HALF PAST FATE Review for Steam

Half Past Fate is a rom-com adventure game developed by Serenity Forge and published by Way Down Deep. Six people are about to cross paths and you are able to watch it unfold as time jumps. This charming pixel game is a great way to pass the time with its cute art and fun aesthetic. Half Past Fate is available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC allowing you to play it on almost any device!

            Usually, I wait until the end to talk about the art and music in a game but that was the first thing I noticed about Half Past Fate. The charming 3D pixel art style is immediately inviting to me. The colors are soft and happy, and right now that was exactly what I needed. The characters are interesting and unique both in design and personality. The world is just as bright and charming as the characters, even when you are being yelled at for spilling creamer at the coffee shop. The music is just as cheery but not like elevator music cheery. The music matches the tone of the game perfectly and made me want to keep the volume up, which some games I tend to mute.

When it came to gameplay, I was surprised how “introductory” it seemed. That’s an odd word to use but I’m not sure how else to describe it. The controls and the tutorial reminded me of computer games I played as a kid, very basic and almost condescending. There isn’t anything wrong with basic controls, most narrative-heavy games don’t need very many controls. However, the tutorial was incorporated in the dialog and instead of coming off charming, which I think was what the developers were going for, it came off as a little childish.

You walk with the arrows or the WASD keys, use E to interact, tab to access inventory, and space bar to talk. The missions are very obvious but you do have to do a bit of exploring and talking to NPCs to complete them. Something I like about that is that when you are talking to the characters, the dialog boxes pop up with close-ups of the characters but you are also able to see them interacting in the background. Most games that have the dialog boxes like that obscure or block the scene in the background so I thought that was pretty cool. The dialog is pretty realistic and fun. It makes the characters relatable and keeps the story interesting.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest drawbacks of Half Past Fate for me is that you have to complete a chapter all the way to save your progress. I have a pretty busy schedule right now (working full time and finishing up college online) and having to complete a full chapter to save is just not realistic. If I have a couple of minutes to play, I like to grab my laptop or Switch and try to progress as much as I can while I have a breather. Sometimes those breathers are just long enough to catch one Pokemon or complete one mission. I had to play the first chapter over a couple of times because I never had enough time to finish it all the way before having to quit, which was frustrating to say the least.

Overall, I think Half Past Fate is a charming and relaxing game to play when you have a decent amount of free time on your hands. The save mechanic is definitely something to keep in mind when playing this game but the art and characters are fun and bright, even if the gameplay is a little beginner.

Check Out the Half Past Fate Trailer:

Half Past Fate is available for $19.99 for Nintendo Switch via the eShop and for Windows PC and Mac via Steam.