Fat Princess Adventures arrived on PS4 in 2015 as a sequel to the original Fat Princess, and it trades that game’s castle-capture mode for something closer to a hack-and-slash dungeon crawler. The change in focus is obvious from the start, and it shapes almost everything about how the game plays.
Trailer, via PlayStation.
A Change In Focus
The core loop is simple. Players lead a group of characters through a series of dungeons, fighting enemies, collecting treasure, and unlocking new areas. The shift away from castle capture means the game loses some of the strategic depth of its predecessor, but it gains a tighter, more focused combat system.
That change in focus is the defining feature of Fat Princess Adventures. It is a different game from the one that came before it, and the studio made that clear by changing the formula entirely. The game no longer asks players to manage troops and plan siege routes; instead, it puts the emphasis on direct combat and personal skill.
Characters And Their Abilities
The cast is a mix of familiar faces and newcomers. Each character has a distinct set of abilities, and switching between them changes how a player approaches each fight.
- The knight specializes in melee attacks and protection.
- The wizard focuses on ranged magic.
- The thief excels at quick strikes and mobility.
- The healer supports the team with defensive buffs.
Players can switch between characters mid-combat, which adds a layer of strategy beyond simply attacking. This system rewards planning, since choosing the wrong character at the wrong moment can leave a player vulnerable. The healer, for example, can save a fallen ally with a revival spell, but she offers little offense, so leaving her exposed to enemy fire is a costly mistake.
Combat And Its Limits
Combat in Fat Princess Adventures is straightforward. Enemies are placed in groups, and players must move between them while managing health and mana. The controls respond well, and the action feels fluid during fights.
But the combat system shows its limits quickly. Bosses tend to repeat the same patterns, and the difficulty curve can feel uneven. Some encounters are easy, while others punish careless play with instant death. That swing in challenge is a recurring problem throughout the game, and it can turn a rewarding fight into a frustrating one within seconds.
Dungeons And Their Design
The dungeons are where Fat Princess Adventures spends most of its time. They are built around treasure rooms, secret paths, and locked doors that require keys or special items to open. Exploration is encouraged, and finding hidden paths often leads to better rewards.
The level design is solid but not exceptional. Rooms connect in logical ways, and the layout rarely feels confusing. However, the visual variety is limited, and some areas look very similar to each other, which can make it hard to remember where players have already been. That sameness can make the dungeons feel smaller than their size suggests.
Presentation And Its Weaknesses
Fat Princess Adventures runs at a steady frame rate on PS4, and the graphics are competent but unremarkable. Character models are detailed, and the environments are colorful, but the overall presentation feels dated compared to other games from the same period. The game does not push the hardware to show off its capabilities.
The audio fares slightly better. The soundtrack is pleasant without being memorable, and sound effects are serviceable. Voice acting is present for key characters, though it is sparse and mostly reserved for cutscenes rather than in-game dialogue. The game leans heavily on its visuals to convey mood, and the audio rarely rises above functional.
How Long It Lasts
Fat Princess Adventures is a short game. Most players will finish the main campaign in about ten hours, depending on how much time they spend exploring. Additional content exists in the form of side quests and optional bosses, but they do not add significant replay value.
The pacing of the campaign is uneven. Some sections drag, while others feel rushed. This inconsistency can frustrate players who want a tight, focused experience. The game moves at a slow pace in some dungeons and then rushes through others, leaving players feeling underwhelmed in both cases.
What Works Well
Several elements stand out as strengths of Fat Princess Adventures:
- The ability to switch between characters mid-combat adds real depth to the gameplay.
- The dungeon design encourages exploration and rewards players who search for secrets.
- The combat is responsive and satisfying when the difficulty stays manageable.
These strengths are real, but they are also limited. None of them is enough to carry the entire game on its own. They shine brightly in isolated moments but do not sustain the whole experience.
What Falls Short
Just as notable are the weaknesses that hold Fat Princess Adventures back. The uneven difficulty curve is a persistent issue, and it affects nearly every aspect of the game.
- The difficulty spikes are frequent and sometimes unfair, punishing players for small mistakes.
- The boss fights often repeat the same patterns, making them less engaging over time.
- The lack of visual variety in the dungeons can make the world feel smaller than it is.
- The campaign length is short, and the additional content does not justify a second playthrough.
Taken together, these weaknesses keep Fat Princess Adventures from reaching the heights of its predecessor. They are problems that could have been fixed with more polish, but they remain present in the final product.
Final Word
Fat Princess Adventures is a mixed bag. It takes a good idea from the original game and builds a combat-focused dungeon crawler around it, but the execution falls short in several key areas. The character switching system and the dungeon design are strong points, but the uneven difficulty and lack of replay value hold the game back.
Fat Princess Adventures earns a score of 6.7 out of 10. It is a decent game with moments of quality, but it never quite reaches the level of its predecessor. Players looking for a solid dungeon crawler with a few standout ideas will find something to enjoy, but those hoping for a polished, memorable experience may come away disappointed.
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