Stories: The Path of Destinies

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 140 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 88 out of 140
  2. Mixed: 36 out of 140
  3. Negative: 16 out of 140

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  1. Agarwel
    Apr 12, 2016
    9
    This game is a nice surprise. It is actually fun to play. (imagine simplified Diablo with free-flow combat from Batman). And from technical point of view it feels very polished.

    But what is most interesting is its unique story structure. It can be compared to Zero Escape (or a movie Edge of Tomorrow). Basically the story offers you several choices and it is branching according them.    This game is a nice surprise. It is actually fun to play. (imagine simplified Diablo with free-flow combat from Batman). And from technical point of view it feels very polished.

    But what is most interesting is its unique story structure. It can be compared to Zero Escape (or a movie Edge of Tomorrow). Basically the story offers you several choices and it is branching according them. (really branching. Two games can be completelly different - another areas, another characters, another goals, another story).

    So instead of one continuous story, you get many smaller ones. It takes approx. 1,5hour to finish one story. But only one has the real happy ending. So you have to finish it mupltiple ways to explore whole story from different perspectives to be able to finish it properly.

    The most unique detail is, that the narator of the story remembers what happened in the previous stories (also you character keeps skills and equipment). And this unlocks you new story options the more you play it. (basically you can have a new event, that is based on knowledge of something that happened at the end of different story). So you need to finish multiple stories to be able to unlock all important info that will allow you to "power play" to the propper ending.
    The game is fun, really cheap and each playthrought feels enough different to keep you hooked for anough time before you start feeling repetition in re-used areas.    … Expand
  2. Flugruger
    Apr 12, 2016
    9
    I bought this game on a whim since it looked interesting. I actually saw it on steam first, but hadn't used my PS4 in forever so gave it a go on that.

    Going in blind made this game a great surprise. The combat is very satisfying without being too easy or too hard. I'll find myself up against a mass of enemies and some how manage to get to a high combo without taking a hit, but then    I bought this game on a whim since it looked interesting. I actually saw it on steam first, but hadn't used my PS4 in forever so gave it a go on that.

    Going in blind made this game a great surprise. The combat is very satisfying without being too easy or too hard. I'll find myself up against a mass of enemies and some how manage to get to a high combo without taking a hit, but then get poked once in the next fight against 3 baddies when I let my guard down for a second.

    The single greatest aspect is how the story unfolds. I absolutely need to see how every story thread unfolds and I am now in the process of not being productive for the foreseeable future.

    The only reason I am not giving this a 10, and I really really want to give it one, is that there are some really annoying bugs. Fairly frequently (once every 10 levels or so) terrain will just fail to load which forces you to restart the level midway in certain circumstances. I also got stuck in the terrain while breaking ice crystals once.

    All things said this is well worth the $15 USD. I would honestly have paid $25 and been happy with it.    … Expand
  3. Mattaclysm
    Apr 13, 2016
    9
    Good fun action RPG. Great narrative branching story telling interesting to see different outcomes that happen with different choices ultimately on the path to unlock the "Hero" ending, altogether it took me around 8 hours to get the Hero path ending. Areas look great, toon-y looking character models. Battle system is ok does well for the game and the leveling system is pretty nice skillsGood fun action RPG. Great narrative branching story telling interesting to see different outcomes that happen with different choices ultimately on the path to unlock the "Hero" ending, altogether it took me around 8 hours to get the Hero path ending. Areas look great, toon-y looking character models. Battle system is ok does well for the game and the leveling system is pretty nice skills make it easier to get through playthroughs. Only reason I didn't give this game a 10 was because of frame rate drops running around and sometimes in combat when there is a lot of things going on.A few random glitches as well. One near the ending of a level got stuck in the ground had to quit lost entire progress in the level. Another one got stuck in the beginning of the game after starting a new game. Great game overall though just a few minor things. Definitely worth the price!… Expand
  4. Wolfenstein51
    Apr 18, 2016
    9
    The game is incredibly solid. I am so glad I picked it up. The combat really stands out, which I did not expect, and the graphics are really nice. Lite RPG elements and branching storylines make this a real winner.
  5. NationFusion
    Jun 4, 2016
    8
    For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. -- Newton’s Third Law

    When I first saw this game on the PlayStation Network, I thought that it might be something worth while. Stories is an Action-RPG that takes place in an enchanted land of mystery and magic; a land of fantasy. A land ruled by a mad man who’ll stop at nothing for total power! Does Stories: The Path of    For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. -- Newton’s Third Law

    When I first saw this game on the PlayStation Network, I thought that it might be something worth while. Stories is an Action-RPG that takes place in an enchanted land of mystery and magic; a land of fantasy. A land ruled by a mad man who’ll stop at nothing for total power! Does Stories: The Path of Destinies hit its mark? Let’s find out.

