Resonance of Fate [PS3,X360]

[Dr. Nick]

The cast from right to left:Vasyron, Zephyr, and Leanne(Reanbell)

Here is another JRPG developed by Tokyo-based tri-Ace Inc. This will be their 3rd HD RPG of this generation if you don't count SO:TLHI as the 3rd RPG. This will also be their first RPG to be published by Sega. The game will be released in Japan under the name "End of Eternity" January 28th and then released sometime in spring in the US and Europe.

Update
Here is what is known about the story so far.

It takes place in the Earth's distant future, where the air has become so polluted that people can't really live in the outside environment, so the humans have come up with machine tower called Bazel, which cleans the air and the water, and produces the things you need for your everyday life. Everything outside of this machine is so polluted that almost all the humans are living in this tower. In the tower, the higher you go, the more power and wealth the people have. The guys at the very top are the strongest people, and in this game they're called Cardinals. They're basically the governors or rulers of this world…

There are three main characters in the game, and they're kind of in the middle class of this world. Usually, if you're not living on the upper levels, you'll never have a connection with the Cardinals, however, these three protagonists somehow find a way to talk to them, and [as a result] are given missions to accomplish…

What's also interesting in the story is that the tower of Bazel, which people believe is just controlling the environment, also has the ability to control the peoples' fate. How they live and how they die is also being controlled… [in this world] every character has their own fate, but the Cardinals' fates and everybody else's fates start to blend in and be mixed up, and there's going to be a lot of conflicts between the lower, upper and middle class, and that's where… the story gets much more interesting... and becomes a bit more fast-paced.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/103/1034474p1.html

Features

1) SDTV-friendly text.

He says the game has been designed in mind to allow everyone who is able to play the game to enjoy it to the fullest. As such the text in the game is scaled with the resolution in mind and even SDTV players will be able to read everything without feeling left out.

Of course at the same time all the animations and models are designed to take full advantage of HDTV display resolutions so those with better televisions will see more detail as the resolution allows.



2) High music production values.

He mentions that all of Tanaka's compositions are fully orchestrated and recorded in 5.1 in a concert hall. The tracks will be fully reproduced in 5.1 in the game itself for those with surround sound systems.

As for Sakuraba's compositions, they are recorded by a band, and is used in seamless and dynamic way for battles. As you do different actions and the tide of the battle shifts, etc, the tension of the music will change dynamically without pausing or stopping.



3) Fast load times.

The game is designed with both the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 in mind. While it supports installation on both systems, it is coded to be as fast as possible without an installation. This is to allow all gamers to have as good an experience as possible, even those playing on a 360 Arcade - without a HDD.



4) No disc swapping.

The game will ship on a single disc for both systems. It will not use multiple discs and hence there will be no disc swapping. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, he mentions they do not want the player to get the feeling that he's "already half way through the game" when a disc swap message shows up. The second reason reason is that it is bothersome for some users and they don't want anything that would take the player out of the game.

As for concerns that being on a single disc will mean less content in the overall game, he says that this is not an issue at all. Because of the costume systems in the game, it required that every single cutscene in the game be real time instead of pre-rendered. Because they are unable to cheat by using movie files, the game being completely real time made it possible to have enough space to pack more than enough content while staying on a single disc.



5) Battle retry option.

The game will feature a retry option when you fail in battles. At the Game Over screen, players can choose to retry which would put them back at the start of the battle. This is something which was implemented to allow them to make battles more challenging and surprising. By having a retry option, players who are destroyed in a battle will be encouraged to retry with different tactics and learn how to master the battles instead of being put off or frustrated.



6) Quick save anywhere.

The game will support Quick Save not only on the World Map, but in battles as well. The reason is that this is an essential function for anyone who does not have a ton of time for gaming, or has other commitments like work. Allowing the player to stop playing at any moment and to pick off where he left off will allow people from all walks of life and parts of society to be able to enjoy the game at their own pace.

Resolution

End of Eternity/Resonance of Fate is 1120x720 on 360 & PS3, 2xMSAA & Quincunx, respectively.

