Fates of Ort
- March 27, 2020
- 8BitSkull
In "Fates of Ort," players explore a sprawling pixel art world, uncovering its mysteries and fighting dangerous creatures. As the sole survivor of a destroyed village, you must navigate political alliances, manage resources, and make decisions that will determine the fate of Ort. The game features strategic combat, character development, and multiple endings, providing a rich and immersive experience.
Reviews
- Fates of Ort offers a unique gameplay experience with its time-stopping mechanic, allowing for strategic combat and exploration.
- The game features a charming art style and engaging story, with well-written dialogue and meaningful choices that impact gameplay.
- It provides a vast open world filled with quests, interesting lore, and a variety of spells, making it a rewarding experience for RPG fans.
- The combat can become repetitive over time, and some players may find the exploration slow and tedious until better mobility options are unlocked.
- There are issues with enemy variety and the lack of depth in character progression, which can lead to a feeling of emptiness in gameplay.
- Some players have reported technical issues, such as crashes and UI problems, which can detract from the overall experience.
- story152 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as interesting and set in a unique universe, with well-written characters and engaging quests that allow for meaningful player choices and multiple outcomes. However, some reviews criticize it as being overly simplistic or cliché, with certain quests feeling like mere exposition or fetch tasks. Overall, while the narrative has its strengths and weaknesses, it offers a blend of fun exploration and decision-making that enhances the RPG experience.
“The story and characters are well written.”
“The underlying themes of the story are actually quite beautiful; the way it plays out can get a bit tropey at times, but it's all in good fun.”
“The story line is fun and easy to understand, and the little details put in are what really make the game.”
“The writing isn't very serious and the main story basically just serves as a backdrop for the game to happen.”
“The story is just a villain's exposition dump; characters are paper thin, and the quests are all one-note fetch quests.”
“Story: it's there so you won't feel its absence.”
- gameplay112 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Fates of Ort" is characterized by its unique mechanics, particularly the time-stop feature and health-as-mana system, which create a strategic yet engaging combat experience. While the game offers a rich open world with diverse quests and spell combinations, some players may find the combat repetitive over time and certain puzzles frustrating. Overall, the game is praised for its depth and creativity, making it a refreshing addition to the RPG genre.
“Fates of Ort is a labor of love, offering fresh mechanics that are both simple to understand and deeply engaging.”
“The gameplay loop of traveling through unfamiliar nodes while unraveling new mysteries and scenarios is addicting.”
“Combined with the ability to mix and match a nice array of spells to fit the situation, the overall mechanics of combat make it a nice change of pace from your standard hack and slash.”
“Combat can get a bit repetitive and may feel tedious for some; this may also be amplified by choices you make during gameplay.”
“Gameplay gets repetitive after a few hours; because of low-fi artwork, maps look the same leading to frequent wandering around lost.”
“All that said, this game definitely isn't for everyone and I could easily see some people put off by some design and gameplay decisions.”
- music52 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives high praise for its evocative and atmospheric qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While some tracks are considered exceptional, others are viewed as average, leading to mixed opinions on the consistency of the music. Overall, the soundtrack is often described as a standout feature that complements the game's visuals and storytelling effectively.
“The soundtrack is next level, every track sets the vibe just right, and I often found myself lingering in an area just to keep the jams going.”
“Stunning and unexpectedly gorgeous soundtrack.”
“Charming music that nails the atmosphere of the visuals and strong world-building creativity to boot.”
“Few good ideas and the music is cool, but the game itself is boring.”
“The only bad thing is the music.”
“-music - especially in some of the boss fights.”
- graphics42 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are characterized by a charming, retro-inspired art style that enhances the overall RPG experience, creating a whimsical and atmospheric world. While some players noted a preference for a more vibrant color palette and mentioned minor graphical issues, the visuals are generally well-received for their simplicity and creativity, contributing positively to the game's exploration and storytelling. Overall, the graphics, combined with the music, effectively immerse players in a cohesive and enjoyable gaming environment.
