Based on the long-running Fate anime series, whose story is rather convoluted to say the least, Fate/EXTELLA Link picks up after the events of 2016’s Umbral Star game. Link‘s plot will be incredibly difficult to follow for anyone without any knowledge series, but basically we’ve got a sort of anime/sci-fi Bill & Ted thing going on – real-world historical figures have come back to life in a world where humanity lives side by side with intelligent AI life forms, and it’s up to you to stop them fighting each other or something. It’s utterly bizarre, especially when you see some of the ways in which these historical folks have been reimagined, but it serves its purpose as far as providing some sort of reason for the hack and slash chaos that follows.

You are the Master, battling enemies by controlling Servants, a bunch of playable warriors, of which you’ll find yourself with almost 30 to choose from by the end of the main campaign. All have simple two button combos and easy to perform special/ultra moves, and each one is levelled up individually by using them in battle (or you can pay to raise their level using in-game currency earned during play).

This is a musou game, in which players run around a large battlefield taking over bases and defeating all manner of enemies (known here as “Attack Programs”). While the gameplay is pretty straightforward, there’s an awful lot to get your head around, particularly on the terminology side of things. Passive abilities are “Install Skills”, special moves are “Active Skills”, support items are summoned using “Mystic Codes”… There’s a fair bit of character management to be done too, involving side missions and strengthening the “bonds” between characters to raise their effectiveness.

Outside of the main story mode, Extra Battles contain additional side stories and extra-difficult versions of certain story mode stages. Completing these battles results in a few unique rewards, so they’re a great way to upgrade your characters. Local and online multiplayer is also available, but it’s limited to 4-on-4 PVP battles. It’s a nice enough addition, but the ability to play through some actual missions with other players would have been welcome.

While not quite up there with the all-time great musou titles, Fate/EXTELLA Link still provides a ton of enjoyment. Give yourself chance to figure out how everything works, and you’ll be marvelling at its crazy world in no time at all.

FATE/EXTELLA LINK / DEVELOPER: MARVELOUS INC / PUBLISHER: MARVELOUS (XSEED) / PLATFORM: PC, PS4, SWITCH / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW