Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 23
 Probably my GOTY July 20, 2010
MMO Addict (Arizona, USA)
So far this game is at the top of my list for this year. I love strategy games (especially turn-based) and RPGs and this one delivers. The best thing about this game is the combat. It has a decent storyline too, and an open world. It's sort of opposite to Final Fantasy 13 in those regards (not really, I'm being a little hard on FF13).
There are challenge encounters (red dots on the map that you have the option to do, usually with really good rewards) that are fun and make you rethink your strategies multiple times. You can grind up and have a little easier time on encounters but you can still get owned by a boss if you do it completely wrong, but there's usually some good hints on how to kill stuff based on the area and what people say. It has a small penalty for losing to an encounter (have to pay money to retry, or you can just reload if you just saved) so there's a reason to focus on winning in battles.
 Hardcore JRPG fans only July 19, 2010
Technosapien (where the beer is!)
Taking place in a steam punk-ish future where humanity lives above the clouds in a five tiered elevated city, this tale of mercenaries begins. it took me a couple of hours to get a feel for traversing the world, another four to get a feel for the combat, and honestly i still don't know what the story was about.
the main cast is full of anime archetypes: There's the roguish, slightly perverted veteran vashyron; the young, emo pretty boy zephyr; and the plucky young lady leanne. All are working together as mercenaries to make ends meet in a dystopian future.
Though it took a very long tutorial, once i entered combat my experience rapidly improved. Developer tri-ace provides a mix of turn based and real time trappings, similar to what they did so well in the star ocean and valkyrie profile games. Each of the 3 characters get a turn, but once the character starts moving, the enemies begin their actions as well. It demands careful timing and planning, and each new area or enemy requires a unique strategy. With so many combat rules to master in a short time, Resonance of Fate can be pretty daunting. i thought i understood the rules a few hours in, then a function i was barely aware of finally clicked, and it was as if the whole game changed.
fighting is easily the deepest part of the game. those prepared to give their all learning the system will have a great time once the tri-attack system is mastered. Some frustration, however, is a given.
This game can be infuriatingly hard.Expect to grind alot before the game's bosses can be defeated, and expect to restart often, especially during one really crappy escort mission. i do appreciate a challenge, and it's possible to sidestep a reload of a previous save by spending in-game cash, but the game could go easier on us and still be a classic grindfest.
Anyone with eyes can see that resonance is pretty, but most areas look the same. The main characters look good, as do most of the enemies, but their movements are robotic, and while the cleverly designed world is visually satisfying, the fixed in-town camera would feel old on the ps2. Fortunately the dungeons and battles have free moving camera, while the oerworld is a hex based map that requires moving a cursor to get from place to place (alot like nocturne and devil summoner). maybe that sounds cheap, but the puzzle like way you use differently shaped pieces to reveal new areas was a satisfying distraction.
Resonance of fate proves that JRPG's aren't dead. the great combat and interesting map structure are fresh, and even the established parts are still what fans look for in RPG's. if you are looking for a traditional style RPG, your quest is over.
Has What Competitors Don't: Fun June 22, 2010
Thuggernaut
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm going to compare this game to final fantasy 13, since I finished that immediately before starting this one.
Resonance of Fate doesn't have as many breaktaking cutscenes or professional voice actors as FF13. It doesn't have as much polish or slick graphics like FF13 either. So how come I rated FF13 as a 3/5 and this as a 5/5? Not that resonance of fate is a perfect game, but I actually had fun playing it.
Resonance of Fate clocked in at around 58 hours, slightly longer than FF13. The main attraction for this game isn't the story or cutscenes or graphics, but the gameplay. The battle system is unique and does have a bit of a learning curve, but once you get used to it, you'll never look back to the "auto-battles" of FF13. Basically you have to select a path for your characters in battle and do "hero actions" while charging up your gun to inflict damage. Also, you can overlap these hero actions with your two other characters to create a "tri-attack." This can be difficult to orchestrate at first, but once you do, you'll be rewarded with a bullet-frenzied assault, tearing your enemies to pieces as your three characters navigate the triangle path you've laid out. Another element to consider is that machineguns inflict "scratch damage" which doesn't do anything until you combine it with handgun "direct damage" to kill your enemies. Handguns don't do much damage, so you have to organize both types of weapons to kill your enemies. Also you can use grenades that inflict status effects and knockbacks. This is the main attraction for resonance of fate: the strategic and jaw-dropping explosive combat.
