Fate/Grand Order

Fate/Grand Order
Developer(s)	Delightworks
Publisher(s)	Aniplex
Director(s)	Yosuke Shiokawa
Producer(s)	Atsuhiro Iwakami
Artist(s)	Takashi Takeuchi
Writer(s)	Yuichiro Higashide Hikaru Sakurai Hazuki Minase Meteo Hoshizora
Composer(s)	Keita Haga
Platform(s)	Android, iOS
Release	Android JP: July 30, 2015 US: June 25, 2017 iOS JP: August 12, 2015 US: June 25, 2017
Genre(s)	Role-playing

Fate/Grand Order^{[lower-alpha 1]} is an online free-to-play role-playing game based on the Fate/stay night visual novel game and franchise by Type-Moon. The game is centered around turn-based combat where the player, who takes on the role of a "Master", summons and commands powerful familiars known as "Servants" in battle against their enemies. The story narrative is presented in a visual novel format, and each Servant has their own personal scenario which the player explores. It was first released on July 29, 2015 on Android,^[1] with a subsequent release on August 12 on iOS. An English version was released on June 25th 2017 in the United States.^[2][3]

Story

In 2015 (2017 in the US version), the final era where sorcery still exists, the Chaldea Security Organization, its numerous projects having guaranteed humanity's existence through to the next century, discovers that the future they have observed no longer exists, and calculates that humanity will now go extinct in 2016 (2018 in the US version). It traces the cause of this event to an anomaly that has appeared in 2004 in Fuyuki City. To avert the extinction of mankind, Chaldea decides to use its sixth experiment, time travel, converting its agents into spirit particles and sending them through time to destroy the space-time anomalies that will cause humanity's extinction. The name of this mission: "Grand Order", the name for those who would rise up against human history for the sake of humans, and fight fate itself.^[4]

Gameplay

Fate/Grand Order is a turn-based tactical RPG. The player takes the role of "Master" and command a group of individuals who are heroes and other figures in history and from various myths, legends and tales, called "Servants". The player commands a party composed of up to 6 Servants in each battle, 3 active members and 3 reserve members. In each turn, the player is given a set of 5 Command Cards and have to use 3 of them to attack. The cards are randomly generated depending on the Servants active. The cards have three types: Buster (a heavy attack), Arts (a medium attack that charges the special gauge named Noble Phantasm), and Quick (a light attack that generate Critical Stars that ensure critical hits next turn). If 3 similar cards are used in one turn or called Chains, it gives bonus based on how similar the cards are. Each Servants also have skills that can be used before drawing Command Cards, each skill give effects in the battle, as well as a special skill called "Noble Phantasm" which can be used when a special card appeared when the NP gauge is full. The "Master" also have a separate set of skills and a special skill called "Command Spell" that is powerful but must be used wisely.

Servants are obtained by summoning them through a summoning system that consumes Saint Quartz, an in-game currency and Friend Points, points received by providing or using a Support Servant provided by NPC and friends. Each Servants have designated class who effectiveness in a battle depends on what class the enemies are. Another kind of cards called "Craft Essences" can be also obtained in summoning and used to give additional effects when equipped to a Servant.

Development and release

The game was released on July 29, 2015 on Android devices, with a subsequent release on August 12 for iOS devices. The main story is also divided in chapters which are: Fuyuki, Orleans, Septem, Okeanos, London, E Pluribus Unum, Camelot, Babylonia, and Solomon. Aside from its gameplay for the its own storyline, the game also features events that the game has provided for the player to obtain new items and servants like: summoning campaigns for limited Servants/Craft Essences, specific servant-based events(i.e. GUDA GUDA Honnoji Event and Moon Goddess Event), and real-life events(Halloween, Christmas and Valentines). The player also obtains a free item daily, whether it's an ascension/skill upgrade item, EXP cards, or free Saint Quartz(which is used for the gacha to unlock Servants or Craft Essences).

In January 1, 2017, a sequel to the main storyline is announced with the same title containing a subtitle named "Epic of Remnant"(which is unlockable after finishing the Solomon chapter of the main storyline). The sequel features four subspecies singularity chapters which are: Shinjuku Phantom Incident (released since February 24, 2017), The Woman of Agartha, The Tournament of the Seven Blade- Master Heroes, and Salem of the Heresy.

On April 1, 2017, Fate/Grand Order Gutentag Omen was released as an April fools joke. It is a spoof of Pokémon Go.

On April 16, 2017, Aniplex of America announced Fate/Grand Order will be released in the United States with a summer 2017 release window. Creative director Yosuke Shiokawa explained that while the game was intended to be released only in Japan, the team took notice of the large amount of overseas players accessing the game and made a decision to make it accessible to other regions as well.^[3]

Other media

An animated television film adaptation titled Fate/Grand Order: First Order aired on December 31, 2016. The film, produced by the studio Lay-duce, is directed by Hitoshi Namba and stars the voice actors Nobunaga Shimazaki, Rie Takahashi, and Ayako Kawasumi in the roles of the main characters who are projected into the past to try to prevent the approaching extinction of humanity.^[5] Aniplex of America has licensed the film in North America.^[6] MVM Films will release the series in the UK.^[7]

A virtual reality game titled Fate/Grand Order VR feat. Mash Kyrielight will be released for PlayStation VR, and will allow the player to interact with Mash.^[8] An arcade spin-off titled Fate/Grand Order Arcade is currently in development, and will be released in 2018 by Sega.^[9] A stage play titled Fate/Grand Order The Stage: Domain of the Holy Round Table Camelot Replica; Agateram is also set to be released. It will be based on the Camelot singularity, and will play from July 14-17 at the Zepp Blue Theater in Roppongi, Tokyo.^[10]

Notes

References

External links

• Official website
• Official website (in Japanese)
• Fate/Grand Order (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia