Fate/EXTELLA LINK review – A refined hack n’ slash game that remarkably improved from its predecessor

It has been about two years since the release of Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star, and now Marvelous is finally launching its direct sequel – Fate/EXTELLA LINK in the west. We are lucky to be able to enjoy the game ahead of the western release, which we genuinely like it as the game has improved a lot compared to the previous title. Here is our Fate/EXTELLA LINK review, read on below for our thoughts about the game!

The Story

The game is set after the events of Fate/Extella. A virtual world inside a lunar supercomputer namely SE.RA.PH is facing a new threat that wages apocalyptic war. The dashing young knight, Charlemagne along with his comrades – the flamboyant Emperor Nero, the mischievous fox spirit Tamamo no Mae and more stand up to fight against the new destruction in the name of humanity.

Fate/EXTELLA LINK features a total of 26 servants. This includes some brand new faces to the Fate series such as Charlemagne and returning ones such as Altera, Nero and Tamamo no Mae. Although the story is branching into several endings, it is rather dull with less focus on most of the servants. However if you are a fan of Fate series, the story will be more interesting to you, as there are plenty of special moments that only fans would get a kick out of it.

The Graphics

The graphics in the previous title is disappointing, we are extremely glad that Fate/EXTELLA LINK comes with MUCH better graphics. The character and game scenes modelling are detailed, you can even switch between first-person-view or third-person-view to interact with the servants.

In-battle graphics are impressive as well, there are no significant frame rate drops. Sometimes the special effects would be too overwhelming though especially when multiple skills were cast simultaneously.

The Gameplay

Similar to its predecessor, Fate/EXTELLA LINK requires players to hack and slash through a map with various missions that change from time to time. The missions often ask you to defeat specific targets, while sometimes you will need to rescue your comrades as well. Of course, you must protect the Master at all costs as you will lose the battle once the Master dies.

Alongside the normal attacks and heavy attacks, the servants now have Active Skills. Each of these Active Skill has a class property, which strengthens your servant based on their class. For example, some Active Skill enhance area attacks skills if equipped on a Berserker.

The Extella Maneuver system is no longer here but replaced with Moon Drive system. Defeating enemies earns you blue mana spheres to charge up the Drive Gauge. When the Drive Gauge is full, you will be able to activate Moon Drive mode that strengthens your power significantly. During this state, you can collect golden mana spheres (by defeating enemies too) to increase the Noble Phantasm gauge, you can also activate a strong special attack called Drive Skill. Noted that activating Drive Skill instantly ends your Moon Drive state.

Completely filling up the Noble Phantasm gauge allows you to reveal the True Name of your Noble Phantasm, thus activating it and deals major damage to the whole sector. Other than these, there is a Rush Attack that you can trigger by landing several attacks and Class Skill on an enemy Servant. If your allied servants are nearby (LINK state), they will attack alongside you during your Rush Attack.

The Character Development

You can equip Install Skills to strengthen your servants or use QP (in-game currency) to raise their level. Different Mystic Codes can be equipped to the Master, which allows them to use different Code Casts in battle. Code Casts have various effects such as recovering HP or curing status effects.

The bond level between a servant and Master can be increased by using Code Casts on them or completing side missions. Higher bond levels allow you to equip more Install Skill and unlock unique conservations. Meanwhile, the servant can have more support actions including guarding you against enemy attacks too.

The Verdict

Fate/EXTELLA LINK has improved so much compared to its previous title. The gameplay is undoubtedly exciting with the smooth hack and slash actions and new features, not to mention the impressive graphics. Though its story should be much better, it is an overall great game. A must-have for fans of the Fate franchise!

If you are interested, Fate/EXTELLA LINK is available for PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

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