I will update this thread with new info and media as they become available but here is everything to get you guys up to speed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFHmEeCqsiM&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1dm100rEDs&feature=channel

TGS 2009 trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdcN-CkjC8w&feature=player_embedded

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/resonance-of-fate-preview

Impressions from TGS.
http://www.destructoid.com/tgs-09-rpg-to-watch-resonance-of-fate-149776.phtml

http://tgs.gamespot.com/story/6229074/resonance-of-fate-hands-on?tag=top_stories;title;2

You might notice it has somethings in common with Valkyrie Profile II.

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_tgs09_end_of_eternity_gameplay-8571_en.html#

10 Min gameplay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8dwL9bIbFY

More gameplay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GifK9vz12-M

Battle tutorial

More gameplay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7zRB3uzdsA

 

[Dr. Nick]

Here is a recent interview with the developers of this game
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/103/1034474p1.html

If you are someone who must complete every sidequest in a game this game supposedly will take you 150 hours to complete.
http://scrawlfx.com/2009/08/resonance-of-fate-takes-150-hours-to-fully-complete

It seems that instead of using armor the characters will have different brands of clothing that will be reflected in real time cut-scenes. 8 brands mentioned so far.

 

[patsu]

How exactly does the combat work ?

It looks like the characters can move around the battlefield freely compared to FF style fighting.

 

[fehu]

I can't figure how can japanese sh make always o bad character design...

 

[Freak'n Big Panda]

sweet i like being able to dress my characters lol from the srceen shots the environment looks like it's got a good atmosphere to it, i hope the story is up to par.

 

[Freak'n Big Panda]

I can't figure how can japanese sh make always o bad character design...

I don't kno i think the characters are fairly good looking. Got that jap/anime vibe to them which I like.

 

[ban25]

Looks like Star Ocean and Infinite Undiscovery.

 

[Xenus]

It looks pretty good though the 2nd screen in the first post definitely gives off the creepy doll look.

 

[Dr. Nick]

It looks pretty good though the 2nd screen in the first post definitely gives off the creepy doll look.

It seems like characters from cg films get a pass despite looking doll like because of how well animated their faces are. To me the when it comes to artistic looks they aren't much better.

 

[Dr. Nick]

Game will only span 1 disk on both consoles.
http://scrawlfx.com/2009/11/resonance-of-fate-spans-one-disc-allows-battle-retry
"Resonance of Fate also packs a quicksave option, allowing any gamer to play even on a schedule."

Stolen from Neogaf

Some very cool information from the main programmer of the game. Here are some major selling points he shares with gamers which he feels will make the game more appealing for all audiences in terms of user-friendliness:

1) SDTV-friendly text.

He says the game has been designed in mind to allow everyone who is able to play the game to enjoy it to the fullest. As such the text in the game is scaled with the resolution in mind and even SDTV players will be able to read everything without feeling left out.

Of course at the same time all the animations and models are designed to take full advantage of HDTV display resolutions so those with better televisions will see more detail as the resolution allows.



2) High music production values.

He mentions that all of Tanaka's compositions are fully orchestrated and recorded in 5.1 in a concert hall. The tracks will be fully reproduced in 5.1 in the game itself for those with surround sound systems.

As for Sakuraba's compositions, they are recorded by a band, and is used in seamless and dynamic way for battles. As you do different actions and the tide of the battle shifts, etc, the tension of the music will change dynamically without pausing or stopping.



3) Fast load times.

The game is designed with both the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 in mind. While it supports installation on both systems, it is coded to be as fast as possible without an installation. This is to allow all gamers to have as good an experience as possible, even those playing on a 360 Arcade - without a HDD.



4) No disc swapping.

The game will ship on a single disc for both systems. It will not use multiple discs and hence there will be no disc swapping. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, he mentions they do not want the player to get the feeling that he's "already half way through the game" when a disc swap message shows up. The second reason reason is that it is bothersome for some users and they don't want anything that would take the player out of the game.

As for concerns that being on a single disc will mean less content in the overall game, he says that this is not an issue at all. Because of the costume systems in the game, it required that every single cutscene in the game be real time instead of pre-rendered. Because they are unable to cheat by using movie files, the game being completely real time made it possible to have enough space to pack more than enough content while staying on a single disc.



