Thank you, UDX Interactive Inc., for sending us a preview code!

Wheel of Fate is a role-playing game that is attempting to do something a bit different than others. While most RPGs are rather linear in their story and progression, UDX Interactive and Game Pill are trying out something else.

The title of said game is also a central mechanic. After your character is created and about a half-hour or so into the narrative, the player meets their untimely demise at the hands of the very people he or she sought out to kill. But instead of getting sent to the afterlife, your character meets up with the Wheel of Fate. After a small discussion, your character and the Wheel are now bonded—now known as the Avatar. As the Wheel of Fate is now a part of the Avatar, their fate can change with decisions made, and various effects now take place in the overworld. Most of them can be beneficial, while some not so much.

When selecting a new game, four different types of races and four classes can be chosen. The customization for characters isn’t all that much, with only a few colors, face markings, and hairstyles to select, but each race is very different visually. There is the Ashar, a mix between elven and human (at least visually), the anthropomorphic bear-like Rovar, the Ikara bird people, and the Veikar, scaly humanoids with horns. As for the classes, there are the physical tank Champions, the ranged Ranger, the defense-oriented Chosen, and the arcane-wielding Arcanist. No matter who you choose, you can eventually get one of each class in your party so choosing a class only really matters in the beginning.

Combat is turn based but is more interactive than the typical one. Its combat system is reminiscent of games such as the first two Paper Mario entries and the Mario & Luigi series. For those who haven’t played those types of games, what that means is that when an attack is chosen, a button prompt appears on the screen and successfully executing said button prompt makes your attack land or do extra damage. These prompts also apply to defense as well, with a successful press meaning you take less damage.

While Wheel of Fate is turn-based, every character follows a time system, with the higher your agility stat, the sooner you take your turn. Some slow characters will find themselves defending multiple times in a row before they can execute their turn. However, there is no mana/MP system. Instead, each ability has a time frame before it can be used. Some powerful attacks can take upwards of three seconds to be used, meaning your character can still be attacked during this time frame. I do like these more interactive battle systems, but Wheel of Fate ends up being on more of the repetitive side, as many button prompts only use the Q key.

Going back to the Fate system, with every main quest and side quest completed, a gauge on the Wheel of Fate increases, and then activates when it is filled. When fate changes, the side quests in the overworld also change. Although you cannot complete every side quest available to you, you can choose which side quests to partake in to manipulate fate to your choosing—in a way.

A little more than halfway through Chapter 1, tower defense mechanics are introduced. Each building in your town can level up as well as be destroyed. To defend them, you’ll have to assign civilians to work in the buildings. Keep in mind each civilian’s stats as some civilians work better in specific buildings. As they defend and operate the buildings, they produce gold which you can use to level up your building, and in return, you get access to better weapons, gear, and items. There is a good incentive to keep the buildings safe and although the tower defense is rather simple, it adds an extra layer.

The world of Wheel of Fate is fantasy, mixed with cel-shaded graphics and a bright colorful aesthetic. The characters move well in action, and the different races scattered all over the overworld do make the world feel alive. The graphics themselves are simple and to the point, but even for an Early Access title, many textures are missing. The water in areas doesn’t even look like water.

With it being an Early Access title there are also glitches present. Some are rather minor and others can be major. I happened to find a duplication glitch by accident pretty early on and it let me break the game quite easily as I had access to infinite resources as well as money by simply selling said resources over and over again. Other glitches include some quest progress that can bug out, leading to a softlock so make sure you save frequently. Sometimes, when the camera changes angles, the controls do not change with it so it can lead to some awkward movement. Also with movement, you move faster at a 45 degree than not. What’s up with that?

In terms of moral concerns and warnings, its mostly the typical stuff you’ll see in many fantasy settings that aren’t targeting a strictly child audience. There is blood to be seen but through the environment such as splotches on the grounds and walls of dungeons. Magic is of course a given both by enemy and ally, some of it being called holy magic granted by gods supposedly. I only came across one mild swear, with it being “h*ll”. Whether harsher or more language will be within is yet to be seen.

The small development team and Early Access packaging unfortunately really shows with Wheel of Fate. It is by no means a bad game, but just not my cup of tea. It shows promise, but it is very rough around the edges. I wouldn’t recommend it in its current state for the average player even if the morality isn’t significant, but I would at least keep an eye on it if RPGs are your thing. Progress seems to be a bit slow as UDX and Game Pill have missed some roadmaps, even with their extension. I hope they are able to successfully implement their vision when Wheel of Fate eventually has its full release.