Introduction
As visitors to this website may currently notice, there are not many reviews available at the moment. While I've been meaning to port over some of my older reviews from my old review blog, I have not done so yet.
After the failure of the last review I planned to post, hopefully this one will go smoothly. As an aside, however, the review in question was a review for a performance currently available in the Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, called Cirque de Chine. It is an amazing performance and one that I highly recommend, should you be in the area. The original review was much more in-depth than that, originally featuring pictures, video, and, of course, many, many words - however, I somehow managed to accidentally delete almost all of the review while typing, and could not undo! After losing quite a bit of work, I raged quit, leaving that review to, most probably, sit in my Drafts for some time yet.
Now that I'm being more careful not to accidentally erase almost all of my work, we can now focus on the topic of this review:
After the failure of the last review I planned to post, hopefully this one will go smoothly. As an aside, however, the review in question was a review for a performance currently available in the Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, called Cirque de Chine. It is an amazing performance and one that I highly recommend, should you be in the area. The original review was much more in-depth than that, originally featuring pictures, video, and, of course, many, many words - however, I somehow managed to accidentally delete almost all of the review while typing, and could not undo! After losing quite a bit of work, I raged quit, leaving that review to, most probably, sit in my Drafts for some time yet.
Now that I'm being more careful not to accidentally erase almost all of my work, we can now focus on the topic of this review:
Click Read More to continue reading this review!
Review
Resonance of Fate (released as End of Eternity in Japan) is a JRPG available for both the Xbox360 and the PlayStation 3. It did not initially sell well, as it released alongside another much more prominent title, Final Fantasy XIII. Overshadowed by this colossal juggernaut (which, as it turns out, was not a very good game - but that's another review for another time), it went relatively unnoticed by most of the gaming populace, an unfortunate fate for an otherwise brilliant game.
The biggest point I will stress with this review will be this: If you like JRPGs, you need to play this game. If you don't like JRPGs, unfortunately, this game will not change your mind.
Creative as it may be, it still plays very similarly to most JRPGs. It features a battle system that effectively functions as a mixture of turn-based and real-time. The three characters can move around the battle field (only one at a time though - the other two characters can do nothing when it is not their turn) at will, utilize "Hero Actions" to dash to and fro, as well as leaping into the air to reach ledges and other areas inaccessible from the ground alone, and use the environment to their tactical advantage, such as clambering onto a tall structure for a height advantage or hiding behind a bunker for cover. The player can also take aim and attack any enemy at will at any time, as well as switching between characters at a rapid pace with few repercussions (losing a Resonance Point if you have any stocked - more on that later).
The biggest point I will stress with this review will be this: If you like JRPGs, you need to play this game. If you don't like JRPGs, unfortunately, this game will not change your mind.
Creative as it may be, it still plays very similarly to most JRPGs. It features a battle system that effectively functions as a mixture of turn-based and real-time. The three characters can move around the battle field (only one at a time though - the other two characters can do nothing when it is not their turn) at will, utilize "Hero Actions" to dash to and fro, as well as leaping into the air to reach ledges and other areas inaccessible from the ground alone, and use the environment to their tactical advantage, such as clambering onto a tall structure for a height advantage or hiding behind a bunker for cover. The player can also take aim and attack any enemy at will at any time, as well as switching between characters at a rapid pace with few repercussions (losing a Resonance Point if you have any stocked - more on that later).
An early fight.
The animations are very over-the-top and obviously inspired by every ridiculous action movie ever made, with particular focus on John Woo. The game is balanced exceedingly well; despite the battle system truly being turn-based, the action sequences are white-knuckled thrill rides that rival the action sequences in modern FPS games.
However, it is turn-based at heart, and what would a good JRPG be without some convolution in the game mechanics?
However, it is turn-based at heart, and what would a good JRPG be without some convolution in the game mechanics?
Vashyron performing a "Hero Run"
At the beginning of the game, the battle system seems exceedingly complex. There's much jargon hurled at you: Bezel Shards, "Scratch" damage, "Hit" damage, Hero Run, Tri-Attack, Resonance Point, and so forth. You're encouraged to go to the Arena to play the tutorials at the start; if you ignore this advice, you'll likely regret it - in the form of a game over in the first random battle you encounter. Pausing the menu and looking at the control list helps very little. The X button initiates Hero Runs... great! Now what's a Hero Run?
