Hand of Fate 2 Reviews

Hand of Fate 2 is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8 / 10.0
Aug 6, 2018

Hand of Fate 2 merges tried and true conventions and creates a unique experience. While the individual components lean on the simpler side of things, as a whole the game is greater than the sum of its parts. It's a game that's best played in small chunks, making it a very good entry to the Switch library!

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75 / 100
Jul 25, 2018

Hand of Fate 2 has stellar writing, fun deck building, and interesting stories. What it doesn't have, however, is good combat. While I have grown to find the combat manageable, it should be fun and exciting. It stands as an odd blemish that has been carried over from the original while everything else as been prettied up. Still, I recommend giving Hand of Fate 2 a chance, especially if you never played the original. Even with the lackluster combat there is plenty to enjoy here.

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65%
Nov 22, 2017

Probably best reserved for the most diehard fans, but even they should enter with caution.

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9 / 10.0
Nov 6, 2017

Hand of Fate 2 manages to take everything praiseworthy about the previous installment and make it even better. The challenges players face never look alike and the improved combat system manages to elevate the weakest parts of the original.

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9 / 10
Nov 22, 2017

Hand of Fate 2 is truly a unique take on the role-playing genre, with randomly designed dungeons based on the cards within your deck. Whether you are testing your luck, disarming traps, earning gold, or fighting against the undead, each challenge feels uniquely designed. The dealer still knows how to get under your skin with jeers and taunts, but the cards are the most prominent highlight of the game. The inclusions of companions add an additional layer to combat, even if they don't rewrite the game mechanics. In fact, you may experience a different narrative based on which companion you bring along with you.

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6.5 / 10.0
Nov 13, 2017

Hand of Fate was quite good and I was waiting for sequel. I had hopes for much more adventure cards, but I've got game with many small broken things. It's not what I hoped for.

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Unscored
Nov 6, 2017

The devs updated almost every aspect of the game, most of which for the better, but I just can’t get over how the game handles scenarios. It feels like such a fantastic product structurally speaking but I’d be lying if I didn’t say my enjoyment wasn’t heavily impacted by long and frustrating decks

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8 / 10.0
Jun 13, 2018

Hand of Fate 2 was an excellent spin on the ARPG when it came out in late 2017. It's even better now that it's on the Switch. The same issues are still present, namely that combat can be too simplistic, and there are just so many games on the console that Hand of Fate 2 could easily be overlooked. I hope that instead, Defiant's sequel sees a lot of new players, as it's a series I hope to see continue to evolve.

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7 / 10.0
Dec 22, 2017

Hand of Fate 2 is a well-rounded game that addresses a lot of the concerns that its fanbase had upon the release of its predecessor. Though essentially a replica of the first game, Hand of Fate 2 offers some unique, quirky additions that justify buying the second game

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8.5 / 10.0
Nov 20, 2017

Hand of Fate 2 is a game that rewards skillful selection of cards to be put into a luck-of-the-draw situation. Set up good situations and hope that they play out the way you plan.

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8 / 10.0
Nov 9, 2017

Clever developments to gameplay and visuals make this sequel an exciting progression that can become an act of patience when the numbers stop going your way.

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9.3 / 10.0
Dec 20, 2017

Honestly, I can't recommend Hand of Fate 2 enough.

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8.5 / 10.0
Nov 6, 2017

Hand of Fate 2 improves upon nearly every aspect of the original, providing diverse new challenges that help build the world around the Game of Life and Death. The new scenarios, the success checks that come with them, the companions, and new encounters and gear cards all add hundreds of unique touches to the game that make every card flip an experience.

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GameSpew
Top Critic
90%
Nov 22, 2017

Hand of Fate 2 is a defiantly different powerhouse fuelled by pure imagination. Speak to The Dealer, he has a story to tell, and he needs your help writing it.

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Nov 6, 2017

Updated graphics, additional gameplay mechanics, and engaging storytelling make Hand of Fate 2 an enjoyable gaming experience.

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7 / 10.0
Jan 17, 2018

Ultimately, for those who prefer story to collecting better weapons, there isn’t a big enough incentive to keep progressing through the challenges.

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Jan 15, 2018

So overall, the surprise success has spawned a fitting sequel in Hand of Fate 2, with deeper RPG elements, interesting lore and some really great challenges which all feel different. The tabletop side and the new action elements blend together well to keep the excitement levels high, as do the new mini-games to test your nerve, skill and luck.

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8.4 / 10.0
Mar 29, 2019

Despite my issues with its combat and optimization, Hand of Fate 2 provides a wonderful experience for those seeking an interesting deck-building game to add to their Switch library. There's a good bit of bang for your buck here, and with additional levels available as paid DLC, I could imagine players getting lost in Hand of Fate 2's tabletop-inspired world for countless playthroughs. Just be sure to bring an open mind and plenty of patience.

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8 / 10.0
Jul 30, 2018

As a sequel, there are some solid improvements made that result in an overall better game. The deck building is better now and there is more variety of cards added. Writing feels more concise but the combat is still rather shallow and the load times for each battle don't really help the flow of the game. The effort to port it to the Nintendo Switch is a success without any major flaws or drawbacks holding the game behind compared to the other console versions.

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Drew Hurley
Top Critic
8 / 10
Aug 4, 2018

The original Hand of Fate had a Vita port planned, which sadly never came to fruition. Hand of Fate 2 on Nintendo Switch shows just how good that port could have been. It's so absurdly addictive and utterly unique. It improves on the original in every way and is a truly unique experience. It takes elements of so many different types of games and mashes them together; a process that usually results in a metaphorical goopy mess, but here it's somehow turned into gold.

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