The hugely popular app game "Fate/Grand Order" has surpassed 13 million downloads and is currently a very popular smartphone app. It's been announced that "Fate/Grand Order" will be adapted into a TV anime series in 2019! It's called "Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia." Fans of the original app are surely excited by this news. In this article, we'll introduce the appeal of this work! Even if you haven't played the game yet, be sure to do some research before the anime adaptation arrives!!
It's too late to ask now! What is Fate/Grand Order?
This work, abbreviated as "FGO," is likely familiar to many people, even if they've never played the game or aren't familiar with it. With a steady stream of stage and anime adaptations, some may be intrigued. However, it's been quite a while since the app was released, and the worldview seems complicated, so many people are hesitant to get started. Some may also be wondering, "Will I have to spend tens of thousands of yen on gacha?" or "Will it be difficult to get the character I want?" But the bottom line is that it's a game that's perfectly fine to start playing now!
What is FGO?
FGO is an abbreviation; its correct title is "Fate/Grand Order." It is a smartphone game app that was released in the summer of 2015. Originally, there was an age-restricted game called "Fate/stay night," and this is a new Fate series that started from that. Incidentally, FGO is an all-ages app. Moreover, since it's part of a series, it's often assumed that you have to play the other series before you can play it, but that's not the case. FGO is enjoyable on its own. However, it seems that playing FGO inevitably makes you curious about the other series...
The Appeal of Fate/Grand Order #1: You Can Start Anytime!
Since it's a game you can start anytime, there's no problem starting now. The reasons you can start anytime are that you don't have to interact with other users and that you can read the main story at your own pace. Let's take a closer look at these two reasons.
FGO: No Interaction with Other Users
There's no multiplayer or other user interaction, as is common in social games. Therefore, there's no need to chat, and beginners don't have to worry about causing trouble in team play. While it's not exactly a social interaction element, there's something similar called "friends." For example, if you send a friend request and it's approved, you'll be able to use your friend's servant (character). The friend who uses the servant will then receive something called "friend points." That's about it when it comes to interaction. As such, it can hardly be called interaction. This may not be enough for those who want a more interactive element, but it's comforting not having to worry about all that. Also, even if you're a beginner, if you use a friend's servant and it's approved, you'll be able to use a strong servant from the start. This is quite an advantage, and you could even say it's a beginner's privilege. For the sake of friend points, you should definitely be proactive about sending and accepting friend requests.
You can progress through the main story at your own pace
This is a blessing...! So, even if you start now, there's no problem. The main story has no time limit, and AP recovery time is always halved in both Part 1 and Part 1.5. As you progress through the story, you consume points called "AP." In addition to recovering over time, there are various ways to recover AP, such as recovering with items or leveling up. As you level up rapidly, especially in the early stages, you'll accumulate AP. By the way, time recovery doesn't just reach its maximum; it continues to accumulate beyond the maximum. Therefore, with AP1/2, it's possible to clear about three chapters in no time. However, FGO also hosts limited-time events. These events have various participation requirements, ranging from those requiring completion of Singularity F to those requiring completion of Part 1. Therefore, it's possible that you won't be able to participate in limited-time events. However, it's also true that there's a lot to do early on. Finish the main story first to build up the skills you need to participate in various events! Leveling up is also fun and steady.
The Appeal of Fate/Grand Order #2: The In-Game Feature...
This is a topic that many are curious about...! First of all, I'm sure you already know, but FGO has in-game features. Some users are even spending a lot of money on it! And where are they spending their money? It's the gacha. Everyone wants a 5-star servant, so they spin the gacha.
Aim for a Specific Servant! Featured Summon
There's also something called a "Featured Summon." This increases the chances of winning a specific servant. Since there's no limit to the number of summons, it only slightly increases the probability, but some people keep spinning in the hopes of getting the servant they want. There are also limited-time 5-star servants, so many people aim for them. Even if they say they'll appear again someday, you never know when they'll appear again.
But!! You can complete the game without paying!
