HAND OF FATE 2
DEVELOPER DEFIANT DEVELOPMENT PRICE TBA
defiantdev.com/hof2.html
As well as newcomers, and studios making completely different second games, Hand of Fate is getting a sequel. I wrote up the original in my very first PAX round up, three years ago. Hand of Fate 2 is, “more of the same, only polished,” rather than, “something new,” and that’s an approach fans should appreciate. In finding great indies, I often look for one thing that makes them special. For the first, I would have said it was the card game influences and structure. Now, deck building/usage is even more detailed, but the action combat system has become as strong a selling point.
In the PAX demo, I could choose between two AI companions to join me at the start of the campaign, and then in combat. In
particular, the melee feller was useful for bashing the fire breathing thieves. At release, your choice will interact uniquely with unfolding story, too. Accents, like having to wiggle the left analogue stick after being stunned, are a great addition to combat, as are an interesting array of artefacts, including health items or the ability to instantly kill one enemy. As well as, of course, all the moves you’d expect in an action RPG.
Indeed, HoF2 feels more like an action RPG than ever, with encounters allowing for a range of choices on how to proceed. If you don’t want to fight, you can often trade an item for passage, or trust your luck against dubious odds. I particularly loved the opportunity to pickpocket. Perhaps because I had The Trickster with me as a distraction, my first attempt would yield varying amounts of gold. My next, three gold outcomes or minor injury, and so on. If you’re a fan of the series, or action RPGs, this is for you. Maybe in a few more years, Hand of Fate 3.
Combat has become as strong a selling point as deck building