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| 1999 video games | |
| 2000 video games | |
| playstation games | |
| role-playing video games | |
| square co. games | |
''Threads of Fate'', known in Japan as , is a Console Role-playing Game for the PlayStation console developed and published by Square (now Square Enix ). The story revolves around the adventure of two characters, Mint and Rue, and a highlight of the game is that the player is able to play from the perspective of either. GAMEPLAY AND STORY The gameplay is simple and action-oriented, rather than turn based, and plays more like an action Platformer than a traditional menu-based RPG like those in the '' Final Fantasy '' series. It is more similar in style to the '' Seiken Densetsu '' games by Square or even '' The Legend Of Zelda '' series by Nintendo . The character Mint attacks with a pair of Chakram s, known as the Dual Haloes, and is a proficient magic user. The character Rue is more physical and attacks with his Axe , Arc Edge. He also has the ability to transform into various monsters that he defeats and can use their attacks and powers. The ring menu used to select Mint's magic attacks or Rue's shape-shifting is reminiscent of the menu system in '' Secret Of Mana ''. At the beginning of the game, the player is given the option to choose to play through the game as either Mint or Rue. Depending on your choice, you will be presented with one of two storylines. Though the quests are very similar (and, in fact, contain only one dungeon difference between the two), the storylines themselves have an interesting branch quality that brings certain scenarios to life in one storyline without remotely mentioning them in the other; completing both games will give the player a holistic storyline to weave together from the two, as well as a 'true' ending to the game. Of the two, Rue's game is typically considered the far stronger narrative, while Mint's is far more fun-loving and, at times, could almost be considered a parody of the elements found in Rue's game. Because of this, many veteran players will suggest that the game be played first as Rue -- in order to appreciate the strength of the storytelling -- and then as Mint, in order to revel in the self-deprecating comedy and impressive turns-of-phrase, as well as to maintain the integrity of Rue's story and ensure that the plot twists remain as plot twists. Additionally, Rue's game is typically considered the 'true' storyline (further supporting the suggestion to play it first), but more recently fan opinion has been that the two stories work to complement each other and are two somewhat disjointed halves of a whole, although exactly how these pieces fit together (due to some wild contradictions) is difficult to decide, which is another job that many fans have taken upon themselves to accomplish. The storyline, more than the gameplay, is often considered the highlight of the game; the game has a surprisingly strong narrative for its short length (an average of ten hours for each character the first time through; any subsequent playthroughs will probably be cut in half), and even putting aside the narrative itself, the character interaction and depth is something to study. The dialogue has been kept real, true to the characters, and has been Westernized beyond the treatment most games get (the standout example is the recurring 'Pinto' joke in Mint's quest), and the results of this impressive nationalization is one of the reasons that longtime fans have remained so deeply in touch with the game, and still pine for its sequel; they consider these characters almost living entities. CHARACTERS Rue Rue is a powerful, organic-like doll created by Valen, the most powerful of aeons, in order to serve him. He has a gentle, honest, hard-working, brave and humble personality (a foil to Mint's character). Rue was cast into hibernation for years until he woke up alone, confused, and weak in a temple. He limped out into the snow and collapsed. Here, he was found by Claire, who took him in and cared for him. Rue grew close to Claire in the years that passed. However, he was shattered when Doll Master, another doll created by Valen, who had come to recruit Rue in an attempt to ressurect Valen, ended up killing Claire. Rue was infuriated, cast Doll Master away, and pined over Claire. He managed to meld her soul with his, he then grabbed his arc edge (his main weapon) and began his adventure to bring her back. He heard of the relic and its powers, and went to Carona in search of it. This threw him into Mint's path. Mint Mint is the Crown Princess to the East Heaven Kingdom. She is brash, adventurous, egotistical