Blind Fate: Edo no Yami
- September 15, 2022
- Troglobytes Games
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games StoreIn "Blind Fate: Edo no Yami," players experience a dark, machine-filled Edo period where they follow orders, obey, and kill as a Shogunate ruler. However, after losing sight, they must learn to sense the world anew, relying on a simulation created by the Mask of the Oni. Navigating a world of data and lies, players must wield swords to uncover the truth.
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Reviews
- Interesting concept that utilizes three senses for gameplay, adding a unique twist to exploration and combat.
- Visually appealing with impressive graphics and a compelling story that blends Japanese folklore with a cyberpunk aesthetic.
- Offers a skill tree and encourages level revisiting for completionists, providing some replay value.
- Gameplay becomes repetitive quickly, with a lack of enemy variety and frustratingly tanky bosses.
- Technical issues and bugs, including game locks and unclear progression, detract from the overall experience.
- Combat mechanics feel clunky and slow-paced, making encounters tedious rather than engaging.
- gameplay43 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a unique sensory mechanic that allows players to interact with the environment in innovative ways, but its execution is often criticized for being slow-paced and repetitive. While the combat can be challenging and requires strategic use of sensors, many players find the mechanics underutilized and the overall experience hindered by cumbersome controls and a lack of variety in enemy encounters. Despite these drawbacks, the game is praised for its intriguing concept, beautiful graphics, and engaging story.
“The senses mechanic is incredibly unique and interesting, and I love the idea of getting more information about the world from potentially outdated sources.”
“The gameplay has its own unique and interesting features, the music is pleasant, and the story is intriguing and perfectly complements the game style.”
“Fresh and innovative gameplay mechanics mixed with a revisited ancient in cyberpunk-style Japanese folklore.”
“Pretty slow-paced; the gameplay tried to implement something new with the senses, but honestly, it's just a miss for me.”
“The combat mechanic of the game is overall very repetitive, but the boss fights are even more so, because they’re designed so that you can place only a couple of hits before a long sequence of enemies spawning follows.”
“The sensory mechanic is meant for exploration, finding items, locating enemies, and initiating the super attacks. This in and of itself isn’t bad on paper, but because you must pause each time, this mechanic just slows the game to a crawl.”
- story31 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story of "Blind Fate: Edo no Yami" is initially confusing but becomes clearer as players progress, revealing a compelling narrative intertwined with Japanese mythology and cyberpunk elements. While the plot unfolds in a fragmented manner, it ultimately delivers a thought-provoking message about the balance between science and humanity, complemented by impressive visuals and an engaging soundtrack. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its depth and atmosphere, making it a significant aspect of the game despite some predictability and initial obscurity.
“The story is interesting as well (even though predictable at times), it unravels almost completely throughout the game, with some collectibles providing a little more info about the lore.”
“What impressed me the most was the soundtrack (epic! A mix of Blade Runner and Japanese folk music), the excellent graphics, and the compelling storytelling.”
“Cutscenes and dialogues are enjoyable, and the story and lore are deep enough to be interesting and complex enough to keep you going, without being too obscure or overwhelming.”
“The plot is unraveled in a fragmented manner, and until the end of the game, when everything is explained in one single sequence, the player is fed only bits, here and there, through dialogues or lore fragments.”
“The story is perhaps even more cryptic prior to the final reveal if you don’t have any knowledge of Japanese mythology or you’re unable to recognize the meaning behind all the Japanese terms mentioned in the dialogues.”
“Also, the storyline has to be triggered per discussion, which is kind of annoying; it's better to just wait a few seconds and have them exchange words in a timely manner.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the impressive visuals, fluid animations, and compelling art design that effectively convey the game's atmosphere. However, some users noted that certain elements appear low resolution or fail to fully utilize the graphical capabilities, particularly in the 2D gameplay context. Overall, while the graphics are generally well-received, opinions vary on their impact relative to other game aspects.