The tutorial in the Arena, while long, goes in-depth to the entire battle system. By the end of it, you should be comfortable enough with the game to progress through the Prologue, and by Chapter 1 or 2 (depending on how many optional missions and side quests you undertake) the basics of the battle system should become second nature. The only complaint one could make with the tutorial is how much it tries to teach you in such a short amount of time; you get to practice everything before you move on to the next lesson, but it's really not until Chapter 2 or so that performing Tri-Attacks are really a feasible course of action, and by that time you may have forgotten your instructions. The tutorial is very long, as well, and could potentially bore those with a shorter attention span away from the game.
The tutorial in the Arena, while long, goes in-depth to the entire battle system. By the end of it, you should be comfortable enough with the game to progress through the Prologue, and by Chapter 1 or 2 (depending on how many optional missions and side quests you undertake) the basics of the battle system should become second nature. The only complaint one could make with the tutorial is how much it tries to teach you in such a short amount of time; you get to practice everything before you move on to the next lesson, but it's really not until Chapter 2 or so that performing Tri-Attacks are really a feasible course of action, and by that time you may have forgotten your instructions. The tutorial is very long, as well, and could potentially bore those with a shorter attention span away from the game.
The first boss fight.
By the end of the tutorial, the battles should begin to make much more sense, even if you don't have aspects such as Tri-Attacks mastered yet. When you begin to earn more Bezel Shards so that Hero Runs and Tri-Attacks begin to become a more integral part of combat, you begin to notice the biggest flaw with the game: most of the combat revolves around the same strategy. Begin with two Hero Runs, forming a triangle, and then perform a Tri-Attack. Repeat until what you're facing is dead. With very few exceptions, almost all of the game can be beaten this way. Combat never ceases to be fun, fast-paced, exciting, and over-the-top, as the other aspects of the battle system and the game itself lend much to the overall enjoyment, but it does begin to feel very repetitive.
Gun customization gets pretty ridiculous.
Most of the battle strategy, therefore, comes from battle prep, the largest aspect of which is, arguably, gun customization. All guns - even the ultimate weapons, the golden gun set - are useless on their own, except at the very beginning of the game. Early on, you learn about gun customization, and it seems pretty fun; if anything, you're probably disappointed that the scope, hand guard, and barrel you added on don't show up on the model in-game (though the model does change based on which gun is equipped). By chapter 5 or 6, depending on how many side quests you do, you're going to begin to realize why the developers chose not to show gun customizations in-game: they begin to look utterly ridiculous. The game's logic seems to be "If one scope helps me aim better, why not seven?" Gun customization then becomes a puzzle, trying to keep track of the various gun parts and how they attach while trying to fit as much as you can into the relatively small grid you're provided with. Gun customization, arguably more important than overall levels, is a necessity for progressing through the game, but it does not adhere to realism. Personally, I feel that it just adds to the game's overall quirky nature, but gun nuts looking for realistic gun tinkering, modifying, and customizing will be sorely disappointed. This is purely, by-the-numbers RPG logic.
Other battle prep includes activating, connecting, and chaining terminals. Terminals are places on the "world map" that give out a certain effect to the areas they are activated on. These effects can be chained together with other terminals to provide multiple effects. These should not go underestimated, as a good terminal effect on an area can render enemies that were once almost unbeatable complete push-overs.
To understand Terminal effects, it is necessary to understand how the world map works. Unlike most RPGs, there is no overworld in the sense of, for example, older Final Fantasy games. Instead, when you leave an area, you see a small model of Basel, the enormous structure that serves as the setting for Resonance of Fate. Your team is represented by a pointer, which is what you use to move around the map. The map is broken up into segments, forming, basically, a stylized grid. Due to Basel's age, it is beginning to lose efficiency, and several areas have become dilapidated or fallen into disuse. These areas are closed off on the grid, and must be unlocked with an Energy Hex in order to progress. Energy Hexes come in different shapes and colors, thus World Map exploration becomes a navigational puzzle. It can be a bit tiresome should you not possess enough Energy Hexes to progress, as all you can really do is grind for item drops in such a situation; however, doing side quests will generally net you enough Energy Hexes to complete the game, and, by the end, enough to unlock the entire map (which is a bit pointless, but you do earn an Achievement).
Lucia, an early location in the game, being unlocked.
Terminals have different colors required to unlock them. By using Energy Hexes of the same color to link pieces of the map (including dungeons) to a terminal, all spaces of that same color share the Terminal Effect. Multiple terminals can be linked together, though this usually requires placing an Energy Station (which also functions as save points, since there are naturally none outside of your Base) to convert nearby colored areas of the grid into the color you want. A great example of this is linking both the 1.5x Item Drop terminal with the Double Effects terminal, and running this connection to the Arena.
