Today, I play something unusual for me which is playing one of game in Type-Moon Fate series. It’s Imageepoch’s Fate/Extra (2011) on PSP.
Nice soothing title screen. There’s sound of bubbles in this screen thus explain why it’s so blue. How much I know Fate? You probably ask. Aeons ago, I reviewed indie game: Battle Moon Wars which consists of characters from Fate/Stay Night along with Tsukihime and Kara no Kyoukai. Sometime, I’m fiddling with Type-Moon wiki. So, I’m quite knowledgeable with Fate. However, I’m entirely blind about Fate/Extra takes aside of a quick test run that I did before.
As soon as I start the game this big warning appears. It’s quite common in Visual Novel to have numbers of dead end and fatal choice. Personally, I don’t like saving in multiple slots. Only in single slot. But this warning makes me faltered so I will save my game in three slots.
Day 1
It all begins in peaceful morning in Tsukumihara Academy. The president of student council, Issei Ryuudou checks my appearance and my bag for discipline. Not a problem so far.
As I pass through the front gate, the game immediately gives me tutorial to bring the menu by pressing triangle button. Apparently, I can save anywhere. Quite handy.
I can interact door, NPC, etc. by pressing cross button. The first guy I talk complain his eyes start to float and he need to go to bathroom. You don’t need to go to bathroom. You need to call for ambulance. Floating eyes can’t be healthy. Are you on narcotic or something?
My class is Class 2-A which is located in 2nd floor. Look at this bastard claiming to be smart and such while surrounded by 2 girls. However, one of the girls asks why Shinji writes 2 + 2 = 5. He’s angry and makes them run away in scared. You don’t deserve to call someone stupid when you can’t solve basic math problem well, douchebag.
Meet our homeroom teacher that’s joke character: Fujimura Taiga. She’s not the sharpest tool in the drawer but she’s nice and funny character that you can have as your teacher. Besides Issei Ryuudou the president of student council, Fujimura also supporting character in Fate/Stay Night. She doesn’t do much in F/SN other than mainly as comic relieve. However, in Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylon she’s lackey of Goddess Quetzalcoatl and she’s very strong, which really shocked me. Like imagine Dan Hibiki become strong due to Satsui no Hado and he can defeat Gouken, Akuma, Sagat, and even M. Bison. Sounds absurd as it is.
Some students concern about unconscious Fujimura and some doesn’t because they know she will be fine and she trips every time. Suddenly, she gets back on her feet and ignore misfortune that she had just a second ago.
The game skips the actual study and evening has come. My classmate reminds me to meet the Editor in Chief of Journalism club call a meeting and I have to attend it. Apparently, I’m part of Journalism club. I mean right now, I’m doing some sort of journalism, right? Oh! The journalism club is about investigating paranormal wonder and not about reviewing retro video game. Never mind!
I’m tasked to investigate the mysterious disappearance in Archery Range. However, an emo man named Kuzuki was about to murder me even though there’s witness right behind me. But he stops what he’s about to do and return to supply room. I talk to the female student behind me and she only comment that Mr. Kuzuki is not dangerous but looks merciless. What do you mean? He almost killed me for no reason! >: (
I find anything that related to mysterious disappearance that may connect to spirit world or whatever. I only find Ms. Fujimura in the archery range. I was expecting a mean to travel to Gensokyo. But instead, tiger shoos me to go home. It’s running joke that Fujimura Taiga is called tiger because the obvious reason: Taiga is how Japanese pronounce tiger.
Day 2
I can’t believe this! The psychopath Kuzuki teaches in our class. He’s supposed to teach math lesson but somehow, he tells the story about great war that waged for thirty years. The war is over but minor conflict still exist and it’s being carried out by terrorists instead of army. Excuse me, sir. But WHAT THE FREAK is this lesson? Scout_jeers11.wav
The next mystery is -so called- Little Red Rooftop and it turns out to be Rin Tohsaka. *groan*. She’s not evil per say. But she’s arrogant and annoying. I prefer not to tangle with her at all time. She come down from the roof top’s building, touch my cheek, and then vanishes. That’s weirdly rude. Suddenly Issei barges in and reminds me to go home.
