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Threads of Fate
Developer(s)	Square
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)	Sony PlayStation
Genre(s)	Role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single-player

Threads of Fate, known in Japan as Dewprism (デュープリズム, Dyūpurizumu), is a console role-playing game for the PlayStation console developed and published by Square (now Square Enix). The story revolves around the adventure of two characters, Mint and Rue, and a highlight of the game is that the player is able to play from the perspective of either.

Gameplay and Story

The gameplay is simple and action-oriented, rather than turn-based, and plays more like an action platformer than a traditional menu-based RPG like those in the Final Fantasy series. It is more similar in style to the Mana games by Square or even The Legend of Zelda series by Nintendo. The character Mint attacks with a pair of chakrams, known as the Dual Haloes, and is a proficient magic user. The character Rue is more physical and attacks with his axe, Arc Edge. He also has the ability to transform into various monsters that he defeats and can use their attacks and powers. The ring menu used to select Mint's magic attacks or Rue's shape-shifting is reminiscent of the menu system in Secret of Mana.

At the beginning of the game, the player is given the option to choose to play through the game as either Mint or Rue. Depending on your choice, you will be presented with one of two storylines. Though the quests are very similar (and, in fact, each contains only one dungeon unique to the character), the storylines themselves have an interesting branch quality that brings certain scenarios to life in one storyline without remotely mentioning them in the other; completing both games will give the player a holistic storyline to weave together from the two, as well as a 'true' ending to the game.

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Of the two, Rue's game is typically considered the far stronger narrative, while Mint's is far more fun-loving and, at times, could almost be considered a parody of the elements found in Rue's game. Because of this, many veteran players will suggest that the game be played first as Rue, in order to appreciate the strength of the storytelling, and then as Mint, in order to revel in the self-deprecating comedy and impressive turns-of-phrase, as well as to maintain the integrity of Rue's story and ensure that the plot twists remain as plot twists. Additionally, Rue's game is typically considered the 'true' storyline (further supporting the suggestion to play it first), but more recently fan opinion has been that the two stories work to complement each other and are two somewhat disjointed halves of a whole, although exactly how these pieces fit together (due to some wild contradictions) is difficult to decide, which is another job that many fans have taken upon themselves to accomplish.

The storyline, more than the gameplay, is often considered the highlight of the game. The game has a surprisingly strong narrative for its relatively short length (an average of ten hours for each character the first time through, with subsequent playthroughs probably only half as long), and even putting aside the narrative itself, the character interaction and depth is something to study. The dialogue has been kept real, true to the characters, and has been Westernized beyond the treatment most games get (the standout example is the recurring 'Pinto' joke in Mint's quest), and the results of this impressive nationalization is one of the reasons that longtime fans have remained so deeply in touch with the game, and still pine for its sequel; they consider these characters almost living entities.

Characters

Rue

Rue is a powerful, organic doll created by Valen, the most powerful of aeons, in order to serve him. He has a gentle, honest, hard-working, brave and humble personality (a foil to Mint's character). Rue was cast into hibernation for years until he woke up alone in a temple, confused and weak. He limped out into the snow and collapsed. Here, he was found by Claire, who took him in and cared for him. Rue grew close to Claire in the years that passed. However, he was shattered when Claire was killed in a confrontation with Doll Master, another doll created by Valen that had come to recruit Rue in an attempt to resurrect Valen. Infuriated, Rue cast Doll Master away and pined over Claire. He managed to meld her soul with his, and he then grabbed his Arc Edge (his main weapon) and began his adventure to bring her back. He heard of the relic and its powers, and went to Carona in search of it. This threw him into Mint's path.

Mint

Mint is the de-facto comic relief, and the heroine of the game. She is the Crown Princess to the East Heaven Kingdom. She is brash, adventurous, egotistical, manipulative, violent and overall not what one would expect a princess to be. Despite seemingly everyone expressing disapproval of her attitude, Mint is thrown completely off-guard when she discovers her right to the throne has been given to her younger sister, Maya. Having had enough of Mint's behavior, Maya gladly accepts the throne and plans to make her sister's life miserable. Unable to compete with the powerful magic relic her sister possesses, Mint runs away from home on a journey to find a more powerful relic than Maya's and become the ruler of the world. Along the way, Mint crosses paths with Rue, who is also searching for a relic. What Mint lacks in manners, she makes up for in magical talent. Armed with two magically charged chakram rings and wielding an incredible jump kick, she is a formidable adversary.

