FATE: Reawakened brings the beloved dungeon-crawling RPG series to modern platforms, offering a visual overhaul and a collection of all four FATE games. For longtime fans, this means a chance to revisit the town of Grove and its treacherous dungeons, but with updated graphics, enhanced lighting, and quality-of-life improvements. However, while the package certainly revives the series, not every change is for the better, and some of the original charm has been lost along the way.
At its core, FATE: Reawakened maintains the essence of the original games, offering procedurally generated dungeons, real-time combat, and a pet companion system that provides strategic depth. The dungeon-crawling formula remains addictive, with randomized encounters and loot ensuring that no two playthroughs are exactly alike. Character progression is flexible, allowing players to develop their hero in various ways, from melee-focused warriors to spellcasting adventurers. The addition of a spell wheel helps streamline spell selection, making combat more intuitive compared to the original (PC-based) function key system.
The modernization efforts are most evident in the game’s visuals, with sharper textures, improved lighting, and higher resolution support that make FATE: Reawakened feel less dated. However, the updated user interface is a mixed bag. It has more of a minimalistic approach, but that strips away some of what made the original games stand out. Menus now take up the entire screen and pause the game, removing the ability to check inventory while on the move – a feature that was present in the old PC versions. Additionally, the HUD redesign makes the experience feel somewhat generic, rather than a faithful enhancement of the original aesthetic – having that as an option would have been nice.
One of the more controversial changes involves the pet system. Previously, pets played a significant role in item management and NPC interactions, but in this version, they can no longer pick up items, trade with vendors, or interact with the environment. While this could be an unintended bug, it currently forces players to handle inventory management manually, making trips to town more cumbersome. The potion and spell slots have also been reduced, limiting your strategic options in combat.
Despite these drawbacks, FATE: Reawakened retains some of the series’ signature charm, including its lighthearted approach to dungeon-crawling – which felt extremely refreshing during the time of the first Diablo games. Fishing remains a fun diversion, though it has been heavily rebalanced, making it easier to obtain powerful relics and gear. And while some (modern) players may appreciate the reduced grind, others might feel it diminishes the challenge of earning rare items and the feeling of reward that comes with it. The overall gameplay loop remains compelling, but certain design choices, like the spell-swapping system, feel clunkier than before, especially for magic-heavy characters.
As a collection, FATE: Reawakened is a solid way to revisit the series, offering all four games in a single package for a lot of value for money. However, the remaster isn’t as polished as it could have been. While the graphical upgrades are welcome, some of the mechanical changes – especially those related to UI, pets, and combat – may frustrate veteran players. It successfully captures the nostalgia of the originals but doesn’t always refine the experience in ways that benefit long-term playability.
For newcomers, FATE: Reawakened provides an accessible entry into a classic dungeon-crawling series with an enjoyable progression system and entertaining pet mechanics – assuming future updates address its shortcomings. For returning fans, it’s a mixed bag; while the core adventure remains intact, some of the changes may leave them longing for the original experience.
Score: 6.6/10
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