Fate/Samurai Remnant

Fate/Samurai Remnant (フェイト/サムライレムナント) is an action RPG developed by Omega Force with TYPE-MOON supervising the project.

Ryota Matsushita is the director and Tomohiko Sho is the producer. Character designs for the Masters were created by Rei Wataru while other artists provided the Servants' designs. The music in this title is composed by Keita Haga and Daisuke Shinoda. CloverWorks produced the game's opening animation.

This game was one of the few titles to win the Japan Game Awards 2023 Future Division.

The Treasure Box edition of the game includes a new short story from the scenario writers depicting the feelings and thoughts of the Master and Servant pairs, behind-the-scenes documents that delve more on the development team, an original soundtrack, a B2-sized cloth poster, command spell stickers, and a DLC costume code for Iori and Saber.

The Digital Deluxe edition features the game along with a digital artbook, a different soundtrack, 3 season passes, and a set of special mountings for Iori.

Plot
During the fourth year of the Keian Era, Miyamoto Iori, the adopted son of Miyamoto Musashi and a swordsman in his own right, is suddenly dragged into a hidden conflict known as the Waxing Moon Ritual. There, seven Masters and Servants fight over the "Waxing Moon" which could grant any and all wishes.

Battle
Upon encountering enemies, Iori can assume an array of different stances to switch up his own attacks depending on the situation. These stances utilize normal and heavy hit combos similar to those used in the Warriors games. Normal hits are typically used to prolong a combo whereas heavy hits deal more damage and can interrupt enemy attacks. Fighting for a time using one stance may cause Iori to develop an afterglow which provides him with specific buffs if he immediately swaps to a different stance. Should he lock blades with an opponent, the player must tap the corresponding button displayed to have him gain the upper hand and deal a retaliating blow.

Each time an enemy performs an attack, they may leave openings that the player can take advantage of. This indicated by them giving off a bluish-white light. Whenever that happens, they will receive more damage if struck by the player's character. Attacking them in this condition also fills up the affinity gauge. If an opponent begins to glow red, it means they are about to unleash a dangerous attack. Fortunately, this is easily interrupted with a heavy attack which leaves the target stunned. Hitting stunned foes with subsequent attacks will cause them to receive more damage than usual. Iori can also evade enemy hits by dodging in time and even have a chance to counterattack if he has unlocked the Riposte skill.

Valor strikes serve as this game's equivalent of Musou attacks. Like in past Warriors titles, the valor gauge fills whenever the player deals damage towards enemies or consumes certain food items. These are useful for instantly killing weaker bosses or escaping danger. For Servants, they instead unleash their Noble Phantasms which far outstrip Iori's attack in terms of scale and damage output. These should be saved for battles against opponents with sturdy defenses.

When up against stronger foes, it may be best to rely on Magecraft spells or Saber to turn the tide. The player can equip up to four spells at a time with each one consuming different amounts of gems to produce a variety of effects such as damaging opponents from a distance or buffing Iori's stats temporarily. Some spells work well with certain stances and can even mean the difference between victory and defeat. Gems are initially scarce and may occasionally be dropped by enemies in battle, though they are eventually made available at Babyloni-ya for a fair price.

As Iori's Servant, Saber will often accompany him as AI-controlled ally, helping him attack opponents during encounters. They can be ordered to unleash affinity techniques or team up with Iori to perform link skills. Like with Magecraft spells, up to four affinity techniques can be equipped at once. Link skills, however, occur if the player taps the heavy attack button when Saber calls for their aid nearby. The type of skill they employ together is selected at random. Depending on Iori's condition, they may even intervene to distract assailants or follow-up on his attacks. Servants also have a replacement gauge that allows the player to temporarily control them once it fills up by constantly hitting enemies. However, this rule is ignored during certain story segments where Iori is not the viewpoint character.

Coordinating with Servants more effectively is important in boss battles as they can easily fracture their shell gauge which prevents Iori from fully damaging them. This is where substitution comes in as Servants can damage the shell gauge with general ease. Once the shell has been broken through affinity techniques, link attacks, or the Riposte skill, the boss will be stunned and left vulnerable to the player's subsequent attacks. Disrupting a boss from using their deadly attacks may also provide Iori an opportunity to chip the shell gauge even more on his own. Upon confronting enemy Servants, it may be best to defeat their respective Masters first to weaken their powers.