Mint has an irrational fear of pumpkins, something that is featured numerous times within her storyline. Also foul-mouthed, she treats everyone around her cruelly, including her own grandfather. She seems to utterly detest Rue, even attempting to assault him numerous times but usually failing as the result of some comedic twist, such as him suddenly bending over, and sending her plunging into water. At the end of her storyline, however, Mint does express a certain degree of care for Rue, and even her own sister, Maya, whom she seems to greatly hate. In the ending, the sisters engage in a fight, filled with an excessive amount of swearing and jump kicking.

Claire

A farm girl that took in Rue when she found him alone in the snow nearby her cottage. She is tender, loving, and beautiful. Over the years Claire had been with Rue, they developed a special bond. However, one snowy night, she was killed by Rue's "brother", Doll Master, when she tried to defend Rue. Claire's death launched Rue into a quest to bring her back to life.

Elena

A girl whom Mint/Rue saves from the bandits, Blood and Smokey, after she departed from Carona in search of her parents, Klaus and Mira. Elena is optimistic, free-spirited, loving and loyal to her friends and parents, but she is quite gullible and airheaded.

Klaus and Mira

These are Elena's parents. They are archeologists studying the formation and location of the relics of power formed by the Aeons millennia ago. Dr. Klaus is a hard-working, passionate researcher who yearns to find a relic. His wife, Mira, is independent, tender, and tends to the antiques shop that she and her husband run in Carona. She was also rumoured to have been a champion swordswoman.

Fancy Mel

A strange witch who lives in a house in the sky reachable by a floating star on the outskirts of Carona Forest. She has flashy taste and decorates her home and surrounding areas with pastel colors, floating stars, colorful mushrooms and other cutesy emblems. Fancy Mel possesses great knowledge of the relic and reluctantly assists Mint and Rue in breaking the seal in spite of potential dangers this action may cause. She surrounds herself with small red helper-creatures, the Poppul Purrels, as well as Cockadoos (multicolor birds) and floating yellow puff creatures adorned with wings which flutter about her wherever she goes. Klaus dislikes Fancy Mel for her flamboyant mannerisms, while Elena enjoys visiting her and playing the magical games of the Poppul Purrels.

Wylaf

An age-old magic-using dragon whose name strikes terror into the hearts of many hardened warriors. Throughout Mint and Rue's quest, Wylaf holds some powers and items necessary to accomplishing their goals, but he challenges those who come to him to a battle before he surrenders anything he may have. He does this as a means to test the hearts and strength of his opponents, judging their worthiness based on how they fight. In truth, Wylaf seeks to leave the hope of the future in the hands of mankind, knowing it is their world to nurture or destroy.

Prima Doll

Born from the cube discovered as the 'key' to breaking the seal on the relic, he is a synthetic existence created by Valen. While many, including himself, insist he is only a tool with the sole purpose of releasing the relic, others such as the main characters and Klaus dispute this; Klaus goes so far as to consider Prima Doll a son. When first released from the cube he was incomplete, But as the necessary items were gathered he began to function properly and he was fully energized. He is quite intelligent but fairly naive to the world around him. He often makes witty jabs at Mint in spite of his naivety. It is uncertain how old he is.

Doll Master (Ruecian)

A former servant of Princess Maya's court, and a doll created by Valen, the same aeon who formed Rue (in essence, Rue's "brother"). He garnered Rue's hate after he accidentally killed Claire, who protected Rue and cared for him. He seeks to revive his master by whatever means necessary, and restore him to grace as the most powerful and only aeon.