    Stories is comprised of many different tales, with each “playthrough” 100% different than the last; along with a superlative narrator to guide you through with each new story that you experience. Each story, every single area is tailored to the choices that you make; something I rather enjoy in a game like this. Every single zone and encounter was tailored to my every move.

    Stories doesn’t throw combat at you with every twist and turn, but when it comes time to fight, you know it. That’s part of what makes this game hard to call a dungeon crawler. There are certainly times where it feels that way, but ultimately, this game is more of a story-driven force than an exploratory avenue. That doesn’t mean there aren’t secrets to be found; as I said, the game is tailored to your choices.

    It’s all about finding the path to victory; you, Reynardo is your name, and you’ve just become the unexpected hero tasked with finding a way to stop the mad Emperor, and his Ravens. There are many different outcomes in each scenario, leaving you to wonder what could go right or wrong.

    The gameplay feels fluid and easy to handle, and the combat doesn’t take much to get the hang of. I found myself quickly parrying and attacking incoming ravens with ease. Every combat phase I encountered I had a blast with. It just felt really good to be handling the weapons that I was given. Throughout each playthrough, your weapons will steadily become stronger, and you’ll unlock better versions of what you have.

    I’ll warn you ahead of time; you must understand that a game like this can become easily repetitive. That’s something you need to prepare yourself for before going into this game. At first, I had a really hard time playing it, but as soon as I accepted the fact that I would be going through a lot of repetition, the mood changed.

    The storytelling is amazing. Listening to the narrator talk, and hearing him add in his bit of humor to the game kept a smile on my face while dealing with the Emperor and his Ravens. The more I played, the more engaged I felt. It was thanks to the clever storytelling that I was able to connect with Reynardo at all. Though, I feel like if the narrator weren’t present, that the player would be disconnected entirely. That could have easily led to this game falling flat altogether. It was a good design choice to keep the narrator talking the player through the story.

    The sound in the game is a little off. It isn’t bad by any means, but for me, it did feel amateur. However, I’m not a pro when it comes to game design, but I am here to judge it, so bear with me. I don’t want to say anything bad about Stories, as I really love the game. The voiceovers themselves are fantastic, but it sounds like it was all recorded with equipment from the late 80s. Perhaps if there were a little more bass in the recordings...

    The game itself looks beautiful. I really enjoyed the art style that they used. A lot of the game looks painted, and that’s something I really like. Throughout my play, I never saw any collisions or breaks in the game that would make it look awkward or badly designed, and something tells me that these guys had a few tricks up their sleeves when it came to the level design. I’ve played Torchlight and Torchlight 2 in their entirety, which is a Diablo clone, and even the level design in those games wasn’t nearly as cool as Stories.

    I played through a few of the stories until I finished one that gave me a good ending, but I can tell you that this game is worth continual playthroughs, and if you’re into Action-RPGs, then I firmly believe that you’ll enjoy this game. For what you get with this game, it’s certainly worth $14.99. It’s an indie game developed by Spearhead Games, and I’m really hoping that the success of Stories will lead to bigger and better things for this company.

    I fully recommend and support this game, and I’d even like to see them add some expansions to it, giving us more locations, weapons, and...well...stories. Thank you for reading.    … Expand
  6. Colombo_Kid
    Dec 12, 2016
    8
    This game is an entire surprise. It's totally a casual game. Easy gameplay, extremely simple mechanics, funny way of story telling, and fun, fun and fun. Tiny glitched and with a lot of grind trophies.
  7. rodericrinehart
    Jan 1, 2017
    8
    Simply but fun gameplay. Nice feedback loop. Reminds me of Bastion or Transistor narration and gameplay, but just not on that level. The idea of solving the stories with your choices is pretty unique and getting the true ending was enjoyable!
  8. Ninja_Lazer
    Aug 24, 2016
    9
    Stories: The Path of Destinies is one of the most interesting games on PS4 right now. It reminds me a lot of Bastion or Transistor; the combat system isn't quite as good, and the weapon/character development is also not as impressive either. Yet, the unique graphical aesthetic, choose-your-own adventure storytelling model, and brilliant narration make the game just as enjoyable. This gameStories: The Path of Destinies is one of the most interesting games on PS4 right now. It reminds me a lot of Bastion or Transistor; the combat system isn't quite as good, and the weapon/character development is also not as impressive either. Yet, the unique graphical aesthetic, choose-your-own adventure storytelling model, and brilliant narration make the game just as enjoyable. This game is excellent in short bursts (approximately 30 minutes per play-through).

