I consider this JRPG to be tri-Ace's opus. It's flashy, fun, and easy to get into.
Those familiar with tri-Ace's style will know what to expect: a nonsensical story, tongue-in-cheek humor, relatively complex battle mechanics, and lengthy collection and crafting quests. All of these are present in RoF, but they are better executed here than in it's Star Ocean counterparts. The story is sprinkled with zany characters and opaque dialog, but it is well voice-acted for the most part, and much more appropriate in the steampunk setting. The silly moments are more often endearing than embarrasing, and the serious moments more confusing than flat. The story is told entirely in cutscenes, a staple of the genre, and progression is somewhat linear. However, the customization and puzzle elements make this game satisfying to complete. It's a good game to relax with.
The graphics are good, and the mostly-muted color palette makes the bright moments and FMV's stand out all the more. The graphics are good, rarely great, but well-designed. Only the enemies look silly, with their stiff animations and corny horror-carnival appearance. Shoot them.
The music is also suprising, with plenty of downtempo and pumping rock tracks. All the music tracks swell when you go on acrobatic maneuvers, which is quite cool. It's not something I'd buy a CD of, but behind a video game it's quite nice.
Combat is flashy, with Matrix-style leaps and blazing guns. In true tri-Ace fashion, there's some subtleties to master here. Like most JRPGs, the majority of encounters are rather easy, though boss fights and setpiece battles are rather hard if you are not prepared. However, if you're not careful and the bezel system turns against you, the battles can go from leaping gun battle to brutal scramble for survival in an instant. This risk-vs-reward mechanic is the centerpiece of RoF's combat, and it is loads of fun. Trust me, this is a good thing, as you will be fighting a lot. Like most TRPGs, battles have a subtle puzzle element that is very satisfying.
Outside the main story, other quests are handled in the same manner, usually the fetch-something or deliver-something or kill-something variety. The missions themselves aren't terribly compelling, but the constant need for extra hexes, equipment and money will keep you doing them.
The world map is heavily abstracted into hexes, which must be unlocked using hexes gathered from enemies and quests. This enforces the linear progression of the game, but it is more a grinding test than an actual puzzle element. Getting the proper hexes to set up long bonus chains (which reap rewards in battles) can take quite a while, and often the reward in battle power isn't significant. However, completionists will want to make use of certain powers, to facilitate the gaining of experience and items. For someone looking to complete the game, it might not worth the trouble.
Speaking of completionists, tri-Ace always likes to pile on the hurt with extra content, and this game is no exception. There are hundreds of extra battles to be fought for bonus equipment in the Arena, special hex bonuses to be unlocked, guns to be customized, postgame dungeons, extra difficulty levels, and expensive costumes for the characters. The game is somewhat lengthy by itself, but I'm guessing it'd push from 100-150 hours if you were to do absolutely everything in one playthough.
Speaking on the characters, you only get 3, but thankfully they use A-list English voice talent, and are quite attractive and likeable.
I only have a few complaints with the game, and those are the enemy designs and world map systems. Though not game-breaking, they come off as rather ordinary, in a game that otherwise has a lot of style. The pacing is good, even if every joke isn't perfect. Also, with the desperately muted color scheme and basic plot, some of the areas in this game are somewhat bland. These combine to make the game *feel* like less than an A-list title, despite being ultimately greater than the sum of its parts. Only minor quibbles keep it from being truly awesome, and if there is to be a sequel that addresses them, I anxiously await it.
The Verdict:
Resonance of Fate is probably among, if not the best choice for a JRPG on modern consoles. tri-Ace's trademark cheesy charm and rough-around-the-edges game design are married well with likeable characters and good visuals. Anyone who likes a good anime romp and lengthy postgame content should check it out. Despite the game's action trappings, it still has a rather heavy anime influence, and does require a good deal of patience, so those who prefer guns-blazing action and shorter playtimes might not be able to dig deep enough to find the real meat.
This game most certainly has my recommendation, it's one of the unique games of this console generation.
+Great character designs and primary VA work
+Flashy battles are puzzle-like and fun
+Has some genuinely funny moments
+Meaty customization and collection quests will keep you busy
+Postgame content and difficulty levels will let you do it all over again
-Bland visuals sometimes too bland
-Enemy designs aren't particularly exciting
-Heavy anime lean will turn off some gamers
-World map puzzle system is lengthy and somewhat unrewarding