Threads of Fate

"A gorgeous game and one of Square's best."

We all know that Square Enix is good at developing and producing some decent role-playing games. Threads of Fate is one of those games. While not completely original in terms of story, this game has gorgeous graphics and is a nice change of pace from many of Square's other role-playing games.

The story, as I had previously stated, is very unoriginal yet interesting none the less. The game revolves around an ancient magical item called a relic. The game has two primary characters, Mint and Rue. The overall story focuses and their quest to find this magical relic. They each have their story mode that tells their side of the adventure. Rue's story is dark and serious, focusing around his efforts to revive his friend Clair with the ancient relic. Mint's story is more hilarious and upbeat, focusing on her desire to use the relic to get revenge on her sister Maya and take over the world. While they don't sound too appealing at first, the events that drive the story have many twists that keep you waiting for more. Some of the interactions that occur between characters are quite humourous.

Much of the game play is standard to most role-playing games. Your characters begin with a set amount or hit points and magic points, as well as some basic abilities. Rue can change his shape into any one of the four most recently defeated enemies (minus bosses) by picking up a token left behind after defeating the enemy; Mint can use magic in a variety of colours and types for a great variety of spells. Unlike most role-playing games, your characters do not gain levels but you maximum HP and MP increase as you play. Your maximum HP increases after taking a certain amount of damage and your maximum MP increases after using a certain amount of MP. Your MP depletes when Mint casts her magic and when Rue uses the abilities of an enemy while transformed. Your attack and defense can be increased buy purchasing permanent upgrades and other items from the local shops with gold. You may also purchase a ten point increase in HP or MP as well, although at a different shop. The battle system is not turn-based and takes place in real-time, so an enemy can pop up in front of you at any given moment.

Graphics and sound in this game are some of the best I have experience with a PlayStation game. The graphics are very smooth, rarely coming off as choppy with gorgeous colours that are easy on the eyes. I find the music to be some of the best I heard in most games. The cues are set up at just the right moments to deliver the maximum effect of the tune, and some of the tunes are designed to represent the characters. Mint has more upbeat tunes, while Rue's songs are more sad. The main enemies of the game have a few darker tunes that are a high contrast to the more casual or upbeat tunes you find in various locations throughout most of the game. To top it all off, the music quality is very high, including the sound effects. The water actually sounds like water (go figure), the fire sounds like you have a fireplace in your own home and you can even hear the chirping of grasshoppers or crickets at night. Impressive, no?

Some of you like games that take a long time to complete. If that is the game you're looking for, however, this may not be the title you'd want to grab. It is possible to finish the game within twelve hours of playing through both stories nonstop, from start to finish. I believe the replay-ability makes up for this, however. Once you complete both stories, you can save a new game file that allows you to replay any story as many times as you want with the skills, stats and items you originally had when you completed either story. All the items you originally obtained in your first run through, with the exception of permanent upgrade items, are back and can be found in the same places as before. It's great if you want to obtain lots of gold by selling the items you collect. However, that doesn't mean you can just skip right through everything and fight the final boss again. You must play through the story again from start to finish to reopen the areas you previously visited.

Overall, the game is well done and it is definitely worth the purchase or rental if you can find it. Sure, it may not stand up to some Square's other role-playing titles, but if you prefer a small, simple game or even just want a change from other major role-play titles out there, then this game is a great choice.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/12/07