    Pros:
    - Narration
    - Visuals
    - Replayability
    - Interesting Characters
    - Interesting Combat

    Cons:
    - Occasional Graphical Issues (Textures Missing)
    - Recycled Assets
    - Combat Exploitation (Occasionally you will be attacked from both side with no means of blocking)    … Expand
  9. felix_world
    Dec 10, 2016
    8
    This game is highly enjoyable and very original. At first the plot might seem a little bit confusing but as you progress and complete multiple play throughs, each with different choices and consequences, you start to appreciate the characters and the grand scheme of things. The combat although simple is very fluid and enjoyable with multiple swords at your disposal each with differentThis game is highly enjoyable and very original. At first the plot might seem a little bit confusing but as you progress and complete multiple play throughs, each with different choices and consequences, you start to appreciate the characters and the grand scheme of things. The combat although simple is very fluid and enjoyable with multiple swords at your disposal each with different abilities. The world is beautiful and the vibrant colours makes you want to revisit it after you finish a play through. The game is filled with pop-culture references and the narrator always found ways to make me chuckle and keep the story fresh.

    However there are no real challenges in this game and even though there are 25 possible endings you will feel like you have seen everything after 7 or so play through, which is enough to fully appreciate the game, so getting all 25 possibilities can feel quite tedious and repetitive.    … Expand
  10. Coramcrash
    Mar 13, 2017
    8
    Gioco con un concept molto carino e ben realizzato... originale, divertente, coinvolgente ed immersivo alla prima run.
    ripetitivo succesivamente. nelle successive run inoltre si nota maggiormente il gameplay monotono e poco valido.
    bello peró all'apparenza e a primo impatto.
    prima run da 8 abbondante, poi cala. voto finale 78/100.
  11. DaydreamR
    Apr 6, 2017
    9
    I like this games. You will not true ending for first play. We must find the truth before knowing anything to resolve and change this stores good ending completely. But this games like repeat anytime when your play video games. I killed raven until make me bored for complete the book and full ability.
    Concept games will be changed if changing foe, I understand 9/10 for this games
  12. Urocyon
    Jul 3, 2017
    10
    A very heartwarming, witty and enjoyable title, STORIES: THE PATH OF DESTINIES is perfect for the light RPG enthusiast, casual gamer or animal lover. The characters are well crafted, stemming in part from the different story paths present in the game to the BRILLIANT narration throughout. That said, there are a few glitches, but those seem few and far between, and although some haveA very heartwarming, witty and enjoyable title, STORIES: THE PATH OF DESTINIES is perfect for the light RPG enthusiast, casual gamer or animal lover. The characters are well crafted, stemming in part from the different story paths present in the game to the BRILLIANT narration throughout. That said, there are a few glitches, but those seem few and far between, and although some have complained about long loading times, I've waited far longer for games like Skyrim to load up.

    Overall, it is definitely game worth picking up if you loves foxes, cats and rabbits, and it a downright steal during the steam sales.    … Expand
  13. RaFfr0
    Aug 29, 2017
    8
    I really enoyed this game, the story and how it's tell is really entertaining, and the gameplay is really simple but enjoyable, the combat is almost like a Batman Arkham game. Of course is not perfect, it tends to become a little repetitive, but the most important thing is that is a fun game.
  14. Haasmik
    Sep 28, 2017
    8
    Quick, Fast Paced Action RPG with enough emergent game play to keep it fresh for hours. The Steam-punk theme of the world setting is underlined by a set of differently themed, but similarly beautiful and colourful levels. Upgrades come at a nice pace; not too slow to make it feel like a grind, but slow enough to not feel like your at your max power from the start. The game has a soft resetQuick, Fast Paced Action RPG with enough emergent game play to keep it fresh for hours. The Steam-punk theme of the world setting is underlined by a set of differently themed, but similarly beautiful and colourful levels. Upgrades come at a nice pace; not too slow to make it feel like a grind, but slow enough to not feel like your at your max power from the start. The game has a soft reset after every story line and restarts in a New Game+ like mode with new enemy types and increased damage, which also keeps the combat from getting stale straight away.

    The game was a nice surprise going into it blind. The game held my attention throughout the main story but petered of after that once the main motivation was gone. The dry wit of the main character's internal monologues kept me entertained. However, after 6-8 plays of the branching story lines and multiple retracing of steps, it became fairly repetitive. While that is part of the narrative spin to this game, and it is done well, I think it could be handled more succinctly. The game ends up being a 20+ hour marathon that could have been over and completed in 12 hours.    … Expand
  15. SSDDCC
    Sep 25, 2018
    8
    Stories: Path of Destinies es un action rpg imperfecto, estructurado en capítulos breves y decisiones que nos devolverán a pasajes ya vistos, si queremos encontrar el verdadero final; tampoco es difícil, no presenta puzles y se echan en falta más variedad de enemigos o recursos para los combates.

