I got here into Destiny/Samurai Remnant not as a fan of the Destiny collection, however as a fan of Omega Power’s Musou video games. Warriors Orochi on the Wii U, Samurai Warriors: Chronicles on the 3DS, the assorted Hearth Emblem and Legend of Zelda tie-ins on the Change—I’ve performed and loved quite a lot of these video games. Destiny/Samurai Remnant shares a number of the identical mechanics, nevertheless it differs in ways in which could make it a horny possibility for these postpone by the standard “1 in opposition to 1,000” Musou gameplay.
True to the collection’ supply materials, Destiny/Samurai Remnant thrusts gamers into the Holy Grail Conflict. That is Highlander-esque “match” through which seven pairs of Masters and Servants should battle till one pair stays. “There could be just one,” it’s been stated. Miyamoto Iori, the adopted son of the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, finds himself on this battle alongside the servant Saber. To outlive, Iori must grasp the sword (and magic), forge alliances, and be taught extra of the Holy Grail Conflict and its Waxing Moon Ritual.
The setup is nice, providing loads of room for character growth, narrative revelations, and people large anime battles the place all appears misplaced till reinforcements arrive within the nick of time. Who could be trusted? Who’s price allying with even when they will’t be trusted? It’s all a bit sophisticated to observe, truthfully, nevertheless it makes for a enjoyable narrative arc.
The whole thing of the sport takes place in quite a few cities throughout Edo in mid-Seventeenth century Japan, and Destiny/Samurai Remnant has performed the very best job of city-building since possibly Ruli Metropolis from The Final Story on the Wii. Exploring the quite a few and richly detailed cities is quite a lot of enjoyable while you first enter, and also you’re rewarded for locating gadgets and finishing duties as you do. You possibly can even pet the cats and canines, which is a factor as of late for some motive. Nevertheless, the Change does have some problem rendering all of those places and actions; there’s quite a lot of stuttering as you’re employed your manner by alleyways and city squares.
After all, cities aren’t only for procuring and retrieving misplaced gadgets. They’re additionally for fight, and that’s the place the Musou motion kicks in. Type of. There are far fewer battles than followers could anticipate, they usually’re in opposition to fewer enemies. Nearly all of them really feel just like the officer battles within the Warriors video games; there are one or two troublesome enemies to take out, surrounded by a dozen or so grunts. Fight is generally dealt with by way of a series of Y and X assaults. The A button launches a extra highly effective assault while you’ve crammed up its gauge. You understand the routine.
Till you don’t. Some enemies right here will construct up highly effective assaults that it’s a must to disrupt with a well-timed X assault. For those who’re caught in a series, you received’t have time to launch it. You even have particular assaults (or buffs) you could launch by holding the R button and choosing from the 4 expertise you’ve acquired and chosen. These are also gauge based mostly, with the extra highly effective choices depleting extra of the gauge. You possibly can replenish them with regular assaults or by consuming the suitable gadgets you probably have them. And really, as a result of you may pause the battles to replenish well being with gadgets, it’s pretty simple to win even if you happen to’re not terribly environment friendly at fight.
Lastly, your servant can launch particular assaults with the L button, and you may even let her (or him) take over the combat for a bit to unleash some actually superb injury. Managing all of that is key to battle effectivity, with quite a few components coming into play. For instance, most bosses have a defensive layer that stops injury from regular assaults. Do you waste your servant’s assaults to crack that protection, or do you chip away at it along with your particular expertise, unleashing your servant to complete the bosses off solely after their defenses are gone.
Iori additionally has completely different stances to be taught and think about. Water is sweet for assaults in opposition to hordes of enemies. Earth is healthier for protection in opposition to a single highly effective enemy. Wind incorporates magic into the assaults and is beneficial in opposition to monsters. Hearth and Void are nice for high and low well being, respectively, when you purchase them. Every of those assaults (together with customary stats akin to protection, well being, assault, magic, and so on.) could be leveled up by ability timber for Iori and the assorted servants.
It’s lots to handle, however we’re not practically performed.
Iorio’s house base could be leveled up, too, offering entry to completely different skills and power-ups. The weapons you purchase could be enhanced or damaged down for supplies to be put to make use of elsewhere. You possibly can play mini-games that briefly enhance your stats or present uncommon supplies. The story returns you house with frequency, so it’s all the time sensible to reap the benefits of these boosts when you may. After all, weapon and ability tree enhancements could be constructed from just about wherever.
The sport loop mainly strikes you from city to city for exposition, exploration, fetch quests, and fight. Fight areas are marked by crimson circles, so you may reap the benefits of them to enhance your expertise and stats. Each once in a while you’ll get a serious boss battle with essential plot motion. In between, sadly, issues develop into as repetitive as in an ordinary Musou recreation…till you hit a leyline.
When a brand new space is to be unveiled, it’s essential to take away the unfavorable power from it by connecting Leylines on the Non secular Lands Map in a turn-based board recreation vogue. Your “piece” strikes node by node, however the enemies are doing the identical to interrupt the chain between you and your base. You’ve got a sure variety of strikes to succeed in the purpose, and the foundations or circumstances will typically change as you progress. New enemies arrive, new paths are found, and so on. You do get some skills to assist, akin to sending your servant again to stop the enemy from reaching your base, delaying the transfer counter so that you don’t run out of turns, or counting on the particular skills of any rogue servants you’ve acquired.
I initially appreciated this shift in gameplay and tone. Because the Leylines acquired extra complicated, nonetheless, they began to get in the best way, breaking any momentum the sport was constructing. For those who simply drop me in a city after a protracted gameplay session, I’m all the time compelled to discover that city. Current me with a Leyline puzzle, nonetheless, and that meant closing-time.
So, the way you’ll really feel about Destiny/Samurai Remnant will largely rely on your general view of Omega Power’s Musou video games. For those who love the texture of the visceral, fixed fight, you doubtless received’t take pleasure in this recreation’s deliberate pacing and lengthy gaps with little motion. If, nonetheless, you take pleasure in your preventing to be evenly blended with quest fixing and puzzle components, then Destiny/Samurai Remnant shall be one of many higher video games you’ve performed this 12 months—and effectively into the subsequent with the accessible Growth Cross.