When I saw for 1st time As Far As The Eye (a FATE) I was curious about this title. It is a mix of settlement/resources management with rogue-like elements, and, after years playing Civilization or Cities Skylines, some differences have appeared. Then, when the opportunity came, I gladly accepted to do a review. Here I go!
Introduction
A FATE is a turn-based management game with rogue-like elements, where every run is different. Your target is to reach the Eye, a sanctuary for the Pupils, the playable characters before the Big Flood catch you, and destroy all. You will pass for different scenarios with different objectives until you reach the eye to stay safe. There are a few in-game lores about this phenomenon, but there is no story in this game.
You start with a very complete tutorial, there are 4 chapters and each is very well explained. I played it on Spanish but there are several languages available. Each chapter is focused in some game features, from extract materials to levelling up your pupils.
New additions to the classic genre
Aside from the classic features of the settlement/resources management genre, you can level up your characters in not a usual way. They level up doing some actions, like cooking or mining, and you can specialize them in a specific work or resource. You have to build additional buildings to get some experience because of the basic infrastructure, the caravan, does not give exp. Leveling up will give you some useful traits, like obtain more quantity of a resource or using fewer turns to build an infrastructure. Some buildings are mobile, so you can take them with you to the next scenario. The same happens if you have surplus materials after complete the scenario objectives.
The pupils, your best in game friends
Every character has 3 skill points for their turn, movement cost is between 1 and 3, depending on the terrain where you walk (the plains are the cheaper on this aspect) and building is between 3 and 4 turns, depending on of the pupils’ level and traits. Each pupil has a trait circle where you level up them with the acquired experience. They change to different forms depending on the work, when your pupil is going to farm, she will have a red panda aspect, when you build, she will be a bird…and other animals in other activities. If you level up enough, this aspect will change to other animals, but always of the same animal family.
Every stage has a turns limit, when you progress, some events will appear as a handicap for your mission. For example, you can experiment little natural hazards that damage your installations or your pupils. Also, exploring determined locations on the maps, like some old ruins, can give you harmful effects to your progress, but they can give you good things like a new member too. You can repair your installations with your characters, but heal them is more complicated, you can do it, but it consumes an important quantity of resources. They can get sick, and lose a life during some turns if certain conditions occur too.
Graphics, Sound & Other
There is one word that comes to my mind when I play this game – cute -. The stages and the characters are very colourful and cute, and every building or every part of the scenario is on this line. The soundtrack is OK, but it passes unnoticed after some minutes of playing because you will focus on what to do. The game is on steam (and other PC platforms) and it has achievements and steam cards.
