Fade RPG: The Sacrifice is an indie RPG in development at solo developer Knight by Night, which is cool and all, but it's the fact that it's a Soulslike inspired by Fable and Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood that I suspect is fueling its Kickstarter funding surge.
To be clear, I give 100% of the credit to Knight by Night for getting Fade to 139% Kickstarter funding. I haven't had the chance to play it, but its trailer looks like a faithful, but unique tribute to the older Souls games, with a blend of influences from the aforementioned IP to Dragon's Dogma. I'm just trying to think of a combination of words that could appeal to a wider net of nerds, and I can't think of one to top "Soulslike meets Fable with a dash of Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood," one of the most beloved anime series of all time.
Specifically, Knight by Night says Fade is a "classic third-person RPG" with gameplay inspired by the Souls series and a narrative inspired by Fable and Full Metal Alchemist. The Souls inspiration is very much bared out in the 15-minute gameplay video you can watch here:
- An apparent ex-FromSoftware dev has a janky action RPG in Steam Next Fest, so obviously I had to play it – and yep, the opening shot is straight out of Dark Souls
- Steam Next Fest hasn’t even started, but I’m already obsessed with the subtly Soulslike demo for this “hardcore” action RPG with over 3,000 reviews of its own
As you explore settlements like Celeste, Solemn, Whisper, and The Baltane Capital, you'll eventually have to face off against five bosses, each a "Homunculus Monarch" with their own unique alchemy and combat skills. Naturally, they'll each require different combat approaches if you want to beat 'em. You'll also pillage your way through dungeons, collect loot, level up your stats, take on side quests, and craft items.
It's worth noting that Fade has been in Steam Early Access since 2020 with no full release date in sight, but you can play the first chapter while you wait. Steam reviews are "mixed," but reading through them it seems the actual meat and bones of the game are well-received; it's just bugs and performance stuff bogging down the overall reception. For fans of the Souls games, Fable, Full Metal Alchemist, and ideally all three, you can't go wrong giving the free demo a go.
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