and overall not what one would expect a Princess to be. Despite everyone seeming to notice her attitude, Mint is thrown completely off-guard when she discovers her crown has been given to her younger sister Maya. Maya has had enough of Mint's behavior and gladly accepts the throne and plans to make her sister's life a living hell. Unable to compete with the powerful magic relic her sister possesses, Mint runs away from home on a journey to find a more powerful relic than Maya and become the ruler of the world. Along the way her path crosses with Rue, who is also searching for a relic. Claire A farm girl that took in Rue when she found him alone in the snow nearby her cottage. She is tender, loving and beautiful. Over the years she had been with Rue, they developed a special bond. However, one snowy night, she was killed by Rue's "brother", Doll Master, when she tried to defend Rue. Her death launched Rue into a quest to bring her back to life. Elena A girl whom Mint/Rue saves from the bandits, Blood and Smokey, after she departed from Carona in search of her parents, Klaus and Mira. She is optimistic, free-spirited, loving and loyal to her friends and parents. Klaus and Mira These are Elena's parents. They are archeologists studying the formation and location of the relics of power formed by the aeons millennia ago. Dr. Klaus is a hard-working, passionate researcher who yearns to find a relic. His wife, Mira, is independent, tender and tends to the antiques shop she and her husband run in Carona. She was also rumoured to have been a champion swordswoman. Doll Master (Ruecian) A former servant of Princess Maya's court, and a doll created by Valen, the same aeon who formed Rue (in essence, Rue's "brother"). He garnered Rue's hate after he accidently killed Claire, whom protected Rue and cared for him. He seeks to revive his master by whatever means necessary, and restore him to grace as the most powerful and only aeon. Psycho Master (Karwyn) A minion of Ruecian. He always has his eyes closed and relies on his psychic powers to sense the presence of his enemies. If he were to open his eyes (like he does in his final battle) he becomes a really deadly opponent. He has psycho-kinetic powers, control over dreams, and other powers related to the brain. He is highly devoted to his master, doing his bidding until his death. Mode Master (Kirielle) A female minion of Doll Master. She has control of shape-shifting powers, similar to Rue. She seems to know Rue a lot, shaping into Claire in order to lure, confuse and anger him, taunting him as being a weak cry-baby who pined for Claire when she showed her true form. She is the least confronted mini-boss along with Narcius. Trap Master (Narcius) A punk-ish, spiky/red-haired minion of Ruecian. He has an uncanny ability to place sudden, invisible, highly effective traps nearly everywhere. He usually transports people he wants to fight to a rather computerized room filled with booby-trapped platforms. Quite often threatening to fight and then not carrying out his threats, he has a hot temper and goes completely off the wall when informed by Mint that he is a "porcupine head." Belle and Duke Two thieves that are looking for rare treasures in Carona. Belle is a spellcaster similar to Mint. They were rivals long before the relic quest. She has a biting, angry attitude. Duke is a martial artist enamoured with romantic novels and epics. He continually fantasizes over such things as honor between fighters, duels and the kinds of things the heroes in the novels do, and is rather clumsy due to him not practicing what he learns. The two of them have an uncanny relationship: Belle regards Duke as a moron, while Duke has much respect for Belle (and fans of the game debate over a possible love). Together, though, they make for formidable foes and remarkable allies when they begin to help Mint/Rue in their campaign against Doll Master. They utilize a crab-like battle machine after their initial fight. Rod A sword master/smith who lives next to a river in the forests of Carona. An honorable, strong, capable man, Rod is an indispensable ally in Rue's/Mint's quest for the relic. He trains both of them in their combat skills, and discusses with them his work. He likes to show off his weapons in combat (every fight they become more extraordinary,complex and large). He has deep respect for Mira (mostly because she has the heart to feed him when he becomes broke). Valen The most powerful aeon of his time. He had worked a lifetime creating his relic (called "Dewprism") in order to give himself immortality. He created dolls such as Rue and Doll Master to guard his relic. However, before