Fairy Tail

Fairy Tail is a 2020 role-playing video game developed by Gust and published by Koei Tecmo. Based on the manga series Fairy Tail by Hiro Mashima, it follows the adventures of Natsu Dragneel and the other members of the titular wizard guild. It was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Windows in Japan and Europe on July 30, 2020, and in North America a day later. Reviewers praised the game's combat mechanics, but criticized the story as lacking accessibility for those not already familiar with the Fairy Tail franchise. Gameplay In Fairy Tail, players control a party of characters and traverse the game world with the goal of restoring the titular guild to its former glory. The guild itself acts as a base, where players can accept missions, which when completed raises its renown via a lettered ranking system. Jewels (the in-game currency) are also earned from missions and, in addition to buying items, can be used to upgrade the guild's interior, such as adding a magic shop or the ability to take on more difficult quests. Battles are turn-based, with a focus on chaining attacks and performing combination specials. Players use menus to select physical or magic-based attacks, use items to heal status ailments or restore HP or MP, defend, or flee from the fight; some fights can not be fled. Attacks slowly fill the Fairy Gauge that, when full, allows the player to trigger a Magic Chain, which allows party members to attack one after the other for less MP, or end the chain with a massive Finisher. After taking enough damage, individual characters can trigger Awakening, which grants brief stat bonuses and, on some characters, new forms and moves. Before being triggered, Awakening can be expended to avoid an incoming attack, or follow up an ally's attack with another. Characters are knocked out when they run out of either HP or MP. Enemies are placed on a 3×3 grid and the abilities of the player characters each have specific ranges and areas that they can affect. Some abilities can even reposition enemies on the grid. Once the party defeats the enemies by winning the battle, each member gains experience points in order to reach new levels. When a character gains a new level, the statistics (stats) of the character are upgraded. Player characters and enemies alike have elemental compatibilities and weaknesses, based on a system of seven types of magic: Non-Elemental, Fire, Ice, Holy, Demon, Light, and Dark.