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Resonance of fate

Stolly

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Stolly

Stolly

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VGchartz preview

In our (very enjoyable) tour of Sega’s offices this week we were given the privilege of some hands on time with Sega’s highly anticipated new RPG, Resonance of Fate. For those of you who are out of the loop, Resonance of Fate is a strategy RPG from developers Tri-Ace coming out for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 March 16th.

Resonance of Fate uses an interesting strategy formula based heavily on pathing and quick reaction time which is previously unseen in the genre. Players can move characters about and attack with them freely, but this often can result in serious damage as anytime your character is in motion the enemy is free to move as well. Most of the combat will require extensive use of the invincible attacks, in which you set a path which the character will follow in a straight line and can attack from. During this time the player can control the character’s shooting and jumping only.

The Invincible State attacks are the acrobatic ones which you’ve probably seen frequently in trailers, and are the core of the tactics of the game. The path is extremely important, and provides the majority of the game’s strategy. Levels are littered with obstacles and elevated objects, which must be moved around or leapt over to advance your character. Of course, aside from leaping over obstacles, your path is also determines from which direction (or elevation) your attacks will be hitting your enemies. Some enemies are week from above, some in the chest, others behind. Careful planning and execution is essential to success. In addition, crossing paths with other characters will build up a resonance and allow you to perform a devastating resonance attack in which all characters can attack everything within a perimeter with powerful blows.

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On the action side of things, Resonance of Fate depends on some quick reflexes. You can change targets quickly and shoot multiple enemies while running a path. The more you can strike, the better, obviously. The most important part of this is scratch damage, which can drain HP bars quickly, but not kill, allowing for even weak standard damage attacks to finish off your foes. Timing is also important, as running your character down a preset path for these attacks will require use of an Invincible State gauge, which can only be regenerated by downing an enemy or dealing a particularly effective blow.

If all this sounds pretty cool, that’s because it is. There’s quite a bit of strategy to be found in the combat system, and the amount of emphasis on tactics and pathing is similar to that found in Valkyria Chronicles. Unlike Valkyria Chronicles, there’s some emphasis on action and quick reaction time, but it’s not a particularly steep learning curve. It won’t be long before you’re performing cool combos and nailing enemies’ weak-points from acrobatic aerial strikes. That said, the game certainly seems challenging, especially on bosses, but fortunately continues are available if you fail. Of course, as with any good JRPG, there’s more here than the combat.

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Resonance of Fate utilizes a fairly standard overworld system, but with a twist. The overworld is divided into grids, with each space in the grid representing an area of the world you can enter and explore. Within each grid are towns, battlefields, hidden items, an arena, etc. Exploration is encouraged, and more of the grid can be revealed as you play. Uncovered areas of the world map often reveal hidden items such as new clothing and weapons for your characters.

Along with the exploration is of course the important JRPG staple of towns! That’s right, there are towns. Within towns are shops. Yes, they can be done, even on HD consoles. The town shown in the demo was fairly robust, and included crafting, clothes shops, and your home base where your three characters could relax, interact, and change their clothing. Your weapons (all guns in this game), can be customized extensively with a variety of attachments, which can also be done in town. In addition you can enter the arena for free practice and experience.

On the presentation side, each character can have their appearance customized completely, from hair color down to clothes and even their eyes. The items to complete these customizations are found while playing the game, and offer hundreds of options per character. The graphics were good, if not amazing, but the cutscenes run on the game engine which is nice, and the visual changes you make to your characters will show up in the cutscenes. The audio seemed good, for the little we heard of it. Fans will recognize many of the English voice actors from Valkyria Chronicles, but if you prefer them Japanese voices are included as well. The music is very enjoyable so far, and will please most fans of JRPG-style music.

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Overall I’m very excited about Resonance of Fate, and I hope fans of strategy RPGs will give it a look. It seems to particularly appeal to those who enjoyed the fresh and active strategy style of Valkyria Chronicles, and looks to be a unique and enjoyable entry that has what it takes to stand out in its genre. Look for our review of the game later this month

The comparisons with Valkyria Chronicles have got me very, very excited :wub:

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sprite

sprite

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Now that I've got the RPG bug again (thanks to FFXIII) this has got me very intrigued. Reviews seem to be a bit scarce though - thought it was out in the US now? I didn't play Valkyria (I'm not so much into the strategic RPGs, I got the impression it was more like FF Tactics etc?) but this does sound quite intriguing...

