Fate/stay night REMASTERED Review – A modern myth

Fate/stay night REMASTERED review

Fate/stay night REMASTERED is a remake of the 2004 visual novel Type-Moon. The original Fate/stay night changed the visual novel industry forever and created the blockbuster multimedia Fate franchise. And now the censored Realta Nua release is available in English for the very first time. It’s a great time to be alive.

Before I dive into the actual review, I want to make a few notes. This game is 20 years old and it shows. The art style is more than a little dated and the cinematography pales in comparison to the recent Tsukihime remake. However, Fate/stay night is a classic for a reason. If you like game-changing moments in games, complex stories, or the Fate series, you owe it to yourself to play this.

Let’s start with the obvious: the PC port of Fate/stay night REMASTERED has a lot of graphical glitches. I immediately set my computer to Japanese locale to avoid these glitches. Aside from a few transparent images, it seemed to work.

A secret magical ritual known as the Holy Grail War is taking place in the city of Fuyuki. Seven magicians called Masters participate in it and summon seven heroes of antiquity called Servants. These pairs then battle until only one Servant remains, and the winning pair can claim the Holy Grail and grant their wish.

As the Fifth Holy Grail War begins, amateur magician and would-be hero Shirou Emiya witnesses a clash of legends. In quick succession, he is killed to keep the conflict secret, brought back from the brink of death, and hunted again. At the very last minute, he manages to summon Saber, the strongest servant, to protect him. But he must make the right decisions if he wants to survive the Holy Grail War, let alone save anyone.

Clash of the Titans

To save people like he was once saved, Shirou decides to join the Holy Grail War. He has no desire; he just wants to prevent others, including his own servant, from being hurt. But his selfless desire to help others clashes with the merciless nature of the Tournament of Hidden Death.

The seven servants have returned from death itself to grant their wishes. And between them and their ruthless masters, Shirou’s dreams of heroism are about to be shattered. With the catastrophe of the Fourth Holy Grail War behind him and a future of senseless violence ahead of him, Shirou must find himself. One way or another.

Fate/stay night asks what it means to be a hero, and whether it’s better to live in people’s hearts forever or be happy now. It’s a question easier asked than answered.

Like other Type-Moon protagonists, Shirou Emiya is a deeply traumatized boy whose narration is unreliable. And the game’s cast is full of memorable and wacky characters that reflect its turbulent themes. The tone ranges from a gruesome slice of life to a heartbreaking tragedy to a high-dramatic clash of ideals. And at times, it becomes a full-blown horror story.

Fate/stay night REMASTERED asks what heroism means

Despite appearances, Fate/stay night is not a power fantasy. It is an exploration of why we write power fantasies, and an attempt to restore humanity to mythological heroes and visual novel archetypes alike. The result is a game that shows its age, but still deserves recognition.

At its core, this is a story about heroes. Each of the three paths, Fate, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven’s Feel, takes a different approach to analyzing heroism. The result is a game that evolves with each path. These narrative paths are defined by more than just the heroine Shirou follows throughout those paths.

Saber embodies the heroic ideal that Shirou longs for in the Fate route. Unlimited Blade Works breaks this ideal and focuses on his troubled relationships with Master Rin and her servant Archer. And Heaven’s Feel openly challenges the assumptions built up in the previous routes, starring the deliberately ordinary girl-next-door, Sakura.

Is this a dating sim? No. Is it a love story? Not always. Every relationship in Fate/stay night, romantic or not, is tied to underlying themes. This game asks what it means to be a hero of myth, both in the present day and in the distant past. The servants range from truly saintly to bloodthirsty and vengeful to downright evil. But they all carry their own feelings of regret, just like the living people around them.

Immortality through mythology

Fate/stay night REMASTERED is presented in more of a traditional visual novel style than its successors. Nevertheless, it is a wonderfully cinematic game. There are plenty of CGs and the game is very clever at using them to convey the intensity of the action. It also uses different sprite sizes and close-ups to convey movement and proximity. However, there are plenty of particle effects and flashing lights if you are sensitive to them.

Every relationship in the game is important and intriguing, especially the non-romantic ones. However, some of the romances suffer a little. Shirou’s attempts to stop Saber from fighting in the Fate route have also not aged well.

Like any Type-Moon visual novel, this game offers plenty of world-building and explanation, and sometimes slows down to educate you. The world of Fate is complicated, and Fate/stay night was the introduction to this kind of magic. And the complexity of the Holy Grail War allows for many plot twists as each route unfolds. Be prepared to do a lot of reading, and that comes later in the review.

Speaking of pacing, this is a very long visual novel. Shirou’s story is told through images, text, and sound, and the player chooses their actions in certain situations. Depending on these choices, the game can come to an abrupt end. Fate/stay night is a fairly linear title, but there are a lot of bad endings to collect.

The game only features Japanese voice acting. The cast is very good, but the protagonist’s voice is muted by default. I have no idea who thought that was a good idea. The soundtrack is honestly spectacular, and the narration is clearly the game’s greatest strength. Unfortunately, I found a few typos in an otherwise solid translation.

All in all, Fate/stay night REMASTERED is a flawed masterpiece and milestone in the gaming world. If you’re a fan of visual novels or fantasy, or want to start the Fate series from the beginning, this is your chance.

***PC code provided by publisher***