5) Battle retry option.

The game will feature a retry option when you fail in battles. At the Game Over screen, players can choose to retry which would put them back at the start of the battle. This is something which was implemented to allow them to make battles more challenging and surprising. By having a retry option, players who are destroyed in a battle will be encouraged to retry with different tactics and learn how to master the battles instead of being put off or frustrated.



6) Quick save anywhere.

The game will support Quick Save not only on the World Map, but in battles as well. The reason is that this is an essential function for anyone who does not have a ton of time for gaming, or has other commitments like work. Allowing the player to stop playing at any moment and to pick off where he left off will allow people from all walks of life and parts of society to be able to enjoy the game at their own pace.



Additional points at the end:

He mentions that a lot of time and effort is being spent tuning the game to make playing it both enjoyable and pleasant. He remarks that it is not about making a game which is hard to play to slow to progress, but about making a game which has depth and content for the player to customize and play around with but at the same time being considerate as to the needs and requests of players.

Whenever possible, it is best in his opinion to make a game which does not have things which annoy the player or lack features which would otherwise make a more pleasant gaming experience.

He also mentions that in New Game + you will be able to carry over all your items, and that they are specifically making New Game + worth playing and they hope that players do replay the game and enjoy it as well.

Finally, he shares with readers the title screen of the US/EU version of the game as he promises that overseas development is coming along well and to be a little bit more patient:

Stolen from EDGE...which I stole from gaf once again.

Tri-Ace and Sega would have you believe this is just another JRPG, but it's much better than that.
When Resonance of Fate (aka End of Eternity in Japan) was first shown it had some big ambitions for RPG gunfights. Specifically, it wanted to translate the drama of a Hollywood standoff into its battle sequences. Finally managing to get our hands on it, it seems weird that this game was ever described as an RPG - this is a genre-bending simulation that deserves a litle more credence than it has so far received.

Each fight is essentially a puzzle to be solved: how to use the resources you're given to defeat enemies. It almost feels like a Yasumi Matsuno game (Final Fantasy XII, Vagrant Story) in its original approach to non-realtime combat, though there's also a definite flavour of Valkyria Chronicles. There's no exploration here, another blow to that early RPG tag, just a succession of rooms filled with enemies and a limited number of special attacks in your locker. You're tied into the arena by a forcefield that only powers down when every enemy is defeated, and after every few areas there's a boss.

Rubbing our hands with glee, we plunged in and were promptly floored by co-ordinated and smart AI. Enemies are both human and machine, and they work together to flank your group and protect their comrades - for example, covering a wounded soldier as he tries to get into cover to heal. You control a party of three, one character at a time, each of whom has an action gauge that decreases when firing or moving. Each individual's action gauge is specific, and this is where it gets a bit confusing: the gauge fills at the start of each turn, the rate depending on how close you are to your enemy (for most characters this means faster). However, enemy characters can move while you're moving and hit your characters while they refill their gauge or perform an action - which might cancel the move or at worst end a whole turn.

There's plenty around the various rooms to offer cover, which is crucial in the charging phases and at the end of each character turn, though if you're in dire straights there's a special action which makes a character invincible during their turn. After locking on to a target, you direct and rotate a line from your character - the route they'll take on the special action turn. Then they go into Inspector Tequila mode, flipping, running and dancing along the path while simultaneously firing at their hapless foe. At times, the special attacks of all three characters can be combined into a 'Resonance Attack' - you choose three routes and try to catch your opponents in the crossfire.

The gunplay aesthetic of Resonance of Fate is spectacular, and the world itself a well-drawn dystopia. The system strikes us perhaps having one more element than it needs, and at the moment it's certainly much more action game than any kind of RPG. But Resonance of Fate may well have more to offer than the legion of games with similarly portentous titles.

I do find it kind of strange though, even Magna Carta is 2 disk long and it seems to be a relatively short game in comparison to most of the other ERPGs I have played.

Does it come out before FFXIII in the west or after FFXIII? I always root for new IPs but the first 6 months of next year seem to be crowded with IPs that have more exposure than this game including FFXIII. Lets see what happens.

 

[Dr. Nick]

North American box art.

