As a long-time fan of Hiro Mashima’s works, it’s been a rollercoaster ride this year, watching the Fairy Tail universe expand into video games! I remember playing those early PSP titles, and now we have sequels and new adaptations popping up left and right. It’s like magic itself has brought these stories to life!
Manga artist Hiro Mashima has experienced quite a game-filled year! Not only have numerous independent game projects based on his Fairy Tail intellectual property been released by license-holder Kodansha, but Mashima himself contributed artwork for a brand-new game titled Farmagia. Moreover, it was announced this year that an Edens Zero video game will be developed. To top it off, the upcoming sequel to RPG studio Gust’s adaptation of Fairy Tail, known as Fairy Tail 2, is also in the works. Given that this series is approaching its 20th anniversary and has previously had games dating back to the PSP, that’s quite a remarkable streak!
The back half, with a bonus
2020’s Fairy Tail, developed by Gust, who are renowned for their Atelier crafting adventure series, appeared to be an exploratory project rather than a typical offering. Compared to Atelier games, it was a more straightforward turn-based RPG with minor unique features. Despite its simplicity, it lacked the complexity found in usual Atelier titles. The visual production values were also modest, featuring minimal animations and cutscenes, relying heavily on voice acting to convey the drama from the anime adaptation of Fairy Tail. While not a major success, fans of the series valued the endeavor for its potential to offer a more expansive adventure, contrasting with the usual fighting game approach.
Fairy Tail 2 picks up directly from where the initial game ended, leading straight to the original story’s finale. What made the first game intriguing was that it didn’t start at the beginning. Instead, the developers decided to kick off the game near the middle of the series, a choice that made the narrative more suitable for a video game. Consequently, Fairy Tail 2 offers an engaging conclusion. As an added bonus, there’s an original story at the end, essentially serving as a postscript that sets up the sequel’s plot in a unique way. This extra tale provides an exciting twist for fans, and in a sense, compensates for the unusual beginning of the previous installment.
Bigger bang for your buck
Ignoring the plot, there are two significant changes between Fairy Tail and Fairy Tail 2. Firstly, the overall quality of production has significantly improved. Although it may not reach the level of Final Fantasy, the game feels more lively with numerous character animations during dialogues, detailed cutscenes, dynamic combat, and dramatic CG art during scenes that don’t require cutscenes. The voice acting also seems to be delivered with more energy by the returning anime cast. If the initial game appeared budget-limited in any way, the sequel makes a noticeable leap forward!
Regarding the battles, the structure of gameplay in Fairy Tail 2 has undergone a significant change compared to the initial version. Only a handful of aspects have remained consistent, one being the equippable accessories known as Lacrima. However, most aspects of combat have been overhauled. It now operates on a pseudo-real time basis, incorporating elements from Final Fantasy’s ATB (Active Time Battle) system and concepts similar to those found in Atelier, although it is notably simpler. Despite Gust experimenting with new ideas, the revamped combat system in Fairy Tail 2 feels clumsy rather than exciting to me.
A home run swing that doesn’t connect
In this game, combat switches to real-time mode when it’s time to attack, meaning your characters move automatically unless you’re engaged in battle. This system is similar to Active Time Battle (ATB), where you spend most of your time waiting for your action gauge to fill up, and defending against enemy attacks using a simple block function. When it’s your turn, you can increase your Special Points (SP) by executing a quick attack combo, which can then be used to cast a variety of powerful magic spells from an expanding list. You can continue to use SP until it runs out, allowing for sequences of increasingly strong attacks. The more you use magic, the stronger it becomes, increasing the chances for spectacular group attacks, support abilities, and other high-impact, limited-use techniques that reward aggressive play.
This system has some appealing features, yet it often feels sluggish, unrefined, and cumbersome. The basic attacks lack impact, style, or substantial damage; instead, they primarily function to accumulate SP. This leads to an experience that seems more like mindless button-mashing than a meaningful part of the combat system. In essence, it appears as though these initial attacks are intentionally restrictive, aiming to create a sense of depth in battles. However, this sensation turns out to be laborious padding, giving the impression of complexity where there is actually less going on than one might expect. As a player who enjoys traditional turn-based menu selection, it feels as though the game is overcompensating by waving shiny but uninteresting objects in front of me to keep me engaged. Unfortunately, these objects are all the same color and made of rubber, making them more irritating than engaging.
In this game, you can alternate control among your trio of characters, while the other two act independently. However, since all characters function essentially the same way, it seems unnecessary unless you need to switch a character out for healing or a different element. The weaknesses of enemies play a significant role in boss battles, especially when timing is crucial to interrupt powerful attacks. Yet, the gameplay doesn’t change much even with additional gimmicks. If you compare this to the last few Atelier games, you’ll notice similar concepts, but their combat systems are more interactive, faster-paced, and offer a more engaging experience than simple button-mashing.
It’s disappointing that the fighting feels off in Fairy Tail 2, as everything else about the game seems to be an enhancement compared to the first one. The overall experience is more immersive and engaging, which is crucial for adapting a popular anime series like this. The playable character roster is bigger, and a complex skill tree system offers plenty of customization options for each character’s active skills and passive abilities. While fans of Mashima’s fantasy epic will likely still enjoy playing through the updated story (and checking out the new epilogue!), Fairy Tail 2 doesn’t quite reach must-play status like its predecessor, although for different reasons.
Fairy Tail 2 will be released on December 11, 2024, and can be played on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and 5. The publisher has given a code for the PC edition for review purposes.
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2024-12-11 14:27