I've got a £30 Amazon voucher that I don't know what to do with. Waiting for something that I'm not in a rush for, since I'm quite content with FFXIII at the moment. Maybe this could be it!

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Wiper

Wiper

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I didn't play Valkyria (I'm not so much into the strategic RPGs, I got the impression it was more like FF Tactics etc?) but this does sound quite intriguing...

Well, it is an SRPG, but its combat system is like nothing else. Not like FFT, or Shining Force, or Fire Emblem, or Tactics Ogre, or Disgaea, or any other SRPG.

Basically: like most SRPG's there's no exploration - between missions you have cutscenes, the chance to buy new equipment/level up characters/unlock side-missions, but no wandering the world getting into random battles. Each level is a mission of a set number of turns. In each turn you have a set number of actions, which can be spent however you wish on your squad - for instance you could spend three actions moving and firing with three different characters, or you could move and shoot with one character three times. When moving and shooting, you control the characters directly: the game switches to an over-the-shoulder camera, and you run your character around the battlefield. While you do this, any enemies whose visual range you enter can fire at you. The same goes for the enemy's turn, as your troops will shoot at anything they can see moving. As such, staying in cover and working out how to sneak around enemies is important. Oh, and there are tanks, which are very tough against most units, but take two action points to move and fire with. Oh, and if you do move the same unit multiple times in a turn, each subsequent move cuts the distance they can travel down by 1/3.

Oh, and you have core members of the squad who can't die (they automatically retreat), but other squadmembers (all named, with background and 'traits' which affect their abilities - positively or negatively. E.g. hayfever causing a character's health to trickle down if they're in grass; a lady's man's stats improving when near female teammates) can be killed permanently, which adds to the tension as you desperately strive to keep your best/favourite characters alive.

So, er, yeah, a bit different from the average SRPG. Much more hands-on, I'd recommend giving it a try if you can!

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sprite

sprite

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Well, it is an SRPG, but its combat system is like nothing else. Not like FFT, or Shining Force, or Fire Emblem, or Tactics Ogre, or Disgaea, or any other SRPG.

Basically: like most SRPG's there's no exploration - between missions you have cutscenes, the chance to buy new equipment/level up characters/unlock side-missions, but no wandering the world getting into random battles. Each level is a mission of a set number of turns. In each turn you have a set number of actions, which can be spent however you wish on your squad - for instance you could spend three actions moving and firing with three different characters, or you could move and shoot with one character three times. When moving and shooting, you control the characters directly: the game switches to an over-the-shoulder camera, and you run your character around the battlefield. While you do this, any enemies whose visual range you enter can fire at you. The same goes for the enemy's turn, as your troops will shoot at anything they can see moving. As such, staying in cover and working out how to sneak around enemies is important. Oh, and there are tanks, which are very tough against most units, but take two action points to move and fire with. Oh, and if you do move the same unit multiple times in a turn, each subsequent move cuts the distance they can travel down by 1/3.

Oh, and you have core members of the squad who can't die (they automatically retreat), but other squadmembers (all named, with background and 'traits' which affect their abilities - positively or negatively. E.g. hayfever causing a character's health to trickle down if they're in grass; a lady's man's stats improving when near female teammates) can be killed permanently, which adds to the tension as you desperately strive to keep your best/favourite characters alive.

So, er, yeah, a bit different from the average SRPG. Much more hands-on, I'd recommend giving it a try if you can!

Thanks for that! It does sound a lot more hands on and 'actiony' than FFT etc, so it could well appeal to me. Can't say I've ever had my hayfever affect my health like that, though! :unsure:

Have you played it then? How do you rate it overall?

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mdn2

mdn2

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Thanks for that! It does sound a lot more hands on and 'actiony' than FFT etc, so it could well appeal to me. Can't say I've ever had my hayfever affect my health like that, though! :unsure:

Have you played it then? How do you rate it overall?

It's one of the best games on the system. Well worth it IMO.

