Fates: Determination

Editorial Meh

Fates: Determination is a story-driven adult visual novel that splits focus between two protagonists—Jake, a college student discovering his superpowers, and Amy, an FBI agent hunting people like him. The dual narrative and moral complexity around forced experimentation versus superhuman freedom draw genuine praise, and several reviewers found the plot compelling enough to push past the adult content rather than seek it out. However, consensus fractures sharply on execution. Supporters highlight solid character work, atmospheric music, and a mystery that builds momentum toward a cliffhanger ending. Critics—including some who loved the developer's later *Shattered Minds*—describe the story as dramatically underbaked: paper-thin characters whose motivations flip without warning, choices that don't meaningfully affect plot, a villain written as pure caricature, and pacing that drags until chapter 4, then rushes the finale. The game promises a sanctuary-based climax but delivers almost no content there before cutting to credits. The adult scenes themselves are frequent but serviceable—clean renders, smooth animations, no voicing, limited angles—and feel more like emotional punctuation than a draw. A debut project that shows promise in concept but lacks the execution polish its bigger sequel achieved.