he could harvest the relic's power, he was killed by his fellow aeons, who were jealous and fearful of his power. Valen managed to encase his soul within Dewprism, and he waited to be revived by one of his dolls. Blood and Smokey Two incompetent bandits who come to Carona in search of treasure. They are mostly bullies, and even though they look dangerous, they are rather weak. Blood is taller, faster, and the leader of the two, while Smokey is shorter and stronger. They come across Rue/Mint at least twice in the game. Princess Maya Princess Mint's younger sister. Mint was in line to be the next Queen of the East Heaven kingdom until her attitude finally pushed her family over the edge, giving the position to Maya. Maya also came into possession of a powerful relic named 'The Book of Cosmos' with which she is very powerful. She works with her supposed minion Doll Master. Ruenis He is also a doll of Valen, like Rue and Ruecian, awakened after Valen has already been defeated. He chooses to live with Rue and Claire back home. This does not take place till after you beat the game with both characters. PLOT LINE The game, from the beginning, offers two plots stemming from the origins of the two characters and their reasons for searching for the legendary artifact known as a relic (referred to in brackets for almost all of the game, barring only the 'true ending'), which as created by a group (or possibly race) of super-magicians known as the Aeons. As the game progresses, the plots will weave, split, and weave back together, leaving a more analytical (and somewhat obsessive) observer to wonder and piece together the exact relationship between the two stories, and how they play with and against one another. To start, Rue is a quiet, caring young man with a mysterious origin; his adoptive sister, Claire, has been comforting him for two years before a tragic incident brings a man, known only as the Arm of Death (sometimes called the Right Arm of Death) to their small cottage one clear winter night, presumably to assassinate Rue. Claire, however, gives her life in order to protect Rue, leading the boy to set off on a journey to find a great relic in order to bring her back to life. Mint, meanwhile, is a rebellious, ill-mannered, hotheaded princess entrusted with the crown of East Heaven Kingdom; however, the Council that aids the king seems to believe that her brash and crass nature are unbecoming of a future ruler, and they elect unanimously to promote Maya, Mint's younger sister, to the position of heir apparent, giving her the Book of Cosmos (the kingdom's most powerful relic) in order to mark their decision. Mint is shocked by the news, and even more shocked that two of her advisors -- the man known as Doll Master, and her grandfather -- agree fully with the decision. Stripped of her title and chased from the castle by an army of demon pumpkins (It is said that Mint has a fear of pumpkins), Mint promises revenge -- even better, she vows to take over the world. Both characters find themselves traveling by boat to the port town of Carona, where they hope to find information concerning a relic; they both avoid meeting one another getting off the boat because a strange object (later realized to be the Pulsar-inferno Typhoon Omega, Rod's ACV ) slams into the boat and sends Mint hurtling into the water, where she is fished out by the dock master Davis. Rue, unaware of this happening, continues into the town and suffers déjà vu. In both scenarios, a quick run around the town will reveal that the inn-keeper, Ms. Cartha, is worried about a girl named Elena, who left the town to look for her parents because they had been gone for nearly four days. Skipping the conversation (or any of the other conversations around town) does nothing to the game except minimally change the dialogue tree, although speaking with Ms. Cartha is typically considered Canon . Heading off into Carona Forest, the player finds her being mugged by Blood and Smokey, ineffectual brother thieves. After a quick scuffle, they are sent running, and Elena is rescued. Elena will continue her path through the forest, now accompanied by her hero, and introduce your chosen character to her parents, Klaus (a doctor whose hobby revolves around archeology, and especially the study of relics), and his wife Mira. In Mint's scenario, Rue is introduced here as well. Klaus will explain a bit about relics and the power they hold, as well as explain about Atelier s, magician workshops. Working off the information held in some old documents, he sends the player off to find an atelier that once belonged to Cadomon, a magician studying the relic in Carona Forest. Within