going to be completely honest with you all: I’ve broken one of the major commandments of reviewing a game. I didn’t actually beat Resonance of Fate. Before you jump to conclusions or judge me to be a terrible/amateur/biased/whatever reviewer, allow me to explain; You see, I made it to the end. I fought my way through a ridiculously lengthy and repetitive dungeon, bested not one but two separate bosses on my way to the Big Guy in the Last Room, and then promptly got my behind smeared. No matter, I restarted the fight and everything was going great. Until the game froze and I lost about five hours worth of progress.
It froze in the middle of the final boss fight. After I’d trudged through a dungeon that could only be described as arduous. There were no save points, unless I wanted to leave the area (bear in mind all the enemies respawn whenever you leave a room and come back). Even that isn’t really a problem when the game actually works. So, after spending most of my day plugging away at this final segment, anxious to see the credits roll and start hashing out a review, it all came crashing down. And while I hate the concept of reviewing a game I haven’t finished, I just don’t have it in me to push through that final dungeon one more time. For this I apologize. But with my rant finally out of the way, I’m ready to start talking about the game proper.
Combat is Resonance of Fate‘s strongest trait. It’s also one of the most complex systems I’ve encountered in the past year and a half. I’ll spare you the specifics in the interest of scaring you away, but suffice it to say there are a lot of factors to consider during a fight. The most important thing to remember is that it all revolves around the Hero Gauge. Using a Hero Action (running/flipping along a straight path whilst repeatedly blowing the crap out of whatever you’re pointed at) will remove one Bezel (i.e. block or chit) from your gauge, as will taking too much damage. If you run out of Bezels you don’t automatically lose, but you’ll find yourself in a very bad situation which is very difficult to get out of. So if your Hero Gauge is reduced to zero, you’re basically screwed. Conversely, you can regain lost Bezels by killing enemies or breaking off pieces of their armor.
Another important combat component is the idea of Scratch Damage. You see, pistols do permanent damage but it’s minimal. Conversely, machine guns to much more damage but it can all heal over time (a.k.a. Scratch Damage). So the key is to soften enemies up with machine guns, then hit them with pistols to make all that accumulated Scratch Damage permanent. A personal favorite tactic of mine is running past an enemy until I’m lined up with the weak spot in their armor while dual-wielding machine guns (this comes late in the game) and blasting the ever-loving crap out of them in what can best be described as some sort of “bullet dance,” then using a second character with a pistol to flip over them and shoot them from above, where their armor usually doesn’t cover them. You can charge your shots, with longer charges available for higher levels. These more powerful attacks allow for bonuses such as increased damage or stunning enemies and they’re all remarkably over-the-top. There is a trade-off, however. The longer you charge (assuming you aren’t using a Hero Action), the more susceptible you are to enemy fire. Every fight in the game is all about strategy and planning, risk and reward. Good times.
Overworld navigation also deviates from the norm. Every level of Zenith has its own areas to visit and items to find, but when you first access a level it’s completely blocked in. It’s up to you to clear out these floors using special hex tiles you can find on enemies or through exploration. There are a multitude of different shapes to use, which will sometimes keep you out of certain areas until you’ve found the right type of tile. Clearing a space will allow you to move forward and can occasionally reveal hidden items. You can also use special colored hexes and power stations to create specific areas on the map with bonuses to experience, money gained from fights and so on. Really, if I were to liken this overworld to anything it would have to be a board game.
Aside from the combat and the unique take on an overworld, Resonance of Fate is pretty much a typical JRPG. Characters gain levels just like you’d expect, only their character level is determined by combining their levels with each weapon type (machine guns, pistols and grenades). So you can boost your levels quickly by mixing up who uses what weapon. Remember this, as I didn’t and it made my game much harder than it needed to be in the beginning. Then there are the characters themselves. Oh sure, they’re all likable enough. In fact, I found myself liking them much more than characters from just about every other JRPG. But come on. “Leanne” is a perfectly reasonable name, but “Zephyr?” “Vashyron??” Their names are almost as ridiculous as the story! And believe me, it’s one crazy story.
A nasty fog (Mist? Cloud?) has covered the Earth, and mankind has been forced to take up residence in Zenith; a massive clockwork machine with a long-forgotten purpose. Taking control of a trio of hunters (the above mentioned Vashyron, Zephyr and Leanne), you’ll be taking on odd jobs for Zenith’s inhabitants in exchange for money. And I mean “odd jobs” in the literal sense. Your first story mission tasks you with placing a rose on the memorial site for a wealthy woman’s husband. Granted this memorial is in the middle of an area crawling with mutants and gangsters (a.k.a. fodder), but you’re still just acting as a sort of janitorial service for most of the game. In fact, the main plot doesn’t really develop until Chapter 10 or so (of 16), so up until that point it’s more like you’re getting a look at daily life in this twisted world.
Missions never really deviate from the “Go here, kill that,” or “Go here, talk to this person,” variety, with the exception of one particular story mission I won’t spoil. Suffice it to say I loved it and it made me laugh. Luckily the combat is entertaining enough that the repetitive missions never really get boring. I did get a bit bored messing around in the Arena, but once new enemy types are thrown into the mix (along with new tactics needed to dispatch them) the humdrum is replaced with maniacal glee.
Resonance of Fate is an unexpectedly complex game. There are a daunting amount of options to consider in each fight, guns to customize using a puzzle-like grid system, side quests galore, characters you can customize with clothing items and accessories you can buy and find throughout the game and a massive map to reveal piece-by-piece. There are even more nuances I haven’t mentioned if you can believe it, but be content to know that if you decided to give Resonance of Fate a try it will keep you busy for quite a while.
I know what you’re thinking, and yes I’m still mad at the game for freezing on me like that. I’m disgusted with it at this point and, for the time being, don’t even want to look at the box. However, none of that erases the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed what I’d played up until that point. It also won’t prevent me from diving back in and completing everything (I skipped a bunch of side quests so I could finish it faster). I just can’t bring myself to do any of that now. But please, don’t let my one moment of displeasure (and outright pain) dissuade you from trying what I consider to be the most simply entertaining JRPG I’ve ever played.
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Things We Liked: Combat is actually fun. It’s also unexpectedly complex and satisfying. Very likable main characters. Watching Leanne smack the crap out of her cohorts on a fairly regular basis.
Things We Disliked: Forgettable story, assuming you can even follow it to begin with. Occasional collisions with enemies that really shouldn’t have happened (i.e. invisible walls). Very badly timed freezing that was hopefully just a fluke. Every character who isn’t a protagonist (save for Pater) is either bland or cookie-cutter.
Target Audience: JRPG lovers looking for something different. Any and all tri-Ace fans. Folks who like turn-based games and have a thing for dual-wielding firearms.
(Resonance of Fate – Developer: tri-Ace. Publisher: Sega. Available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 – Xbox 360 version reviewed. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes. New to CFD!’s reviews? Read our explanation here.)
