Fate/Samurai Remnant Review

The original Fate/Stay Night anime may have aired way back in 2006 but it had a lasting impact even today thanks to its storytelling and memorable characters. It spawned a massive franchise where numerous anime, games, and novels were released, and the Fate series has endured even further thanks to the memes (People die when they’re killed, right Emiya Shirou?) and waifus.

On the other hand, Omega Force’s Musou games are just as legendary. Ever since its Dynasty Warriors game switched from a one-on-one fighting game to a crowd combat hack-and-slash style of gameplay, succeeding games retained the latter mechanic and have become the main series’ signature feature.

If you’re a fan of both then you’re in luck as Omega Force is bringing you the best of both worlds with Fate/Samurai Remnant. With so many series getting the Musou treatment, it was only a matter of time before Fate and Musou would come together. The only thing we need to find out now is if this merge is worth the effort and your time.

For Peace and Miso!

For the uninitiated, the Fate series revolves around an ancient contest called the Holy Grail War. Seven Masters are chosen to participate and each is randomly assigned a Servant, a person of significance during their lifetime, so much so that they’re deemed Heroic Spirits. These 7 pairs will battle it out and for the last remaining pair, the Master is granted a single wish by the Holy Grail.

The Fate DNA is very much retained in Fate/Samurai Remnant. You are Miyamoto Iori, a student of the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, and it’s just your luck that “fate” has chosen you to participate in this Master/Servant contest, here called the Waxing Moon Ritual instead of the Holy Grail War.

Without giving much away, it’s not a straightforward matter of meeting different Master/Servant pairs, beating them, and getting your wish granted by the Waxing Moon. The twists and turns throughout the game are compelling enough to make you play the game to completion.

The characters you meet in Fate/Samurai Remnant are also interesting enough that you’ll want to see what happens to them throughout the course of the story. Iori himself is an interesting character, having been chosen to participate against his will in this contest. Making the most of his situation, he chooses to see the contest through as he clearly knows what he wants from the Waxing Moon.

His assigned Servant, Saber, is just as interesting to watch thanks to her contrasting moods. When she’s not being all serious and devoted to beating everyone in the contest, you’ll never see the end of her salivating over food and enjoying herself when she can. These traits will definitely feel familiar to Fate fans since Saber is an icon in the series.

And you can’t count out the other characters you’ll meet because there’s really more to them than being simply opponents Iori and Saber need to beat. Yui Shousetsu, for example, may be a rival in the Waxing Moon Ritual but he still follows a sense of honor. There are also masterless Servants that you’ll meet like the laid-back Aria and a certain famous (and arrogant) blonde store owner that fans will surely recognize.

Fate/Samurai Remnant also does a good job of telling this story and introducing concepts that Fate fans will recognize, but at the same time not bombard newcomers with terms and jargon. This means the story stands alone and is accessible enough to both veteran Fate fans and complete newcomers to the series.

Another Time, Another Holy Grail War

There’s no doubt the Musou series has endured because of its hack-and-slash gameplay and the power fantasy of mowing down hordes of enemies, but it also can’t be denied that it can get pretty repetitive after a while. You’ll be pretty much spamming almost the same moves for a good while, where you switch combos from time to time to break the ice a bit. Luckily, Fate/Samurai Remnant tweaks this mechanic a bit, making it less of a bore.

Throughout Fate/Samurai Remnant, you will be met with hordes of enemies ranging from humans to monsters which you will dispatch in an open battlefield big enough to run around in, a staple Musou experience. As a student of Miyamoto Musashi, Iori can fight both with single and double katanas, and his combos will change depending on his current stance. The game even encourages you to switch between stances to gain buffs in combat.

These hordes will be accompanied by a boss of sorts that will take longer to beat but the strategy is pretty much the same where you pummel them with your moves and dodge out of the way or interrupt their strong attacks when given the chance. It’s also these fights that will give you experience points which you can use to increase your stats.

Increasing your stats is also a simple matter as the charts are easy enough to understand. Stats like health and defense are spread out evenly enough and there’s a level of customization depending on the stats you want to improve first. Of course, don’t forget that you will also encounter other Masters with their respective Servants and that’s where your own Servants come into play.

Iori is a competent enough swordsman but even he will have a hard time fighting a Servant because of their otherworldly nature. This is why Servants like Saber will accompany you and fight by your side. Not only can you direct Saber to do powerful attacks on the field, but you will also be able to temporarily control them via a button prompt.

When not in combat, you’ll be exploring the various areas around you like Yoshiwara and Kanda. These large areas will feel very reminiscent of battlefields in a Musou series but you’ll fight in designated closed-off areas. The areas will be filled with NPCs, items to pick up, some places of interest, and even animals that you can pet to replenish some life. You have to love that they incentivize petting cats and dogs you meet throughout.

You will also gain access to a workshop that will serve as your base as a Master in the Waxing Moon Ritual. Here, you can rest or maintain your weapons, and the workshop itself is also upgradeable using money and various items that you can gain or buy throughout. And you will definitely want to do so thanks to the various benefits that come with these upgrades, like giving you discounts at shops.

Game of Fonts

In another manner to break the ice, Fate/Samurai Remnant offers a different way of combat called the Spirit Font Conflict. Connect to the Leylines on the map you’re treated to a minigame where you capture territories on the map by occupying them. You’re given a limited number of turns so planning your paths is part of the strategy.

It gets progressively challenging too as the number of enemies increases and they can block certain fonts. It’s only when you occupy the same font as another enemy that you engage in the more familiar musou style of combat. Overall it’s a fun little distraction to the usual hack-and-slash gameplay and we’re glad it’s in the game.

While some areas you visit throughout may feel a little dull to look at, Fate/Samurai Remnant is still an overall visually stunning game thanks to the fluid cutscenes and memorable character designs. You’ll definitely look forward to a cutscene as the fights can be really fun to watch.

This also holds true in-game when you unleash a powerful move like a Servant’s Noble Phantasm move, complete with a badass spiel that adds to a character’s awesomeness. And speaking of spiel, there’s also no doubt the voice acting in Fate/Samurai Remnant is top-notch.

The Japanese Voice Talents’ deliveries are fantastic both in times of seriousness and comedy. It’s actually a bit of a letdown that only Japanese is available. The series may take place in Japan so it makes sense, but most of the time Musou games have both English and Japanese voice options. Though it’s not a complete letdown, some might prefer to play the game with an English voice so the experience might feel lacking.

What We Liked:

• Compelling story accessible to both fans and newcomers
• Memorable characters
• Musou combat combined with Servant management can be fun
• Spirit Font Conflict provides a fun diversion
• Solid voice acting and music

What We Didn’t Like:

• Combat can feel repetitive at times
• Some areas feel dull and not worth walking around in
• Lack of English voiceovers

Verdict: Buy it!

Despite some nitpicks, Fate/Samurai Remnant is still a worthy new entry in the long-running Fate series as well as the Musou genre. The elements like Masters and Noble Phantasms the Fate series are well incorporated with the Musou-style gameplay. Not to mention you’re treated to a memorable story with enough twists and turns that it may stay with you for a while, or until the next Fate entry.

You won’t need to wait for a sale to get this game. It’s actually fun enough for newcomers to try out, but it’s even better if you’re a longtime fan of the Fate franchise. Fate/Samurai Remnant is truly the best of both worlds.

*Fate/Samurai Remnant was reviewed on a PS4/PS5 with a review code provided by the publisher.