Hand of Fate Reviews
Defiant has certainly dealt a full house with Hand of Fate. It blends together two genres into one package, with well-paced battles and lots to do on the collecting side of things. Its battles can be overwhelming and at times not as polished as they should be, but this game still deserves your attention, especially if you seek something new on the role-playing front. Take a gamble on this Hand.
Hand of Fate mixes deck-building with hack 'n slash dungeon crawling in a way that's fluid enough for casual fans to enjoy, but lacks the complexity for veterans of either genre to really sink their teeth into.
Fortunately the missteps in the combat do little to impact my overall enjoyment of the Hand of Fate, and my spats of bad luck did little to deter me from playing further. I was hard pressed not to immediately start up a new session right after I would die, just to see. Just to check what the deck might have in store for me. Some sessions would last less than ten minutes before my health was drained. Some would nearly see the hour mark before a stupid decision sent me cavorting to my death. And sometimes, just sometimes, I would successfully make my way through to the boss and defeat it, each victory feeling like a true triumph and another chapter closed on a tale that I was creating for myself, all with a mysterious man in a mask and a deck of cards. Hand of Fate may not be that game that is shoving the visuals and story down your throat, but Defiant Development is allowing my imagination to be a part of their development team in order to help craft my own tales of failure, success, and luck, and that right there is a fantastic hand to me.
Hand of Fate is an entertaining adventure that will impress tabletop fans and action RPG fans alike. The combat is solid, although a bit on the simple side, but the game provides a deeper challenge about halfway through the game. Earning tokens even when you lose helps with progression and every new card you gain can mean the difference.
A perfect showcase for the power of indie developers; a deck building, roguelike, action RPG.
Whether you're sitting down for a quick coffee break adventure, or an all-night binge, Hand of Fate delivers in spades.
A brilliant mix of tabletop RPG, card game, deck building and real-time combat resulting in one of the best digital experiences of a physical board game.
Hand of Fate isn't perfect, but its various systems click together with rare elegance. Few antagonists are quite so compelling or vexing as The Dealer, and his theatrics help to sell the game's odd conceit
With an incredible card-based dungeon delving system, RPG elements displayed through your deck, and an experience that gets significantly more challenging each time you play – Hand of Fate is game that well worth your time.
For a card game that ties in RPG elements as well as other features you can't help but notice that the team has found a winning mix.
It's not a bad game, but it's not the greatest either. It needed to really sit down and choose an identity and then excel in those areas. It was just average in all categories it tried reaching out to. Features solid gameplay and a very thematic story experience, but pales in comparison to other games of its type and playset.
'Hand of Fate' is the kind of deviously addictive game that doesn't come along very often. It is innovative, easy to learn, and rewarding. It is also complex and punishing, but keep in mind that you'll never lose any of your cards permanently - if the dealer defeats you, you only lose progress against the current boss, and can restart anytime. The deck-building is fiendish fun, and all those hours spent fighting in the 'Arkham' games pays real dividends here. The real-time combat lets the player make their own luck in many situations. At launch, 'Hand of Fate' has some noticeable problems on the technical side, but is still a great play, especially for card fans disappointed by this year's Magic.
Hand of Fate is a slightly flawed experience that will nonetheless please both card-based gamers and RPG fanatics with its fantastic blend of styles.
Hand of Fate wears its inspiration on its sleeve, but its deck has a few new surprises. Those looking for something new will find something to like here, but diehard dungeon crawlers might be better off waiting for the next edition.
These gripes don't hurt the overall value of Hand of Fate though. It is a massively atmospheric title with an invigorating, original set of mechanics. It's the kind of creativity we like to see from indie game developers, and shame on the Australian Government for stifling that.
The best Deck Building video game around right now, as it works for veterans and casuals at the same time.
Hand of Fate is an interesting game that will certainly appeal to those who want to see how the card-based approach could be expanded in meaningful ways in the coming years.
Brilliant decision making, horrible brawling. Hand of Fate fails to hit a straight flush like it hopes.
A good idea, which comes out as a bore due to repetition. Could further development improve this game further?