Review #264: Threads of Fate

 Squaresoft has always been one for presumptuous titles!

 Threads of Fate is one of Squaresoft's lesser known titles. It's not an obscure game by any means, just one that most people tend to forget about. An action rpg in the same vein of Square's own Brave Fencer Musashi, Threads of Fate was a little game that came and went without people noticing.

 You can play as either Rue, a mysterious white haired boy that can transform into monsters and is seeking a Relic to revive his friend, or Mint, an spoiled princess versed in magic that seeks the Relic for world domination. Both scenarios slightly contradict each other, but you need to play both if you want to see the true ending. That said, if you only plan on playing one, Rue is the way to go, as he has the meatier, more serious story, while Mint is mostly comic relief. Each character also gets an exclusive dungeon and a couple of unique boss fights, but nothing major.

 This is a 3D action game with a few RPG elements. There's no levels perse, but you can raise your hitpoints by being hit, magicpoints by using magic, and your defense and strength by buying equipment or potions. Rue and Mint also play differently, Rue has basic weak attacks and a strong attack, but he can also turn into any of the last four different monster types that he defeated, which is often times used to solve puzzles, as Rue himself is the way to go when it comes to fighting most of the time. Mint only has weak attacks, but she can use magic. There's about 6 different 'Magic types', that can be used with different spells, which translates into a LOT of spells. In practice, Rue's game starts off way easier, but his shortcomings catch up to him by the end of the game, while Mint will have a tough time at the start of the game, but end up as a powerhouse by the end.

 The worst part about the game is, easily, level design. Stages are uninspired and boring, the 'Underground Ruins' being the worst of the bunch, being made up of copy pasted rooms over and over again. An NPC will comment on it 'This maze is so confusing' or something like that, as if making a joke about it somehow makes it OK! Also, keep in mind that inside dungeons you can't turn the camera around, so sometimes stuff will hit you from outside your range of vision, heck, it's easy for bosses to get outside the range of your view, so battles now turn into a matter of keeping the boss inside your range of vision AND dodging their attacks, Some enemies also respawn infinitely, which will probably get on the nerves of some. And raising your stats is a pain in the butt, either waste time getting hit, or grind money and buy the stat ups, either way, a time sink. Not that the game is hard enough to justify it anyways!

 Threads of Fate is a decent, but flawed, game. The idea behind the two characters is respectable, and they managed to make both characters feel different enough, although there's not enough exclusive content  to justify a second playthrough, unless your really, really want to see the bonus ending.
6.0 out of 10