This entry in the continuing Fate/Stay Night gaming series, which was adapted from an ongoing manga visual novel of the same namesake, extends upon the lore in a more combat heavy experience in which master and servant micromanagement is the key to victory. The key to keeping SE.RA.PH from being Oracilized by Karna, and his growing army of shadow servant clones. SE.RA.PH being Earth's enigmatic Moon server which brings to life the virtual world you inhabit along with all of it's servant residents. Servants which are historical recreations of warriors from ages gone by. It is through the master that these servants are guided as well as summoned, and through said servants that said masters are protected. Thus creating, in layman's terms, a world of kings, queens and kingdoms.
In true mosou form, and within SE.RA.PH, you will ultimately play as a main servant (I chose Charlemagne) in the company of supporting servant troops under the guide of the master as you navigate gated labyrinths traveling from portal to portal while clearing out key enemies and protecting the master as well as the key supporting servants. It's manic multitasking in a somewhat streamlined fashion that makes Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors look like a more tedious dragged on affair. From the base camp to the battlefield, and through a handful of increasingly difficult difficulty settings you will build bonds between master, and servant while you prepare them meticulously to face the threat to your virtual world, and it's housed NPCs. Including a complex set of main missions, and side missions with a progressive plot to forward.
From the start, and through a mostly text based breakdown of plot and premise, Fate/EXTELLA LINK rushes to disclose the underlying goal of the main characters, the battle mechanics, and the base camp functionality so that you can get right down to business. At your disposal is a base camp of operations with a "My Room", "Barracks", and "Strategy" hub. Places where you will setup characters, converse with said characters to increase bonds, and head off into battle where the main mission, and optional side missions come into play. Initially you'll be tasked with selecting a male or female master, and guiding said master through the base camp tutorial. Within the base camp tutorial the functions will be explained in both textual and visual detail. In the "My Room" base camp location you'll be able to assign servant active skills, insta skills, and even craft/apply mystic codes using the in-game currency (QP) which acts as multi-use items. Active skills in-game are assigned to the four controller face buttons, and can be customized as you earn them out on the battlefield. Insta skills on the other hand which are also collected out on the battlefield can be applied in sort of branching tree diagram where side by side insta skills of the same color will buff each others effects by a percentage. Insta skills not only vary according to color, but also by type. Some are role specific, attack specific, and even defense specific. Adding bonus abilities, and buffs to skills and basic functions in battle.
Also in the "My Room" Location you'll be able to increase a servants level using QP. This allows you to get a servant to the current highest servant's level for a price. Along with the character function management comes the cosmetic options which include costume changes. Costumes can be changed when certain servant requirements are met. Another key feature in the "My Room" hub is the ability to craft mystic codes. Mystic codes are basically, as I mentioned before, quick use items that can be added on for offensive, defensive, and healing measures. Kind of like traditional JRPG items, but limited to only four slots that can be activated in battle using the DPad on the controller.
The "Barracks" which is another key component of the base camp is where you'll be visiting joining servants for bond building conversation. By conversing you work towards building up the bond level of the servants, and in turn making the link battle function more effective. Creating linked instances that add defense, and offense in the heat of battle. Jumping ahead, the link function in this game allows for joint attacks in battle when you approach another servant, and a link line appears between your main servant, and the supporting troops. Back at the base camp the barracks, or rooms in which the servants reside are numbered in an apartment fashion, and show the servant's icon, accordingly. It is in these servant occupied rooms where you'll not only gain insight on the given plot and character involvement, but also build upon the bonds between the master and the servants.
Lastly the "Strategy" room, or hub (if you will), is where your final arrangements or preparations are made before setting out to battle. It is here you'll choose the playable servant, and up to two joining support troops/servants. You'll also choose the difficulty, and any side missions (up to 5) that are available. Side missions sometimes coincide with feats that must be accomplished with specific supporting servants, or sometimes with feats done by the main servant under your control. If you so wish you can also do some last minute tweaking to servant setups including the set active and insta skills. It's what you'd expect from a strategy room.
Battle ...
Battle in the game is both complex, and straightforward at the same time. Your goal, or objective, usually lies with taking out key enemies that block passages into other locked off areas. There are a handful of different enemy types including the lesser mobs, the aggressors, wall guardians, shadow servants, and boss servants. Clearing out aggressors will help you to free up an area turning it's control into your favor, and making the remaining troops to fight on your behalf. Defeating shadow servants, on the other hand, will unlock portal passage into different areas. Aside from those two enemy types you'll also face off against plants which grow the base enemy population as well as wall guardians that block the final more important areas of interest. Leaving the final fight against you, and the main story's many antagonists.
