Throughout the Fate franchise, pairs of masters and heroic spirits —also known as servants— have been fighting across history in a series of Holy Grail Wars, with the winning duo receiving an ancient artifact that grants wishes.
Fate/Samurai Remnant continues the series’ epic Holy Grail War in the fourth year of the Keian Era, Edo Period Japan. It has been several decades since the end of a turbulent, blood-soaked era, and while the people are finally enjoying peace and tranquility, a battle between seven pairs of masters and servants is about to begin as the “Waxing Moon Ritual” unfolds in the shadows. This is where the game’s hero, Miyamoto Iori, a young man in Asakusa, finds himself caught in the violence alongside his servant Saber, as they fight to be the last pair remaining in order to receive the granter of wishes, the “Waxing Moon Vessel”.
Despite its few shortcomings, Fate/Samurai Remnant is a great addition to the Fate media empire that can be enjoyed by hardcore Fate fans and newcomers alike.
Fate/Samurai Remnant is a Musou game for players who just can't get into Musou combat. By relying more on narrative, puzzles, and RPG stat building, it certainly has a broader reach for action gamers. The new formula still becomes repetitive, however, and performance issues on the Switch may start to nag after a while.
Fate/Samurai Remnant really leaves a mark with its character-driven story. The tale of Miyamoto Iori is consistently intriguing, and watching such a grounded protagonist navigate seemingly insurmountable situations is what makes this action RPG so compelling. The uniquely balanced combat system takes a while to get going, and the strategy stuff runs...
All in all, Fate/Samurai Remnant is a great exploration of the weight of history, the price of a wish, and how much a person can be willing to sacrifice for their dreams before they become a monster. I just wish the camera didn’t hate my guts and there were a few less QTEs waiting to ambush me.
Performance issues aside, Fate/Samurai Remnant is a hugely enjoyable action RPG that showcases a strong evolution of the very familiar Musou formula. Dynamic combat, rewarding exploration, loads of content, and an appealing art style all work in this one's favor, though be warned that the story can get a bit too verbose at times. All the same, we'd...
