Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching.
In this explanatory review, we’re covering FAIRY TAIL 2 by developer, Gust:
FAIRY TAIL 2Â (Nintendo Switch)
Having greatly enjoyed FAIRY TALE when KOEI TECMO released the RPG on Nintendo Switch and other consoles in 2020, the moment FAIRY TAIL 2 was announced, it immediately became the game we were most looking forward to playing. From Natsu Dragneel to the Gray-obsessed Juvia Lockser, we had come to care about the characters and world of Fiore, and now the time has come for a second outing.
Developed by Gust, and designed as an RPG, FAIRY TAIL 2, immediately proves to be a sequel that was well worth the wait, thanks to an engaging story and colourful cast of characters that will keep you hooked. Based on the theme of “The final battle of FAIRY TAIL,” FAIRY TAIL 2’s story is all about the Alvarez Empire arc, which served as the epic conclusion to the original FAIRY TAIL manga.
As an adaptation of the manga storyline where members of the Fairy Tail guild do battle against the forces of the Alvarez Empire, led by Zeref Dragnell himself, those who are familiar with the manga, can expect to see a few of their favourite scenes play out similarly. But FAIRY TAIL 2 does offer some surprises. For instance, while there is DLC that adds extra fighters and story scenarios to the base game, FAIRY TAIL 2 consists of 15 chapters to play through and only 11 of them pertain to the Alvarez Empire arc.
The other four? They depict an original story that takes place after the events of the Alvarez Empire arc and gives new reasons for players to further explore the world of Fiore, reaching new areas previously denied to them. But that is all we will say on the matter as we’d rather avoid telling direct spoilers for the post-game content since some of the scenarios are enjoyable and we’d hate to ruin the surprise.
But, regarding the first 11 chapters, we can talk more about them. Being as it is the Alvarez Empire arc, not only can players expect a dramatic showdown against Zeref Dragneel, but you can also expect to fight the emperor’s Spriggan 12. From August to Brandish to Irene Belserion, Dimaria Yesta, Aieell Raml, and Bloodman, everyone is here. Also, depending on which difficulty mode you select, these battles can be fun, or absolute hell. The choice is yours, but in case more villainy and dragons are needed, Acnologia is here as well.
As for the actual gameplay, FAIRY TAIL 2 is an RPG with some open-world-like exploration. Lessons have been learned from the previous FAIRY TAIL title, as expansive environments make a return, but this time around, the world of Fiore is divided into regional areas, but are interconnected with a larger emphasis on exploration this time around. Depending on where you are will determine the terrain, as you can explore small villages, a large town with a port, a desert, and even an icy area that Gray Fullbuster would be proud of.Â
Initially, players will not be able to reach every area from the outset, but as you progress, Natsu and the gang will learn how to overcome certain obstacles, so you will be able to leap up onto higher ledges and smash through large obstacles that would have previously halt continued exploration. But, even when limited in the beginning, there’s still plenty of Fiore to see and fall in love with, especially when the game has been beautifully created in 3D and each cutscene is a visual masterpiece.
During exploration, players can encounter hordes of enemies, which can be beaten in one hit if you out-level them, but if you don’t, a turn-based battle will occur. Out of 10 playable characters, players can use a team of three in battle at any time, but you can swap your characters out for others you currently possess. This is a useful technique when battling an enemy that your current line-up is weaker against, or just to bring in a healer and recover health before its too late.
Each of the game’s 10 playable characters (less than what was available in the base roster for FAIRY TAIL), wield their own combination of skills and magical attacks, but whilst limited in the beginning, more can be obtained by strengthening your characters and unlocking new attributes. When a battle is over, it doesn’t matter who fought and who did not, as every character in your possession will earn experience. When fighting, however, players can make use of Unison Raids to deal more severe damage or make use of Extreme Magic, a type of support magic that sees other characters from the world of FAIRY TAIL support your team.
The only real difficulty one might encounter when fighting monsters and the Spriggan 12, is thanks to the health system. Depending on the foe, each enemy has a shield in the form of a Break Gauge and players will need to deplete the Break Gauge in order to inflict a Break state and deal hard-hitting damage. But, since it is not enough to just spam the same combo over and over, during each battle, Fairy Rank can be increased. This can be done by performing Link Attacks and Unison Raids. By increasing your Fairy Rank, more Skill Points can be gathered during battle, enabling you to use higher damaging moves that require SP.
Another gauge that can be increased is the Awakening Gauge. Every time one of your characters is attacked, the Awakening Gauge increases, and once activated, HP and SP are recovered, your character gets a stat boost and more immense damage can be inflicted. When the Awakening is finished, a devastating attack is released, and should you have more than one Awakening Gauge, an Extreme Awakening can be used instead. This is more powerful but will burn through every Awakening Gauge you have.Â
One other advantage to battles is once you are able to reach certain areas, you can encounter special monsters that act as the King of their area. These powerful beasts will test your skills, but by beating them, your map and mini-map get an upgrade as it will now show where every collectible (Plue, treasure chest, and letters/notes), can be found in a given area and in case you don’t want to fight, there are always NPCs you can locate instead that offer you side quests.
As for one of FAIRY TAIL 2’s best features, however, concerns the game’s campfires. Not only do they serve as a fast travel point, but you can use them to collect rewards for every Plue you’ve found in the wild, but also recover your health and experience Fairy Tail Diaries. From unique Character Stories that provide more insight into the game’s characters to stories that help drive the game’s story, each Fairy Tail Diary is worth experiencing and it is always a joy to unlock a new installment. In short, it’s another feature that makes a fun game even better.
 Now, as a video game, FAIRY TAIL is the most beautiful it has ever looked. There are some performance issues when playing the Nintendo Switch version, especially noticeable stutters when playing in handheld mode. Still, thankfully, better versions of this game do exist on other platforms, and with the Nintendo Switch 2 due for release in June 2025, those issues should cease to exist on a superior Nintendo platform. Besides, who wouldn’t want to play a better version of FAIRY TAIL 2 on the go? FAIRY TAIL 2 does exactly what Gust set out for it to do and we’re grateful for the opportunity to return to this fantastic IP in video game format. Plus, when the base game isn’t enough to satisfy, you can always make a trip to the eShop to pick up some DLC for new outfits, fighters, and more.
Game Specifications:
Developer: Gust
Publisher: KOEI TECMO
Platform: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Category: Role-playing
No. of Players: 1 (Single System)
Release Date: December 13, 2024
Price: $59.99
File Size: 4.7 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
