Fate/Samurai Remnant
Fate/Samurai Remnant is a 2023 action role-playing video game co-developed by Omega Force and Kou Shibusawa in cooperation with Aniplex and Type-Moon, and published by Koei Tecmo. It is an entry in the Fate series, and was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows.
Gameplay
Fate/Samurai Remnant lets players play as Miyamoto Iori. The combat is hack and slash style with some similarities to musou gameplay, but it falls under the action role-playing game genre with dodging and exploiting weaknesses being an important element. It features a wide array of stances, which the player character can switch between on the fly. Iori uses dual katanas, a widespread weapon for Samurai during the Edo period. Players can give commands to their servant, launching special attacks and combos. In certain situations, the game allows for full control of Iori's servant.The game allows for exploration of recreated districts of Edo, such as Yoshiwara, Kanda, and Akasaka.
Plot
Miyamoto Iori is a peacekeeping ronin who is chosen to participate in the Waxing Moon Ritual, a spin-off of the Holy Grail War. Summoning Yamato Takeru, a Saber-class servant, they form an alliance with Takao Dayu and her Berserker-class servant, Iori's late master Miyamoto Musashi in exchange for information on other Masters and servants.While investigating Yui Shousetsu and her Rider-class servant, and fighting Chiemon and his Lancer-class servant, Iori and Saber are taken to safety by Zheng Chenggong and his Archer-class servant Zhou Yu who wish to form an alliance to deal with the problematic Assassin-class servant. After an investigation, the two meet Assassin's master, Dorothea Coyett, who launches a powerful yet attack on the Saber-Berserker-Archer alliance, which leaves Iori injured. This prompts the appearance of the Pseudo-Servant Ototachibana-hime, who has taken residence in Kaya's body. As such, Shousetsu detects this and sends Chiemon and Lancer to capture her.
Iori and Saber chase after Chiemon and fight Lancer at Kanagawa. However their fight is interrupted by the appearance of Rogue Servants, who had been corrupted by Tsuchimikado, the overseer of the Waxing Moon. Saber is affected but Iori is able to save them in time. Archer however had begun massacring Akasaka, resulting in his own self-sacrifice. Assassin allows his brainwashing to commence and betrays Dorothea, leaving her to ally with Iori and Saber. They find Yui Shousetsu under attack by Rider and several Rogues, while Dayu sends Musashi to quell the chaos with the corrupted servants.
Shousetsu informs Iori and Saber of Tsuchimikado's whereabouts, which was at his stronghold in Kan’ei-ji Temple. On the way, a corrupt Assassin wreaks havoc, leaving Iori and Saber to decide whenever they wanted to help Dorothea fight him or go straight to Tsuchimikado.
- If the player chooses to pursue Tsuchimikado, they will head for Kan’ei-ji Temple and witness Lancer killing him. However they will learn that Dorothea has lost her life from fighting Assassin, whom she was successfully able to kill.
- If the player chooses to pursue Assassin, they will assist Dorothea in fighting him. However they will learn that Tsuchimikado had been killed by an unknown assailant.
Having learned that Shousetsu has the Waxing Moon in hand, Iori and Saber confront her, which leads to a fight with Rider who summons a divine beast which required a group effort by the remaining competitors to defeat. Shousetsu is arrested by the Clock Tower mages, while Musashi “times out” to the world after conducting her final duel with her student, Iori.
With the Vessel in front of them, Iori chooses to destroy it but it is stolen by different people depending on the choices the player made.
- The story diverges into the Flames of Resentment route if the player chose to pursue Tsuchimikado in Chapter 4. In this route, Chiemon steals the Vessel and takes over Edo Castle, where he merges with it to become the Waxing Moon Monster. Iori and Saber manage to defeat Chiemon, but only with Saber sacrificing themself. Iori and Kaya then return home.
- The story diverges into the A Ray of Light Route if the player chose to pursue Assassin in Chapter 4, preventing Dorothea's death. In this route, Zheng's new partnership with Caster is revealed as he ushers his servant in stealing the Vessel and summoning the demigod Yasomagatsuhi. Iori and Saber team up with Shousetsu to defeat Yasomagatsuhi, though at the cost of both Saber and Shousetsu's lives. Though defeated, Zheng swears to find another way to achieve his wish of saving China.
