Things get more complicated when coloured hexes are introduced. Some hexes can only be unlocked by placing down an energy hex of the same colour on it, which serves as a convenient way to limit your progress until you start hitting upon mobs that drop the specific colours needed to progress. In addition you get station hexes (which can also be traded at your guild for coloured hexes), which are little towers you can build that allow you to rest and save your game somewhere other than in the home town.
The map also features terminals which provide bonus effects and have a certain power requirement. Placing a coloured hex on a terminal activates it. You can then place adjacent coloured hexes to it and all of the connected hexes with a matching colour receive the terminal bonus, for example increased drop rate, reduced damage etc. The idea is to link terminals up to critical dungeons to improve your chances. The system adds a layer of complexity to the game but works very well.
Questing also adds a twist. The game is split into 16 chapters, each with 1 or 2 story missions that have to be completed to progress to the next chapter, plus a number of side-quests. These quests can be picked up at the bulletin board at your guild. When you complete the story missions, you have the option of advancing to the next chapter whenever you choose. You can therefore elect to complete all the side quests or fail the chapter, yet still progress the story. This nice system gives you all the time you need to finish the side quests, which are usually of the courier, mob killing or item looting varieties.
Now let’s come to the real meat of this game: the combat system. If you thought the combat system in FFXIII was smart and innovative, think again. Resonance of Fate’s implementation is what the FFXIII combat system should have been – but be prepared to have nerves of steel and the patience of a saint.
The game’s prologue rams all the combat features down your throat immediately. There is no 10 hours of drawn out tutorials here, the learning curve is very steep indeed and I must admit I had to take a break for the day half-way through the tutorial because it was so complex. My copy of the game didn’t come with a manual, so it is a godsend that there is an in-game one you can refer to at any time. It is very important to take the time to read this and use the practice arena otherwise you won’t have a clue what you’re doing when the first encounter hits. Even when you’ve started to grasp it, it will take you at least a couple of chapters to figure out the nuances and best strategies. If you can’t be bothered to read the manual, don’t buy this game. You will not survive without it.