Demo to be released in Japan on the 22nd for both systems. No word yet on region locking. If there is no region locking Xbox gamers will likely have to wait an extra week before their Japanese Silver accounts can download the demo...or for someone to upload it.

http://scrawlfx.com/2009/12/resonance-of-fate-demo-hits-japan-december-22#more-21925

 

[Dr. Nick]

For gamers in Europe it seems that at least for you the game will feature dual-audio tracks. English and Japanese. No confirmation on the US version yet.

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_resonance_of_fate_localized-8822_en.html

 

[Dr. Nick]

The demos are available to people with JPN PS3 and Xbox Live gold accounts but is only in Japanese. Sorry not going to be easy to get through this one without an understanding of the language. Hopefully someone finds a way around so that Xbox owners can play it too.

Edit:Silver Members can download it as well.

 

[Dr. Nick]

I played the 360 demo and it seems pretty cool. The game is somewhere between being turn based and real time. Enemies move during your turn. It seems like you try to set up the best line in order to attack the selected opponent. The longer the line the more attacks you get in. During a turn you use the X button in order to jump so that you can not only execute aerial attacks but get over objects that are blocking your line of sight. In some cases if you don't jump the object in your way will stop you in your tracks either minimizing the amount of time you have to attack or ending your turn without being able to attack at all. There are some objects you can attack through like walls but most of the time if you don't have a clear shot at the enemy you want be able to shoot them. So make sure to use aerial attacks when necessary.

 

[Dr. Nick]

Directional pad: Allows you to select a target.

LB,RB:Switch between party members(up or down)

B:Scrolls through party members only in one direction.

LT,RT:Switch Weapon
For Reanbell: Between Gun and Grenades
For Zephyr: Between one Machine gun or two
For Vashyron:No secondary weapon in demo

Back:Inventory screen for selected party member(I only see weapons so far and no healing items)

X before turn: Allows you to set a path.

LS:Move party member manually or use to move path. Press to invert path.

RS:Use to change camera angle. Press to view the end of your path.

X during turn: Jump

A:Attack(can be done without setting a path)

Y:Allows you to use a Resonace Attack. Can only be done when you have bulit up enough resonace.

Second option in pause menu restarts the room or battle.
Last option in the pause Menu brings you back to the dashboard.

I will be adding to this so stay tuned.

 

[patsu]

I saw some demo news about this game. Has it been released in US PS Store ?

Wanted to give it a try because I like the art style.

 

[Dr. Nick]

I saw some demo news about this game. Has it been released in US PS Store ?

Wanted to give it a try because I like the art style.

No it hasn't but you can download with Japanese account on both PS3 and 360(Silver accounts as well).
I can't confirm it but I read somewhere that they might release a US demo Jan 28th.

 

[patsu]

...but I read somewhere that they might release a US demo Jan 28th.

I vaguely remember some US demo news. I'll wait till then. Still have stuff to catch up.

 

[patsu]

Resonance of Fate Director Apologizes For Demo Difficulty

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2009/12/31/resonance_of_fate_tutorial/

In a post at the Resonance of Fate official blog, director Takayuki Suguro responded to player complaints that the demo was tough on newcomers. He admitted this to be the case and apologized.

There's an actual tutorial in the final version of the game, he said. Immediately after starting the game, players will be able to head to a special fighting grounds area for the tutorial.

...

So why isn't this tutorial in the demo? The reason, explains Suguro, is that demos, like retail products, have to clear an inspection process. The demo was made in parallel with the final version of the game, and they were unable to spend too much effort on it.

The game's Tokyo Game Show demo started off with a video tutorial detailing the basics of the battle system. This wasn't included in the downloadable demo for various reasons, but there will be a tutorial video in the final.

 

[Dr. Nick]

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2009/12/31/resonance_of_fate_tutorial/

Normal mode is pretty hard but then again I can't read the language so that adds to the difficultly. Newcomer mode is really easy though. Gives you enough room to breath and learn the basics of battle. The battles seem like mini puzzles to me. Trying to figure out the best way to kill all of the enemies on screen before going into danger mode is kind of challenging. The combat system to me seems pretty deep.