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Wiper

Wiper

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You mean that walking around in fields doesn't cause a slow death for you? Y'lucky bast' :(

Aye, I've played it, and really enjoyed it - the AI's a bit simple, but the levels are mostly good fun - there's something deeply satisfying about sneaking a scout or engineer (the two weakest combat classes) behind a stormtrooper (the heaviest, surprisingly enough) to unload a rifle-clip into their head, taking them out without a scratch :D

One thing I didn't mention was the shooting - one action = one move and only one attack (be it a single sniper bullet, rocket launched, grenade thrown, rifle clip unloaded, burst of machine gun fire or whatever), though you can move before and after said attack. Also, when you go to make your attack, the game pauses - enemies won't fire at you while you're lining up your shot, so it's not a twitch shooter. However, headshots do massively more damage than normal shots, meaning you'll find yourself weighing up your options whether to go for a safe, but possibly non-lethal shot from distance, or to get close enough to guarantee headshots but risk taking fire yourself. Oh, and any character attacked (bar rocket troops and snipers) get a free counter-burst of fire if they survive being shot at, so firing from cover is a necessity if you aren't sure you'll take out the enemy in one go.

It's not the second coming or owt, but it's good fun, tells a solid story, and has a fantastic combat system. Definitely worth a go! Also, the characters are, for the most part, likeable: none of the self-loathing, "..."-spewing characters Square are so fond of. You can tell this is the same team that made Skies of Arcadia - and not only because Aika and Vyse can join your squad :unsure:

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sprite

sprite

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It's not the second coming or owt, but it's good fun, tells a solid story, and has a fantastic combat system. Definitely worth a go! Also, the characters are, for the most part, likeable: none of the self-loathing, "..."-spewing characters Square are so fond of. You can tell this is the same team that made Skies of Arcadia - and not only because Aika and Vyse can join your squad :unsure:

Sold.

Somehow I completely forgot that Tri-Ace were behind Skies as well, I loved that one. Pre-order inc!

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mushashi

mushashi

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Sold.

Somehow I completely forgot that Tri-Ace were behind Skies as well, I loved that one. Pre-order inc!

I think Wiper is describing Valkryria, rather than RoF. I don't think Tri-Ace have managed to make something on the level of what the people involved in those games have achieved so far this generation, maybe RoF will be that game.

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sprite

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I think Wiper is describing Valkryria, rather than RoF. I don't think Tri-Ace have managed to make something on the level of what the people involved in those games have achieved so far this generation, maybe RoF will be that game.

Oh. The headshots stuff made me think it seemed a lot more like it would be RoF as that tallied with other stuff I've read...?

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mushashi

mushashi

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Yes, Wiper is describing Valkyria Chronicles.

Resonance of Fate however, does look right up my street! Tempted to grab the US version on import. I assume there's no word of an EU release?

It's out at the end of the month, the US release was originally the same day as FF XIII, great bit of planning from the publisher on that one <_< but it got pushed to next week instead.

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Preacher

Preacher

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It's out at the end of the month, the US release was originally the same day as FF XIII, great bit of planning from the publisher on that one <_< but it got pushed to next week instead.

Only Sega could release 3 JRPG's in the same month as FFXIII, and one of the busiest march periods in recent memory. Resonance of Fate will die a quiet little death at retail, as too will Yakuza 3. Infinite Space might stand a better chance being on DS...but then again, it's by the same token it'll probably fail miserably.

To be this excrutiatingly inept takes ages, or so it would seem.

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Wiper

Wiper

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Oh. The headshots stuff made me think it seemed a lot more like it would be RoF as that tallied with other stuff I've read...?

Ah, sorry for the confusion - all of that was indeed describing Valkyria, I'm afraid! Most definitely including the headshots <_<

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Wiper

Wiper

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Only Sega could release 3 JRPG's in the same month as FFXIII, and one of the busiest march periods in recent memory. Resonance of Fate will die a quiet little death at retail, as too will Yakuza 3. Infinite Space might stand a better chance being on DS...but then again, it's by the same token it'll probably fail miserably.

To be this excrutiatingly inept takes ages, or so it would seem.

Aye, it is a completely idiotic strategy. To be fair, RoF and Yakuza are very different sorts of RPG from the FF's, but they clearly occupy a similar sphere. What with them all being JRPG's. Still, the only one I'll be getting is RoF, so they've got one sale at least <_<

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Wiper

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Mmm, I'm avoiding that demo - saw reactions to it... on some other forum (honestly can't remember which, was when I was trawling for opinions on the game), and most people seemed underwhelmed by it, largely because, well, it explains all the mechanics in Japanese, so people couldn't fully understand the system <_<

I'll wait for a western demo/more reviews before deciding whether to purchase.

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