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> Results: Fate
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Fate is an action role-playing game in a typical fantasy setting, but with a difference. This game is not trying to be a hardcore game, but rather a ﾑpick up and play' game that is good fun for all ages. It's an interesting twist that is loads of fun for anyone in the family.
The story is about as basic as could be imaginedﾗthere is a massive Dungeon in the Old Woods, full of adventure and danger. The town of Grove is at its mouth, which is the base of operations, and has a gate leading into the dungeon. You are then given a goalﾗyour ﾑFate'ﾗsomething in the dungeon near level 50 that you must destroy to ﾑtest your fate'. Once you defeat the main quest, you can then retire as a great hero or continue adventuring all the way down to the 999th level of the dungeon. You choose to play as a boy or girl, and have a petﾗdog or catﾗthat follows you around the game. There are no built-in classes. You simply build up skills as you progress through levels. Each time you level up you get character points and skill points to spend as you please, with derived skills shown on screen. By completing quests you also get ﾑfame' points that give you additional skill points, increase your reputation and ability to wield advanced weapons. Your pet levels up as you progress, also gaining skills. Your pet has slots for jewelry to enhance protection or attack, and it also has an inventory. You can load up your pet and send them to town to sell off unwanted items and they will take about 10 seconds per level to return. Finally, there is a fishing skill in the game, and when you catch a fish and feed it to your pet, they transform into another creature with greatly enhanced characteristics.  All sorts of basic RPG systems are present and work well. There is a mini-map that fills in with detail as you explore, a detailed journal that reflects your progress, very usable character and inventory screens, and a leveling system that works well. Combat is the familiar action-RPG ﾑclick attack' and most of the controls are intuitive as well as familiar to fans of the genre. In fact, pretty much everything about Fate works wellﾗfishing, exploring, getting and completing quests, combat, magic, and so on. It is just a solid, enjoyable game with enough depth to be fun, but not full of twisting plots and narrative you need to track or play constantly to keep in touch with. It truly succeeds in being a ﾑcasual RPG'. Replayability comes from making different choices on a subsequent play through, as there is no multiplayer. In the tested version of the game (1.18) the magic system was not well balanced, so that playing a mage became disproportionately difficult towards later levels (when mages usually soar). The newest patch (1.19) made some significant tweaks to the magic system that appear to better balance the class, but I have not extensively tested them. Since the game is primarily bought by download, you will get the latest version when you download the game. There is an issue that potential players should note. In order to unlock the game or apply updates you must have installed the Wildtangent Web Driver, which most scanners note as Spyware, as it collects information regarding your system configuration. It is called ﾑessentially harmless', but the concern is noted. In addition, since you download the full game for demo or purchase, the game uses an ﾑunlock code' method of verification. This authentication method requires that the computer running the game not be behind a firewall for a few seconds to post the transaction ﾖ a very simple task for Windows XP. After that, there is no requirement for any internet connection. I was very pleasantly surprised to find a game that comes in as little as a 25MB download and will play on my ultra-portable with integrated graphics that was so much fun and looked so nice. Downloading the 115MB high-resolution pack made things really look nice on my gaming machine. Unlocking was very easy, and the playability is a dream. This is not an earth-shattering game, nor is it particularly innovative in any way but oneﾗit is a fun RPG for all ages. It can be challenging for experienced players, yet easy for novices, and is acceptable for kids without being too kid-oriented for adults. It is a solid title that shows polish and a good solid gaming experience. Better still, you can experience the full game for six levels before buying so there is little reason not to try. 
This is the first truly family friendly RPG I have found for the PC. It is not too scary or gory, and is not violent beyond what happens in the Harry Potter or Spider-Man games that many kids play. It is a game that the family can split an hour and take turns playing their characters and all have fun. So while the site rates it E-10, I feel that kids who are playing Super Smash Bros. or The Legend of Zelda games is more than ready for Fate.
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