the temple some interesting artifacts are retrieved and, in Rue's game, Mint makes her introduction. Returning to Carona, Klaus looks over his research and finds information concerning another magician who was attempting to find a relic; Grand Magician Elroy. His atelier, also located near Carona, is where more information can be retrieved, so he sends the player to look for it. At the seal to Elroy's atelier, the two characters meet and agree (one way or another) to work together, since they're after the same goal. Within the atelier, the player finds some items of interest (a cube and a tiara). However, two treasure hunting thieves, Belle and Duke, appear before they can leave (in Mint's game, it's revealed that she and Belle ran across one another a year prior, although what happened is never revealed) and swipe the tiara from the character. Returning to Klaus, he inspects the cube and worries about the tiara later. Though he announces that he's found the location of the relic -- in the lake ruins near the town -- he admits to having no idea what to do next, and suggests the player go to Fancy Mel, the 'crazy witch', before warning them that she's dangerous in some way. Upon entering Mel's world (a jarring contrast from the dark forest scenery to the pastel hues of the childlike dream state that she lives in), the player finds that they cannot reach Mel, and must play with the local dwarves, known as Poppul Purrels, in order to pass the time. Mel will arrive just after the last is completed, and invite the thunderstruck character of choice into her atelier as they process the reality of the prefix 'Fancy'. Within, Mel gets serious and informs the character that their actions in looking for this relic could lead to the destruction of the world; the relic was made by the Aeon Valen, the greatest mage to have walked the planet, and its power could be too much for the planet to bear, causing a chain reaction that could result in the destruction of all. The character insists, however, and Mel makes a tradeoff; she promises to help with the cube if the player promises to find a missing Poppul Purrel. (In Rue's game, after leaving, a short scene where Mel looks out the window and states "Poor boy... he still doesn't have a clue" will play) The Poppul Purrel is under assault in Carona Forest; beating up its muggers (Blood and Smokey again) will prompt the dwarf to run back to Mel, and prompt the player to head to the inn and get some sleep. Both characters will have a nightmare concerning their past before waking up and head to Mel's atelier again, where she issues another dire warning and then hands over the instructions for opening the cube. Before allowing the player to leave, however, she asks the character a revealing personal question. For Mint, she spins a brief rumor-based yarn about a princess from East Heaven who was much despised by her subjects and looked down upon when compared to her sister. For Rue, she inquires whether he is human or not, leading into a discussion where Rue reveals a crystal embedded in his forehead and states that he awoke in a ruined temple and was found, after losing consciousness, by Claire; two years later, when she was killed, he unlocked the power of the gemstone and used it to drive off his assailant, and then used its power to absorb Claire's soul. Regardless of the character, Mel gives them her best wishes and sends them back to Carona. Upon returning to Carona, Blood and Smokey will appear with an invitation to a side-quest in Carona Forest; if the player chooses to participate, they will encounter Trap Master (a pseudo-mage who utilizes traps and surprise) for the first time, and the dialogue later in the game will be altered. Otherwise, the characters will not meet with Trap Master until a fair while later, leading to some humorous exchanges between Trap Master and the player character. The sidequest offers nothing else, but acts as a point of interest. Klaus unlocks the seal on the cube and releases the Prima Doll, an artificial child constructed by Elroy for purposes of breaking the seal in the lake ruins. However, the Prima Doll is incomplete without certain items held by Elroy's apprentices, and the two games split into separate dungeons at this point; Rue heads to Yordaf's Ghost Temple (which is haunted by Yordaf's failed experiments) in order to retrieve the gauntlets and Sollerets , while Mint heads for Gamul Forest and Sorcerer Genema's atelier in order to recover the earrings. Both of them run across some interesting problems, crescendoing into an encounter with Duke or Belle (respectively), which leads the given treasure hunter to hand over a piece