Another fun element is customizing your guns and characters. You can buy/find/collect-from-missions different parts to enhance your guns' charge rate and magazine count, among other properties. This can lead to pretty bizarre looking weapons once you stack up a ton of barrels, magazines and scopes, but unfortunately the mods don't show up in the battle graphics (maybe in resonance of fate 2 they will?). Also, most of the missions in the game are optional, so you can play this as straightforward or fully as you want. You can even choose when you want to advance to the next story chapter, incase you want to find more items or do more missions first.
The "game world," despite being relatively small, is actually a lot more fun to explore than FF13, because you can do it however and whenever you want. You can uncover items, dungeons, and many optional boss battles to earn items and help trick out your characters. You can also customize their clothing with a wide array of garments to choose from.
The story isn't anything to write home about, and you might be scratching your head about some unanswered questions by the end, but it does the job. Also, the voice acting is decent, not as good as FF13 but it also gets the job done as well.
One great feature is the New Game+, which allows you to carry over your characters, skills, and guns for another play, and unlock a tough dungeon if you get bored. OR you can abandon what you've earned and progress to a higher difficulty, and repeat the process for a greater challenge.
The graphics aren't top-notch like FF13, but they are pretty good. If FF13 is a 10/10, then this would be an 7/10. HOWEVER the animations are actually really good, a lot less wooden and really smooth compared to the jerky "ATB chain" movements of your characters in FF13. Imagine doing a hero jump, your character gliding over the head of your enemy while unloading dual SMGs into them. Or emptying the clip of a .45 into their face as your character takes a rolling dive. Actually this good animation quality of the battles bumps Resonance of Fate up to at least an 8/10 for graphics.
For SEGA fans: SEGA has made a pretty good comeback these last few years... with games like Bayonetta, Yakuza and Valkyria Chronicles and now Resonance of Fate, I'll be keeping my eye on SEGA for their next big hit. They aren't afraid to take a risk, do something different, and make a great game.
In summary, for me, Resonance of Fate delivered what FF13 couldn't: fun. Despite multi-million dollar graphics and years of development, I have little desire to play FF13 again. However Resonance of Fate I'll jump back on as soon as I get the chance. If you want insane combat and customization, this is your game. If you want something new and a little bit different, this is your game. Here's hoping SEGA and Tri-Ace will deliver a sequel to this excellent experience!
coming from action,shooter games school (RPG NOOB) June 18, 2010
ZEEKA (UAE)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
epic by mean epic ,i'm new to rpg and i want to experiance this genre so a friend advice me to try this game.
its fun like hell specially after got boring syndrome from dragon age i give it a try
pros
- minimal conversation ,very few text even though was entertaing
- very good graphics,animation, decent cut scene,
- heavy action gameplay full entertaining
- easily menu NAVIGATION
- very unique gameplay turn based strategy( close to Valkyria Chronicles as people said) ,your IQ WILL BE TESTED some battles needs also fast controller reaction
- tons of customization (weapons,clothes)
- stunning attack animation never getting old
- charming music specially if u like piano classic music,u will repeat some areas to just listen to the classic sound tracks
- long last game till now over 30 hours without even touching side quest
cons
- steep learning curve but when i mean steep i mean 3 to 4 hours practice ,there is arena tutorial just be sure to play more than one time
- arena tutorial should be better in describing some game elements ,thanks for YOUTUBE:)
- poor story but honestly i never care about story, NO.1 for me solid gameplay NO.2 graphics and animation
*last i would advice any new comer for jrpg genre to try this masterpiece specially if he raise up on action or shooter games i assure you u wont be disappointed, now i order Valkyria Chronicles and looking for same style games like resonance of fate
Phenomenal game--with one major flaw June 13, 2010
mfx3 (Virginia)
This game is an instant classic with brilliant graphics, environments, gameplay, and story. Blends JRPG and steampunk elements into a seamless experience that comes along once every few years. Characters are interesting, tons of customization from weapons to clothing, and the world is vast and full of areas to explore. Combat is unique, and there is a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it you'll enjoy the depth of strategy involved. This is a rich, complex game with many layers that will suck you in and make you glad you own it. For some reason it's pretty hard to find in retail stores, but grab it if you see it. One of, if not THE, year's best.
The one major flaw-- it has already been mentioned how complex the combat is. Managing so many moving parts is pretty much impossible. You've got scratch points, direct damage points, physical damage, and another half dozen different types of damage that you have to constantly be aware of. If any one character falls too low, they all go into critical mode. That means none of them can do much more than cower and take more damage, often leading to mission failure. Just to demonstrate how complicated the combat is...I've often thought the battle was going well for me until I found myself unexpectedly in critical condition--seemingly without rhyme or reason. Probably because I still don't understand everything that's factoring into my HP, and probably never will. Very punishing, very unforgiving combat.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 23
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