Stories: The Path of Destinies

[h2]Weird to see this getting a sequel[/h2] I’ve been holding onto this title for quite some time, one of those games gifted by a friend that ended up in my ever-growing Steam backlog. I never really felt compelled to sit down and play it, but I finally gave it a chance after seeing the random trailer for its sequel. I found myself (and apparently many others) wondering: what was so great about this game that it deserved a sequel, especially when something like Omensight did so much better, even if both games were still heavily niche and under performed? [h2]Issues[/h2] Still showcased some minor bugs, after all these years, nothing too game breaking though, compared to Omensight. While I understand the voice actor may have been a novice at this point in their career, the inconsistent cadence and lack of distinct character voices really took me out of the experience. The performance felt low-effort and aggressively average, so much so that I doubt even kids would be entertained by it. A shame. He does improve in the sequel’s demo, but that introduces another issue: the original game is extremely short, decently designed, and very casual. It took me just under two hours to beat it, finishing four separate runs to see the main ending. Yet, despite boasting over 20 endings and alternative combinations, only this one mattered, the rest are just minor variations. Each run boiled down to two or three minutes of fighting followed by more mediocre voice acting, story progression and then the book flipping through it's pages. Ultimately, choices don’t matter much and everything moves along quickly. It’s fine as a simple, casual title that doesn't take much of your time or interaction, but not much more than that. [h2]Conclusion[/h2] The game was alright. That's about it. The sequel on the other hand, is quite awful in its current state. There’s was a massive deterioration in visual art quality, character models, weapons, and combat mechanics, like babies first 3D leap. The overall experience feels like a step back rather than an improvement, making it a disappointing follow-up to the original. [b]Video Review TBD[/b] https://youtu.be/FzfdmNGzOp8 [quote] Please consider following my [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41005226/]Curation page[/url]. I cover a wide range of genres both paid and unpaid, providing unbiased opinions as well as regular giveaway events. [/quote]