Most people who mention Fate/stay night would either be talking about the first 2006 anime adaptation or the popular 2014 anime adaptation Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works. Today, the Fate franchise is widely acclaimed with several anime adaptations, mangas, and of course, video games.
However, this blockbuster franchise started out as a visual novel by Type-Moon. Those who found about Fate through recent anime adaptations such as Fate/Grand Carnival or video games such as Fate/Grand Order may be surprised by its raunchier origins. Indeed, the franchise has come a long way since its inception.
The Inception Of fate/stay night
Fate/stay night is the first game of the Fate series. After releasing its first visual novel in 2000 with Tsukihime, Japanese video game company Type-Moon became known for deep narratives. It's in this context that Fate/stay night was released in 2004. The game is set in the fictional city of Fuyuki where the Holy Grail War takes place every 60 years. Seven Magi also called Masters each summon a Heroic Spirit to become their Servant to fight against the other pairs until the last remaining duo, who will have a wish granted, emerge as the victors. This premise established by the Fate/stay night has remained consistent throughout the series and across different mediums.
Along with that backdrop, the original Fate/stay night is also an eroge. It features Shiro Emiya as the main protagonist who accidentally summons the heroine Saber in the first playable route, "Fate," which enters him into the Holy Grail War. Upon completion of the first route, the more battle-focused "Unlimited Blade Works" route will be unlocked, which has Rin Tohsaka as Shiro's love interest. The anime of the same name is also adapted from the second route. The last route, "Heaven's Feel" takes a darker turn than the previous ones, and focuses on the relationship between Shiro and Sakura Mato. In all three routes, Shiro develops personal relationships with each heroine while trying to survive the war.
The Fate/unlimited codes Fighting Game
In 2008, Fate would dip its toes in fighting games with Fate/unlimited codes. With the 2006 Fate/stay night anime adaptation having further popularized the franchise, the Fate fighting game published by Capcom launched to good reviews and strong sales both in Japan and the West.
Based on the 2004 visual novel, the same characters can be selected to fight against each other with the notable addition of the Saber Lily Servant who is based on one of Saber's designs in the "Unlimited Blade Works" route. The game is often compared to Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny, which launched a year after Fate/unlimited codes.
The Success Of Fate/Grand Order
Fate/Grand Order is the most successful Fate video game by far. The game is notable for combining visual novel elements with RPG and turn-based combat. It's also a free-to-play game, but players have to use a gacha mechanic to obtain additional Servants. As the Master, the player can command his Servants into combat with Command Cards.
The visual novel format comes into play in the story's narrative, and each Servant's scenario in the form of conversations that the player can have with each of them. In many ways, Fate/Grand Order is the culmination of the franchise that isn't afraid to experiment, has grown a lot by word of mouth, and features continued success comparable to Pokemon GO in the Japanese market.
Fate/Grand Order is available now on Mobile.