LAY WASTE TO YOUR RIVALS AS MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS. MAXIBOOST ON LAUNCHES IN THE AMERICAS
Fans Can Take Their 2-on-2 Combat to the Next Level on PlayStation 4
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (July 30, 2020) – Leading anime video game developer and publisher BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. announced today that MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS. MAXIBOOST ON has officially launched in the Americas on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. The 2-on-2 EXTREME VS. mecha combat game was originally released exclusively for Japanese arcades and is now available in the West for the first time.
Set in the globally iconic GUNDAM universe, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS. MAXIBOOST ON enables players to take 2-on-2 combat to the next level with Mobile Suits spanning the entire breadth of the franchise’s history. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS. MAXIBOOST ON features 185 playable units from 36 different GUNDAM iterations, each with unique abilities designed to match any fan’s personal playstyle. Players can choose from three different EX Burst Systems—Fighting Burst, Extend Burst, and Shooting Burst—to coordinate with allies and lay waste to all that stand (or fly) in their way.
“Ever since Japanese audiences were first introduced to MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS. MAXIBOOST ON in arcades, we have been looking forward to bringing its iconic combat style to gamers in the Americas,” said Abelina Villegas, Associate Brand Manager at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “We’re so excited for a whole new contingent of fans to finally experience the high-octane arcade-style action of the EXTREME VS series on PlayStation 4.”
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About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for all major video game consoles, iOS, Android, and online platforms. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises including PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. is the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL Z®, and ONE PIECE®. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS.
Hosts, Speakers from Kinda Funny, Rooster Teeth, Shacknews, Microsoft, More
LOS ANGELES – 30 July, 2020 – The IGDA Foundation (IGDA-F) has partnered with companies including Shacknews, Greenlit Content, HyperX, and ReKTGlobal, individuals from organizations like Rooster Teeth and Kinda Funny, and others to organize Play It Forward, an 8-hour streamed fundraiser.
Starting at 10:00 a.m. PT tomorrow and hosted on the Shacknews Twitch channel, the event will feature Black, disabled, trans, and other underrepresented voices seeking to pull in $10,000 to support efforts to increase diversity in gaming.
During Play It Forward, the IGDA-F will welcome Sarah Bond, vice president of the gaming ecosystem at Microsoft, to give the Jerry A. Lawson Award to Laura Teclemariam. Currently, director of product management at WB Games in San Francisco, Teclemariam demonstrated incredible grit, resilience, and accomplishments in her 17 years of product management, interactive media design, and software engineering at companies including EA and Microsoft.
Hosted by Kahlief Adams of Spawn on Me, a podcast spotlighting people of color in the gaming industry, the fundraiser will feature programming including leaders and CEOs speaking on Black representation in games, a competitive esports team composed of people paralyzed from the neck down called the Quad Gods, and Anita Sarkeesian to talk about the Online Games and Harassment Hotline.
Notable trans gaming community members including Kdin Jenzen from Rooster Teeth will speak on trans acceptance and inclusion in gaming. Greg Miller from Kinda Funny, Elyse Willems from Funhaus, and Steven Spohn of AbleGamers are among those who will discuss allyship and good ways to support members of underrepresented communities in and out of gaming.
In between these important topics, content creators will stream gameplay, celebrating the medium that connects us. They and everyone involved will encourage viewers to help achieve the $10,000 goal, which will fund the IGDA Foundation Online Diversity Program.
“Helping bring so many amazing people together to support Play It Forward has been a real joy,” said Asif Khan, CEO of Shacknews. “The IGDA Foundation’s mission of inclusion and representation in the games industry is an extremely important endeavor, and we couldn’t be more excited to help amplify the voices of its members and serve the goals of the foundation.”
The IGDA Foundation (IGDA-F) advances a diverse workforce and ecosystem for the video game industry to better reflect the millions of passionate players enjoying video games worldwide.
The IGDA-F focuses on promoting a game development community representative of, and welcoming and inclusive to, every person who wants to make games. The IGDA-F garners support for diversity and inclusion in the video game industry with initiatives such as its IGDA Scholars, Velocity, and Next Gen Leaders programs, with others in the pipeline.
