The hottest new JRPG on Steam is an Edo-era take on the Fate anime series

Fate/Samurai Remnant is a new JRPG based on the popular Fate anime series, and it's nearing the top of Steam's most popular new releases.

To clarify, Fate/Samurai Remnant is also available on PS5, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch, but it caught my eye while browsing Steam. I will admit my knowledge of the Fate series is limited, having only watched part of the anime adaptation of Fate/Zero back in college while not entirely in control of my faculties. Anywho, I point that out because Fate/Samurai Remnant tells a largely self-contained story exploring a tumultuous and fascinating period in Japan's history, so you don't need to be a big fan of the anime series on which it's based to appreciate the characters and narrative.

The story takes place in 1651 during a secret conflict known as the Waxing Moon Ritual. The player character is a rōnin from Asakusa named Miyamoto Iori who gets dragged into the battle between seven Masters and Servants for the Waxing Moon, which can grant its owner any wish. As fans will expect from the series, it mixes real-life historical figures in with fictional characters and blends history with fantasy.

Gameplay-wise, Fate/Samurai Remnant is described as an action-RPG. Its combat seems pretty heavily Musou-influenced, which makes sense considering it's directed by Dynasty Warriors studio Omega Force, but otherwise it seems like a full-fat JRPG with all of the trimmings. You explore an open world filled with beautifully recreated Edo districts, recruit allies to join you in battle (alternatively, you can control them directly), take on apparently pretty meaty side quests, visit food stalls to replenish energy, and watch a dramatic, high-stakes story play out through visual novel style cutscenes. Oh, and pet the cute dogs and cats wandering around town. Always make time for that.

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