Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star Reviews
Fate/EXTELLA is out now on PC and Switch, and it’s worth your attention if you’re a hardcore Fate fan, Anima aficionado, or dying for a new Switch-based RPG. Others may just want to steer clear.
It's a fun game if you play in small sessions as otherwise the combat may get too repetitive. The story has a lot of faults and one could probably make a case for skipping the story altogether and getting the better experience out of it. Fans of the Fate Series will want to try this out however as it's fun to be able to control your favorite characters from the previous games and anime shows and dish out damage by the thousands. There is also enough content here to keep you busy for about 20-30 hours (story included)
For better or worse, Fate/EXTELLA embodies everything that makes an anime game "anime." Characters that speak only in exposition. Fan service that creeps you out - unless it doesn't. Gameplay that is more about watching cool stuff happen than actually being fun. Owners of the PlayStation versions need not double dip. If, however, you feel your Nintendo needs a little more anime, this can be the microwave mozzarella sticks before dinner.
Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star packs plenty of promise, but falls short in certain areas. Gratifying combat can’t outweigh an experience that is too readily prepared to let players sit and read through great lengths of text. When you eventually get to the action it can be spectacular, there just isn’t enough of it.
A real treat for anime-action fans, Fate/EXTELLA is a lovably frantic hack-and-slash with a feeling all its own. Appealing characters and an irresistible sense of style draw you into its world, and addictive, satisfying gameplay and excellent writing keep things exciting throughout. It suffers from some common ails of the musou genre, like minimal enemy variety and subpar AI, and it's far from a technical showcase for the system, but if you're looking for a fun, fast-paced slash-‘em-up on Switch — or to seriously complicate your relationship with one of Rome's most infamous sons — Fate is a perfect choice.
A worthy debut for not only the series but also the genre on Nintendo Switch, Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star combines a solid foundation of enemy wave eliminations and territory domination with a surprisingly developed and engaging narrative, despite the various camera issues and regular jargon blockage. It is definitely a slow burner that fits well into a mindless brawler or an intriguing fable on demand.
Fate/Extella is clearly made for hardcore fans of the series. It's a hard sell to anyone that's not well-versed in the Fate franchise, and even then, the repetitive, clunky combat system and overly wordy story sections will likely drive off those that have any interest in the game.
Fate/ Extella: The Umbral Star is a decent game. That being said the story could have been better and the gameplay is very repetitive.
Fate/Extella had some solid gameplay aspects though it was held back by how it presented the narrative and repetitive combat.
I really enjoyed my time with Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star, but it is a game for fans of the Warriors franchise style of combat and fans of the show. The combat can become repetitive, and the story can be a little tough to understand at times. However, it knows its audience, and it provides a wonderful experience for anyone looking to have more fun in the Fate universe. If that is you, I recommend you give it a try. You will not be disappointed.
Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star is a beat em' up done right, but can be repetitive after a long while.
Fate/Extella is brilliant and graphically quite good, considering it was developed for the Vita as well as the Playstation 4. Extella really brings forth the magic of the animated series, and it seems the Musou genre was a nice fit for Fate. I would love to see more games in the series done in this style. Extella's only real problems are an uninteresting soundtrack and lack of variety in the stages and mission objectives. Fate/Extella as a whole is a fun experience that I would gladly recommend to any fan of the Musou genre or the Fate series.
Fate/Extella is a fun little dalliance in the Musou genre by the Fate series, but ultimately proves to be little more. The characters don't feel particularly deep and the story lacks enough length to give them that extra dimension. In fact, all there really seems to be enough time for is the servants doting on the master until it seems like something lewd's about to go down until they get interrupted or pull a bait and switch; this leading into a rushed parallel narrative that makes it feel like the gameplay didn't even matter in the grand scheme of things, with major exploits being taken care of off-screen.
In short, it is safe to say the gameplay for Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star fits very well with how the story is set to progress this time around, thanks to a more central focus on the action and events in those moments.
Aside from the repetitive gameplay, this is a game that Fate fans will absolutely enjoy playing and exploring in an officially released Fate game, since the Stay Night visual novels don’t seem to be coming out anytime soon, including the several other games that spawned from this franchise. From a gaming perspective is a flawless execution of what a Servant would do against an army, but is mechanically challenging.
Fate/Extella offers tons of content, but it’s often frustrating content nonetheless.
Fate/EXTELLA: The Umbral Star is a confusing game for newcomers but should be a fun experience for the fans of the series.
If you’re a fan of the Fate franchise or the musou genre, this title is definitely worth a look. To the general gaming public, I’d say to rent it first and see if it holds up for you before purchasing.
All that to one side and what I’m left with is a passable, extremely repetitive game that offers up brief bursts of catharsis muddled in a misguided sea of queasy colors, and all wrapped up in a convoluted and uncompelling plot. The game isn’t terrible: there is, mechanically, nothing all that wrong with it, and if you like Musou games – and have exhausted the likes Dynasty Warriors or Hyrule Warriors – or if you’re a fan of the Fate series, then there’s some service here for you.