I tune into most gaming events and livestreams, and often have a muted reaction unless something truly impresses me. When it comes to THQ Nordic’s showcases, I typically tuned in to try and see info on the Gothic 1 Remake, but in 2025 one game blew me away when it was shown briefly, and that was Fatekeeper. Right from the start, it was emphasized that Fatekeeper was made by a small team that was passionate about their work, and it showed in the product as Fatekeeper looked different than a lot of what has been released lately.
This is not to say it looked completely original, but rather it was a throwback to classic games that we miss now, especially Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. Fatekeeper has finally been released in Early Access and it has certainly been a breath of fresh air. First person RPGs have become increasingly generic, and a game that brings back the uniqueness of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic manages to help shake things up in a good way.
This being said, Fatekeeper’s Early Access release is a bit of a mixed bag right now, but not bad per se. The issue is that there is not a lot of content, maybe 2 hours worth if you just play the main game, and 4-5 if you want to do everything. This would be an issue, but THQ Nordic and Paraglacial did things in a smart way and released the game at a very low price, with the price to increase as more content is added. As such, Fatekeeper is a very affordable RPG right now and a lot more content is to be added.
Do not be mistaken though, as this is not a game like Elder Scrolls, and those expecting that will be in for a shock. There is a heavy weight to the combat,while the magic system feels far more meaningful. To more clear, the game makes use of physics-driven melee combat where you can kick enemies off ledges, into hazards and also combine elemental spells such as freezing water, for an environmental kill, The result is one of the most satisfying combat systems in an action RPG in years, even though there are some issues.
When Fatekeeper first launched, there were FOV issues that kept creeping up when playing, and the game seemed to push you to make certain movements that were counterintuitive in combat. Paraglacial has been listening to the feedback, and while noting it has been overwhelming for the small studio, updates have been coming very fast. These include adjustments to the FOV Slider, reworking spells, and making auto equip changes, all of which were very welcome.
Fatekeeper is also a gorgeous game, it must be said, and Paraglacial is really showing off the developers’ skills at creating settings and environments. The music is okay right now, but I hope to see a bit of improvement in this regard in future updates as it feels a little bit lacking. Still, it is Early Access so this can be excused a bit.
I have not touched on the story, as Fatekeeper does feel a bit thin there right now, although there is a bit of thinness in a lot of the game until more is added. But with what we have so far, I am extremely impressed, and feel Fatekeeper could become a truly epic RPG. Considering the low cost of entry for the Early Access release, I think Fatekeeper has been handled well overall for now, especially with the quick patches to address issues. I am eager to see more, and I hope Paraglacial knocks this one out of the park.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided