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The Guided Fate Paradox Review


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On 02/14/2014 at 12:00 PM by Chris Yarger

Haven’t I been here before, over and over again?
RECOMMENDATION:

For anyone who loves an incredibly challenging game that will constantly test your patience.

Just imagine that you’re one of the most unlucky people in the world for a moment, and you’re walking along and a cute girl asks if you want to have a free try with a small lottery machine. Now let’s say you win for the first time in your life, and that prize just happens to be a transformation into God. That’s how the story goes for Renya, and unfortunately, it’s the last bit of luck you see throughout the rest of the game.

Guided Fate Paradox is a roguelike game that features an immense story regarding the transformation of a 17-year-old boy who turned into a God. The game takes place in Celestia (NIS seems to love Celestia and the Netherworld), where Renya learns what it takes to transform from boy to god. Throughout his experiences as God, you enter the Fate Revolution Circuit to aid those in need by guiding their fates to a better purpose.

Each fate you guide has a world unique to the individual who has prayed to you. You can find yourself guiding the fates of mermaids in an undersea adventure, or helping a cowardly zombie in the cryptlike cemeteries, and even help befuddled librarians find their way and purpose in life. Each world is catered and crafted to feel like you’re truly in the world of the hapless victim. Whether you’re in a seemingly endless ocean, a library crafted into a cube-like maze that plays like Mario Galaxy, or a shopping mall that is constantly pushing you forward with poisonous gas, every level is different.

But difference is the key to roguelike games. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this niche genre, every dungeon is tiled and randomly generated, you start every dungeon at level 1, your inventory is extremely limited, and death means loss of levels and equipment upon restarting. But don’t let this scare you away, for if you were to succeed in a dungeon, you will be granted permanent stat boosts that carry on throughout the rest of the game. Treading carefully and staying five steps ahead of your enemies are key strategies which will be branded into your mind sooner rather than later.

There are plenty of quirks to make you hate yourself for playing this game, but trust me whenever I assure you that the risk is well worth the reward, for the Guided Fate Paradox offers a great story and incredible narrative that’s laced with plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor. The main character casting is quite the ménage of personalities, but to be honest, it’s the supporting cast that will suck you into the game. As I stated before, every dungeon you enter is filled with purpose, and that purpose is to guide the fate of a down-and-out individual, and these individuals are what made the game to be quite remarkable. Each person you encounter has a unique tale to weave and spin, and each tale is able to capture a sense of remorse from within the player. There were many times I stopped the game to ponder over how the prayer would be answered and how the story would unfold itself in each chapter. The characters were so well fleshed out that I found myself actually caring about the circumstances which brought the characters to where they were, and how I could guide their fate to something better.

But as you guide on, the challenge increases until you find yourself seemingly unable to push on. There were many times in which I was simply stumped and no amount of level grinding seemed to help. At one point, I was stuck on an early chapter (four of ten) for nearly a week before I triumphed victoriously. There are certain parts in the game which require pure strategy, and other parts which can simply be grinded out, but this is the heart and soul of the roguelike genre.

Guided Fate Paradox isn’t for everyone with its staggering difficulty, but for those who are strong enough to weather the storm, it’s well worth a play through. The cast of characters and story make the game well worth the effort, and the ever-changing dungeons are sure to keep you guessing. With over ten chapters to play through plus nine bonus dungeons, Guided Fate Paradox is surely going to keep you busy for hundreds of hours, if not more. Now go forth, and guide some fates!

Review Policy

In our reviews, we'll try not to bore you with minutiae of a game. Instead, we'll outline what makes the game good or bad, and focus on telling you whether or not it is worth your time as opposed to what button makes you jump.

We use a five-star rating system with intervals of .5. Below is an outline of what each score generally means:


All games that receive this score are standout games in their genre. All players should seek a way to play this game. While the score doesn't equate to perfection, it's the best any game could conceivably do.


These are above-average games that most players should consider purchasing. Nearly everyone will enjoy the game and given the proper audience, some may even love these games.


This is our middle-of-the-road ranking. Titles that receive three stars may not make a strong impression on the reviewer in either direction. These games may have some faults and some strong points but they average out to be a modest title that is at least worthy of rental for most.


Games that are awarded two stars are below average titles. Good ideas may be present, but execution is poor and many issues hinder the experience.


Though functional, a game that receives this score has major issues. There are little to no redeeming qualities and should be avoided by nearly all players.


A game that gets this score is fundamentally broken and should be avoided by everyone.


 

Comments

asrealasitgets

02/14/2014 at 09:58 PM

You did it again. Now I really want to try this game out. I wish you just blogged more often dammit! I watched a video of the gameplay and the artwork looks really good. I may have to try it some time.

Chris Yarger Community Manager

02/17/2014 at 06:00 AM

Trust me, I want to blog more, but it's incredibly tough to do so right now. We've been extremely busy at work and my time at home has been limited as well. I've been trying to keep up with BaD, but so far I think I've only had 3 blogs the entire month, oops!

This is a great game though, very difficult, but still a lot of fun. I think I saw it for $40 at GameStop a week or so ago, so definitely keep an eye out on it!

Matt Snee Staff Writer

02/15/2014 at 09:36 AM

damn, four stars?!?  This game must be pretty good.  You're a better man than I to review this one!

Chris Yarger Community Manager

02/17/2014 at 06:00 AM

I loved it, even with it's infuriating difficulty

BrokenH

02/18/2014 at 11:15 PM

Man,I'd love this! You're right Chris,the story seems very intriguing! 

Chris Yarger Community Manager

02/19/2014 at 05:54 AM

The story was definitely fun Ben, and the game seemed to stick to it's guns in terms of the story as well, all while finding a way to shift itself towards a bigger purpose.

Pacario

02/19/2014 at 07:20 PM

I'd love to try this just for the story--does the game, by chance, offer a casual mode?

Chris Yarger Community Manager

02/20/2014 at 06:05 AM

Unfortunately it does not, the only mode it has is "Kill you fast and force you to restart everything".

leeradical42

03/02/2014 at 12:12 PM

Well Chris im picking it up today along with Tales of Grace and Tales of Xillia :)

Chris Yarger Community Manager

03/10/2014 at 05:55 AM

Let me know what you think of it man!

leeradical42

03/10/2014 at 12:57 PM

I like it its definitely hardcore not for your average rpg player but I think its awesome thanks for letting me know about it.

xDarthKiLLx

03/10/2014 at 12:41 AM

holy shit.....Chris AND Ben are here>?!?!?!?!  

its your old buddy Darth KiLL

Chris Yarger Community Manager

03/10/2014 at 05:55 AM

Yessir! Welcome to the migration!

leeradical42

06/02/2014 at 10:41 PM

Well im about halfway and must admit I love this game Wink

Chris Yarger Community Manager

06/03/2014 at 06:09 AM

Nice!!

I need to hop back in to this game sometime. It was really really cool, and I loved how each and every paradox was a completely different world and puzzle!

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