Fates of Ort

The first thing that struck me about this game was how it stands out at a glance. To me, it's not attempting to be flashy or have impressive graphics, but at the same time, they are unique and tastefully created. When I see a screenshot of this game, I know what it is, without any UI or unique character portrayed on the screen. Secondly, the game doesn't seem to be attempting to follow any trend or clone a previous game. If anything, if you told me this game was from the late 80s - 90s, I might have believed you. In those days, they had less former successes and examples to copy, and so when someone created their vision of a game, more often than not it had something "nebulous" to set it apart... like it had its own soul. So, when I say that this game seems like it is retro, I mean it in the best way, and not that it's attempting to cash in purely on nostalgia (though, if it is, well done, you fooled me). Within the first hour, it has been a bit "slow", but again (are you sensing a pattern?) I don't mean it in a bad way. It's more like how older movies compare to today's blockbusters; I get to take my time (pun) and absorb the game, its world, and everything it is giving me, and it seems like a cohesive, belonging experience. Old movies, out of intent or necessity, felt like they gave you time to be in the moment with the characters on the screen. Newer movies and video entertainment in general seem to flash everything on the screen one after another, as if we're toddlers and we'll lose interest if they don't overwhelm our senses. I like games that don't fill every second with action, narrative and things going on. This is one. You can take that how you want, but, again, I mean it in a good way. If you remember liking rpg's and simpler strategy games from that bygone era, but find yourself unable to get into those dated games and mechanics, give this game a try. It seems to play like a game I remember liking back then, but is still actually good.

I had a lot of fun playing this game. I tried to do as many quests as possible and got a little over 30 hours of playtime out of it. The gameplay is unique and challenging most of the time. The art looks good and the soundtrack reminds me a lot of 1990s PC games (which is a definite plus in my book). I bought this game not only because it looked fun, but also because there is a Linux native version which I as a Linux user very much appreciate. ----- Some things I didn't like: * Some areas feel a bit too empty and lifeless. There could've been more world building and I wouldn't have minded a few more side quests. More different passive NPCs could have made things feel a bit more lively too (Cows, Pigs, Chicken, etc.) * There are a few bugs, although minor they can be annoying. For example 2 soundtracks playing at the same time. Or one time I got teleported outside of a room's borders so the character was stuck in the void. * The final boss fights are relatively easy once you know what to do. ----- Overall Fates of Ort is a well made game that is perfect for chill late night gaming. I would love to see more!

I had lots of fun with this. It's a casual, action oriented RPG game, similar to Zelda or Diablo. Strategy also plays a big part in this game, as one of the mechanics is that things only move when you do. This includes monsters and projectiles, and it allows you do plan out how you can take out mobs of enemies. Or just plow through them with your sword! One of the interesting things about this game is that it hides all the character stats from the player. You also don't really get an inventory system either; instead items can be only be equipped at things called Fate Spikes, which also act as the fast travel way points in the game, and are scattered liberally throughout the world. Initially I wasn't a fan of these mechanics, but they grew on me, as it allowed me to focus solely on the action and strategy, without worrying about inventory management and/or stat management. The game took me about 25 hours to complete, and it never really felt like a chore or a grind. The writing was excellent, as was the music. The pixel art and graphic style was also very good. I also didn't encounter any serious bugs or glitches (it crashed only once in my 25 hours of playing.) In summary, if you like action RPGs that aren't statistical / inventory simulators and you like the pixel art style, I'd recommend checking it out.

...even if you haven't played similar games in your childhood. This game gets so many things right - the combat is fun, the puzzles are nice, the quests are humble, but interesting, the exploration and discovery of new areas and stuff is on point. Loot collection is nice, as well as the character progression and unlocking of new spells, the mechanic which increases HP cost of repeated spell casts removes spamming as a viable playstyle and forces you to think creatively and use almost every spell in your arsenal to succeed. It's a game humble in its scope, but what it aims for, it achieves with flying colors. That isn't to say there are no flaws though. Leveling the last few levels get excruciatingly slow (if you're a completionist and want to unlock all the spells). Speaking of completionism, this game rewards completing everything, but may also require multiple playthroughs to see all content. Hardmode adds some more replayablility too. Collecting coins also gets really annoying at some point, because you need coins for all the chests, portals and whatnot, but certain types are dropped more often than others. The map could have been done a little bit better, showing underground areas and marking quests in those areas. Overall, the UI is really clunky, with the spell selection being the biggest offender - a simple 3-row action bar with spells would have been so much easier to track what you've used, what you have, and overall prevent the clogging and endless searching for spells in the endgame where you have them all. Sure, time is stopped while you're doing it but it slows down gameplay nonetheless. Overall, a really enjoyable experience if you're into retro RPGs. Despite the flaws, I'll give it 5/5 because it really is a game with a soul, and the good points far outweigh the bad.