- Entreat the Darkness is only accessible in New Game+ after one of the above routes have been cleared, and diverges in Chapter 5 if Iori chooses to not destroy the Vessel. In this route, Chiemon and Caster both kill each other, while Iori and Saber fight to the death to determine the fate of the Waxing Moon. Saber emerges victorious, and Iori dies lamenting he was born in the wrong age and sought to use the Vessel to create an eternal war he could thrive in. With Iori dead, Saber destroys the Vessel before fading away, and Kaya arrives to find Iori's corpse.
- If Iori completes all of the side quests issued by "Boss" and agrees to become his servant, the A Journey to Conquer the World joke ending is unlocked, where after a fight against him, Boss deems them strong enough and Iori and a reluctant Saber become his retainers.
- The DLC Records Fragment Keiran Command Championship has unique endings for each Servant/Master pair depending on who wins the tournament.
Characters
; Miyamoto Iori; Saber - Yamato Takeru
; Koxinga
; Archer - Zhou Yu
; Chiemon
; Lancer - Jeanne d'Arc
; Yui Shōsetsu
; Rider - Ushi Gozen
; Tsuchimikado Yasuhiro
; Caster - Hieda no Are
; Dorothea Coyett
; Assassin - Kōga Saburō
; Takao II
; Berserker - Miyamoto Musashi
Rogue servants
; Rogue Saber - Minamoto no Yoshinaka; Rogue Archer - Arjuna
; Rogue Lancer - Cú Chulainn
; Rogue Rider - Tamamo no Mae
; Rogue Caster - Circe
; Rogue Assassin - Li Shuwen
; Rogue Berserker - Samson
; Rogue Ruler - Gilgamesh
; Rogue Ruler - Shuten-dōji / Yamata no Orochi
; Rogue Saber - Yagyū Munenori
; Rogue Rider - Zhao Yun
; Rogue Berserker - Kishimojin
Other
; Ogasawara Kaya; Ototachibana-hime
Development
On December 31, 2022 Type-Moon & Aniplex announced during a special television broadcast on BS11 that a new role-playing video game entry in the Fate/stay night series was in development at Koei Tecmo. Gameplay of the game was leaked a day ahead of its formal showcase at a Nintendo Direct on June 21, 2023. Shortly after it was announced that Omega Force would be leading development alongside Aniplex and Type-Moon. The creator of Fate/stay night, Kinoko Nasu, would be aiding as supervisor, with veteran Fate series writers Hikaru Sakurai, known for Fate/Extra and Yuichiro Higashida, known for Fate/Apocrypha, writing the game. Music would be composed by Keita Haga, known for his work on Tsukihime and Melty Blood, as well as Daisuke Shinoda, known for Wild Hearts. The opening animation sequence is produced by CloverWorks.In an interview with 4gamer, the director of the game, Ryota Matsushita, mentioned that the development of Fate/Samurai Remnant started at Omega Force in 2018, and that the idea was spurred due to Koei Tecmo CEO Yōichi Erikawa being a fan of Fate/Grand Order. Fate/Samurai Remnant was developed using Koei Tecmo's in-house engine called "Katana Engine".
Release
Fate/Samurai Remnant was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows on September 28, 2023. In addition to the standard edition, a physical "Treasure Box" edition was made available which included supplemental material, a poster, a physical CD to the game's soundtrack and Command Spell stickers.Downloadable content
The physical "Treasure Box" edition included a redeemable code for a set of in-game costumes for Iori and Saber.A season pass is also available for purchase, which includes exclusive in-game weapon mountings that can be used immediately in the game. It also gives discounted access to three downloadable content chapters released in 2024. The first chapter, Record's Fragment: Keian Command Championship, focuses on Boss and a new servant named Ibuki Douji, and was released on February 9. The second chapter, Record's Fragment: Yagyu Sword Chronicles, focuses on a new servant named Yagyu Munenori, and was released on April 18. The third and final chapter, Record's Fragment: Bailong and the Crimson Demon, focuses on Zhao Jun and was released on June 20.
Reception
Critical reception
Fate/Samurai Remnant received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. In Japan, four critics from Famitsu gave the game a total score of 36 out of 40, with each critic awarding the game a 9 out of 10.Sales
As of April 30, 2024, Fate/Samurai Remnant had sold 410,000 units globally.Other media
A short manga featuring an introduction to the game's setting was published in "TYPE-MOON Ace" VOL.15 by KADOKAWA.A promotional anime featuring Saber and Berserker was broadcast in Japan in December 2023 as part of a New Years' celebration with the Fate series. It depicts Saber and Berserker traveling around Japan and eating.
Several characters from the game were made playable in Fate/Grand Order as part of its collaboration with Samurai Remnant from January 17 to February 7, 2024.