Campaign Ends: October 19
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PS4, and PS5
If you show me a colorful alien world peppered with strange plants and even stranger rock formations, my eyes will immediately grow three sizes. Therefore, when I first discovered today’s game of choice, I knew I had to tell you all about it. From French developer Hibernian Studios, makers of Dark Devotion and Astral Ascent, comes Fallen Fates, a dazzling top-down action RPG that continues their tradition of delivering high-quality pixel adventures. In this visually stunning game, you venture across a vast world reminiscent of The Dig, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Undungeon as a monster-hunting ranger who shares a body with an otherworldly beast. If this still isn’t enough to convince you, I give you three very special names: Ben Starr, Debra Wilson, and Motoi Sakuraba.
Enter the alien world of Tellus, a beautiful and dangerous place plagued by a celestial threat. Millennia ago, the Mother Crystal appeared through a crack in the sky, releasing smaller shards that slowly started falling to the planet. These shards are now starting to land, bringing destruction and chaos along with them, which really doesn’t seem to bother the cult of murderous yet fashionable zealots that formed around their shining matriarch. Darn.
You play as Arven, a ranger and hunter of Shadows, sinister creatures brought forth by the fallen shards. You also play as Kat, a mystical wolf who ended up merging with Arven after a terrible industrial accident. Wait, that doesn’t sound right! Kat is an Etheri, a magical being from another plane who needs a host to survive. Their relationship works out. Arven provides a body, while Kat lends her powerful abilities: an arrangement envied by many in Tellus! Explore the land and meet its colorful inhabitants, fight Shadows, and uncover the secrets behind the crystal shards!
As you explore Fallen Fates’ breathtaking world, you solve puzzles, climb cliffs, slide around (wheeeee!), and use a handy grappling hook to make your way through the vast environment. The latter definitely reminds me of my grappling hook exploits in Final Fantasy Adventure. Fun times! If you’re stuck, you can always transform into Kat’s wolf form, allowing you to get past more puzzles, break barriers, and jump where no human has jumped before. In the meantime, you come across mystical runes needed to upgrade your character (and perhaps gain some exciting new skills) across a handy sphere grid. Final Fantasy fans, rejoice!
The game features fast-paced action RPG combat with a plethora of flashy effects and options for customization. You can create unique character builds and fine-tune abilities to your heart’s content, and even change the way your spells work. During combat, slash, stab, dodge, counter, and use attacks both physical and magical. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, call on Kat to help you out with mystical combo attacks, including a spectral wolf head that bites right through anyone in your way. As you fight, you gradually build up her Etheri powers to unleash powerful Ultimate attacks with stylish animated cutscenes. Enemies, take cover! Meanwhile, if you prefer to fight with more traditional methods, bring out your grappling hook to grab and defeat enemies with special finishing moves unique to each monster.
I was immediately taken in by Fallen Fates’ desolate alien landscapes, along with the wonderful anime-inspired character designs. This game is truly a feast for the eyes and ears! The audio side of Fallen Fates features some impressive talent, with Final Fantasy XVI‘s Ben Starr as Arven, Star Wars Jedi‘s Debra Wilson as Kat, and a stirring soundtrack by French musician H-Pi with guest tracks by famed Japanese composer Motoi Sakuraba.
In no great surprise, it took less than two days for Fallen Fates to reach its initial funding target, followed by the first stretch goal. (More tracks by Motoi Sakuraba! Yay!) Remaining stretch goals include a bonus Roguelike mode, with more to be revealed. If you’re thinking of supporting the game, backers have an exciting array of digital and physical goodies to choose from (some of which are only included with certain pledge tiers, and others available as add-ons), including T-shirts, the game’s soundtrack, an artbook, and a beautiful manga by Swiss artist Yami Shin.
Fallen Fates is still in the early stages of development, with a full release not expected until early 2028 (alas!), but that gives us plenty of time to catch up with Hibernian Workshop’s previous games. Personally, I think I’ll start packing my (virtual) suitcase right now. The world of Tellus and my spectral companion await!
Disclaimer: While it’s possible some of us at RPGFan may be backers of the games mentioned in these articles, this does not influence our coverage or our featured game choices. We make our selections simply based on the active campaigns we feel our readers might find interesting, and we are not given special access or perks by the developers.
tl;dr: We think these games show potential and want to share them with you.
