So being a massive fan of the Fate VNs and the Tsukihime VNs (I may actually like near side routes more than some fate routes) And of course, the Fate Zero english dub; ( I read some of the novel, but the translation is just... Its better than anything I can do but that's not saying much!) I was very excited to hear there was a new Fate game, Fate Extra.
So I got it and played it, and.... Geez was I disappointed!
I'm going to run through why I was so disappointed that I gave up on it before I'd even defeated the first servant. I apologise if it seems like I'm just bashing your favourite game, that's not my intention. I'm simply trying to outline why I didnt like it so you guys can have a clearer idea of wether I am just missing something and COULD like it, cos I dont WANT to miss out on TM stuff due to bad gameplay.
Ok so I start off and its the same school again, wierd but whatever, maybe they'll explain why later on, I can run around properly unlike the VNs, so that's cool. Blah blah blah we get through the opening, the character switch ect ect and get to the servant choice.
And here is my first problem with it.
OK so leaving aside the fact that we can only get 3 out of 7(8) classes sadly, what do we have to choose from for our very own holy grail war adventures? Emiya, a servant we've already had in F/SN, OK a little boring, but fine I guess. And then... these two:
I'm not sure who's worse, I had a bit of warning going in, but actually seeing Nero in the "Flesh" was still a slap in the face! I mean geez, Basically a Saber recolour? Cmon! Couldn't they think of anything more unique for a new SABER?! And OH. MY. GOD. ANOTHER frikkin gender swap? FOR SABER ASWEL?! WTFFFFFFFF?! Look, don't get me wrong, I love Saber, but I think everyone can agree that the gender swap was one of the silliest things about FS/N, Even Nasu said so! But at least with Arthur it's possible, as he was a vague mythological figure who may or may not have been real, or several people. Nero is a well documented, observed and definitely real Roman Emperor!
Then we have the kitsune Caster... Compared to Saber, my complaints are gonna seem tame, but; She just doesn't seem to fit in with the other servants. I'm not saying Kitsunes as a whole are any weirder than a bunch of other things in Nasuverse, but she doesn't seem right as a servant. All the other servants were mythological Humans, at least part. It was my understanding that gods and nature spirits like Kitsunes couldnt be summoned, which is why we didnt have frikin Thor tearing around fuyuki city. Well maybe it's explained later on, I have heard that fate Extra's summoning system works differently, but as a newb going in, with the Fate VN's and Zero's lore, it seemed like they hadn't done their research and jarred me.
Anyway, I picked saber cos internetz said she was the easiest so I figured I'd start there, I already know Emiya's backstory, And I sure as hell wasn't going to pick a kitsune. Plus people said she was actually a pretty good character once you get to know her, And to be fair to them they seemed to be right, she seems ok.
So we carry on with the war, and the game makes the unfortunate decision to carry on with the worst thing about FS/N, and it's main downside compared to F/Z; the school setting. I guess this is a japanese thing but I really DONT know WHY they are so damn obsessed with schools. Anyway; Sakura is wierd and cosplaying as Rider or something, Soichirou has... joined a goth drag band? I dunno but dude is fucked up. We got wierd ass maid dress lil girls haunting the halls - I swear TM has some strange views on what Europeans wear - Byaku Togami from Dangangrompa is strutting around with Gawain claiming hes the best thing since sliced bread (False BTW his brother Gareth was far superior, Gawain got regularly pwnd by Lancelot too, and thats not even mentioning Tristan and Galahad) Shinji and Rin are both here too for some reason, Shinji is... well actually I kinda like what they did here with him, having rider again was kinda a nice tough ALTHOUGH.... And Rin is wearing ridiculous high heels and showing her arse off to everyone because.... Gotta have fanservice I guess?
Anyway none of that really bothers me until we get to the combat.
"wow fighting these vague digital filler monsters, that literally look as though the dev textures have not been replaced, sure is more interesting than fighting the actual other servants" said no one ever. "Sure am glad the holy grail war has been changed to include these guys for no reason whatsoever, instead of epic battle royals between mythological heroes..."
Well every game needs pacing so if these guys split up the fights well later on, maybe we can tolerate them, but now we get to the first bit where Im seriously hoping you guys can help me; The combat system:
Cos either I'm missing something here, or the combat system is one of two things; Incredibly boring, basic and repetitive, or complete guesswork. Varying depending on the enemy. Either the enemy repeats the same attack pattern over and over again, in which case all you need to do to beat it repeatedly is wait for one round so you can figure out it's pattern, then input the counter pattern, and you win. Seriously you could input the counter pattern before the fight starts, go away and do something fufilling with your time, and come back and the fight would have been won without you. OR the enemy does not repeat the same pattern in which case you have no way of knowing it's attacks except for the several that you just get to know free for whatever reason, and you just have to guess, so it comes down to dumb luck on who wins. Either way I dont see much skill involved.
Even at this point, it's not too bad, sure the combat through these levels is basic and repetitive, Saber takes too long spouting off in japanese I cant understand before each attack, and theres like 10 more fights with exactly the same enemy I gotta do before this is over so could she PLEASE hurry up? But it's still kinda fun to be hanging out and kickin but with a heroic spirit, and I like the way I can customize my master and use him to give support more than in the VNs (obviously) Then OH JOY, it's revealed that there was some bullshit fuckup with Saber's summoning AGAIN so she cant use her noble phantasm AGAIN, and I have to go through some lame ass alteration of the soul level up trek. I JUST WANTED A NORMAL HEROIC SPIRIT LIKE IN FATE ZERO! Not to be slapped with that fate route plot point again, cos everyone loved that right? Sigh well at least Sinji's Rider has nice boo- ARE YOU FUCKIN KIDDIN ME? FRANCIS FUCKIN DRAKE? FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUK YOOOUUUUUUUUUUUU! At this point Im done with making fun of the gender swaps. It's gone beyond ridiculous, and entered the realm of a peversion.
Lets just go and kill her Saber so we can pretend this didnt hap-
Oh.
Shes like 5 times our level even though we beat her on the treasure hunt. You mean I gotta go grind out 10 levels before fighting her?
Whelp Im done.
This is the point I quit. Because what was I supposed to do? To reach her level I guessed Id have to stay in the rooms and grind the enemies, except that id killed them all, so Id have to wait for them all to respawn, MANY times. Which would take literally hours.
So help me out here guys, It seems many people like this game, which I just could not enjoy, despite my love for TM and Fate, is there a secret that fixes the combat system just around the corner that i never got to? Is grinding unnecessary? Will Rin ever put on some clothes? Find out in the next episode of Dragon ball Z!
P.S: Wow I rambled on way more than I meant to Sorry! for a TLR summmary:
I didnt like F/E because:
Saber Recolour
More ridiculous Genderswaps
Combat system Repetetive + super basic/Complete guesswork
Seems to require massive boring slow level grinding to match enemy servant levels.
Am I wrong? Can you help? Is it worth playing after all?
Cheers!
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Originally Posted by Haseo Nanaya