Upon winning a battle, both Iori and his Servant receive experience points for leveling up. They may also acquire items and mountings dropped by enemies. Note that the player does not automatically recover health points afterwards, so healing them before going to the next fight is highly encouraged especially in harder stages.

The game's difficulty level can be set between Sword Novice (Easy), Sword Fighter (Normal), and Sword Expert (Hard). For those who are new to the game, it is highly recommended to stick to the easiest setting first in order to become better acquainted with the battle system.

Strengthening
Both Iori and Saber are capable of leveling up via experience points, though the latter's level is also used by other playable Servants for convenience's sake. More experienced players can easily gain massive levels by taking advantage of the battle recollection feature during subsequent playthroughs.

Once the Magecraft workshop becomes accessible, the player can boost the capabilities of Iori and his Servant by unlocking nodes in their respective skill trees using skill points. Some nodes merely boost certain stats while others bestow new abilities and Magecraft spells. It should be noted that a few of these nodes have prerequisites that need to be fulfilled first before they can be unlocked. On the other hand, new affinity and link skills are obtained by clearing certain events throughout the story.

Iori can gain stat boosts and other passive enhancements by attaching different mountings to his blade. Random mountings can be bought at the general store, though some enemies may occasionally drop them upon being defeated.

As more story quests and digressions are cleared, Saber's memento ring will grow larger in small increments. This feature represents their bond with Iori, giving them more opportunities to perform link strikes together and opening up new skill tree branches for Saber to unlock.

At a certain point in the game, the sword polishing mini-game becomes available in Iori's home. By tapping the confirm button at the right time, the player will gain more experience in battle. The more they succeed with the mini-game, the stronger the effects will be. Note that sword polishing requires three key materials that can be bought at the general store. Superior materials can magnify the mini-game's rewards or make it more manageable.

Exploration
The player can freely explore Edo's various wards and interact with the inhabitants there. When undertaking a main story mission, a guiding light will direct players where they should go next if they remain still. Navigating is made easier by toggling to a bigger map to indicate where certain destinations or facilities are located at. Facilities include general stores that offer various materials and food stalls where food items can be eaten to restore health. Some areas have red spots where thugs and monsters are encountered, making them ideal places for gaining experience. Items may also be found on random locations and will respawn each time the player returns.

Being a ronin, Iori can take on commissions from acquaintances in exchange for money or items. Each location also has a set of missions called local trials that offer similar rewards once they have been achieved. Once all of them have been completed, the final reward will be handed out at the bulletin board.

If accompanied by Saber, they may react to certain spots that pique their interest and call out for Iori's attention. Allowing them to indulge in their curiosity adds one skill point to their skill tree and replenishes a portion of the affinity gauge. Some areas also have them aid Iori in traversing difficult terrain. They can also join in on petting cats and dogs to restore health and affinity points. Eventually, both may come across quarrels in town and quell them to raise even more affinity.

Outside of towns, a map presented by the Crimson Codex enables the player to move from one destination to the next. This map can be toggled through the town map as well if needed. It also includes a list of sub-quests called digressions that have Iori encounter Rogue Servants or get to know the other factions better. When it comes to Rogue Servants, they are typically weaker than their partnered counterparts and will provide assistance if their requests are fulfilled. Note that some will not be available during certain parts of the story, so be sure to unlock their skill tree abilities whenever possible.

At a certain point, the player may find themselves competing with opposing factions for leylines scattered across Edo. Known as the Spirit Font Conflict, this gameplay mechanic requires Iori to capture a specified territory filled with telluric energy while protecting his own domain from foes. Battles are initiated once the player and an opponent end up on the same Spirit Font. By finishing these fights within the allotted time, bonus rewards will automatically be earned.

A time limit is imposed when attempting to fight over Spirit Fonts. Because of the time limit, taking over key leylines to sever the enemy's connection takes top precedence as some Spirit Fonts may even extend it. Severing a connection will cause beings tied with it to disappear, leaving behind numerous rewards in the process. Likewise, Iori will be forced to respawn to a different Spirit Font if his own connection gets cut off. Later stages feature Spirit Fonts that contain growth bonus effects or happen to be warded by magic barriers.

Servant abilities are also utilized to add further complexity within the Spirit Font Conflict. These do not affect the amount of time the player has and may even help them gain an advantage. Mystic codes are special spells that produce different effects for player and enemy alike. The player loses if Iori is defeated, loses their main base, or time runs out. Should they win and cut off connection with the leylines, the telluric energy acquired yields additional materials while permanently increasing Iori's Magecraft stat.

