At QuakeCon, I had the pleasure of sitting down with someone from Escalation Studios who is the Managing Director of their flagship solo title: Eternal Fate. He speaks on the inspiration for the game, the game mechanics, and so much more. Borrowing elements from so many different styles of games and combining them into one unique experience, is really contributing to this game shaping up to be a gem to look out for. One part Action RPG in the vein of Diablo, one part old school charm in the vein of Zelda, one part competitive arcadey gameplay in the vein of Team Fortress, and extra spices of so much else is the recipe here. Click the play button above to listen to my full interview, or download it at the end of this article. For my impressions of the brief hands-on time I experienced, continue reading!
For purposes of the demo on the show floor, we were not allowed to really do much other than experience previews of the gameplay. We were not allowed to customize and create our own character at all, but those options will exist at launch. I was placed on a computer with a warrior character, and dropped directly into combat.
The game is a PvP-only (for now) experience with you controlling your character and attacking with one of four abilities mapped to left mouse button, right mouse button, the number 1 key, and the number 2 key. This can probably be changed later on as well. Movement can be controlled via point to click, or WASD; I stuck with WASD for this demo.
Combat is very fast-paced and action-oriented with the camera positioned in a top-down viewing perspective, a la Zelda. The art style looks like A Link to the Past had a baby with Torchlight, and it really does work. I was only able to play a team deathmatch game mode, but the graphics and environment were loud, colorful, and great to look at. With over 5 different game modes and many maps to choose from at launch, the game is looking like something to really get excited about. If you love action RPGs and you love killing other players, then Eternal Fate is the game for you.
No launch date is set yet, but it is estimated for Fall of this year. It will be available for PC and Mac users to download from their website, and they are currently working on getting approved for distribution on Steam. Keep an eye out on their official website, their Kickstarter page (of which a contribution to grants access to the bet) and on The Koalition for news down the road. Let us know what you thought of the game and the interview in the comments below!
