Fate/Samurai Remnant from Koei Tecmo America and Omega Force, in collaboration with TYPE-MOON, and Aniplex Inc., is one you should check out on PS5. Find out why in our Fate/Samurai Remnant review!
Fate/Samurai Remnant from Koei Tecmo America and Omega Force, in collaboration with TYPE-MOON, and Aniplex Inc., is one you should check out on PlayStation 5. It’s the latest entry in the Fate/stay night saga, which saw its first release in visual novel Fate/stay night on PC back in 2004. This was followed by an anime in 2006, and a PlayStation 2 version in 2007. That version was known as Fate/stay night Réalta Nua, and I was later ported to the PlayStation Vita in 2012. As expected, there was also a manga series released through Shōnen Ace.
It’s now 2023, and Fate/Samurai Remnant is launching tomorrow on PlayStation 5. This new adventure takes place in 1651, on the fourth year of the Keian era. Even though it’s been a long time since the violent Sengoku Period and Edo has remained in peace, a new battle looms on the horizon. This is a battle fought by masters and the heroic spirits they summon – entities known as Servants. These Servants are powerful entities that can turn the tide of battle in an instant.
The story focuses on Miyamoto Iori, a young man from Asakusa, who ends up participating in the war to secure a powerful wish-granting object known as the Waxing Moon Vessel. He is joined by a nimble Servant of the saber class who wields a wavy sword. Iori certainly had no plans of being part of this whole thing, but it’s thanks to this Servant that Iori manages to survive through quite the predicament. Along with Iori, there are six Masters who are willfully taking part on the Waxing Moon Vessel ritual, who are joined by Servants of different classes. On top of that there are even some Rogue Servants to consider! If you form a connection with them, they will prove to be very useful to Iori.
You can play in one of three difficulty settings: Sword Novice, Sword Fighter, and Sword Expert. Sword Novice is a good option for players who want to focus on enjoying the game’s story. Sword Fighter offers a standard challenge, which is ideal with those who have some experience with 3D action games. And then we have Sword Expert. As the name suggests, it’s an option that should not be taken lightly since enemies will punish you for every mistake you make along the way.
You’ll be traveling through different areas of Edo as you prepare for your participation in the Waxing Moon Vessel ritual. By interacting with the locals and listening to what they have to say, you might be able to learn some valuable information. You can also get some rest, recover your health, and even interact with the local dogs or cats. Are you a dog person who likes to pet a good boy? Or are you more of a cat person?
Since this one is a 3D action RPG, you can probably guess how you’ll be playing, right? You’ll control Miyamoto Iori with the left analog stick as you use the right analog stick to control the camera as needed. You can combo you way to victory by using the Square button for regular attack, and mix things up by pressing the Triangle button for a heavy attack. This heavy attack will differ depending on a what point of a regular attack combo you press the Triangle button. When an enemy is glowing red, that means it’s getting ready to unleash a deadly attack. This is your cue to use a heavy attack to interrupt them.
You can dodge incoming attacks with the R2 button, which will allow you to get out of the way. You can also press the X button to jump. Oh, and once the Valor gauge is sufficiently filled, you’ll be able to press the Circle button to unleash a very powerful Valor Strike. The Valor gauge is located next to your character’s portrait, and it can be filled up by dealing damage to enemies. Using the Valor Strike at the right time can allow you to get rid of a bunch of weaker enemies in one go, or deal considerable damage to the stronger boss characters you’ll go up against.
If you press and hold down the L1 button and use the D-Pad, you can have Iori change stance. Each stance will have different fighting styles to offer, so as long as you pay attention to what type of enemy you’ll be going up against, changing stance can be very beneficial, thus allowing you to gain the upper hand. For example, Earth Stance is a defensive, single-sword form that will consume Fortitude while negating a fixed amount of damage, making it a great option for fighting against stronger enemies. The Water Stance is a dual-sword build with quick and agile attacks, with finishing moves that will blow enemies onto other enemies while dealing additional damage.
Pressing and holding down the L1 button will also allow you to activate special skills for Iori and Saber. Since you obtain experience points for every enemy and boss that you defeat, you can level up your main character as well as your Servant. By leveling up, you’ll obtain skill points, which can then be used to acquire skills on the corresponding skill tree. In the character section, you can obtain skills and change the currently equipped abilities and spells. You can also see which consumable items are currently in your inventory.
And now, let’s talk about the trophies! This one is a retail game, and that means you can expect a full trophy list with a Platinum trophy waiting for you at the end of your journey. The list includes 34 Bronze trophies, 6 Silver trophies, and 44 Gold trophies for you to work on. Some of them will pop as you progress through the game’s story. For the rest, you’ll need to complete a series of miscellaneous objectives such as defeating 5,000 enemies, learning all fighting stances, learning all spells, obtaining all of Saber’s skills, purchasing all meals at every food stall, or playing with cats and dogs 10 times, to name some examples.
Fate/Samurai Remnant brings us a new game in the Fate/stay night series with an action RPG twist. It offers solid gameplay mechanics with a dash of Musou-lite battles, an interesting story and plenty of content to enjoy on PlayStation. As Miyamoto Iori, you’ll be plunged into participating in the Waxing Moon Vessel ritual to be able to obtain said powerful wish-granting object. With Saber by your side, will you be able to defeat all of the other Master and Servant pairs standing in your way?
Fate/Samurai Remnant is out tomorrow as a Cross-Buy title with a $59.99 price tag, so your purchase will allow you to download both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of the game at no extra cost. There’s also the Fate/Samurai Remnant Digital Deluxe Edition available with a $99.99 price tag, offering the game, a digital artbook and a digital soundtrack, the Fate/Samurai Remnant Season Pass, Hallowed Relic Sword Mountings, and Phantasmal Dress “Miyamoto Musashi.”
Disclaimer
This Fate/Samurai Remnant review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by Koei Tecmo America.
