Here's a trick that isn't pulled off too often in our modern zombie-dominated media: making a member of the living dead seem cute and sympathetic. Such scenarios are typical of The Guided Fate Paradox though, where a Japanese high-schooler-turned-Fairy Godmother named Renya is forced to grant the...

Sharp localization; Unique sense of humor; Rewarding strategy

Vague progression; Uneven difficulty

This is a game for two kinds of people: NIS lovers and roguelike fans. The same humor is embedded in the game for players to laugh with, and the insane amount of randomness coupled with all the potential restarts from dying at the bosses means a good 100+ hours can easily be sunk into the game.

Random Dungeons giving infinite fun; Vast assortment of item and abilities; The 'O Fortuna' hit theme song

Shockingly sub-par voice acting for NIS; Cheap monster abilities prompting instant kills; Surprisingly boring cast of characters for NIS

We all know the familiar tale of Cinderella and Prince Charming. The bit about her lovely magic spell wearing off right at the stroke of midnight? Unfortunate. But what if Cinderella could've changed her fate?

Trademark NIS humor; Addictive nature to randomized dungeon crawling; Deep customization system

Far too many tutorials; Some grindy segments; Angel companions aren't very useful

I like to consider myself a decent gambler. The greater the risk; the greater the reward. In NIS America's The Guided Fate Paradox you play as Renya Kagurazaka, an average teenager who one day while grocery shopping plays the lottery in the store (against his will) and becomes chosen to become god...

+Addictive Gameplay; +Lots of Customization

-Weak Story

Congratulations! You have been randomly chosen to become God. As the newly appointed ruler over all creation, you shall be whisked away to the heavens above to fulfill your holy duties--which may include battling mermaids and flirting with angels.

Item combinations create funny costumes; English voice talent gives strong performance in spite of script; Late-game survival dungeon offers consistent challenge

Boring enemy encounters; Seesaw difficulty curve; A story about becoming God that is somehow completely dull

The Guided Fate Paradox follows a high school student named Renya, as he gets caught up in the affairs of angels and demons. It's all because he was lucky (or unlucky?) enough to win a fateful lottery. The winner of the lottery becomes god. That's right, that god. More on that later, though.

The Guided Fate Paradox is a game about Renya, the unluckiest boy in the world who goes to the mall and finally wins the grand prize in one of those lottery games they have in Japan which I never see here in Wisconsin.

In the end the two genres mashed together are better off left separate. Roguelikes on their own are justifiable in their difficulty and unforgiving nature, because they're meant to be played over and over again. Generally the actual gameplay is reason enough to do that.

Even angels have last names As Renya, a 17-year-old high school student down on his luck and just about the most unfortunate soul ever, your life is exponentially changed one day when you meet a cute girl in a maid outfit.

The Guided Fate Paradox isn't pretty. Much of the adventure that unfolds over the course of the 40 or 50 hours it will most likely take you to clear the campaign occurs inside a computer simulation of sorts that displays the most important elements of a person's story and then reproduces the bare...