At Fate’s End tasks you with dueling with your words as much as your blade

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If you’ve followed our gaming coverage for a while, you’ll understand this: because we focus on a specific type of game, we have to be selective about what we cover. We sometimes expand what we consider, but it’s not unusual for a game to be announced and then for us to decide later whether to fully cover it, once we know more about what the game actually is.

At this year’s Game Developers Conference, we got to play an early version of Thunder Lotus Games’ new title, At Fate’s End – the studio known for games like Spiritfarer, 33 Immortals, and Severed. When the game was first shown at last year’s Xbox showcase, it wasn’t clear if it was a role-playing game. However, after playing it and asking the developers, they described it as being in the RPG genre.

From the very beginning of playing, the game’s influences become clear. At Fate’s End feels like a blend of ideas from different games, and the director, Nicolas Guérin, specifically mentioned Supergiant Games’ Transistor as a key inspiration – a connection you can immediately see when you experience the combat.

Fate’s End offers a contrasting gameplay experience. You play as Shan Hemlock, battling her siblings in dynamic, real-time combat. This involves strategically aiming attacks in all directions to hit vulnerable spots. For example, during a fight with Shan’s sister Camilla, we had to precisely hit where lightning trails crossed to eliminate them. At other times, success depended on perfectly timed blocks or dodges, allowing us to attack when her defenses were down or momentarily exposed.

Successfully hitting attacks builds up energy, similar to games like Final Fantasy VII Remake or Transistor. This energy can then be used to temporarily pause the action and carefully choose your next move. For instance, if we saved up enough energy, we could pause during an enemy’s attack – like Camilla’s dash – and launch a fireball, dealing damage and interrupting her. We could also spend that energy to instantly dash to safety anywhere in the arena.

The gameplay is really refreshing. The combat is straightforward but satisfying, and the boss battles are well-designed even on their own. However, what truly makes At Fate’s End an RPG is what happens between those fights – interesting story moments presented as cinematic scenes that unfold between each phase of the boss battles.

I’m really getting into this game! It’s not just about winning fights with your sword, but also how you win – your choices matter. I especially love Camilla’s story; she’s haunted by what she wanted to be as a Knight and how things actually turned out. As you explore Castle Hemlock, you can really dig into what’s changed while Shan was gone, finding clues in the environment. Plus, you collect Runes and gear that make Shan stronger and unlock new abilities on her Family Tree. If you pay attention and are clever, you can uncover a ton of hidden secrets too!

As players gather clues, they’ll be able to answer important questions. Correct answers unlock special dialogue options during boss battles, potentially letting them skip challenging phases. Incorrect answers will make fights harder, while correct ones can not only simplify battles but also help repair a broken relationship.

Even though I only got a brief chance to try it, I’m really excited about this game. I’m looking forward to playing it when it comes out on Xbox, PlayStation 5, and PC later this year.

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2026-03-11 21:56