Day 3
Today is very special because Ms. Tiger doesn’t trip! Also, transferred student is here. When he enters the class, my character complains he has headache hence the static effect on his vision right now.
Next mystery that I have to investigate is “Mystery of the Courtyard Chapel”. I went there on the end of corridor in 1st floor, near the door to infirmary. OH FREAKING CRAP! The courtyard is filled with dead body and Kuzuki is standing there. Worse of all, he has the yellow speech sign which means I have to talk to him. That’s the opposite of reasonable course of action. I just choose run away in real life. But I have to talk to him to make story progress. Strangely, the dead bodies disappear as I approach them. As if Thanatos snaps his finger with the infinity gauntlet but in very late timing because they’re already dead.
Of course, Kuzuki strikes me as I talk to him. Strangely, I’m still alive. Why he doesn’t kill me? The mystery thickens.
That event should be strong trigger for me to go home. However, I decide to walk a bit. On the opposite corner of the door to chapel, I hear conversation between the new student Leo with Kuzuki and he address the murderer as brother. Duhn dun Duhn!
I try to report the murder case to anyone but my character is way too dumb to tell anyone about it. Even though it’s freaking crucial! So, I decide to exit Tsukumihara Academy via front gate. Near the gate, I encounter this priest. I believe his name is Kotomine Kirei and he’s also in Fate/Stay Night. But I don’t trust him. Because…it’s big spoiler to the franchise. But if you like to know, you can drag the words below.
Kotomine Kirei is the main villain in Fate/Stay Night. He’s supposed to be watcher of Holy Grail War but he ends up wanting the Holy Grail for himself.
Day 4
Leo suddenly rise up from his seat and say goodbye to everyone as he no longer wants to be in the class anymore for some reason and suddenly vanishes. Also, my character claims that his headache is getting worse. He needs aspirin or something.
My character just realize that he can’t remember his own name. So, he asks the Editor in Chief about his name. She can’t answer that and instead suggests him to library and search for school registry. Shouldn’t be school registry in administration office and not in library? I found the registry book but all the pages are blank. Something definitely not right around here.
More thing goes wrong as I witness Sakura talks like robot and Shinji remembers that he doesn’t have little sister even though he wants to. In Fate/Stay Night, Sakura is adopted sister to Shinji but not in this case apparently. She becomes creepier as I talk to her and she addresses me as brother. Sakura. Stop the charade! You are terminator in disguise! I’m leaving this school!
If I go home, I will get game over. So, this is what the warning in the opening, is about. Headache getting worse than ever. My body has been coursed with painful electricity and finally I lost my consciousness. There’s disembodied voice tells me that I’m considered forfeiting in the Holy Grail War. Wouldn’t be Fate if it’s not about stupid war to compete for Holy Grail. But don’t worry, I have saved the game right before I interact with the front gate.
I’m supposed to follow Leo down this corridor. He quite stands out near the stairs. So, you shouldn’t miss him. Quite funny, he refers me as “guys” even though I’m just 1 person here. After the talk, Leo walks into a wall and disappears. So, I follow his trail then.
I find a manikin that suddenly alive. Disembodied voice tells me that the manikin will be my companion in battle. Later on, there’s another manikin but this one is hostile and thus first battle ensues. However, I don’t have control on the battle and my manikin is getting beaten down very badly! After destroying my manikin, the enemy manikin kills me. GG.
Then opening trailer played. Along with credit roll. What a way to start a game. Demoman_positivevocalization01.wav
His story has ended-
But what about yours?
Before you write your own story,
Choose the vessel of your power.
Now, I must choose spirit servant that will accompany me. If you are new to Fate franchise, it’s (mostly) about war between mages to compete for Holy Grail that’s said to grant the wish of the winner. Those mages have spirit servant that mostly based on legend or even real history. The spirit servant is simply called Servant.
The first choice is clearly Saber. But which Saber though? It’s not the blue saber A.K.A Artoria Pendragon. I saw in the opening trailer, the saber in this game is red saber: Nero Claudius. I think she’s based on Roman Caesar that burned down her own city, so I pass. I mean I’m Pyro but my burning deed is more responsible than burning down a city along with innocent citizens that probably still in their deep sleep.
