Fate/EXTELLA LINK

If you are unfamiliar with the Musou genre, here is a brief explanation. The premise is an engagement of your playable character pummelling the ever-loving snot out of thousands of enemies in quick succession. It may seem trivial, but it is unbelievably satisfying. Much so that an entire genre of games spawned out of the concept. No better game represents the ideals of Musou more than Fate / Extella Link.

The game follows up from its predecessor - Fate / Extella: The Umbral Star - where it continues the narrative. The sequel incorporates all the traditional intensity of one-man-army style gameplay where you know some entertainment will be drawn. It is worth looking at whether this part of the franchise is different from other games that take similar approaches.

One-Man-Army Once Again

Fate / Extella Link incorporates all the well-established hack and slash elements. There are two buttons, one character, and a lot of mashing controls erratically to cut through the hordes of enemies before you. Your screen will be rife with quick-fire actions and a flurry of attacks, painting the environment with all the colors of the rainbow. The game is a visual battle feast in the cel-shaded, anime style.

The successor to Umbral Star aims to expand on its previous offerings. There are more vibrant characters available, all seemingly based on cybernetic versions of historical figures. Adding their personal flair into the war zone, they possess their own attack styles, a unique skill tree, and a colossal ultimate attack that builds up over time. You are given all the tools to unleash fury - pummelling your enemies into oblivion and leveling up your characters to progress through the game.

The narrative plays second fiddle in the game where the storyline doesn’t shine as an essential element. It will go about telling itself while you focus on finding different ways to grind up your foes into a Musou-style mince. The plot does get rather abstract, as games like this tend to do - but there’s not a lot of effort on your part to follow up on anything you missed. You’ll just need to keep bolstering your characters to breakthrough new lines of enemies.

Satisfying Obliteration

The unrelenting combat and the diversity in characters in the game make Fate / Extella Link quite a decent experience. The visuals and animations keep things interesting without a story arc to back it up - and the characters all have enough individualism about them to maintain freshness throughout gameplay. The face-off with your mass of enemies will build up to an ultimate attack. It is a storm unleashed that can be unbelievably satisfying. There’s nothing like clearing out an entire battlefield of enemies, mooching around then dashing through the portal to take care of the next one. The rewards system in experience and leveling is basic but feel-good when you get that next attack move.

Fate / Extella Link is an excellent first Musou game - there’s no personal investment or previous knowledge required. Even though the game is a sequel, it is very accessible with its plug-and-play approach. Any sort of random button mashing is perfectly acceptable and applicable to face any interloper that stands in your way.

It’s arguable to even say that it’s a better introduction to the genre than the godfather of Musou games in Dynasty Warriors.

Pros

• A decent introduction to the Musou genre
• Beautiful visuals and animations that match the intensity
• Entertaining combat mechanics

Cons

• Becomes very repetitive and tiresome after a while
• The narrative is hard to piece together
• The game could be more challenging