Fairy Tail 2 Might Make You a Fan of the Series

I’ll admit right from the start: I have little to no experience with the Fairy Tail anime or manga. My only previous encounter with the series was playing a bit of the first game, which I found surprisingly enjoyable. However, I do know JRPGs. So while it’s important how well Fairy Tail 2 translates the anime’s world into a new format, my main question when given the opportunity to preview it on PC was, “Could it end up being a good JRPG?”

In the world of JRPGs, you might expect to see a wealth of titles based on anime, given the strong overlap between the two genres. But surprisingly, there aren’t as many standout JRPGs based on popular anime as one might expect. (However, I did put together a list of some notable anime-based JRPGs a few months ago.) That context made me more interested in seeing how Fairy Tail 2 might hold up.

In Fairy Tail 2, players again follow members of the Fairy Tail wizard guild as they navigate the series’ climactic “Alvarez Empire Arc.” If you’re like me and aren’t fully familiar with the arc, don’t worry. From my experience with the first moments of Fairy Tail 2, Koei Tecmo goes to great lengths to make the story at least a little accessible to newcomers. The game sets up the narrative, providing clear context for players stepping into the series for the first time. Additionally, It includes detailed lore, backstory, and character explanations through an in-game encyclopedia. This is one of my favorite modern JRPG quality of life mechanics. I found myself consulting it often. It genuinely helped bridge the gap in my limited knowledge of the anime.

But let’s talk gameplay. Fairy Tail 2 builds on the first game’s combat system, which was already a highlight for me. It’s a turn-based system with a twist, resembling an Active Time Battle (ATB) system. Players build SP (Skill Points) through basic attacks as their action bar refreshes. SP can unleash powerful, flashy moves, adding a strategic layer to the gameplay as you decide when to go all-in with bigger attacks.

One of the standout features of combat is the ability to chain together special moves for devastating combos. Timing and strategy are crucial here. You’ll want to set up smaller attacks to build SP before unleashing more powerful abilities. During battle, you also build the Fairy Meter, which gives you access to more SP to extend combos. This can turn longer battles, especially boss fights, into almost cinematic experiences, with explosive attacks flying back and forth. The pacing of combat, alongside the spectacle of special moves, made it fun and engaging, even for someone who doesn’t know the source material inside and out.

What’s more, the variety of characters available from the outset adds a lot to the gameplay, based on what I saw in these early moments. Each character brings a unique set of skills to the table, with different elemental affinities and specialties. This diversity means that you’ll often need to think strategically about party composition and the elements you bring into each battle. Since enemies have their own affinities and weaknesses, planning your approach becomes crucial to maximizing damage and efficiency in combat. This dynamic keeps the gameplay fresh and ensures that encounters never feel like mindless button-mashing.

All of this seems wrapped in a story that still had enough hooks to draw in a relative newcomer like me within about an hour of play. The interactions between characters and their relationships feel authentic. They’re presented in a way that even someone unfamiliar with the history of Fairy Tail can appreciate. Fans of the series will probably find even more to love here, with key moments from the anime and manga brought to life.

While I initially approached Fairy Tail 2 as a game first and adaptation second, I came away pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t just learning about this world passively. I was experiencing it through the characters and their battles. It piqued my interest in the broader series, making me curious to go back and explore the anime or manga to get the full picture.

Ultimately, Fairy Tail 2 has the potential to be more than just a game for fans of the series. It could be the gateway that brings new players into the fold. The combination of accessible storytelling, strategic combat, and a vibrant cast makes it a strong entry in the world of anime-based JRPGs. And for those like me, who might have missed the Fairy Tail phenomenon the first time around, it might just make a fan out of you too.

Fairy Tail 2 will release on Steam on December 11, 2024, and it will be on the PS4, PS5 and Switch on December 13, 2024.