Although not a direct sequel to ZHP: Unlosing Ranger Vs. Darkdeath Evilman , The Guided Fate Paradox is a spiritual successor. After all, it uses an almost identical engine and very similar mechanics to that game while changing the plot and characters.

The Guided Fate Paradox is more of a Japanese visual comedy than it is a dungeon crawler, with gameplay taking a significant back-seat to long, rambling, plodding story scenes. The narrative is often entertaining, if a touch pervy, with the premise of playing God played purely and simply for laughs...

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.

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

The Guided Fate Paradox is for those who love Disgaea but wish it was just a little more complex. Its complexity is introduced gradually enough for genre newbies to grasp, while still offering plenty of tactical depth for veterans to master.

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 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...

Nippon Ichi Software has supplied both the East and West with many a game filled with some surprisingly unique gameplay moments, niche storylines and some incredibly over the top creative designs.

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.

The Guided Fate Paradox is one of those games that's almost unnecessary to review: If the idea of an irreverent Japanese roguelike-visual novel hybrid with a bunch of interlocking character advancement systems, awash in anime tropes appeals to you, there's no reason not to buy it right now.