In battle you'll have access to unlimited basic weak and strong attacks, and refilling active skills that will allow for special attacks. Insta skills that I mentioned earlier are more of a behind the scenes perk system building upon things like basic attacks, speed, offense, and defense. Even buffing some of the active skills. Along with those battle options comes two meters or gauges which power-up your main servant of choice. You have a blue gauge which is filled up first through lesser enemy culling, and a yellow or golden gauge which comes into play after you press "CIRCLE" when the blue gauge is full. The blue gauge is your drive gauge, and the yellow/golden gauge your moon drive. When you fill the moon drive gauge up after it has been activated you'll collect golden orbs. Once the moon drive gauge is full you can then perform a "Noble Phantasm" (L2), or a screen clearing cinematic super move that does a lot of damage. Think of it as a finisher. Thus are the basics of battle. Oh yeah, almost forgot ... With the DPad you'll be able to utilize mystic codes that you equipped adding quick access healing, defense, and offense options in limited single use form. You'll also be able to hold down R1 and press one of the four face buttons to activate the assigned active skill when said active skill's icon is fully colored back in. At some points in battle Tomomo, the foxy shrine maiden servant will activate a special skill of her own which will allow for unlimited active skill usage. It requires that you get her to confess or spell out her true name. I'm assuming through power-ups that can be found in breakable diamonds or through drops by mob enemies or more powerful foes.
In the way of additional battle objectives you'll find you'll be doing a lot of multitasking. This means, above all else keeping key servants and your master alive. You'll have to travel through portals to not only secure areas, but to also backtrack to your servants, and masters to make sure they are alright. Should any supporting servant or master fall in combat it will be a failed mission. Meaning you'll have to start it all over in order to win. Most of your time spent in battle will be either going after key enemies, or defending/helping servants tend to priority targets. Your master is usually stationary in one room or location, but sometimes escort missions do come into play. Ultimately though your goal above all goals is to defeat Karna, and his army of shadow servants.
Multiplayer ...
Multiplayer in "Fate/EXTELLA LINK" is a 4v4 affair that utilizes the game's mechanics while allowing players servant choice during matchmaking. The areas in which the king-of-the hill style battle take place are randomized, and as with the main story missions you'll be battling for control from mobs of enemies, and against the competing players' servants. Multiplayer feels like more of a tacked on gimmick to me, but does offer something to do past main campaign completion. Matches themselves are seemingly smooth, but the availability will be a concern along with the coinciding sales of the game.
The Presentation ...
Visually Fate/EXTELLA LINK captures the style of manga and anime art design any Fate fan will be familiar with. Even me, a stranger to the series, knows that it is definitely inline with Fate's artistic direction. When it comes to the soundtrack it is as you'd expect from an anime inspired experience. Orchestral, and electronic. Also accompanied by the original voice acting.Voice-overs attached to the 3D character models, and 2D anime panel animations are kept Japanese, and in doing so retain that genuine feel that comes with enjoying such a franchise as intended. The game, in regards to the story, plays out through beautifully rendered 3D environments with equally beautiful characters models designed to reflect their given source material. There's a lot of flash in combat, and battle is visually over-the-top in display. Reflecting, again, the anime and manga source material. Presentation-wise, Fate/EXTELLA LINK is eye candy for the anime loving soul, and sound sorcery for the music lover's soul.
The Verdict ...
Through all the micromanagement, and the repetitive nature of combat scenarios I still quite enjoyed this mosou tribute to Fate/Stay Night. It's not the most awe-inspiring game gameplay-wise, but it has it's charm. If you are a fan of the mosou experience I think Marvelous, and XSEED did a nice job of refining this sequel to Umbral Star, and to the mosou genre in general. It felt more to the point, and more easily accessible than games like Dynasty Warriors. To that end I think Fate/EXTALLA LINK deserves a round of applause. It at least fine tuned what was once more crude in design.
When it comes to constructive criticism I did notice some visually choppy moments in the heat of battle, and the chaos therein. I heard tale that the game ran at 60fps on the standard PS4, and while the combat does seem that fast paced there is a bit of visual chaos going on at times making it harder to discern what exactly is going on onscreen. Other than that there's not much else to complain about unless I were to say the enemy mobs felt a bit too similar.
