Threads Of Fate Preview

Wearing destiny's clothes.

If you had the chance, what would you wish for? True love? More wishes? One million dollars? If that's your final answer, maybe you should stop and think. In Threads of Fate, Rue used to have a happy life without worry: a beautiful caring wife, his very own farm...then one day, everything was taken from him. Wouldn't you wish to change that one moment?

Princess Mint, on the other hand, hasn't had anything taken from her. She's the one that's doing the taking, your basic stuck up girl that wants to take over the world. Gee, if I had a shiny new nickel for every girl like that I know...

Rue and Mint have wishes. Rue wants to bring his wife back from the dead. Mint wants to be Queen of the World. Through the power of a magical relic called the Dewprism, perhaps their wish can come true. But first they have to find it.

Threads of Fate is an action RPG. It plays like a more developed version of Brave Fencer Musashi, mixed in with a bit of Crash Bandicoot. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill platform romp.

There are two weapon attacks - an overhead swing and a horizontal sweep. Enemies that you defeat leave behind coins. Using the coins allow you transform into said enemy, with all the moves and abilities included. As the shape shifting Rue, you'll often find yourself fighting as a skeleton or a dragon. As Mint, you'll be casting spells left and right.

The camera is most often locked in place, following your character as you move along. Graphics are done in well-crafted polygons with cartoonish overtones. Stylistically, the characters have the same look as Final Fantasy Tactics or Musashi.

Unlike the usual linear Square games, Threads of Fate gives you the choice of storylines. You can either be Rue, the serious, angst-ridden boy, or Mint, the Orwellian-complex girl. While they encounter similar obstacles on their quests, Rue and Mint have vastly different point of views. Where the helpful Rue would attempt to aid those in need, the crafty Mint would help them only to learn more about the location of the relic. Mwahahahha. And then she'd trip.

The game is actually pretty funny and doesn't take itself too seriously. There's plenty of visual humor, like dumb looking thugs and constant pratfalls, and then there's the written humor, such as the one girl who always gets Rue's name wrong. While I have yet to come across any bits as funny as Sam and Max, the light-hearted approach does keep the game and storyline interesting.

Good Action/RPG's are hard to find, as they are often too much of one genre and not enough of the other. Threads of Fate looks to break that chain by offering a unique and solid experience that melds both styles of play.

Threads of Fate is due out this July.