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Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia Review: A Mesopotamian Tale
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As an eager fan of both the core Fate Stay/Night and Zero series, the magical extravaganza that is The Garden of Sinners, and even the wildly optimistic spin-off that is Fate/Apocrypha, I was let down by this chapter within the Fate franchise.
I understand that Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia is a love letter to fans that support the mobile gatcha game. But that doesn’t stop me from critiquing the series for what it is. With an overly-generic plot, stereotypical anime archetypes, and plain visual setting, Fate/Babylonia offers nothing news as a fan of fantasy, anime, or Fate itself.
Perhaps, that’s the point, and it’s supposed to simply be fan service for the game, but that only raises more eyebrows as to why it’s so popular despite the weak writing. This is a total assumption, but it must be the appeal of unlocking and playing as different magical Servants.
This makes this a tricky review. For one, I should be happy for more Fate fun, but on the other side, it offers no real substance for me to feel celebratory about such an act. I’ve read perspectives that this was one of the most beloved parts of the game, and some of the previous Singularities the writing was essentially non-existent.
Moving onto the meat the of the series, Babylonia focuses on saving the Mesopotamian timeline from an evil Goddess who wants to end the world, that’s pretty much it in the simplest terms — yea, I wish it was more too, so plot wise it’s quite dull.
One of the few areas I can give it some praise is that the characters do have slight depth and some personality. They have their core wants, which are somewhat discussed as we follow this journey. But even then. it’s most some interactions and bonds here and there with the current cast of servants. But the show does take an interesting spin on both Gilgamesh and Rin’s characters from Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works.
Gilgamesh is actually good this time around, and a true warrior and protector at heart, even if his means are a bit harsh. Rin, or the Goddess Ishtar as she’s portrayed in this case, serves as another…
