By Sam Coles:
There are few games that stand out in the industry, but if
you delve into the indie market you’ll find some that stand out. That is what
Hand of Fate 2 does with its interesting concepts; think of it as a mixture of
a tarot card reading, Dungeons and Dragons and a sprinkle of Arkham Asylum’s
combat. What we get is something truly unique and deeply engaging which will
keep you hooked with each scenario.
Hand of Fate 2 doesn’t really have a primary focus when it
comes to a story as you are making your own story with the card system. How it
works is that you are thrown into an area and presented with a scenario which
you can either tackle it head one with combat or you can take the passive route
and avoid violence entirely. When you are presented with the situation the dealer
will give you several cards which tip the altercation in your favour or cripple
your abilities. This system is great as it keeps things fresh and unpredictable
as well as making you feel weak because it can negatively affect you and have
to work around these tweaks. What I like about this system is that it’s not
about violence because you can negotiate with characters you encounter on your
travels, whether that is paying them off or using your sharp conversation
skills to worm your way out of a tense situation.
Not to say it’s all about staring at a card dealer
throughout your play time, if you thirst for blood you’ll be thrown into hack
and slash combat scenarios which are good and serviceable if not by the numbers
if you’ve played and hand to hand combat game *cough* *cough* Batman. Combat is
very much like the Arkham games where you’re in an arena where you’re
surrounded by enemies and have your light and heavy attacks coupled with a counter
which you can use when enemies telegraph their attacks. It’s not bad by any
means and it gets the job done, but it is the same attack engine we have seen time
after time since Batman Arkham Asylum released all the back in 2009.
Visually the game looks pretty good; it runs on the Unreal 4
Engine which looks fantastic with decent looking environments and beautiful
lighting. However the same cannot be said for the character models which look
very goofy with their eyes and body proportions that look like two rolled up
carpets leaning on petrol pump, plus their faces are too clean lacking
blemishes.
Overall Hand of Fate 2 is a fantastic game with a unique
hook with the tarot card system that will keep you guessing with each
encounter. If you have a gaming PC or PS4 get this game as it is not terribly
expensive and you’ll have hours of gameplay to keep you occupied with this unique
gameplay style, yes the combat is by the numbers but that is just a fraction of
what this game has to offer.
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