As far as my rating goes I feel Fate/EXTELLA LINK will appeal mostly to diehard fans of the series, or fans of mosou style combat. It's nothing really new, or profound, but it does what it does well enough.
In true mosou form, and within SE.RA.PH, you will ultimately play as a main servant (I chose Charlemagne) in the company of supporting servant troops under the guide of the master as you navigate gated labyrinths traveling from portal to portal while clearing out key enemies and protecting the master as well as the key supporting servants. It's manic multitasking in a somewhat streamlined fashion that makes Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors look like a more tedious dragged on affair. From the base camp to the battlefield, and through a handful of increasingly difficult difficulty settings you will build bonds between master, and servant while you prepare them meticulously to face the threat to your virtual world, and it's housed NPCs. Including a complex set of main missions, and side missions with a progressive plot to forward.
From the start, and through a mostly text based breakdown of plot and premise, Fate/EXTELLA LINK rushes to disclose the underlying goal of the main characters, the battle mechanics, and the base camp functionality so that you can get right down to business. At your disposal is a base camp of operations with a "My Room", "Barracks", and "Strategy" hub. Places where you will setup characters, converse with said characters to increase bonds, and head off into battle where the main mission, and optional side missions come into play. Initially you'll be tasked with selecting a male or female master, and guiding said master through the base camp tutorial. Within the base camp tutorial the functions will be explained in both textual and visual detail. In the "My Room" base camp location you'll be able to assign servant active skills, insta skills, and even craft/apply mystic codes using the in-game currency (QP) which acts as multi-use items. Active skills in-game are assigned to the four controller face buttons, and can be customized as you earn them out on the battlefield. Insta skills on the other hand which are also collected out on the battlefield can be applied in sort of branching tree diagram where side by side insta skills of the same color will buff each others effects by a percentage. Insta skills not only vary according to color, but also by type. Some are role specific, attack specific, and even defense specific. Adding bonus abilities, and buffs to skills and basic functions in battle.
Also in the "My Room" Location you'll be able to increase a servants level using QP. This allows you to get a servant to the current highest servant's level for a price. Along with the character function management comes the cosmetic options which include costume changes. Costumes can be changed when certain servant requirements are met. Another key feature in the "My Room" hub is the ability to craft mystic codes. Mystic codes are basically, as I mentioned before, quick use items that can be added on for offensive, defensive, and healing measures. Kind of like traditional JRPG items, but limited to only four slots that can be activated in battle using the DPad on the controller.
The "Barracks" which is another key component of the base camp is where you'll be visiting joining servants for bond building conversation. By conversing you work towards building up the bond level of the servants, and in turn making the link battle function more effective. Creating linked instances that add defense, and offense in the heat of battle. Jumping ahead, the link function in this game allows for joint attacks in battle when you approach another servant, and a link line appears between your main servant, and the supporting troops. Back at the base camp the barracks, or rooms in which the servants reside are numbered in an apartment fashion, and show the servant's icon, accordingly. It is in these servant occupied rooms where you'll not only gain insight on the given plot and character involvement, but also build upon the bonds between the master and the servants.
Lastly the "Strategy" room, or hub (if you will), is where your final arrangements or preparations are made before setting out to battle. It is here you'll choose the playable servant, and up to two joining support troops/servants. You'll also choose the difficulty, and any side missions (up to 5) that are available. Side missions sometimes coincide with feats that must be accomplished with specific supporting servants, or sometimes with feats done by the main servant under your control. If you so wish you can also do some last minute tweaking to servant setups including the set active and insta skills. It's what you'd expect from a strategy room.
Battle ...
Battle in the game is both complex, and straightforward at the same time. Your goal, or objective, usually lies with taking out key enemies that block passages into other locked off areas. There are a handful of different enemy types including the lesser mobs, the aggressors, wall guardians, shadow servants, and boss servants. Clearing out aggressors will help you to free up an area turning it's control into your favor, and making the remaining troops to fight on your behalf. Defeating shadow servants, on the other hand, will unlock portal passage into different areas. Aside from those two enemy types you'll also face off against plants which grow the base enemy population as well as wall guardians that block the final more important areas of interest. Leaving the final fight against you, and the main story's many antagonists.