    A cambio, ofrece mucha diversión, mecánicas ágiles, desenlaces imprevistos, una duración    Stories: Path of Destinies es un action rpg imperfecto, estructurado en capítulos breves y decisiones que nos devolverán a pasajes ya vistos, si queremos encontrar el verdadero final; tampoco es difícil, no presenta puzles y se echan en falta más variedad de enemigos o recursos para los combates.

    A cambio, ofrece mucha diversión, mecánicas ágiles, desenlaces imprevistos, una duración apreciable –de 16 horas- si queremos verlo todo, y un fantástico toque mágico que nos devuelve a los cuentos de la infancia. El resultado compone una aventura entrañable a descubrir por la mayoría del público.    … Expand
  16. SuperkenGaming
    Apr 12, 2016
    8
    Stories: The Path of Destinies
    a hack and slashy choose your own adventure book
    Stories The Path of Destinies tells the many stories of Reynardo, 25 to be exact The game introduces itself with the hack and slash gameplay tutorial.. There’s beautiful levels waiting to be explored with chests full of crafting materials and enemies ready to be picked for their xp. When you’ve gathered    Stories: The Path of Destinies
    a hack and slashy choose your own adventure book
    Stories The Path of Destinies tells the many stories of Reynardo, 25 to be exact
    The game introduces itself with the hack and slash gameplay tutorial..
    There’s beautiful levels waiting to be explored with chests full of crafting materials and enemies ready to be picked for their xp.
    When you’ve gathered enough materials for a weapon you can go to a workbench and craft it or upgrade it…
    fairly simple stuff…and as you defeat enemies you gain xp to level reynardo up..
    when you level up you can stop at an alter to learn a new skill such as dash, or increase your health, as well as collect gems to give your weapons and skills a boost…
    The gameplay is super basic…
    on its own nothing special at all..
    The magic in this game comes from the story telling…
    your entire journey is being narrated.. and at the end of a level you get to make a choice.. after doing this 4 times, you go through the final level and receive an ending..
    but this isn’t thee ending..
    you used your choices to find out the truth about an artifact or a character..
    The pages flip backwards and the story starts again..
    take your choice and strategically make other choices to uncover the truth about something else…
    once you’ve uncovered the 4 different truths with 24 possible different endings the book starts over one last time for you to take what you’ve learned from these 4 truths and use this knowledge to take the right path towards the definitive ending
    I love this idea and love the fact that I can play through the story 24 times to hear new jokes, and hear how different choices play out..
    In fact I was almost certain the story telling and narration was good enough on its own for the gameplay to not even matter…
    Luckily the variety of choices can change up sections of the levels you see…
    the sword upgrades for example will unlock matching element doors that you couldn’t go through before just to change your path up a bit…
    But by time I got to my 4th story run out of 5 I was pretty much over the gameplay…..
    It’s far too repetitive to play for a possible 25 hours to see and hear all there is…
    A fast forward summary option would’ve been greatly appreciate for skipping a choice you’ve already made in a certain sequence…
    for example… I’d much rather not have to play the same 3 choices 2 times in a row just to see a different ending... and then do it all again this time changing the third choice.. And again changing the 3rd and 4th…
    I’ve heard it all… give me the credit
    I loved the story telling and the idea of having to learn from your mistakes of past playthroughs...
    but ultimately there isn’t enough in the gameplay department to keep me hooked long enough to see it all…
    I give
    Stories: The Path of Destinies an 7.5/10    … Expand
  17. Kumatetsu
    Apr 12, 2016
    10
    Oh man, this is a game that has a lot of heart. Sure, there are plenty of things in this game that I have seen before in some form or fashion, but it never stopped me from having a fantastic time with it.
  18. ADHGO
    Apr 15, 2016
    8
    POS:
    * appealing Graphics
    * sweet environment
    * interesting interactive narrator
    * smooth play
    NEG:
    * very simple
    * too small characters even don't know how do they look like

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 41
  3. Negative: 1 out of 41
  1. Game Rant
    Aug 10, 2016
    80
    Spearhead Games’ Stories: The Path of Destinies is a fascinating jaunt through a more mature fairy tale setting that blends serviceable gameplay with remarkable wit.
    Read full review
  2. Games Master UK
    Jul 5, 2016
    62
    A story more innovative than the repetitive and often shallow game it's attached to. [June 2016, p.71]
  3. GameCritics
    May 30, 2016
    60
    Ultimately, though, the drudgery of actually playing this game outweighs whatever interest its narrative has to offer. I have to admire the ambition of the concept here, but Stories: The Path of Destinies falls short of having systems equal to that aspiration. Like its swashbuckling hero, this game’s reach exceeds its grasp.
    Read full review
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