The IGDA Foundation is a public charity, registered as a 501(c)3 organization in the United States.
Being a Flight Attendant Has Never Been…Worse! Race Against the Clock to Complete Tasks 30,000 Feet Up Whilst Playing Alongside Completely Unqualified Strangers From Around the Globe
WIESBADEN, GERMANY (July 30, 2020) — Publisher Assemble Entertainment, best known for point-and-click adventure Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Don’t Dry, and developer Huu Games today announced Shakes on a Plane for Windows PC and Nintendo Switch. Available this November, Shakes on a Plane is a co-op (or solo) time management game that stirs up every preconceived notion about what life is like for an airline cabin crew. There’s high-flying fun — literally — with elevated humor to match! Take on difficult passengers, troublesome colleagues, and race against the clock to complete tasks amidst total chaos!
“We are thrilled to add Shakes on a Plane to our expanding roster of truly unique titles,” said Assemble Entertainment CEO Stefan Marcinek. “It’s got the perfect touch of humor common in many of our games, along with a compelling storyline perfect for anyone craving something more offbeat. We’re anxious to get this into the hands of simulation fans and casual players alike!”
Life as part of an airline cabin crew can be so tiresome…so repetitive…that is, unless it’s a crew of strangers who have been mysteriously abducted from all over the globe and forced to work together 30,000 feet above the ground! Even though it might look like total chaos, the daily grind of a cabin crew is really a fine-tuned and highly organized operation. Before the passengers arrive and screw everything up, that is. What could go wrong? Well, let’s start with para-dropping troublesome passengers out of the plane while cleaning knee-high piles of vomit to get this wacky adventure soaring.
Watch the official Shakes on a Plane announcement trailer:
Inspired by acclaimed chaotic co-op titles such as Overcooked and Unrailed, Shakes on a Plane challenges players to work together with the odds stacked against them. While there are plenty of laughs to be had, Shakes on a Plane encourages coordination and teamwork with simple controls and easy-to-learn, difficult-to-master gameplay mechanics.
Additional Features Include:
Dangerously Difficult: No matter how unreasonable and ungrateful the passengers are, or how outlandish their demands may be, the cabin crew must make it work. Every attendant has a job to do, no matter how vile.
Quirky Co-Workers: Each attendant in the crew has a different outlook on life, and in turn, a unique special ability. Take Mr. Yrman for example — he was fed up with life as a prison guard, so becoming a flight attendant was the natural next step. He’s also a passionate knitter.
Fine Dining: As everyone knows, airline passengers will only accept the best of the best when it comes to in-flight cuisine. While you may not be boasting a Michelin Star, the crew is counting you to work as a team to produce the very best shakes, burgers, coffee, and more.
Shakes on a Plane will be available for Windows PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch via the eShop this November. At launch, the game will be available in English with optional subtitles, with more languages to come.
For the latest up-to-date news about Shakes on a Plane, follow Assemble Entertainment on Twitter, Instagram, “like” on Facebook, and join the official Assemble Discord server.
About Assemble Entertainment
Based in Wiesbaden, Germany, Assemble Entertainment is an independent games developer and publisher, best known for Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Don’t Dry, the latest installment in the humorously naughty point-and-click adventure saga, and the multi-award-winning Endzone – A World Apart, that challenges players to survive and thrive following an environmental apocalypse. Assemble Entertainment also organizes GermanDevDays, an annual conference that attracts more than 1,100 attendees from across the German-speaking video game development industry.
Armor Up and Prepare to Risk Your Character and Your Bloodline
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – JULY 30, 2020 – Independent developer Gavra Games announced today its new comedic turn-based RPG combat game Warriors: Rise to Glory – Online Multiplayer is coming soon to Steam. Enter the arena and step up to be the ultimate gladiator as you honor the legacy of your ancestors in a world where blood and guts decide the fate of men in Warriors: Rise to Glory – Online Multiplayer. Decapitate your enemies, inflict an anime style death touch, or crush skulls as you rise to glory, but be warned – you could be the one begging for your miserable life and all of your riches as your enemy towers above you with a shiv.
Warriors: Rise to Glory Online Gameplay Features:
High Stakes, Over-the-Top Brutal Combat: Crush other players’ skulls with a mighty axe, pierce their armor with a deadly arrow or kick them onto deadly traps all in the name of glory! Raise the stakes and bet wisely to win great rewards – but if you fail, lose life, glory and all your items!
Settle Your Beef: Play online with and against your friends to prove once and for all which lineage’s brood really is peak of the pack.
Form Powerful Alliances: Keep your enemies close and your allies closer! Pick trustworthy and strong allies to execute winning strategy in battle… But trust no one – allies are fragile and can be easily replaced.
Level Up: Gain experience and level up your warriors with better weapons, armors, stats, and skills to get passed down for generations to come.
Battle Your Way: In Warriors: Rise to Glory, you can prove your strength in a 1 v 1 battle, team up in a 2 v 2 battle, or take on the world in “Free for All” combat.
Are You Not Entertained?: Boost your favorite warrior’s lineage, hype up the crowd and rally them to your advantage! Or even line your own pockets by betting on a game of chance at the local tavern.
Roguelike Gameplay: Enjoy the tile and turn-based graphics exhibited throughout Warriors: Rise to Glory. Once a warrior is dead he is dead, there’s no coming back, however, the house they built will remain solid and upright.
You Are Judge, Jury, and Executioner: As the all-powerful and superior warrior in a deathmatch, you decide the fate of your fallen foe – to kill or to humiliate? Each decision will have its own reward.
No Two Lineages Alike: Use Warriors: Rise to Glory’s creation features to make the warriors of your lineage as fearsome or goofy as you want. Prove to everyone that it’s not just being the best, but also the best looking.
In Warriors: Rise to Glory Online Multiplayer, players will receive hype from the crowd as they chuck bananas or toilets from the stands to cheer you on. Earn XP and coins as you defeat other players and their warrior spawns to don killer armor and weaponry. Warriors: Rise to Glory Online Multiplayer is not just about flatulence and stabbing someone until their innards pool at their feet – this game goes deep, real deep. Beyond the farting, stabbing, memes, slicing, and fighting, you’ll discover that positioning, calculated risk, and the knowledge of your surroundings are what line the path to victory.
Warriors: Rise to Glory Online Multiplayer is coming soon to Steam.
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ABOUT GAVRA GAMES Two cousins obsessed with video games from the time they were old enough to hold a controller decided to follow their lifelong dream of becoming game developers and open their own gaming studio, that is now a team of six developers. As a team of hardcore gamers, we understand the value of creating a fun easy to learn – hard to master experience for gamers removing any surprise mechanics creating pure fun and entertainment. All this while placing our unique sense of humor pretty much everywhere because well, we can!
Duesseldorf/Germany, July 30, 2020 – Drone Swarm, the upcoming sci-fi strategy adventure game for PC will offer space fans not only control over a swarm of 32,000 drones but also an exciting story that will catapult them directly into a gripping fight for mankind’s survival in the vast expanses of an unknown galaxy. Your main mission is to find a New Earth for the remaining human survivors after a catastrophic attack by the swarm you now control has devastated Earth. Now that everything you once knew has been reduced to ashes, you have become humanity’s last hope.
The end of Earth
21st January 2111 – Out of nowhere a gigantic sphere arrived in our orbit and a swarm of alien drones attacked Earth. This was the day life as we knew it came to an end. Families were ripped apart and cities destroyed, but people fought to survive until the very end. Mankind however did not stand a chance. Carter, an ex-soldier, and his brother Ayden tried to save as many helpless inhabitants of their city as possible – but when the military unleashed all available nukes in a last desperate attempt of defense, the fires of apocalypse consumed the planet.
The last of hope of mankind
When Earth laid in ruins and only a few survivors were left to hopelessly fight the swarm, Ayden subconsciously found out that he is the key to end this destruction – but it came with a heavy price: he had to sacrifice his own life. Ayden was able to transfer his soul into a drone and with this gained the ability to control it. Other 32.000 human psionics like Ayden resolved to sacrifice themselves as well to save the remains of humanity. This was how the psionics became mankind’s last hope. Another powerful psionic, Eva, discovered her special connection to the Sphere itself. Through it, she was able to understand its nature and found a way to build the Argo – an interstellar ship built around the Sphere designed for the search of New Earth.