“The graphics are impressive, the story is compelling, and their ideas are fantastic.”
“Graphically, the game is sound, and the apocalyptic atmosphere is well portrayed.”
“What impressed me the most was the soundtrack (epic! a mix of Blade Runner and Japanese folk music), the excellent graphics and the compelling storytelling.”
“But it's very hard not to notice that the graphics look very low resolution.”
“The graphics are 3D, but the game plays out on 2D stages; therefore, you can't really fully appreciate the quality (or lack thereof) of the models.”
“Sure, there are specific parts planned for each sense to shine, but to me, even in those parts, they did not shine. The visuals for them don't do it for me.”
- music9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its unique blend of traditional Japanese sounds and cyberpunk elements, creating an epic and immersive atmosphere that complements the gameplay and storytelling. Reviewers highlighted the soundtrack as a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience with its engaging and atmospheric qualities. Overall, the music is described as pleasant, fitting, and a key component of the game's appeal.
“Last but not least, the music is good; it mixes traditional Japanese sounds with cyberpunk/tech sounds, always providing the right tone and emphasis.”
“What impressed me the most was the soundtrack (epic! A mix of Blade Runner and Japanese folk music), the excellent graphics, and the compelling storytelling.”
“Beautiful environments, interesting gameplay, a perfect soundtrack, and an intriguing story told in a unique style.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its striking blend of apocalyptic and cyber samurai themes, featuring visually appealing designs of characters and environments that merge mythological Japanese elements with sci-fi technology. Reviewers highlight the immersive atmosphere as a key factor in maintaining engagement throughout the gameplay, complemented by an action-packed narrative and fitting musical score.
“Graphically, the game is sound, and the apocalyptic atmosphere is well portrayed.”
“The atmosphere of cyber samurais is stunning.”
“I like the atmosphere and design; the main character, NPCs, and enemies all look cool and interesting; it's a mix of mythological Japanese creatures and sci-fi technologies.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the extensive grinding required to unlock content, noting that specific enemies drop necessary items and that constant switching to a particular sensor is needed to access lore fragments. This repetitive task detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
“The problem is there's a vast amount of grinding involved.”
“However, in order to unlock these features, a significant amount of grinding is needed.”
“The latter two categories require not only a considerable amount of grinding, as only certain enemies seem to drop a data fragment, but also constantly switching to the 'sound' sensor to see the lore fragments.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability through level revisiting for full completion, though this aspect may not appeal to all players.
“The game encourages level revisiting to achieve full completion on certain stages, which adds to its replay value.”
“There are so many different paths and choices that I found myself wanting to replay levels just to see what I missed.”
“Each playthrough feels unique due to the various character builds and strategies you can explore.”
“Promotes level revisiting to get full completion on some stages. Replay value, I guess, but not for me.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report a significant presence of bugs and glitches, which detracts from the overall stability of the game. Many players have experienced crashes and performance issues, indicating that the game may require further optimization and patches to enhance its reliability.
“The game is plagued with bugs and glitches that ruin the experience.”
“I frequently encounter crashes that make it impossible to progress.”
“Stability issues are a constant frustration, with the game freezing at critical moments.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, particularly on the Steam Deck, where players report a mostly smooth experience. However, some users have encountered occasional hard crashes and sporadic performance slowdowns in specific areas, though these issues do not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment. The developers are responsive and supportive in addressing bugs through their Discord server.
“I've been playing the whole game on the go on my Steam Deck; it was a match made in heaven and for the most part a flawless experience, only partially marred by a couple of hard crashes. The devs are running a Discord server and are very helpful when reporting a bug, and there are some sporadic performance slowdowns in very specific areas that hardly compromised my gaming experience.”
“The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering, especially in crowded areas.”
“Despite the engaging gameplay, the optimization is lacking, resulting in long loading times and occasional crashes that disrupt the experience.”
“I encountered numerous performance problems, including lag and texture pop-ins, which detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
