Preview: Fate/Samurai Remnant Is Brimming with Promise

My first hours of Fate/Samurai Remnant ended up being a refreshing reminder of the Fate IP’s appeal. The plot is intriguing, and the characters are all charming, both as individuals and as part of a Master/Servant pair. My impression of Koei Tecmo Musou games is that they’re button-mashing fun, but ultimately the story is secondary. In contrast, Fate/Samurai Remnant feels very focused on telling a good story with well-developed characters. Though initially, the battle portions can feel a little weak.

The story of Fate/Samurai Remnant follows Miyamoto Iori, the adopted son and apprentice of Miyamoto Musashi, after he inadvertently becomes a Master as part of the Waxing Moon Ritual. This is the Edo version of the Holy Grail War. Though he and his partner, Saber, don’t see things eye to eye, they still have to work together if they want to survive. Along the way, he comes across several other Masters, each with their own Servants and dreams, and Rogue Servants that are linked to specific Spirit Fonts (cities with strong spiritual energy) around Edo.

Screenshot by Siliconera

Fate/Samurai Remnant is sort of a reminder of how many interesting stories you can get out of the Holy Grail War even when you play it straight. The intersection of the cultures and eras of all the characters, combined with their differing dynamics, means that even characters who have made multiple appearances in past works can seem fresh when placed with a new partner or in a new setting. Lancer (Jeanne d’Arc Alter) is a prominent character in Fate/Grand Order. Even a casual fan should be familiar with what she generally wants and how she acts. But Jeanne d’Arc Alter in Samurai Remnant is completely different. What’s her deal? Why’s she so gloomy? How come she is a Lancer and she isn’t the normal Jeanne? These questions, along with similar ones for other characters, make it hard to put down the game.

Screenshot by Siliconera

Iori and Saber are also a lot of fun. They’re pretty much playing straight the Shirou and Saber (Artoria) dynamic. Iori is the straight man to Saber’s funny man, the cook to Saber’s glutton, the brakes to Saber’s gas pedal… It’s definitely on purpose. Their relationship is cute, with enough differences in their individual personalities that it doesn’t literally just feel like Shirou and Saber. It works as a familiar touching point for existing Fate fans. On the flip side, it’s a pretty basic Master/Servant dynamic that will be easy for newer fans to jump in.

That kind of is what Fate/Samurai Remnant feels for me so far: a love letter to the series that both new and old fans can enjoy. The lore is deep enough and contains enough references to existing series that those familiar with the series don’t feel like the game is babying them. But it’s also so separate from the existing series that you really don’t need any knowledge to play it. Plus, its accessible and fun battle system so far seems like it may be easy to recommend to others. It’s not like Fate/Extra or CCC, which were a slog to play through.

Screenshot by Siliconera

To be quite frank, my impression of Koei Tecmo games based on existing IPs is not the best. I didn’t have a great time playing Fire Emblem: Three Hopes. I had an absolutely terrible time playing Persona 5 Strikers. Realizing that Fate/Samurai Remnant plays similarly to Strikers made me very nervous going in. But I was pleasantly surprised. The battle system is not particularly complex, as you may already expect from a Musou game. Iori can change between stances, as well as cast magic. You can also command Saber to use moves in combat and when you fill up your gauge, you can take direct control of her. She’s kind of like the game’s super mode, since she’s overwhelmingly stronger than Iori is and you can only use her for a limited amount of time.

I already talked at length about how much I like the characters and story so far. That by itself already makes it seem like this will be an enjoyable experience, but Fate/Samurai Remnant feels full of content. The towns all feel like legitimate places to explore, and there are so many other mechanics that make you want to get busy. You can maintain Iori’s katanas and customize them to have the skills you like. Moving from town to town involves a simple area control board game that offers temporary level ups. It’s quite a bit of content that feels natural to the plot and characters rather than as padding.

Though I only just finished part of Chapter One of Fate/Samurai Remnant, I’m already ready to sing its praises from the rooftops. I appreciate the way it feels like a legitimate full-blown RPG rather than another hack-n-slash or a retread of a familiar story. Hopefully, it continues to maintain its quality until the end.

Fate/Samurai Remnant will come out on the PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC on September 29, 2023.