of the Prima Doll that they stole. On the return to Carona, the items are given to the Prima Doll, bringing it to partial life, but the doll is incomplete without the tiara that was stolen by Belle and Duke, as well as a necklace constructed of Phantomite. The player character will be sent to the Raging Mountain in order to request a sample of Phantomite from Wylaf, an ancient and powerful dragon, while the other character will stay back and persuade Belle and Duke to return the stolen goods. Klaus begins to work on a Phantomite necklace, while the tiara is applied to the Prima Doll, bringing him to life with the personality and fervor of a small child. However, something else goes wrong, and it seems that the doll's power supply -- over the course of five hundred years -- has run dry; the player character will request some help from Mel, who prompts them to fight one of the small bat-like creatures named Gorotan in order to gain his lightning abilities. Upon recharging the Prima Doll, the doll requests to be taken on a walk; the appropriate character obliges and takes him to the Lake Ruins, where Prima expresses his insecurities about the future, and what will happen after his purpose is fulfilled. Returning from the trip, Prima is upbeat and ready to unlock the seal; enlisting the aid of Rod the Blade Star (met by default by Mint; no scenario in Rue's game forces any earlier encounter with him) and his ACV, the Pulsar-inferno Typhoon Omega, they make a trip to the Lake Ruins. At this point, the games suffer a very distinctive split. In Rue's game, he and Prima Doll arrive at the ruins, and Rue begins to recite the spell necessary for unlocking the Aeon's atelier, promptly creeping Prima Doll out. The doll, however, begins the ceremony anyway, only to be shortly interrupted by Maya, Doll Master, and Psycho Master. Maya pits her Book of Cosmos against Rue, who manages to counteract the relic's power, but Doll Master's unique magic is too much for him, and Rue is sealed. Thankfully, Mint, Belle, and Duke were watching from the sidelines the entire time, planning to snatch the relic the instant they got a chance, and utilizing Belle's transport vehicle the Hexagon, they grab Rue before anything more can happen. Prima Doll, in order to protect the relic from the East Heaven Kingdom people, petrifies himself. Back at Carona, those present at the lake trade stories, and Rue vows to save Prima Doll. In Mint's game, she and Prima Doll arrive at the ruins, and the doll begins the ceremony only to be stopped by Maya, Doll Master, and Psycho Master. A brief battle of wills breaks out, with Maya becoming the apparent victor by using the Book of Cosmos to manifest pumpkins, and in the tumult Rue and Rod appear to rescue Prima Doll, with Rue vowing to return for Mint when he can. The Tower of Maya is raised around the ruins, and Mint is imprisoned within it and threatened to be made to eat pumpkins for the rest of her days. Rue arrives in the guise of a Stinger just in time to break her out -- and reveal what little of his backstory he knows -- and leads her out of the Tower of Maya, ascending the stairwell for several floors until they become trapped between Trap Master and an army of demon pumpkins; they are saved by the presence of Belle and the Hexagon, and back in Carona Rue tells Mint about the arrangement he had with the treasure hunters. Mint vows revenge on Maya. This is considered the most radical departure point between the two games:
Mint learns that Rod's ACV is also flight capable, but requires stones known as cannon orbs in order to work; Mint proceeds to try and collect five in order to make the ten total that Rod needs to make his baby fly. Rue runs to Mel in order to ask her what to do next, and she informs him that he can fly; Rue understand the meaning of her words and heads for the Raging Mountain order to request use of Wylaf's wings. Wylaf gives Rue the ability to transform into the dragon, and Rue heads for the atelier and fair amount of time before Mint has gathered all of the cannon orbs. Mint does eventually accrue all of the orbs necessary to send the ACV into flight (although in her game, Rod is badly wounded, and Duke must use his acts in order to mimic Rod to the point where he can fly the machine; in Rue's game, no such fate befalls Rod). Prima Doll meets each of them just before they enter the atelier, and he transforms into his cube state after speaking with them (and, in Mint's game, giving her his necklace). They enter the atelier and work through the area, encountering Psycho Master midway up, and then Doll Master at the top, leading to another interesting split in storylines.