In the test run, I pick middle choice which is The Archer. I don’t want to spoil the identity of The Archer because it’s another major spoiler in Fate/Stay Night. Even though spoiling his identity in this period is as trivial as revealing Batman’s identity is Bruce Wayne. You can check on the page that I linked, if you’re curious about his identity.
That leaves the bottom choice “A magical fox girl”. It sounds like from anime about magical girl or whatnot which probably the oddest choice for servant. Since I searched Type-Moon wiki on my spare times, I have a guess who’s this magical fox girl. So, I choose her. There’s information bit after selecting for the first time and you can either repick or proceed with the choice. The information about the magical fox girl is: Caster. Maniac. “A half-demon shaman clad in revealing robes. This Servant is for players who want to be challenged by facing true adversity in battle”. You can judge me with whatever bad names but I still choosing her.
Now, I get to choose my character and pick their name. I believe the protagonist has default name but I stick with my name on internet: Werdito. What’s that? I have to fill the second name as well and it can’t be blank? Werdito Izenger, then.
So, I follow the poor guy in prologue that follows Leo Harway. So, he addresses guys, makes sense now because he talks to both of us. However, if you walk back while you still the prologue guy, you won’t see anyone else. Funny enough.
I follow the trail of prologue guy and meet with my manikin. But before we can face the evil manikin, I have to traverse through this corridor with background that gradually change from black void into transparent blue wall.
Then I arrive at a maze. There’s treasure chest, ehm! I mean Item Folder that I can open to get Ether Shard which is a healing item.
I go through several tutorial fights. The battle system is unique. You, I mean your companion have to fill 6 actions for each turn. The actions you can choose are: Attack, Guard, and Break. Attack beats Break because attack is faster. Guard beats attack. Upon successful block, a counter-attack will be performed. Break beats guard. I immediately think of Aliens vs Predator with similar rock-paper-scissor mechanism. You can see some enemy’s attacks which make countering their attack easy. However, only some of enemy’s attacks are revealed. The rest you have to guess them.
We’re in place where the protagonist guy perished. His dead body is quite near and fresh. Even though, I did very well at tutorial fights but this bastard manikin still gives me problem. The thing is, only 1 action that’s revealed. For the other 5, I have to make blind guess and it doesn’t turn well. Moreover, I think my manikin has lower level than the enemy’s.
The disembodied voice says “You’re lacking as well. The preliminary phase is concluded.” I failed twice and it costs 2 poor souls. Even though the battle is scripted defeat, I feel bad a bit. Turns out, my character here just realizes that there are more dead bodies in his dying breath. This is massacre!
But it’s not over yet. All you need to do is refuse to give up twice. It goes without saying that giving up resulting to your death.
Your persistence yields the result. The servant of your choosing will come to save you. But make sure you say “Yes” when they ask you if you are their master. I knew it. The servant that I choose is: Tamamo-no-Mae! From what I read in Type-Moon wiki. Her alignment is Chaotic Evil which is clearly not good sign. I didn’t read her historical background but I notice her alias is Da Ji. I know Da Ji in Warriors Orochi 2. She’s fox girl that seduces evil war generals to make war. So far, her image is very bad. She’s voiced by Chiwa Saito who also provides voice acting for IJN Kongou in Azur Lane, which happens to be one of my wives. So, I trust her.
Sidenote: Chiwa Saito also provides voice acting for Danette from Soul Nomad & The World Eaters. The more I know.
The evil manikin is back but this time my foxy wife will destroy it. Now, I can see all of my enemy’s actions. No way, you can fail this fight for sure unless you’re superbly dense. I mean. For God’s sake! There’s diagram on the left to tell you which action beats specific action. It’s right in there!
If your servant manages to make 3 perfect hits in consecutive, they will initiate extra attack. This has the same feeling as extra hit from throwing enemy into wall first in Fighting Master.
Revenging on that bastard manikin results in our very first level up! Scout_goodjob02.wav
The disembodied voice congratulates me that I’m qualified for the Holy Grail War. Let the Legend begins! Excuse me! Let the holy Grail War Begins. But then I collapse…
To be continued on next part.