The story in Drone Swarm
With the swarm now under human control you lead this mission as Captain Carter – the swarm is yours to command. But you are not alone, your fellow crew members will help you to accomplish your mission. But be careful, there are risks waiting. You will encounter unknown alien races. The Voohr and the Dashan are the two dominant factions in this region of the galaxy, only it is not predictable whether they are willing to talk or whether it will come to inevitable conflicts.
The team behind the Drone Swarm story
The universe and story of Drone Swarm is the result of a collaboration between 451 Media and stillalive studios. 451 Media, co-founded by star director Michael Bay, will publish Drone Swarm comics that tell the prequel story. Meanwhile, Austrian developer stillalive studios is working with publisher astragon Entertainment on an action-packed strategy adventure game in which you will control 32,000 drones against a wide variety of enemies.
Drone Swarm will be released in fall 2020 on Steam™. It will have voiceovers in English and German. In addition to the two dubbed languages, there will be subtitles in 13 languages. A detailed listing can already be found on the Steam store page.
Does your tin toy agent have the mettle to save President Roosevelt?
Seattle, Washington – July 30th, 2020 – Tribetoy and Beep Games, Inc. have released their old timey arcade shooter based on early 20th-century parlour game cabinets, Bartlow’s Dread Machine, on Steam Early Access. The full version will launch this Fall on Xbox One and Steam.
Set entirely within the confines of this titular relic from the dawn of the Electric Age, Bartlow’s Dread Machine casts one to two players as government agents in a series of escapades through New York, San Francisco, and all across the continent as they seek to rescue the kidnapped President Roosevelt from the forces of evil. But beware, sinister forces are at work!
Bound to the clockwork gizmos running this contraption, agents are mere metal figurines roving around on rails. But these aren’t any ordinary tin toys as they have free rein on how to navigate these forking networks of tracks. Think Pac-Man if he were made of metal, wore a cool peacoat, and was packing some serious heat! Sets made of wood and tin unfold around you in real-time as you navigate this immersive puppet show. Encounter a cast of improbable monsters and historical characters as you traverse the high seas and beyond using trains, ships and even a newfangled automobile!
Your journey begins in New York City with the discovery that President Teddy Roosevelt has been abducted by anarcho-satanists of the worst kind. Track his kidnappers across the Great Plains to the Pacific coast in today’s Early Access release, which contains the first three of six chapters. About once a month the game will be updated to include levels set at sea, deep in the Panamanian jungle, and finally in Washington D.C. as you close in on the culprit to save America from certain doom.
The final game features a wealth of content with 6 worlds, 52 guns, and all manner of outfits to deck out your gumshoe. Unlock unique spins on historical characters, like Zombie General Custer and Annie Oakley. Plus the drop-in / drop-out couch co-op contains per-player difficulty, allowing each player to set the challenge level to their preference.
“As much as we love video games, we’re also admirers of old analogue tech, particularly the clockwork precision of early 20th century arcade games, so we wanted to combine the rinky-dink charm of these rustic cabinets with the smooth gameplay of contemporary titles,” said Matthew Hoseterey Co-Founder and Director of Design of Tribetoy. “Bartlow’s Dread Machine transports us back to this wild time at the dawn of the Electric Age, when technology and entertainment were evolving so fast that the world quickly became almost unrecognizable. Plus everyone wore snazzy hats back then, which is always a plus!”
Available now on Steam Early Access for PC, Bartlow’s Dread Machine is priced at $14.99 USD and will be available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
About Tribetoy Founded in 2008, Tribetoy is dedicated to making unique interactive experiences. Its first game, Chu’s Dynasty, brought unprecedented depth, and time manipulation, into a 4-player fighting game with its 2010 XBLIG release. Its second title, Bow to Blood, tasked players with captaining an airship in a multi-stage reality TV show. Its third title, the twin-stick shooter set inside an early 20th-century parlour game, Bartlow’s Dread Machine, is due in 2020 on PC and Xbox One.
