Fate/Extra (Video Game Review)

Fate/Extra is Type-Moon's latest role-playing game based on Fate/Stay Night, a Japanese visual novel and anime. You awake in a bizarre, virtual world with no memory of who you are or how you got there and are almost immediately thrown into battle for a prize of the utmost value; the Holy Grail which grants the wielder any wish they desire.

With only your Servant at your side you are forced to battle both friend and foe alike in weekly battles to the death to not only win the Holy Grail but to understand who you are.

At the start of the game you are able to choose your Servant (Saber, Archer or Caster), all of which have their own set of strengths and weaknesses. The events leading to these battles keep the compelling story rolling, and a variety of dialogue choices will sometimes trigger key plot decisions (i.e. choosing to run or stay and fight may end your game early). These choices also alter the game’s ending adding a higher replay value.

Unlike many role-playing games you’re strictly limited to exploring in Fate. The world consists of a 3 story high school, the Arena (the virtual battlegrounds), and the school’s main grounds. While some of the Arena floors can be massive, the wandering, repetitive enemies and lame treasure items steal that flair.

The battles follow a type of “rock-paper-scissors” mechanic and actually require you to use your noggin. There are 3 moves at your disposal; attack, guard, and break, and each one is weak to the other. For example, a guard counters any attack, while a break cuts through a guard. Sounds simple enough, right? Not so much. This system of fighting hides most of your enemy's maneuvers, so you have little to no idea what a monster is going to do and how to plan around it. You're also limited to six commands per turn, including heal spells, at the turn's start. Many foes have an attack pattern; you just have to figure it out. The more you battle the same monster, the better you Servant gets at reading them and unlocking their maneuvers.

While visually stunning, this Japanese dungeon crawler can get quiet repetitive and annoying at times. One of these flaws is only being able to save while outside of the Arena. Should your Servant perish it’s game over and all of that grinding you did prior is for naught. The enemies are pretty much the same in each level of the Arena…just a different colour save for bosses and mini-bosses.

Overall Fate/Extra is a great dungeon-crawler that kept me occupied for hours. Despite the lacking save system and monotonous enemies, the unique battle system and stimulating storyline are enough cause to give this baby a whirl. Just have patience, it will pay off in the end!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 10 (reviewed for PSP)

Reviewed by Meghan Schubert 06/08/2012