In battle you'll have access to unlimited basic weak and strong attacks, and refilling active skills that will allow for special attacks. Insta skills that I mentioned earlier are more of a behind the scenes perk system building upon things like basic attacks, speed, offense, and defense. Even buffing some of the active skills. Along with those battle options comes two meters or gauges which power-up your main servant of choice. You have a blue gauge which is filled up first through lesser enemy culling, and a yellow or golden gauge which comes into play after you press "CIRCLE" when the blue gauge is full. The blue gauge is your drive gauge, and the yellow/golden gauge your moon drive. When you fill the moon drive gauge up after it has been activated you'll collect golden orbs. Once the moon drive gauge is full you can then perform a "Noble Phantasm" (L2), or a screen clearing cinematic super move that does a lot of damage. Think of it as a finisher. Thus are the basics of battle. Oh yeah, almost forgot ... With the DPad you'll be able to utilize mystic codes that you equipped adding quick access healing, defense, and offense options in limited single use form. You'll also be able to hold down R1 and press one of the four face buttons to activate the assigned active skill when said active skill's icon is fully colored back in. At some points in battle Tomomo, the foxy shrine maiden servant will activate a special skill of her own which will allow for unlimited active skill usage. It requires that you get her to confess or spell out her true name. I'm assuming through power-ups that can be found in breakable diamonds or through drops by mob enemies or more powerful foes.
In the way of additional battle objectives you'll find you'll be doing a lot of multitasking. This means, above all else keeping key servants and your master alive. You'll have to travel through portals to not only secure areas, but to also backtrack to your servants, and masters to make sure they are alright. Should any supporting servant or master fall in combat it will be a failed mission. Meaning you'll have to start it all over in order to win. Most of your time spent in battle will be either going after key enemies, or defending/helping servants tend to priority targets. Your master is usually stationary in one room or location, but sometimes escort missions do come into play. Ultimately though your goal above all goals is to defeat Karna, and his army of shadow servants.
Multiplayer ...
Multiplayer in "Fate/EXTELLA LINK" is a 4v4 affair that utilizes the game's mechanics while allowing players servant choice during matchmaking. The areas in which the king-of-the hill style battle take place are randomized, and as with the main story missions you'll be battling for control from mobs of enemies, and against the competing players' servants. Multiplayer feels like more of a tacked on gimmick to me, but does offer something to do past main campaign completion. Matches themselves are seemingly smooth, but the availability will be a concern along with the coinciding sales of the game.
The Presentation ...
Visually Fate/EXTELLA LINK captures the style of manga and anime art design any Fate fan will be familiar with. Even me, a stranger to the series, knows that it is definitely inline with Fate's artistic direction. When it comes to the soundtrack it is as you'd expect from an anime inspired experience. Orchestral, and electronic. Also accompanied by the original voice acting.Voice-overs attached to the 3D character models, and 2D anime panel animations are kept Japanese, and in doing so retain that genuine feel that comes with enjoying such a franchise as intended. The game, in regards to the story, plays out through beautifully rendered 3D environments with equally beautiful characters models designed to reflect their given source material. There's a lot of flash in combat, and battle is visually over-the-top in display. Reflecting, again, the anime and manga source material. Presentation-wise, Fate/EXTELLA LINK is eye candy for the anime loving soul, and sound sorcery for the music lover's soul.
The Verdict ...
Through all the micromanagement, and the repetitive nature of combat scenarios I still quite enjoyed this mosou tribute to Fate/Stay Night. It's not the most awe-inspiring game gameplay-wise, but it has it's charm. If you are a fan of the mosou experience I think Marvelous, and XSEED did a nice job of refining this sequel to Umbral Star, and to the mosou genre in general. It felt more to the point, and more easily accessible than games like Dynasty Warriors. To that end I think Fate/EXTALLA LINK deserves a round of applause. It at least fine tuned what was once more crude in design.
When it comes to constructive criticism I did notice some visually choppy moments in the heat of battle, and the chaos therein. I heard tale that the game ran at 60fps on the standard PS4, and while the combat does seem that fast paced there is a bit of visual chaos going on at times making it harder to discern what exactly is going on onscreen. Other than that there's not much else to complain about unless I were to say the enemy mobs felt a bit too similar.
As far as my rating goes I feel Fate/EXTELLA LINK will appeal mostly to diehard fans of the series, or fans of mosou style combat. It's nothing really new, or profound, but it does what it does well enough.
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