LadiesGamers Serin Fate

Serin Fate Review

Game: Serin Fate
Genre: Adventure, RPG, Simulation
System: Nintendo Switch (Also on Steam (Windows))
Developer|Publisher: Vethergen | Crytivo
Age Rating: EU 3+ | US Everyone
Price: US $19.99 | UK £15.09 | EU € 19,99
Release Date: January 27th, 2022

Review code provided with many thanks to Crytivo

Labour of love 

Serin Fate is an adventure game that really offers a little bit of everything in terms of gameplay. You can follow the main questline, do a spot of farming and crafting or even capture some monsters like a certain other famous game series. It’s an impressive labour of love made by one solo developer. The most similar comparison people will make looking at the screenshots is Stardew Valley. Serin Fate has a more magical wizardry theme to it though. But does stretching to all these gameplay mechanics make for a magical experience or spell disaster? 

LadiesGamers Serin Fate
I can feel the magic in this title

Getting Started 

When you begin the game you are given the option to create your pixelated character. As well as choosing a variety of hairstyles and outfits you can pick between three races. This is quite important as each of the three has specific perks towards aspects of the gameplay. Since I went into the game blind I just went with my gut here and hoped for the best. After that, you are introduced to the game’s story. You are a new wizard ready to take on the world but during your graduation ceremony, some evil cloaked folks come in destroying the Fate Stone, preventing any new witches and wizards from gaining magic.

It’s up to you to explore the world to find the Fate Stone shards and restore the magic. From there you are plopped into an incredibly brief tutorial and then the game kinda just leaves you to it. The story is pretty straightforward and the game is filled with tons of NPCs each of which will greet you with a silly voice. Even if the story doesn’t click with you, I highly recommend chatting to absolutely everyone since most of them offer useful advice and even unlock handy tips in your notebook. 

LadiesGamers Serin Fate
Create your character

Graphics are pixel-based, which feels very familiar but the developer makes excellent use of this design. The environments of this game are very colourful and feel quite alive. The sprites appear a little too standard but that really doesn’t deter you from the wide range of locations you will encounter. The soundtrack is pretty decent too as you explore this magical world.

LadiesGamers Serin Fate
It’s dangerous to go out at night

So Much Choice

For the gameplay, the choice is really up to you. When I started the game I just hung around my farm. A nearby NPC gives you several mini-quests which you can follow in the main menu that do a pretty good job of getting you used to the game’s mechanics. But once things open up you can really just play the game how you want. And boy is there a lot to do in this game. You can cast various spells with a mini hot bar by entering an elemental combination. You can farm, craft and fish each of which has its own mechanics that feel a little different from typical games in this genre.

When chopping trees and mining you summon a magical spirit to do the job for you so you can get on with something else. Fishing even plays like a mini-game where you move your lure through a little water maze. What makes the game stand out most for me was the little surprises. Like discovering you can ride a broomstick to get about quicker. Another feature I loved is your character levels up the more you use certain actions, for example, farming levels up your farming stats and fighting monsters naturally levels up your combat. You can then sink various points you earn into a detailed perk tree to increase your stats further. 

LadiesGamers Serin Fate
Summon magical spirits to mine for you

You can focus more on playing the game as an action-adventure going out slaying monsters and levelling up. You can also capture chimera to fight by your side. It was pretty awesome to have my little beetle friend help me in battle. What I will caution is this is not a game that breaks you in easily. Most mechanics, features or even following the quest line don’t become very clear unless you just let yourself get lost in the game. Some gamers may expect a little more direction and tuition but I have to say I kinda liked this design.

It reminded me a lot of the older days of gaming where you just kinda discovered things for yourself. If you’re willing to take the time it takes to do that you’ll find Serin Fate to be a very engrossing experience. This is a game you’re probably going to be playing for the entire year on and off much like similar games in the genre. So if you’re looking for a quick pick up and play experience this really isn’t it. 

LadiesGamers Serin Fate
The best way to get about is on a broom

Niggles

My main niggle with the game is the control system. The game has been ported over from PC and some of the control systems don’t feel very adapted to Nintendo Switch. The game mixes using button presses with a cursor (which would be mouse controls on PC). It just comes across as very fiddly on Nintendo switch and feels like it could be simplified for consoles. Navigating through the games various hot bars and menus take some time to get to grips with. 

Another notable niggle is the text boxes are very small in handheld mode, certainly bringing the eye strain on for me. That or maybe I need reading specs. Even though this is the games ver 1.0 release on Nintendo Switch I can’t help but wonder if it will receive further patches in the future much like other games in this genre.

LadiesGamers Serin Fate
Not the bees!

Conclusion – Hidden Magical Gem 

Serin Fate feels like it has flown a little under the radar at launch which is a darn shame. I’ve tried to avoid making too many comparisons to the massively popular Stardew Valley because I feel Serin Fate is in a league of its own. Sure it has crafting and farming but these mechanics all feel unique and different.

The controls feel a bit fiddly in places and it has a pretty high barrier to entry for folk new to this genre. But if you decide to sink the time into Serin Fate you really are going to be in for a magical treat that will keep you busy for absurd hours on Switch. Plus you get to take it on the go which is just brilliant. 

Final Verdict: I Like It a Lot

I like it a lot

2 comments

  1. Hi, James, I really appreciate your honest review! As much as I would love a new Stardew-type game right now, some of your niggles are deal-breakers for me, like fiddly controls and tiny print. Since Nintendo doesn’t allow refunds, I’ve gotten picky about what I buy. I agree that games that are probably fine on PC don’t always port well to Switch, which is sad.

    1. Thank you for the comment. It’s a shame Nintendo, Playstation and Xbox don’t offer refunds. I feel that would be much more consumer friendly. Nothing wrong with being picky. Your time is precious.

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