Fate of the World
- February 28, 2011
- Red Redemption
- 2h median play time
Its a worthy and handsome effort, but frustratingly badly explained, making it hard to play.
Get on Steam"Fate of the World" is a turn-based strategy game that simulates the global consequences of climate change. As the leader of a worldwide environmental organization, players must make decisions that balance the needs of the environment with the demands of global economies. With a focus on scientific accuracy and real-world data, the game presents a thought-provoking and challenging experience for those interested in environmental issues.
Reviews
- Fate of the World offers a unique and challenging gameplay experience that effectively simulates the complexities of global climate change and its socio-economic impacts.
- The game encourages strategic thinking and experimentation, rewarding players with a sense of accomplishment when they successfully navigate difficult scenarios.
- With the unofficial patch, the game becomes more balanced and enjoyable, enhancing the overall experience and making it a worthwhile investment for fans of strategy and simulation games.
- The game suffers from a steep learning curve and a lack of clear explanations for its mechanics, making it difficult for new players to understand how to succeed.
- Many players find the user interface confusing and the information presented to be overwhelming, which can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Some mechanics are poorly designed or buggy, leading to frustrating experiences where players feel their efforts are undermined by the game's systems.
- story32 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story revolves around the challenging task of managing global crises, such as climate change and poverty, through a card-based strategy system. Players take on the role of a dictatorial world government, facing difficult missions that require trial and error to complete, which can be both rewarding and frustrating. While the narrative presents a serious and engaging premise, it also highlights the harsh realities of global issues, making it a thought-provoking experience despite its steep learning curve.
“The best thing about this game is the story.”
“This game is hard, but so is your mission in it - and for once having to save the world isn't the tired trope it is in video games, but a harsh, cold reality that you somehow must manage with all the limited resources at your disposal.”
“It is hard/impossible to complete the missions if you don't know what you're doing, and even if you do know.”
“Fate of the world tells a story of what will probably happen if or when global warming gets out of hand and they let you be in charge.”
“Although I think the moral of the story is, mankind is screwed.”
- gameplay30 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its unique turn-based card mechanics that offer strategic depth and challenge, but many players find the mechanics overly complicated and poorly explained, leading to a steep learning curve. While some appreciate the intricate simulation of global issues, others criticize the lack of freedom and the promotion of a political agenda, resulting in a gameplay experience that can feel linear and frustrating. Overall, the game provides a mix of engaging and addictive elements, but its execution leaves room for improvement, particularly in user interface design and tutorial support.
“Amazing mechanics, challenge, and balancing.”
“This game has incredible strategic depth compared to the conceptually simple card-based gameplay.”
“Whether you care about the environment or just like a good turn-based strategy game, Fate of the World provides interesting gameplay mechanics overlayed with an intricate global environment which makes it unique, challenging, interesting, and educational.”
“Interesting concept, marred by oversimplification, promoting a political agenda instead of offering any freedom in gameplay, and having surprisingly poor performance.”
“This game, and the gameplay, were not well thought out, the learning curve is too steep, and the interface is pretty poor.”
“The 'black box' mechanic combined with the lack of a tutorial can be frustrating.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed among users. While some appreciate its challenging nature and innovative approach, leading to good replay value, others find that once the missions are understood, the game lacks sufficient incentive to replay. A few users express disappointment, citing minimal replay value due to gameplay mechanics that fail to maintain interest.
“Definitely worth a shot for any fans of government sims, and its punishing difficulty will ensure some good replay value.”
“Good replayability.”
“Innovative and replayable, a trailblazer for real education games.”
“Your only resources are time and actions, and already I see how there isn't going to be much replay value once you figure out the missions.”
“I had high hopes for this game as the concept was interesting and the topic an important one, but the card layout and the way it's played just wasn't able to keep my interest and doesn't have any replay value to me.”
“I was disappointed in the game and its little replay value.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics received mixed reviews, with some users noting issues with clarity and button visibility, while others praised the overall design as visually appealing and well-optimized for performance. Despite some minor drawbacks, many found the graphics to be satisfactory and bug-free.