Other
The game's main story is referred to as the Lunar Chronicles. Depending on the player's choices, whatever story route they take will vary. Repeated playthroughs are recommended to unlock all of them. New stories will be made available through downloadable season passes.

The player is able to review information learned using the records. This option initially includes a primer and logbook. The primer is where previously-learned tutorial sections can be reviewed more thoroughly. Meanwhile, the logbook contains character biographies and a glossary to help newcomers gain a better understanding of Edo and the lore behind the Fate series.

Characters
Masters=


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Data

 * Enemies
 * Facilities
 * Items
 * Logbook
 * Missions
 * Mountings
 * Requests
 * Spirit Font Conflict

Miscellaneous

 * Comic Summary
 * Short Story Collection

Development
In an interview with the developers, ideas for Fate/Samurai Remnant came about when the co-founders of TYPE-MOON had lunch with Kou Shibusawa five years ago. Being an avid fan of Fate/Grand Order, Shibusawa and Tomohiko Sho proposed a game development collaboration which TYPE-MOON accepted. The writers of Fate/Grand Order set out to create the characters and setting while Koei Tecmo weaved a script out of it with Yuuichirou Higashide and Hikaru Sakurai supervising the work. In addition to that, the writing team of Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity was asked to help with the endeavor.

Another interview with Sho reveals that the team initially considered using the Sengoku period as the game's setting, but settled on the Edo period instead due to its tranquility being more suited to reflect the Fate series. He hopes that this title would draw enough attention for newcomers to acquaint themselves with TYPE-MOON's other works.

Related Media
The game was first announced on December 31, 2022 during the broadcasting of Fate Project New Year's Eve TV Special 2022. A teaser site opened up at the same time, revealing the platforms this title would be on. On June 21, 2023, its official release date was confirmed through Nintendo Direct.

Online store Ebten began taking reserved orders for 3D crystal boxes of Lancer and Berserker. The goods would eventually be released on September 28 alongside acrylic panels as a bonus for buyers. Meanwhile, Animate has offered a black and white illustration and a large tapestry featuring Lancer to potential customers awaiting the game's release. Reserving a copy of the game at WonderGOO earns buyers a tapestry of Berserker.

Koei Tecmo revealed on June 22 that a 1/7 scale figure of Berserker would be released as the second part of its KT model+ line-up. Reservations for it were made available via Koei Tecmo Spot's online store and AmiAmi. The figure has a deluxe version that comes with special effect parts. From June 22 to July 9, a X retweet campaign was held where one lucky participant won a free figure. More details on the game's Treasure Box edition were also unveiled on the same day.

In commemoration of the first trailer's release, 20 participants were given the opportunity to win an original-themed folding fan by lottery in X.

From July 1 to 4, a trial version of the game was made available at Anime Expo 2023 held in Los Angeles. Visitors were given a time limit of 15 minutes to play it.

A one-shot manga of the game was drawn for the 15th volume of TYPE-MOON Ace, a magazine series of the Fate series published by Kadokawa Shoten. Mugetsu, the artist who handled many Fate publications, was in charge of the manga's artwork.

An exhibition of the game was conducted at Makuhari Messe as part of the ''Fate/Grand Order Fes. 2023 ~8th Anniversary~'' celebration. Voice actors Kengo Kawanishi and Hibiku Yamamura appeared as guests; an X campaign offered fans the chance of obtaining their autographs by sharing photos of the exhibition and what impressions they had about it. New Servant characters were introduced around that time as well. Followers of the game's official X account were also given a thematic shopping bag as a bonus reward.

The game received another promotion event, but this time at Tokyo Game Show 2023 with a live broadcast shared on September 21. The video featured Kengo Kawanashi, Hibiku Yamamura, and Tomoaki Maeno. Special pins were also released at the game's official booth there.

On September 11, a X campaign was held to commemorate the release of several messages made by the game's voice cast. Four lucky winners would be given copies of their autographs. The campaign is scheduled to end on October 9.

Chaldea Radio Station personalities Rie Takahashi and Rumi Okubo also demonstrated a scene from the game during their one of their episodes.

To celebrate the game's upcoming release, a special hashtag emoji for it was added in X. Additional videos featuring the various groups opposing Iori were also uploaded.

Image Song

 * Zanya Gensou
 * Performed by Spiral Ladder featuring LICCA

Gallery
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