There are many aspects of gameplay the player must learn, and the difficulty is surprisingly high (you will probably lose to the first boss numerous times before deducing an apt strategy), yet balanced. There are no moments in the game that feel unwinnable simply because you haven't grinded enough or done the right quests.
As an aside, one very unique element of the game is how much the characters can be physically customized. There are a ton of clothing options and accessories to be found and/or purchased throughout the game that allows for thousands upon thousands of different appearances. Your custom wardrobe retains, with few exceptions, even in cutscenes, further encouraging you to have a little fun with the aesthetics. It's really more addicting than what you would initially believe.
There are many aspects of gameplay the player must learn, and the difficulty is surprisingly high (you will probably lose to the first boss numerous times before deducing an apt strategy), yet balanced. There are no moments in the game that feel unwinnable simply because you haven't grinded enough or done the right quests.
As an aside, one very unique element of the game is how much the characters can be physically customized. There are a ton of clothing options and accessories to be found and/or purchased throughout the game that allows for thousands upon thousands of different appearances. Your custom wardrobe retains, with few exceptions, even in cutscenes, further encouraging you to have a little fun with the aesthetics. It's really more addicting than what you would initially believe.
Arguably the most important aspect of a JRPG, however, is the story. Disappointingly, this is the worst aspect of the game. The story isn't bad - it's just average. Difficult to follow, it has a very creative premise that seems to be forgotten very early in the game, then reintroduced near the end as though that plot line has been developed all of this time.
Resonance of Fate does feature very strong characterization and development, however. Vashyron, the protagonist, is, in effect, a gun for hire. Prior to the start of the game, Vash took in a vagrant teen, Zephyr, the obligatory pretty boy of this game. After this, Zephyr saved Leanne's (Rainbell in Japanese) life from what appears, though is not explicitly stated, to be an attempted suicide (this is not a spoiler, as you see this in the first cutscene of the game). The cutscenes for the first 3/4 of the game almost exclusively focus on the developing relationship among the team, with some delving into their backstory. As it turns out, almost all of the plot is focused on Zephyr and Leanne, both of whom possess ties with the Cardinals. Vash, having less and less to do with the plot as it unravels, is presented as sort of a father figure of the two. The oldest, he's usually the brain of the bunch, as well as the educator, and as such becomes the de facto leader.
Resonance of Fate does feature very strong characterization and development, however. Vashyron, the protagonist, is, in effect, a gun for hire. Prior to the start of the game, Vash took in a vagrant teen, Zephyr, the obligatory pretty boy of this game. After this, Zephyr saved Leanne's (Rainbell in Japanese) life from what appears, though is not explicitly stated, to be an attempted suicide (this is not a spoiler, as you see this in the first cutscene of the game). The cutscenes for the first 3/4 of the game almost exclusively focus on the developing relationship among the team, with some delving into their backstory. As it turns out, almost all of the plot is focused on Zephyr and Leanne, both of whom possess ties with the Cardinals. Vash, having less and less to do with the plot as it unravels, is presented as sort of a father figure of the two. The oldest, he's usually the brain of the bunch, as well as the educator, and as such becomes the de facto leader.
Basel
All of these characters live in Ebel City, a well-to-do place in Basel. Basel was built long ago as poisonous gas encompassed Earth, rendering it uninhabitable to humans. It was built to keep humans alive, but as a side effect, human lives were tethered to quartz and linked to Zenith, the omnipresent manager of Basel that, in recent years, as humans have forgotten their origin outside of Basel, has had a religion centered around. As humans began to lose their mastery of Basel, and Zenith alone controls its functions, Basel has entered into decline and decay, with few who know how to manage and repair it. The story deals with religion and fate as the characters discover their ties to the Cardinals and the meaning of their histories.
It's a really well constructed premise, but it falls apart in execution.
As previously mentioned, the cutscenes almost all focus on character development and their relationships. When they begin to focus more on the plot in later hours of the game, the cutscenes begin to feel like you've accidentally started playing a different game halfway through, and they expect you to have followed along with the plot development that hasn't actually occurred in the cutscenes. You can handwave this a bit by pointing out that large portions of the backstory and the current developments in the world, such as the going-ons with the Cardinals, are told by talking to NPCs. If you talk to everyone - again, again, and again, every new chapter - the story makes much more sense. Despite this, numerous plot elements are seemingly nowhere to be found. Wikipedia's story summary answered all of the questions I had about the plot, but left me wondering - where the hell was this mentioned in the game? I talked to almost all NPCs that I could every chapter; I did all of the missions; I completed all of the optional quests, such as Neverland and the Arena. None of this told me any information I hadn't gathered from NPCs and cutscenes, which don't tell the story very well.