“Its charming art style adds to the fun, creating an RPG experience unlike any other.”
“A hand-crafted work of inspired design elements, wrapped in 90's PC aesthetics, has grabbed me!”
“The visuals, writing, and music all blend together to form exactly the kind of believable world that perfectly suits the style of open-ended RPG questing exploration.”
“The color palette is a bit too soft/matte for me (like it's in 16-bit and I prefer 24-bit). From a retro perspective, it's maybe 2 years more retro graphics than I am used to, but that's just nitpicking over personal preference.”
“Gameplay gets repetitive after a few hours; because of low-fi artwork, maps look the same, leading to frequent wandering around lost.”
“There are a number of minor graphical issues I've encountered while playing this game, mainly that the walls seem to flash when it's stretched to meet my fullscreen resolution (1920x1080).”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its nostalgic charm, reminiscent of classic retro RPGs, with a well-crafted art style and music that enhances the emotional experience of each setting. Players appreciate the thoughtful design that aligns the soundtrack with the game's events, creating a cohesive and immersive world. Overall, the atmosphere effectively evokes fond memories of beloved games from the past while delivering a unique and engaging experience.
“Reminiscent of retro RPGs, each track is purposely atmospheric in relation to the current event, whether it is an upbeat melody traveling through treetops or a grim, bleaker theme while exploring a castle.”
“This game has great atmosphere and evokes feelings of nostalgia, bringing back memories of the games I loved most as a kid - like Landstalker (some areas strikingly reminded me of the 3D landscapes I used to roam for hours back in the day) and Shining Force II on Sega Genesis and maybe just a little of Secret of Mana on the SNES.”
“Charming music that nails the atmosphere of the visuals and strong world-building creativity to boot.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it is integrated into exploration and feels voluntary, it can become tedious due to repetitive combat and the randomness of item acquisition. Some users express frustration with backtracking and the feeling of being stuck, suggesting that grinding may require significant time investment. Overall, while the game is enjoyable, the grinding elements can detract from the overall experience.
“Combat can get a bit repetitive and may feel tedious for some; this may also be amplified by choices you make during gameplay.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Since some of the items are hidden or even given out randomly, this can get a bit tedious at times, especially when you are stuck and seemingly can't progress in any direction.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its branching storylines influenced by player decisions, encouraging multiple playthroughs. However, players feel it could benefit from greater variety in activities and more diverse classes or builds to enhance the experience further.
“Great replayability, with decisions you make there are other story branches that get cut off.”
“High replayability.”
“Could use a bit more variety, both in terms of activities (puzzles would complement this well), as well as replayable classes/builds.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be a fun and wholesome adventure, deeply engaging with its high fantasy storyline, which evokes a sense of nostalgia and enjoyment. The emotional experience is further enhanced by the satisfaction of overcoming challenges, such as defeating enemies that resemble current real-world issues, providing a cathartic release. However, some technical glitches can detract from the overall immersion.
“Truly a fun adventure and a great, wholesome game with a nice high fantasy storyline.”
“Some time since I have played an RPG but found myself absorbed and time flew by with still plenty of questing to go.”
- stability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates strong stability with smooth performance and effective mechanics, allowing players to strategize during fast-paced encounters. However, while it presents many promising ideas, these concepts ultimately fail to evolve into engaging gameplay.
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have reported that while the game generally runs well on lower-end systems, such as those with integrated graphics, it struggles with optimization during intense moments with many enemies or NPCs, leading to crashes. Overall, there is a consensus that the game could benefit from improved optimization to enhance stability in crowded scenarios.
“I play on a laptop (Celeron N3060 - no video card, only integrated), and while the game runs fine, it starts to crash when there are a lot of enemies or NPCs in one place. It really needs better optimization.”
“The game performs well on my laptop, but during intense moments with many enemies or NPCs, it begins to crash. A bit more optimization would go a long way.”