It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to our weekly GameScope column, a godsend as regards the excellent titles that have unfortunately remained alien to the general public, either because of the niche nature of the title itself or because of little functional marketing choices. and make sense. In this episode we will tell you about Resonance of Fate, oriental-style RPG known in the Rising Sun as End Of Eternity.
The story of Resonance of Fate is set in the not too distant future, where the Earth is now ravaged by pollution. The situation is so unbearable that it forces humans to live inside a structure called Basel, developed vertically on different levels. Within this huge city a society has been created firmly in the hands of the clergy who, in addition to holding absolute power, control the equipment capable of purifying the air making it breathable. Beyond the similarities with other cyberpunk works, Resonance of Fate it stands out for an inspired look, made up of huge open-air mechanisms that form the backdrop to settings that are always rich in details. If you loved the saga of Valkyrie Profile, when you find yourself exploring the various levels of Basel you will feel at home, rediscovering almost completely horizontal scrolling within truly picturesque areas.
The combat system is perhaps the most characterizing and discriminatory element of the game, given its general complexity; we will find ourselves managing a party consisting of three characters, with each fighter having a certain amount of actions to perform within a turn. The latter is marked by a bar that drops quickly as we move freely on the battlefield or perform any action between attack, defense and use of objects, at the end of which we move on to the next turn. The usable weapons are all firearms and differ in the type of damage they inflict, divided into two categories: fast automatic weapons such as machine guns and the like cause superficial damage, usually of greater magnitude but of non-fatal effect, while the others cause the direct damage. Surface damage can be recovered over the course of a turn, but if direct damage occurs they are all charged together, which determines a particular order of attack, usually preceding the direct damage by a volley of superficial blows in order to quickly eliminate the enemy.
In addition to normal movement and attack, a key option is “hero actionca ", an action that allows you to establish a pre-set trajectory of movement for the fighter, who will follow this line until he collides with an obstacle and at the end of the turn. Within this space, it is possible to carry out various attacks, the success of which corresponds to the conquest of a crystal, which in turn allows new heroic actions. The next step to this type of movement is given by the triple attack, which is obtained by accumulating "Resonance" points, obtainable simply by running along trajectories that pass between the other two fighters of the party. The complexity is almost extreme, but the fulfillment of a overwhelmed combat using all of this is fantastic and will be more and more appreciable as you move forward and learn new complex strategies.
The technical sector is at a good level for the release time of the title, with a good dose of polygons in the main characters and good textures for the backgrounds of Basel and beyond. The secondary characters are a little less cared for, not only on a technical level but also unfortunately of general background. The strong point, however, is the artistic component, purely steampunk and very evocative; same adjective for the soundtrack, really good and original, seasoned with an acceptable English dubbing. Longevity is also good, considering the high learning curve and side missions that the title offers. If you are willing to accept a gameplay as particular as it is difficult and to die often, especially in the early stages of the game, Resonance of Fate is the title for you: Tri Ace has produced a slap-up JRPG, seasoned with a masterful combat system, an intriguing plot and an original and sumptuous artistic direction; highly recommended!