After both stories, the 'true ending' is played. Taking place at an indeterminate time after the game ends, Maya seems to have found a ruined temple, and requests Rue's aid with its contents. Within the temple is a casket, similar to the one Rue awakened in, containing another of the Dolls of Valen. Rue and the unnamed doll speak for a while, and the boy reveals that he understands the purpose of his existence; Rue informs that he doesn't need to listen to those instructions and can live his own life, and offers to act as a proper brother. The boy agrees. Mint is back in East Heaven when she receives a guest in the form of Prima Doll, who has been adopted by Klaus and Mira, and Rod, who drove him there. Prima Doll delivers a letter from Klaus, the content of which makes Mint a very happy woman, and shortly thereafter she bursts (literally) into the residence of Rue, Claire, and their new house-mate Ruenis. Mint brandishes the letter she received and informs the trio that Klaus has apparently found a new relic in the desert to the west, in an abandoned city known as the Ephlesia Ruins. Ruenis recognizes the name and states that Valen did several experiments there, and no doubt several of his dolls were sealed in the area. Mint demands that Rue pay his debt to her, as he got to use the power of the Dewprism and she didn't, and Rue agrees after checking to make sure that Claire and Ruenis would be okay in his absence. The two leave for their journey, with Rue prompting them to take a momentary stop near a small shrine which bears Doll Master's mask, and they prepare to set off for their next adventure. THEMES Threads of Fate is a reasonably uncomplicated story, and save for its rather unexpected plot twist harbors minimal surprise and suspense, with its greatest story pull being in its flawless localization. The simplicity of the story makes its theme oddly obtuse, however. The game's storyline is based heavily on the distinction between immutable destiny and choice. Though this is most obvious in Rue's storyline, as he gives many speeches near the end of the game about fighting the will of his master and refusing to accept fate, many of the more important characters also follow through on this theme. For instance, Mint's original destiny was to become queen of East Heaven Kingdom. However, she was thrown from her position, casting her out of her high fate. To combat this, she decided to write her own destiny by just skipping the formality of ruling a kingdom and taking over the world. Rod's fate, too, was written by his father Pleskin, and he expected to be the greatest swordsman of all time, capable of defeating his father, who had previously owned the title. Because Pleskin died, Rod was left to wallow in the despair of never being able to surpass his father's legacy until Lucine helped him realize that he needn't be tied by these assumed fate. He instead became a swordsmith-fighter-vagrant, determined to surpass his father's legacy in his own way; by becoming the greatest weapon crafter known to the world. MUSIC The music in this game is composed by Junya Nakano who has worked on several other games for Square A soundtrack was released in Japan (titled Dewprism OST), and was available via import for several years in other countries. The soundtrack, though discontinued and out of print, was recently given a re-print in August of 2006. The OST was divided into two discs in accordance to the characters (Disc RUE and Disc MINT), and features all of the tracks played throughout the game, according, for the most part, to which character they best fit with; much of the mellower music is contained on Rue's disc, with a fairly small selection of 'happy' tracks or battle tracks, while Mint's CD contains almost all of the more intrusive tracks, the happier tracks, and several battle themes (although due to the overwhelming number of 'neutral' tracks to any of the more emotional tracks, Mint's disc doesn't reflect her personality as well as Rue's. RECEPTION The game was released at the peak of the RPG boom for the original PlayStation , during Squaresoft's "Summer of Adventure" promotion (which included '' Vagrant Story '', '' Legend Of Mana '', '' Chrono Cross '', and '' Parasite Eve II ''), and was largely "lost in the crowd". The graphics were impressive for Playstation, though the gameplay was somewhat simplistic, which may have led many players to bypass the game in favor of more publicized and technically accomplished games; the most common game to be blamed for Threads of Fate's lack of commercial success is Chrono Cross, which held a much higher pitch of anticipation due to its status as the sequel to Chrono Trigger . Despite its limited commercial success, the game is not considered to be altogether bad (its average rating is around a 7.5 out of 10) and is even regarded as a gem in some circles; this particular group gives the game a fairly adamant Cult Following . SEQUEL The new ending hints at a sequel but Square Enix has no current plans to develop one. However, fans have created a fan created "sequel", " Duo Princess ", which stars Mint and Maya as its playable characters. It has yet to be translated, but seems to possess a unique story of its own, though how else it ties in with the previous game is unknown. This is seen by many as a pseudo sequel to the PlayStation game '' Brave Fencer Musashi ''. MANGA A Manga based on the game was planned to be made by ''. EXTERNAL LINKS
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