Psycho Master (Karwyn)

A minion of Ruecian. He always has his eyes closed and relies on his psychic powers to sense the presence of his enemies. If he were to open his eyes (like he does in his final battle) he becomes a truly deadly opponent. He has psycho-kinetic powers, control over dreams, and other powers related to the brain. He is highly devoted to his master, doing his bidding until his death. It is implied that he is the strongest of Doll Master's servants, as said in Mint's story.

Mode Master (Kirielle)

A female minion of Doll Master. She has control of shape-shifting powers similar to Rue's. She seems to know Rue well, shaping into Claire in order to lure, confuse and anger him, then taunting him as being a weak cry-baby who pined for Claire once she showed her true form. She is the least confronted mini-boss along with Narcius. It is suggested that she and Doll Master once had a romantic relationship when she bids farewell to him in the game's climactic final chapter.

Trap Master (Narcius)

A punk-ish, spiky/red-haired minion of Ruecian. He has an uncanny ability to place sudden, invisible, highly effective traps nearly everywhere. He usually transports people he wants to fight to a rather computerized room filled with booby-trapped platforms. Quite often threatening to fight and then not carrying out his threats, he has a hot temper and goes completely off the wall when informed by Mint that he is a "porcupine head." It is implied that he is the weakest of Doll Master's associates.

Belle and Duke

Two thieves that are looking for rare treasures in Carona. Belle is a spellcaster similar to Mint. They were rivals long before the relic quest. She has a biting, angry attitude. Duke is a martial artist enamoured with romantic novels and epics. He continually fantasizes over such things as honor between fighters, duels and the kinds of things the heroes in the novels do, and is rather clumsy due to him not practicing what he learns. The two of them have an uncanny relationship: Belle regards Duke as a moron, while Duke has much respect for Belle (and fans of the game debate over a possible love). Together, though, they make for formidable foes and remarkable allies when they begin to help Mint/Rue in their campaign against Doll Master. They utilize a crab-like battle machine after their initial fight.

Rod

A sword master/smith who lives next to a river in the forests of Carona. An honorable, strong, capable man, Rod is an indispensable ally in Rue's/Mint's quest for the relic. He trains both of them in their combat skills, and discusses his work with them. He likes to show off his weapons in combat; with each successive fight, they become larger and more extraordinary and complex. He has deep respect for Mira (mostly because she has the heart to feed him when he becomes broke).

Valen

The most powerful aeon of his time. He had worked a lifetime creating his relic (called "Dewprism") in order to give himself immortality. He created dolls such as Rue and Doll Master to guard his relic. However, before he could harvest the relic's power, he was killed by his fellow aeons, who were jealous and fearful of his power. Valen managed to encase his soul within Dewprism, and he waited to be revived by one of his dolls.

Blood and Smokey

Two incompetent bandits who come to Carona in search of treasure. They are mostly bullies, and even though they look dangerous, they are rather weak. Blood is taller, faster, and the leader of the two, while Smokey is shorter and stronger. They encounter Rue/Mint at least twice in the game.

Princess Maya

Princess Mint's younger sister. Mint was first in line to be the next Queen of the East Heaven Kingdom until her attitude finally pushed her family over the edge, giving the position to Maya. Maya also came into possession of a powerful relic named 'The Book of Cosmos' with which she is very powerful. She works with her supposed minion Doll Master. She is shown throughout her kingdom to be calm and graceful but those who interact closely with her know she has a mean, violent streak such as her older sister Mint's, and also has the same foul language and jump kick.

Ruenis

He is also a doll of Valen, like Rue and Ruecian, awakened after Valen has already been defeated. He chooses to live with Rue and Claire back home. This does not take place till after you beat the game with both characters.

Plot Line

The game offers two plots stemming from the origins of the two characters (Rue and Mint) and their reasons for searching for the legendary artifact known as a relic, which as created by a group (or possibly race) of super-magicians known as the Aeons. As the game progresses, the plots will weave, split, and weave back together, leaving a more analytical observer to wonder and piece together the exact relationship between the two stories, and how they play with and against one another.