About Beep Games, Inc. Founded in 2003 by industry veteran Clayton Kauzlaric, Beep Games, Inc. developed the cult platformer Voodoo Vince which saw a newly-remastered version in 2017. The company also teamed up with Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert to create the concept for EA’s Deathspank: Thongs of Virtue in 2010 and the mobile puzzler Scurvy Scallywags in 2013. It is now collaborating with Tribetoy on Bartlow’s Dread Machine.
Biggest update yet overhauls campaign, adds NPCs, outposts, and more
HAMBURG, Germany – July 30th, 2020 – Publisher Daedalic, and independent studios FakeFish and Undertow Games, proudly announce “New Frontiers”, the biggest update to the unique Sci-Fi submarine simulation Barotrauma since Steam Early Access started last June.
“New Frontiers” further enriches the game by adding a campaign-based journey with a mysterious destination in the depths of Europa. Multiple aspects of the game have been improved to create a real sense of progression in the campaign mode, and a work-in-progress ending has been implemented together with an accessible endgame location.
Update:
Outposts: The crew is now able to physically reach and explore outposts at the start and endpoint of a mission. AI inhabitants and randomized events keep the outposts alive. Players can trade, restock equipment, hire new crewmates and more.
Submarines: The crew’s swimming home base will develop throughout the journey. Beginning with a modest sub, players are able to update and modify the hull, different machinery and weaponry as they progress. All available improvements apply to modded ships as well, so the community can seamlessly integrate their own creations into the campaign.
Crewmates: The heart of the game, the submarine’s crew, is no longer randomized between campaign missions when playing with bots. Every crewmate becomes a valuable part of the mission and can be individually trained, so you should not use them as expendable cannon fodder. The bot AI was also improved.
In-game economy: Players are able to sell items, prices are balanced and different items are available at different locations in the game.
Visuals: The developers visually overhauled the majority of sprites in the game and revised the campaign map.
“New Frontiers” marks the next step towards Barotrauma’s full launch and is available for free. For more information, check out Barotrauma on Steam.
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About Daedalic Entertainment (Publisher)
Daedalic Entertainment publishes and develops high-quality games for all platforms. The company has a diverse line-up of high-quality titles, including classic adventures, RPGs, and strategy and multiplayer games. With more than 80 employees, Daedalic is currently developing a new line-up of innovative games across consoles, PC and mobile platforms.
Based in Hamburg, Germany, Daedalic is one of Europe’s most acclaimed publishers and developers. With a total of 32 awards in the German Developers Award (including multiple accolades for ‘Studio of the Year’) and 12 German Computer Game Awards for genre-defining games such as Deponia, Edna & Harvey, Silence, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth, The Long Journey Home, and State of Mind, Daedalic is a record holder for the two most prestigious game awards in Germany.
Daedalic currently develops the AAA title The Lord of the Rings – Gollum. The action-adventure that tells the story of Gollum from a perspective never witnessed before in any storytelling media, all the while staying faithful to the legendary books of J.R.R. Tolkien.
About FakeFish and Undertow GamesBarotrauma began as an open-development project by Undertow Games, the developer of the free open-source horror game SCP – Containment Breach. In early 2018, the award-winning fellow indie studio FakeFish Ltd. joined the project with their team of industry veterans and fresh talents to launch Barotrauma on Steam. Now the joint studio, based in Turku, Finland, develops survival horror PC titles supporting extensive user-generated content and packed with built-in editors.
Comics have been a huge part of my life. I would fluctuate between Marvel and DC at first and occasionally veer into some indie stuff. We’ve seen some good movie adaptations and some bad ones. Nevertheless, they’ve been an influential mark of pop culture. In this age of everyday tech breakthroughs, we’ve seen comics occasionally going full digital ad moton comics are also a thing. What Liberated is trying to do is to give us more freedom when “reading” such releases. A comic that you can actually play, influence some character decisions and even the ending? Sounds tempting.
Story
In this game, you won’t be liberating much anyone, but instead, become a part of an insurgent group known as Liberated. The world in this game is a dark and gloomy place. Social networks, facial recognition, fake news, citizen credit systems. The only truth is the one that you’ve been taught by the government. A story of authoritarianism, how it is slowly born in democracy, and how it consumes it. Fortunately, being a member of an anti-government group will help you reclaim freedom and what’s being taken away from you and the rest of the city.
