A charming fantasy hack-n-slash that is surprisingly addictive and crawling with content.
~
There is no big story in Fate, just a brief intro of a wise old man reading about how your character and his/her pet came to the town of Grove, only to learn that an evil presence is lurking in the dungeon depths. Of course, you assume the role of 'hero' and your journey begins.
~
From the start, you customize your character's looks, which are limited to only face and hair choices, as well as male or female options. You can also choose whether to have a pet dog or cat as your faithful companion to follow you into the deepest levels. (in the game, you can feed your pet select fish that can transform them into different creatures, from spiders to beetles to wolves to wyverns and even a gargoyle)
Once you start the game, you basically have nothing but a simple outfit on and a hatchet for a weapon. Of course, once you enter the dungeon(s), that will all change, as there is plenty of loot to pick up underground from gold to armor to weapons to jewelery, and so on and so forth.
~
The combat in this game is simple: click on something and your character will swing at it. But depending on how far up your character is level-wise, you will struggle to hit most enemies, even if you get right up in their faces. It's a blend of turn-based RPG combat and controlled combat, but once your character gets leveled up, you'll be striking enemies 80-90% of the time and it is quite enjoyable.
~
There are endless quests to go on, and the townsfolk will always be in need of your services, with an award for you upon completing their requests, whether it be you fetching a lost item or slaying a mini boss and its minions, or both. The quests are always random, so there's never a dull moment. The dungeon levels themselves are random as well. Of course, each dungeon level you visit will always have the same layout no matter how many times you visit it, but over time, the dungeon will be restocked with loot and monsters, again mixing things up for you.
~
The type of content in Fate is quite simple, yet very in-depth at the same time. You can upgrade items, armor, and weapons by encrusting them with jewels with mystical powers, which makes them more powerful/stronger. And not every piece of armor has the same specs. Example, a simple pair of leather gloves may have a defense of 3 at one vendor while the same pair of gloves sold at a different vendor might have a defense of 5, so you're never left with a final verdict on item prowess.
~
The music in this game is very good. Celtic tunes ring about as you walk around Grove, and the dungeon music (three tracks in all) is very eerie and haunting while at the same time encouraging you to explore every nook and cranny. It really sets the mood and will stick with you long after you put the mouse to rest. As for the voice acting, the people did a good job overall. The old wise man sounds convincing, as well as the other townsfolk. The monster voices are really creepy and convincing also, making them appear more ferocious than they really are (although most Fate monsters can deal heavy damage). It's even fun to hear barrels and clay pots being smashed by your hand.
~
So overall, Fate is a solid, yet simple game that manages to be very enjoyable, despite it's somewhat cartoonish graphics (which, by the way, are nothing to rave over, but they are memorable nonetheless). If you like dungeon crawlers and RPGs and fantasy stuff, you'll have fun with Fate, and it may just be the game that gets you hooked on the genre.