Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord Reviews
Like the first two games, Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord is flawed, tonally inconsistent, and a massively repetitive grind. Re-treading this story for the third time and jump to an entirely different and less enjoyable gameplay system has made it even harder to recommend this game in spite of it's flaws. There is charm, and there are moments, and diehard Compile Heart fans might be able to push through and enjoy them, but I suspect that the people this game will truly speak to are few and far between.
Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord is a spinoff that’s a bit of an odd duck in the Fairy Fencer F series. It tries to do some things differently by opting for a completely different battle system. At the same time, it doesn’t continue the story of the previous games and essentially does a creative retelling of the already existing narrative instead. The result is a game that will likely confuse series fans and newcomers alike. It’s a shame as Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force already did a great job in retelling the first game. For fans looking for a true sequel, however, they’ll just have to wait for now.
It's hard to tell who, exactly, Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord is for.
A decent SRPG for existing series fans only.
Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord is a sequel game to the original Fairy Fencer F but with a totally new combat system. It is a competent strategy Role Playing Game and not overly difficult. The music mechanics make it stand out and a joy to listen to. The relationship between characters is not really explored as heavily as the first game.
The terrible, childish writing and full of uselessness that only waste time, in the long run could lead you to abandon the game prematurely, since it is a rather substantial part of the whole work.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord is recommended for those who simply want more Fairy Fencer F, years after the last release. The SRPG gameplay is new to the series, but it's not a big enough novelty to recommend the title to those looking for something focused on strategy.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord is a fine sequel that I never thought would happen. Yes, it doesn’t do anything too innovative or different. However, it does combine personable and genuinely enjoyable characters, raunchy and anime nonsense humour that I couldn’t help but laugh along with, and some simple, but clean tactical action. The long and short of it is that it has been a real joy to hang out with this gang again and go on one more hilariously juvenile adventure with them (especially Tiara. I love her so much).
Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord is a lovely strategic follow-up to a highly underrated RPG which fans and newcomers will enjoy. From its hilarious dialogue to its intriguing albeit slight innovations to a classic genre, this is one fun-filled SPRG.
At its core, Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord feels like a different take on the Neptunia formula. For this reason, fans of the franchise will absolutely enjoy this adventure. For everyone else, it’s a good strategy RPG with amusing dialogue. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s still a lot of fun. Especially if you take the time to do all the optional content.
Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord is a well-rounded tactical RPG that stands on its own offering a thoroughly fun experience with many anime tropes for better or for worse.
While Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord is a very basic Strategy game, I had a lot of fun with it. I know this is mostly because of these characters and setting, but I think this would be a great starting point for newcomers to the series as well. The combat is fun, graphics look nice and music is exceptional. I played about 40 hours to get an ending on this one, and there are more things I have left to explore. I feel like this one is well worth the $49.99 asking price; it may not be anything fancy, but it’s good food for the fans.
The game has incredible music remixes, and the battle system is downright Fun. This Game would be better if they had English Dubs to curb the required reading.
Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord feels like a lukewarm successor of Fairy Fencer F instead of a completely new game. There are some fresh elements, but many more were just taken from the first game, like characters, music and environments.
Review in German | Read full review
Fans of Fairy Fencer F should get in on this title and get in now. Drink deep of this lore and excellent scripting before it becomes bloated with extra noise, and enjoy it as such. If you’re scared by the change in approach, don’t be: a good IP can wear any hat as long as it fits. Refrain Chord wears the helmet of SRPG well, and players will honestly feel so much better being able to enjoy this new storyline without also wondering when their console/PC is about to crash.
To be honest, I had a hard time coming to a conclusion for Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord. I liked the battles, loved the music and disliked the banter between the characters. I mean, I really don’t want to read all about Harley wanting to do a body check to research the Fairies, about Eryn losing her panties during the night and if Fang found them and so on. It might be comedy to some, but not my kind of humour and I even found it off-putting. The story was interesting, however, and the battles made up for it. I liked the turn-based strategic battles and all the special stat-raising possibilities there are to make the battles as interesting as possible. The glittering colours on the battlefield from Aria’s songs weren’t to my liking; I found it hard to discern the characters and where to place their attack. But the idea of adding music as a tactic is nice.
Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord’s humorous script and diverting tactical battle system make it a promising entry for a young series. The game lacks depth in its story and variety in its gameplay, but this nearly 40-hour experience is still worth the time of those who are looking for a casually enjoyable game.