Fate by Numbers - Free PC Game Review

Fate by Numbers is the result of the effort and imagination of four students, about 1500 euros and quite some talent. This noir adventure is a pleasant homage to old times, mainly when everybody was trying to jump into the ‘interactive movie’ bandwagon, with full-motion video, real persons and cheesy acting all the way. Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh or Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within are examples of its kind.

The difference here is that Fate by Numbers is a free game, released in 2007, created by friends who are actually very good at setting up a futuristic/noir story, reminiscent of a Blade Runner universe. It’s all in black and white and all the better for it, with perfectly chosen music to accompany the mystery.

Alice Sanger is the main character, a private detective who’s not very cheerful, as usual. She got fired from the police trying to expose corruption within the bureau, proving once again that nice guys finish last. Her marriage sank and her ex-husband was nowhere to be seen, missing in action. One day, an anonymous client contacts Alice to retrieve a briefcase, an apparently easy task that will take her down a dangerous conspiracy.

Although drawing clear inspiration here and there, both plot and setting manage to hold their own, giving the player something to think about for the couple of hours the adventure lasts. Alice doesn’t move in the screens, only the mouse pointer interacts with the scenery, starting a full-motion video if something important is clicked upon or an exit is used. Dialogues offer several choices but all we really need to do is exhaust them to progress, since nothing different happens. It’s pretty much classic adventure fare here.

Atmosphere is the strong point of the game, with some very impressive videos showing this futuristic metropolis where cars fly, it’s dark and rainy all the time and people is forced to use a chip inside their body. Oh, and computers need no screen as we know it, it’s just a holographic projection, something that might actually happen in some years.

As far as acting goes, it’s not really excellent but the good thing is no one tries to go over the top. The leading actress does show some mixed emotions and twitches, but nothing that hurts the game overall.

Fate by Numbers is an excellent adventure game, mostly due to the ambition of its developers, Revival. It may not mean much to players used to 3D and all the bells and whistles, but those who grew up alongside adventure games from Sierra and LucasArts are sure to enjoy it. And the sequel is already planned.

Graphics: 8/10 Sound: 7/10 Gameplay: 6/10

Overall: 8/10

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