We have been under embargo for a few weeks about Hand of Fate 2. At GDC we got a great demo from the team and are excited to finally talk about the features coming with this sequel. If you are unfamiliar with Hand of Fate it combines a card game with action role playing aspects that make for a very unique gaming experience.
The game begins as you face the Dealer across a card table. The collectible card game aspects are intertwined into a Tarot Card style reading session which adds a great feel to the game. Once you begin the encounters are drawn from the deck and placed in an order for you. You then choose which encounters you want to face down and are sent into the RPG portion of the game. Once there you will do battle with foes or explore areas as the game turns into a RPG. This unique play style served the team very well on the first game.
This time around you are not alone in the battles, you can have companions join up with you and help in the fights. The team nailed the perfect bard with Malaclypse as they showed us one of the first companions for the game during the demo. He has a classic bard look and feel with plenty of snide remarks to go along. While buffing you in combat is great, fighting isn't all he can do. Malaclypse can also help play mini-games and offers his luck on potential re-rolls.
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The companion system is new for the game and provided the team with ways to create multiple outcomes for each encounter. These encounters are sectioned into challenges which look like full quests. The game will have twenty two challenges at launch and offer about a twelve hour campaign to begin the game. It all starts with the dealer training you up for the more serious encounters. The good news is more weapon options are available this time. You can use a two-handed sword or dual wield if you prefer more offense. The combat centers around getting the right combos against your foes and clearing the areas of groups of opponents. The companions help out a lot when taking on large groups. The team wants to make sure the fights really encourage skilled gameplay.
Deck building remains the key to the game so making sure you have all your gear and skills set up for each fight is critical. Each faction is split into a different card suit. The Blight suits offers mutants and monsters, while the Steel suit offers well armed Imperial soldiers. The first encounter we got to see was called the Shakedown where you had to deal with some local thugs. The game gets pretty in depth from there. The best part about each challenge is they have their own rules so you never know what type of deck build you’ll need to get through them. This encourages players to expand and really find the best strategies as they go.
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The game still has some time in development so look for it coming in the first quarter of 2017. We really enjoyed the reverse gameplay of table top cards with RPG like encounters. It retains the unique approach to the action RPG that made the original such a hit. However, Hand of Fate 2 has some great new options coming into the world and offers a deep storyline with all of its challenges. We will bring you much more on the title as it continues development throughout the year.