Rue is a quiet, caring young man with a mysterious origin; his adoptive sister, Claire, has been comforting him for two years before a tragic incident brings a man, known only as the Arm of Death, to their small cottage one clear winter night, presumably to assassinate Rue. Claire, however, gives her life trying to protect Rue, leading the boy to set off on a journey to find a great relic in order to bring her back to life.

Mint, meanwhile, is a rebellious, ill-mannered, hotheaded princess entrusted with the crown of East Heaven Kingdom. However, the Council that aids the king believes that her brash and crass nature are unbecoming of a future ruler, and they elect unanimously to promote Maya, Mint's younger sister, to the position of heir apparent. They solidify their decision by giving Maya the Book of Cosmos, the kingdom's most powerful relic. Mint is shocked by the news, and even more shocked that two of her advisors—the man known as Doll Master, and her grandfather—fully agree with the decision. Stripped of her title and chased from the castle by an army of demon pumpkins, Mint promises revenge—even better, she vows to take over the world if she can find a relic more powerful than the Book of Cosmos.

Themes

Threads of Fate has a reasonably uncomplicated story and (save for its rather unexpected plot twist) harbors minimal surprise and suspense, with its greatest story pull being in its flawless localization.

The simplicity of the story makes its theme oddly obtuse, however. The game's storyline is based heavily on the distinction between immutable destiny and choice. Though this is most obvious in Rue's storyline, as he gives many speeches near the end of the game about fighting the will of his master and refusing to accept fate, many of the more important characters also follow through on this theme.

For instance, Mint's original destiny was to become queen of East Heaven Kingdom. However, she was thrown from her position, casting her out of her high fate. In response to this, she decided to write her own destiny by skipping the formality of ruling a kingdom and instead simply seeking to take over the world. Rod's fate, too, was written by his father Pleskin, and he expected to be the greatest swordsman of all time, capable of defeating his father, who had previously owned the title. Because Pleskin died, Rod was left to wallow in the despair of never being able to surpass his father's legacy until Lucine helped him realize that he needn't be tied by his assumed fate. He instead became a swordsmith-fighter-vagrant, determined to surpass his father's legacy in his own way, by becoming the greatest weapon crafter known to the world.

Music

The music in this game is composed by Junya Nakano who has worked on several other games for Square. A soundtrack was released in Japan (titled Dewprism OST), and was available via import for several years in other countries. The soundtrack, though discontinued and out of print, was recently given a re-print in August of 2006.

The OST has two discs, Disc RUE and Disc MINT, featuring all of the tracks played throughout the game. The tracks are divided between the discs according, for the most part, to which character they fit best. Much of the mellower music is contained on Rue's disc, with a fairly small selection of 'happy' tracks or battle tracks, while Mint's disc contains almost all of the more intrusive tracks, the happier tracks, and several battle themes (although due to the overwhelming number of 'neutral' tracks to any of the more emotional tracks, Mint's disc doesn't reflect her personality as well as Rue's disc reflects his).

Reception

The game was released at the peak of the RPG boom for the original PlayStation, during SquareSoft's "Summer of Adventure" promotion (which also included Legend of Mana and Chrono Cross), and was largely "lost in the crowd". The graphics were impressive for the PlayStation, though the gameplay was somewhat simplistic, which may have led many players to bypass the game in favor of more publicized and technically accomplished games; the game most commonly blamed for Threads of Fate's lack of commercial success is Chrono Cross, which held a much higher pitch of anticipation due to its status as the sequel to Chrono Trigger. Despite its limited commercial success, the game is not considered to be altogether bad (its average rating is around a 7.5 out of 10) and is even regarded as a gem in some circles; this particular group gives the game a fairly adamant cult following.

Manga

A manga based on the game was planned to be made by Ken Akamatsu of Love Hina fame, but the project was scrapped. Many of his character designs would later be redesigned and used in Akamatsu's Negima!: Magister Negi Magi.

External links

• Official Threads of Fate website
• Threads of Fate at MobyGames
• Threads of Fate at Game Rankings
• Threads of Fate at RPG Gamer

• 1999 video games
• PlayStation games
• Role-playing video games
• Square Co. games