This is also a major attraction, isn't it? Even though some people do pay, don't worry, paying isn't a required element to complete the game. Even servants with low rarity (☆1-3) are still quite useful. In fact, the game is designed so that you won't be able to complete the game without those rare servants. For example, even the "Friend Point Summon," a free gacha you spin using friend points, will give you ☆1-3 servants. You'll also receive a ☆3 servant for each chapter you clear. This means you won't ever find yourself short on servants.
There are plenty of opportunities to collect all the servants
For example, there are limited-time events, and even those events sometimes give you a ☆4 servant. That's great! Incidentally, event-exclusive servants have better performance than regular ☆4s. They'll be plenty effective in battle. Additionally, as you complete the story, you'll receive Saint Quartz, which is needed to spin the gacha at each chapter. Other options include Twitter campaigns where 10 Saint Quartz are distributed, and apology stones are distributed during emergency maintenance...these are all ways to spin the gacha.
That said, servants are still attractive!
So, unless you absolutely need a 5-star servant, you'll likely have a decent collection of 5-star servants to support your team. However, if you fall in love with a particular servant (which is usually the case), you might end up paying for them... Of course, there are times when you can get them for free, and all servants are attractive, but as you progress through the story, you'll inevitably become quite attached to the servants. So, if you happen to get a special summon at the right time... However, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of compelling characters. It's best to enjoy the game while keeping your wallet in check.
The 3rd Appeal of Fate/Grand Order: The Story is Great
The reason FGO became so popular in the first place was because of its great story. The story is so engaging, you just can't help but want to keep reading. Many people are so moved that they end up crying. While the game is packed with action-packed battles, the story is its biggest selling point, so I urge you to keep reading.
Anyway, until the "Sixth Singularity"!
If you're a beginner FGO player, you may have been told by a former player to "progress to the Sixth Singularity." By "Sixth Singularity" here, I'm referring to "Chapter 6." Of course, the previous singularities are also quite interesting, so I encourage you to take your time to read them, but the game's story really gets interesting from the Sixth Singularity onwards. Incidentally, in FGO, Kinoko Nasu wrote Singularity F, and then other writers mainly wrote Chapters 1-5. The Sixth Singularity, Seventh Singularity, and Final Singularity were then handled by Kinoko Nasu.
What exactly is the appeal?
So, what exactly is the appeal after the sixth singularity? First, in the sixth singularity, Mash's Heroic Spirit is revealed, and the final battle is truly spectacular. Various plot threads are resolved and spoilers are revealed. From here, the battles also become much harder. The even more shocking seventh singularity takes a disastrous turn after running an errand. How will the protagonists confront this?... The story is reaching a climax, and the exciting developments are only just beginning! And then there's the incredibly painful Final Singularity... Incidentally, the sixth and seventh singularities have been adapted into anime, so there's plenty to look forward to! Even if you haven't played the game yet, I highly recommend starting now to prepare for the anime.
How long does it take to complete the main story?
It's estimated to take about three months. Of course, it depends on the pace and the player, so it's hard to generalize... but apparently, some fast players can clear all stages in about a month without spending a penny! That's amazing! And please, don't skip the story. No matter how much you want to progress, the majority of this game's appeal lies in the story. You'll also get to appreciate the charms of the servants through the story, so be sure to read it thoroughly.
Summary of the Appeal of Fate/Grand Order!
That's it for the appeal of Fate/Grand Order! As you'd expect from a hugely popular game, it's packed with charm. Even if you haven't started the game yet, you'll be happy to know that you can get started now. And as for the paid features you're probably wondering about, you don't necessarily have to pay, and you can complete the game without paying, which is reassuring. However, the characters are so charming that you might be tempted to pay... The story is also very fascinating, so be sure to read through it without skipping! The episodes that will be adapted into the anime are the "Sixth Singularity" and "Seventh Singularity," so you'll want to read up to that point in preparation. It's still a very popular game, so we're looking forward to future developments!