To summarize my opinion on the story - if you have to read Wikipedia to figure out what happened (after putting 90 hours into it, no less), then it's not an adequately told story. No matter how interesting it is in theory, or how interesting it could be, bad storytelling is inexcusable. And this is very disappointing to declare, as the premise is just great. For whatever reason, they didn't follow through with the rest of the story.
It's a really well constructed premise, but it falls apart in execution.
As previously mentioned, the cutscenes almost all focus on character development and their relationships. When they begin to focus more on the plot in later hours of the game, the cutscenes begin to feel like you've accidentally started playing a different game halfway through, and they expect you to have followed along with the plot development that hasn't actually occurred in the cutscenes. You can handwave this a bit by pointing out that large portions of the backstory and the current developments in the world, such as the going-ons with the Cardinals, are told by talking to NPCs. If you talk to everyone - again, again, and again, every new chapter - the story makes much more sense. Despite this, numerous plot elements are seemingly nowhere to be found. Wikipedia's story summary answered all of the questions I had about the plot, but left me wondering - where the hell was this mentioned in the game? I talked to almost all NPCs that I could every chapter; I did all of the missions; I completed all of the optional quests, such as Neverland and the Arena. None of this told me any information I hadn't gathered from NPCs and cutscenes, which don't tell the story very well.
To summarize my opinion on the story - if you have to read Wikipedia to figure out what happened (after putting 90 hours into it, no less), then it's not an adequately told story. No matter how interesting it is in theory, or how interesting it could be, bad storytelling is inexcusable. And this is very disappointing to declare, as the premise is just great. For whatever reason, they didn't follow through with the rest of the story.
Prelate Frieda and Cardinal Rowen
The music is good, but not very memorable. It serves its role as part of the scenery, but not as a character in and of itself. The battle music is varied (this isn't an RPG where you hear the same battle theme over and over again during every battle) and does not get repetitive - except for the Arena music, which you'll hear a lot if going for 1000/1000 Achievements - and the Neverland music is excellent. The sound effects are strong and do their job well. It's a game where the sound is good enough to serve its function and not get in the way, and is by no means bad.
I can't speak for the English voice acting. Thankfully, this is one (of a few other modern) JRPGs that allow you to choose between the original Japanese audio or the English. I opted to play in Japanese, and I can vouch that the voice acting in Japanese is excellent. Some characters which only appear in one scene, such as the bartender, will stick with you long after completing the game purely because of their voice alone. All of the voices fit the characters and are well acted. The voices of the three main characters are very gracefully executed - important, as you'll being hearing them a lot.
[NOTE: I have read that the English voice acting is done well, also. I have no personal experience to support this claim.]
I can't speak for the English voice acting. Thankfully, this is one (of a few other modern) JRPGs that allow you to choose between the original Japanese audio or the English. I opted to play in Japanese, and I can vouch that the voice acting in Japanese is excellent. Some characters which only appear in one scene, such as the bartender, will stick with you long after completing the game purely because of their voice alone. All of the voices fit the characters and are well acted. The voices of the three main characters are very gracefully executed - important, as you'll being hearing them a lot.
[NOTE: I have read that the English voice acting is done well, also. I have no personal experience to support this claim.]
Summary
This is an excellent addition to the increasingly sparse collection of JRPGs released in the west for modern consoles. If you're a fan of JRPGs at all, strongly consider picking this game up; you won't regret it. It's well worth the price - completing all Achievements left me with a total time of almost 90 hours. The game is very fun, with fairly intricate gameplay and a robust soundtrack. The story could have been developed better, with more emphasis on plot during cutscenes than characters goofing off.
The Good:
- Well developed gameplay, with a difficult-to-learn, easy-to-master battle system.
- Supporting gameplay elements, such as gun customization, are superbly designed and rewarding, never feeling like a chore.
- Very long game, should the player go for all Achievements. Even just completing the main story will take a fair amount of time.
- Excellent soundtrack, with great voice acting (Japanese).
- Beautiful, if a bit samey, graphics.
- Changing clothes is way more fun than what it should be.
- The story is horribly underdeveloped, resulting in a convoluted mess, despite it's excellent premise. This is a huge detriment for an RPG.
- The Arena takes a LONG time.
- Neverland is an exceedingly difficult dungeon. Granted, it's optional, but most RPGs players, I dare say, will want to tackle the optional dungeon, and it's a challenge. Even at almost max level.
- The game could use a bit more variety in it's side quests. Almost all of them are variants on combat or fetch quests - very well designed combat and fetch quests, but repetitive combat and fetch quests nonetheless.
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