Readers’ Note: The following is a user submitted review – spelling errors and all – which was submitted to GameWyrd in 2005. GameWyrd was later replaced by Geek Native and this review came with the site.
There is a copy of the F.A.T.A.L RPG here (some readers report major browser slowdowns). This review is kept up as its so strangely popular…
Game: F.A.T.A.L.
Publisher: Fatal Games
Series: F.A.T.A.L.
Reviewer: cp900561
Review Dated: 25th, February 2005
Reviewer’s Rating: 9/10 [ Something special ]
Total Score: 26
Average Score: 3.71
F.A.T.A.L. (From Another Time; Another Land) is anomst many things, about being a realistic medieval fantasy RPG.
I will get the negatives that in the system out of the way first. Many people tend to focus on the sexual content that in contained in F.A.T.A.L., but it’s easy to ignor. I personally do not use the sexual content and “graphic gore” rules which are basically critical hits in F.A.T.A.L. terms. Whenever a critical hit is rolled in F.A.T.A.L. the player is supposed to make another roll and look it up on a specific table for the hit location to determin the exact amount of peices your femur is shattered into when hit in the uppper leg with a bashing attack (I’m exagerating a little bit, but not much). I don’t use it, I just consider the body part to be destroyed. Now for the juvinile sexual content. Like I said, I don’t use it. I consider it to be immature, stupid, and unessasary. Overall be prepaired to throw politically correct out the window and be able to pick and choose what you do and do not want to use. Now for the worst negative, character creation. It takes about 3 hours to completely make a decent character that you like (you can easily half ass a character and make one in about an hour). Hope is in sight however for the author of F.A.T.A.L. is working a complete and detailed character generator (unlike the crapy and unflexible verson that’s avalible right now).
Now for the positives. Like I said, it’s realistic. If you get stabbed in the chest with a sword you probably won’t live, espeshally with medieval medicine; this is true in fatal. Make sure your character becomes very familar with armor and the dodge and parry skills because it will save your character’s life and save you 3 hours of time. I must admit the HTH combat isn’t very great… but it works. There are rules for almost EVERY situation your character could be in. There are rules for the speed lost when running up a hill, or wadding though water. You get to customize the fulcrom point (balancing point) of your weapon and there’s a program that will give you a delivery penilty and a damage modifier, based on your fulcrom point, that makes sense every time. The math behind the game is amazing. Although admitidly overwhelming and unnessary for some. The combat runs smootly and has an intense, violent, bloody, rated R feeling; and more inportantly, you can actaully get a clear picture of what’s going on during combat (unlike in d20, ok I got hit for 5 hp but where?). Also, initiative is more then just a random measure to determine who goes first; it’s actually a simple equasion from the combination of several variables and it makes sense. Try out the combat simulator at www.fatalgames.com and you’ll see what I mean.
Overall if you’re looking for a game with a realistic and detailed medieval combat system then look no further. Currently the full verson of F.A.T.A.L. if avalible at www.fatalgames.com for $20.
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