Gameplay
What makes Liberated is the unique art style and how the story develops. We’ll talk about the art style later. As the story moves forward, you are shown pages from an imaginary comic book. Just like the reality of the game, it is dark, bleak, and raining all the time. At certain points, you can choose how to respond to other characters and slightly influence how they treat you (although, most of the time you can only choose to respond in a “polite” or an “arrogant” manner). There are also some quick-time events from time to time where the reaction window is closely tied to the difficulty you’ve chosen when you started the game. At the core of it, Liberated is a platformer & a side scroller with a few puzzles thrown in between. You work with your crew to infiltrate government facilities, steal some stuff and sneak or shoot your way out depending on how well you did. There are some sections of the game where it reminded me of Mark of The Ninja as you hide in the dark corners and strangle unsuspecting enemies. If things go sideways, you have a gun at your disposal that you can use to shoot your way out. Using it will show you some neat comic book stuff like words “BANG!” and “Headshot!” whenever you shoot at enemies. There is no such thing as a health bar and yo character can only take a couple of hits before dying so sneaking and not rushing in is extremely important.
Visuals
Now let’s talk about the star of the party. The visuals. While there’s no much color in Liberated due to obvious noir related reasons, smart shadowing and level design still give it some dash or originality and immersive atmosphere. Having a city eternally drenched in rain and coupled with strong shadows on almost every object is a sure way to label your game as noir but there’s more to it in Liberated. The dialogue sometimes seems like it’s from a 60s noir flick and all you need is a corrupt and drunken private detective in the game for a full picture. Although, considering how things are in the game, such character would probably be on the government side.
Audio
There is some music during story defining moments but it’s nothing that I would label as memorable. For most of the gameplay, you will be accompanied by some faint & intense background tunes just so you don’t feel completely alone while sneaking. It’s clear that the music in Liberated takes a back seat over the visuals and art style that were clearly given more love. Aside from that, the voice acting is decent. Nothing that will blow your mind but it’s that some dedication was in the place.
Overall
Liberation does exactly what it says. It is a decent indie adventure platformer that doesn’t shoot for the start. It is a mix of a few things from other games and that combination works (and plays) rather well. If you’re on a lookout for a noir story-driven platformer that combines some gameplay from Mark of the Ninja and certain visuals from XIII, then this just might be your cup of tea. To be fair, you can probably complete it in one afternoon but if you grab those two of the story add-ons that are now being offered during release week, you might squeeze just a bit more from the overall length of the game. And for such an affordable price, it would be a crime not to pick it up.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
When it comes to Japan and popular manga and anime series, there usually are plenty of video games produced for them over the course of their run, and in the case of a few, even after they have ended. That wasn’t really the case however for the Fairy Tail series as, despite its eleven year run, the manga only saw a handful of portable titles released that never saw a Western release. Now however that has changed as Koei Tecmo and Gust have brought the Fairy Tail story into a full sized game simply called Fairy Tail. With the original storyline seeing its conclusion and continuing on in a sequel, how does this RPG handle the long running franchise?
Story
In rather odd fashion Fairy Tail chooses to begin its storyline at the end point of the Tenrou Island arc, setting the starting point solidly into the third season of the anime and over two hundred chapters into the manga, and while there is an extremely limited glossary summing up a few major arcs that happened prior, those who jump into this RPG without knowledge from the series will be doing so at a disadvantage. That being said, the story begins with the key members of Fairy Tail facing off against Hades as an introduction to battle mechanics, before then tossing players into the core storyline.
Thanks to Hades’ actions on the island in search of Zeref, a dark and powerful dragon appears above the island and with the Fairy Tail guild members already exhausted the best they can do is believe that they will survive. Seven years later, through the help of the first guildmaster, everyone manages to make a safe return to Magnolia Town only to find out that in the time they have been gone not only has Fairy Tail fallen to the point that their guildhall is now a small shack on the outskirts of town, but that very few people even remember their names as the best wizards in the guild have been thought dead for nearly a decade.
