Fate/Unlimited Codes

Fate/unlimited codes

Overview

Fate/unlimited codes is a 3D fighting game developed by Eighting and published by Capcom. It was released in arcades in Japan on June 11, 2008, and a PlayStation 2 version was released later that year on Dec. 18. The game was later ported to PlayStation Portable in 2009 and features several enhancements over the original game including exclusive characters. Later that year, the port was released digitally on the PlayStation Store in both North America and Europe.

Plot

The game takes place in the world of Fate/stay night and is based on the events of the visual novel, with players taking on the role of a Master and commanding Servants in battle in order to win the Holy Grail.

Development

Type-Moon co-founder and illustrator Takashi Takeuchi had the idea of incorporating the characters of Fate/stay night into a fighting game since 2003, but the project faced several setbacks until its release in 2008. For the game, Nasu and other members from the visual novel’s staff collaborated with developers Eighting and planners Cavia to retell the events of Fate/stay night in the form of fights between Servants and Masters. The game runs on the RenderWare engine and features music by Masaharu Iwata, Manabu Namiki, Mitsuhiro Kaneda, Kimihiro Abe, Azusa Chiba, Noriyuki Kamikura, and Yoshimi Kudo. The game’s opening theme song is “Code” by Sati Tainaka.

Gameplay

Fate/unlimited codes features one-on-one battles between Masters and Servants. Players use a series of offensive strikes to whittle down their opponent’s health gauge to zero and win the fight. Players can face off against the computer or another player. Like many other games in the same genre, Fate/unlimited codes makes use of combos and special moves specific to each character. Landing attacks builds two types of energy meters: magic energy and Holy Grail energy. Magic energy allows players to enhance their basic attacks, and Holy Grail energy allows players to use special moves that vary depending on the amount of magic energy used to activate them. The game gives players four levels of difficulty to choose from.

Characters

The original roster includes characters primarily from Fate/stay night. However, several characters from Fate/hollow ataraxia and Fate/Zero were added to the roster for the PS2 and PSP ports.

Full Character List

・Shirou Emiya
A high school boy who is thrown unwillingly into the Fifth Holy Grail War as the Master of Saber. He has a strong sense of justice and wants to end the war once and for all.
・Saber
Shirou’s Servant, Saber’s true identity is King Arthur. She is fiercely loyal to Shirou and fights to fulfill her obligations as king. She is the main heroine of the Fate route.
・Rin Tohsaka
Rin comes from a prestigious mage family and has been training for 10 years to participate in the Holy Grail War and win the Grail. Kind and caring, she is an accomplished mage and helps Shirou throughout the war. She is the main heroine of the Unlimited Blade Works route.
・Archer
Rin’s Servant, Archer is nihilistic and acts cold toward Shirou. However, he is devoted to Rin and cares for her.
・Sakura Matou
Sakura is Shirou’s friend who often cooks and cleans for him. Despite being shy and emotionless, she is highly talented as a mage. She is the main heroine of the Heaven’s Feel route.
・Kirei Kotomine
A priest of the Church, Kirei is the overseer of the Fifth Holy Grail War.
・Luviagelita Edelfelt
Luvia is a member of the Mage’s Association and comes from a prestigious mage family. She is classmates with Rin at the Clock Tower after the Fifth Holy Grail War. and sees her as her rival.
・Saber Alter
Sakura’s Servant in the Heaven’s Feel route, Saber Alter is a version of Saber that has been consumed by the black mud of the Shadow. She is also called Black Saber.
・Rider
Rider is the Servant of Sakura and later Shinji in the Fifth Holy Grail War. Her true identity is Medusa from Greek mythology and she wears a mask that covers her Mystic Eyes.
・Assassin
Assassin is the Servant of Caster in the Fifth Holy Grail War. His true identity is mythical Japanese swordsman Sasaki Kojirou. He has a strong sense of pride and honor, and lives for battle.
・Caster
Caster is the Servant of Souichiro Kuzuki and the Master of Assassin in the Fifth Holy Grail War. Her true identity is Medea, a witch from Greek mythology. She is calculating and cold, and even betrayed her original Master.
・Berserker
Berserker is the Servant of Illya in the Fifth Holy Grail War. His original identity is Heracles from Greek mythology. He has a colossal muscular form and unparalleled strength.
・Lancer
Lancer is the Servant of Bazett Fraga McRemitz and later Kirei Kotomine in the Fifth Holy Grail War. His true identity is Cú Chulainn of Irish mythology. He is a fierce warrior with a strong sense of justice.
・Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh is an Archer and the Servant of Tokiomi Tohsaka during the Fourth Holy Grail War and later Kirei Kotomine during the Fifth Holy Grail War. He is arrogant and will do anything to get what he wants.
・Illyasviel von Einzbern (minigame only)
Illya is the Master of Berserker in the Fifth Holy Grail War. She has an innocent, playful personality but she also has a cold side to her.
・Leysritt (PS2 and PSP exclusive character)
Leysritt is a homunculus created by the Einzbern family. She acts as Illya's maid and bodyguard.
・Bazett Fraga McRemitz (PS2 and PSP exclusive character)
Bazett is a member of the Mage’s Association who is sent to fight in the Fifth Holy Grail War. She is Lancer’s original master and later becomes Avenger’s Master.
・Zero Lancer (PS2 and PSP exclusive character)
Lancer as he appears in Fate/Zero.
・Saber Lily (PS2 and PSP exclusive character)
An alternate version of Saber from the Unlimited Blade Works route of the visual novel. She is also called White Saber.