“Positives: cheap, nice graphics, easy on laptop, seems bug-free and well designed.”
“Technically and graphically it's all right, works fine for me.”
“Good graphics.”
“Concerning graphics: some things are too small, and often you don't know where to click, since it's unclear which is a button and which is just decoration.”
“The graphics are underwhelming and lack detail, making the game feel outdated.”
“The overall visual presentation is disappointing, with bland textures and uninspired character designs.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to enhance the mood and suspense, effectively complementing the serious themes of civilization's collapse. Reviewers note that the awe-inspiring soundtrack, along with regional news snippets, creates a profound emotional impact that resonates deeply with players.
“Mood and suspense are big things here, maintained by some awe-inspiring music and local news from around the world, listed by region.”
“The seriousness of the topic, the music, and the presentation have left a mark on me.”
“Serious challenge, pretty good music, and a grim reminder of the inevitable collapse of civilization no matter how desperate mankind's attempts to salvage this doomed world.”
“The music fails to create an engaging atmosphere, leaving the experience feeling flat and uninspired.”
“While the game has potential, the repetitive music quickly becomes grating and detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
“The soundtrack lacks variety, making it difficult to stay immersed in the game for long periods.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its dark and satirical take on global politics and technology, using absurd scenarios like bioweapons and a super-AI named 'Thanatos' to highlight the ridiculousness of misinformation and societal issues. Players appreciate the blend of outrageous concepts with a comedic lens, though it may not resonate with everyone due to its controversial nature.
“The humor in this game is brilliantly dark, with clever satire that keeps you laughing while tackling serious themes.”
“The witty dialogue and absurd scenarios make for a hilarious experience that never takes itself too seriously.”
“I love how the game uses humor to address complex issues, making even the most outrageous situations feel relatable and entertaining.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for poor performance and oversimplification, which detracts from its interesting concept and gameplay freedom. Reviewers suggest that with better polish and balancing, the game could have reached its potential.
“With more polish, balancing, and some work on optimization, this could have been a true gem.”
“Interesting concept, marred by oversimplification, promoting a political agenda instead of offering any freedom in gameplay, and having surprisingly poor performance.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotionally impactful narrative, capable of evoking strong feelings and even tears from players, particularly through its poignant introduction. Reviewers commend the developers for creating an experience that fosters a deep connection to the environment, enhancing the overall emotional engagement.
“Get this game if you enjoy blind trial and error in an emotionally moving setting.”
“Thumbs up to the developers for creating a game that makes you care about the environment and can make you shed a tear with the intro alone.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Fate of the World" is portrayed as a critical element in understanding man-made climate change, effectively linking ecological impacts to economic and political systems. The game utilizes a scientific model to illustrate the greenhouse effect caused by carbon dioxide, emphasizing its role in global warming and its implications for daily life.
“Fate of the World is an independent and educational look at man-made climate change and how the ecosystem and atmosphere affect economic and political systems, including day-to-day life for most of the world.”
“It's based on a scientific model that clearly explains how carbon dioxide in our earth's atmosphere creates the greenhouse effect, capturing heat radiating off the surface of the planet and retaining it, warming the earth rather than losing the heat to outer space.”
“The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, lacking the immersive qualities that would draw players into the game's world.”
“Despite its educational intent, the atmosphere fails to engage players emotionally, making it hard to connect with the themes presented.”
“The overall ambiance is flat and uninviting, which detracts from the urgency of the climate change message the game aims to convey.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, likening it to a tedious micromanagement experience that feels more like a gambling simulator than engaging gameplay.
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's core concept is promising, but numerous bugs and unclear mechanics significantly detract from the overall enjoyment, making it challenging to fully engage even for players familiar with the specific strategies required to succeed.
“The idea is very good at its core, but the game systems are sufficiently buggy and opaque that it takes a lot of the fun out of the game, even if you know the extremely specific strategy necessary to beat it.”