As such, the newly returned guild members take it upon themselves to raise the guild back up to the ranks it used to be all while making sure their own skills haven’t gotten rusty. Fairy Tail is a bit of an interesting game when it comes to storytelling as it does its best to fit as much narrative as possible into story progression all while trying to give important and dramatic moments the time they deserve while also having to skip over or, poorly summarize with a few images, various events that took place between certain periods of time. This generally only happens during arc transitions but more than a few of these also feature either major character development or story tidbits and it is disappointing to see certain moments cut entirely.
It is worth noting that there are little side-quests for most of the Fairy Tail characters that players will interact with and while these side-quests are new bits of story that were never included in the manga and fans will appreciate these little quests even if they tend to be fairly short in length. The characters themselves are mostly given plenty of time to shine with their interactions with one another and major enemies they face off against, though be prepared for only most of the major Fairy Tail guild members to be playable, or in some cases even have character models, as a few side characters are relegated to portraits or do not appear at all. All in all, Fairy Tail does a solid enough job presenting the Fairy Tail guild’s journey post Tenrou Island arc though it surprisingly does not end up going through to the end of the manga’s storyline, so both newcomers and longtime fans may be a bit disappointed by this fact.
Gameplay
Considering the fact that the entire story of Fairy Tail is based around a guild, it only makes sense in a way that an RPG is the best way to experience the game. Players will be able to take on requests that can be completed for money, fame, and guild points with these requests ranging from hunting a number of monsters, collecting items, or defeating a special monster and unfortunately they do tend to blend a bit together but there is some variation here thanks to the world design and the constant party switching players will need to do as not only will some requests require certain Fairy Tail members to complete, players will want to take advantage of element types as well in battle.
Players will venture out into fields and encounter monsters or take part in story battles with their team of up to five fighters at a time, though players will initially only be able to bring three Fairy Tail members, with Natsu and Lucy being locked in, with them at the start. Battles are turn based affairs that see your team facing off against enemies on a grid-based field. While the standard attack is always an option, it should mostly be treated as a last resort for any good wizard and as such Fairy Tail relies heavily on magic, and limited MP, being the primary attack for all characters. Magical attacks come in various forms and strengths but come with a number of bonuses such as hitting extra spots on the 3×3 battle grid, allowing for most attacks to hit numerous foes at once. These attacks also can provide various bonuses such as an increase in strength or chance to counter-attack an enemy, push a foe around the field to line them up better, inflict various status ailments, and more.
The foes that players face off against are hardly push-overs themselves as they can also use magic and inflict status ailments, though it is worth noting that players cannot move around a grid themselves though, just like the series itself, the Fairy Tail members have the power of their friends to pull them through. As combat progresses players will build up a meter that can be used to chain together combo attacks that deal incredibly powerful damage or perform powerful finishing moves that target the entire enemy team. In fact, while exploring the field there are even some locations with hidden items that can only be broken through by overkilling enemies to a certain degree and usually these finishing moves or things even more powerful such as Unison Raids and more to avoid spoiling a few things for potential newcomers. All of the magic that the characters use is portrayed incredibly well and fits the characters to the letter and one can tell that a lot of care has been put into making sure the magic feels as it should in this game, powerful and flashy.
That being said, there are a few problems here and there though one of these is something the game is upfront about with a warning that, should RPG players want a more challenging experience they will want to go for a harder than normal difficulty as the normal mode quickly becomes easy once characters grow in strength, have various bonus abilities unlocked using guild points, and more party members become available. The other problem lies in the fact that, thanks to the guild ranking system being used to progress the story, players may often feel a bit like they are spinning their wheels while trying to complete the various minor tasks that must be done to level up the guild and advance the story. This wouldn’t be too much of an issue if it wasn’t for the aforementioned problem of many of these requests being repetitive in nature.
Visuals & Audio
When it comes to designing the characters in Fairy Tail, fans will be able to tell that Gust has tried their best to replicate the character designs as close as possible here. There might be a few missing characters that are unfortunately not represented but those that are are handled incredibly well. This is especially noticeable when it comes to the female cast as, true to Fairy Tail fashion, there are plenty of different outfits available throughout the course of the game and bits of fan-service scattered throughout that is incredibly tame in nature. Of course the real highlight, as mentioned before, is how great the magic attacks can look and how they match the attacks fans are familiar with from the series. This includes things such as Erza’s equipment and appearance changing depending on attack, Gray’s various ice formed magic, and more. It is a bit unfortunate that not all of Lucy’s summons are given the proper presentation here though as most are simply presented with anime icons and nothing else.
As one may expect given the massive cast of characters in the game, Fairy Tail has been released with only the Japanese voice track available but thankfully all of the original voice actors have managed to return to reprise their roles here, providing longtime fans plenty of great voicework for their favorite characters. Considering the Japanese only voice track however it would have been nice if more of the in-battle voice work was subtitled however. As for the soundtrack, fans will recognize a number of remixed tunes from the series itself as well as a collection of new music that fits well with the theme of the game.
Overall
Even though it may not be the most accessible for those unfamiliar with the franchise, Fairy Tail feels right at home as an RPG with plenty of care being given to the magical side of things and to the presentation of the series’ signature characters. Perhaps even newcomers may feel the itch to dive into the series proper should they feel like playing an RPG that has flashy turn based combat but a story they may find themselves lost in at key points. Things may get a bit repetitive at times due to there being only a small variation between required requests but a solidly enjoyable battle system with adjustable difficulty fans of the franchise will find Gust’s handling of the series quite enjoyable.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Join Natsu, Lucy and the Fairy Tail Guild on a Magical Adventure on the Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4 and Windows PC via Steam®!
Hertfordshire, 30th July 2020 – Today, KOEI TECMO Europe and developer GUST Studios released their spellbinding JRPG, FAIRY TAIL, on the Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC via Steam®. The game, based on the anime and manga of the same name by Hiro Mashima, marks the first time a FAIRY TAIL game has been released on home console in the West!
FAIRY TAIL invites players to re-live, or experience for the first time, the series’ enchanting storyline from the popular Tenrou Island arc through to the Tartaros arc, along with all-new never before seen story and quest elements. The magical world of FAIRY TAIL is brought to life with remarkable detail throughout this all-new gaming experience, with phenomenal focus on delivering the type of magic and mystique fans of the worldwide sensation anime and manga series have been craving.
Throughout their journey, players will be able to form their dream five-mage battle party from a selection of over 16 iconic characters, including: Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Gajeel, Juvia, Rogue, Kagura, Sherria, Sting, Ichiya, Laxus, Mirajane, Jellal and Gildarts. The character’s unique magic abilities from the series are brought to life within the game, including Unison Raids where characters can combine together to unleash their magic spells at once and overpower enemies. Even Extreme Magic Spells can be used, including Kanna’s Fairy Glitter – which can be activated when magic attacks are combined – to get the upper hand in battle.
Outside of combat, FAIRY TAIL allows players to develop their relationships with their guild mates, experiencing new story interactions as well as strengthening their magic abilities. Players will even be able to upgrade different areas of the Fairy Tail guild, and as they improve their guild, take on requests, and develop their relationships with their allies, they are able to restore the guild’s ranking to No. 1 in Fiore.
FAIRY TAIL is available now! Purchasing any version of the game, physically or digitally, within a limited time from launch will also unlock the Early Purchase Bonus special ‘Miss FAIRY TAIL’ costume for Erza.
Alternatively, a Digital Deluxe version of FAIRY TAIL is available, boasting special Grand Magic Games team costumes, a bonus Lacrima set, and a DDX Limited Ryza costume for Lucy!
KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI TECMO’s best known for their signature ‘one versus thousands’ Warriors series, the fan-favourite Ninja Gaiden and fighting entertainment title Dead or Alive. Through collaboration with strong existing franchises, such as A.O.T. Wings of Freedom (Attack on Titan), has brought fan-favourite shows to life in video game form. The company’s desire for innovation and diversity has seen the creation of the critically acclaimed dark-samurai action title Nioh, which takes on new and unique gameplay styles. The company’s acquisition of GUST, developer of a variety of heart-warming titles, has seen their flagship Atelier series span generations of consoles and fans alike. More information about KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com
