Fairy Fencer F: Dark Advent Force Reviews
Make no mistake, Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force is a big step up, and its changes are good ones. Even if it will cost more upon release, should you seek to get involved with the original, this is the entry to do it with. However, the stitch-marks where things were added in after the finished game are quite clear and unhidden. On the whole, though, it is a welcome improvement over the base title.
Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force benefits from great sound design and artistic direction, and is uplifted by a story that's interesting to sit through, and, at moments, hilarious.
For such a story-heavy RPG, Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force gives little incentive to invest in its rather unoriginal plot. It would be one thing if the story acted as an homage to the RPG narrative of yore, but it simply follows the tired "good god/bad god" routine without bringing anything new to the table. Battles themselves are too easy to take advantage of a potentially good battle system, and poor, underdesigned dungeons rip away any possible depth the gameplay could have had. Newcomers to the genre might be able find something to appreciate about Advent Dark Force despite its flaws, but diehard fans are hard-pressed to find much exciting about a port of an already unimpressive 2013 JRPG.
Despite all its flaws, however, I cannot completely count out Fairy Fencer F. It is dated and may not be a great game or even a good game all things considered, but overall I would consider it a pretty okay choice if you're simply browsing the eShop in search of a quick “junk food” JRPG. There's not a lot of substance to it, but it will at least keep you busy and entertained in some form for the twenty or so hours it will take you to complete a single route.
The bugs as well as the fact that all roads lead to a grindfest can be hard pills to swallow if you don’t already have a connection to the cast of Advent Dark Force but on the balance of probabilities, there’s still more than enough shine and sparkle in the game to warrant you giving it a spin.
Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Forces is a great release. The graphics are very polished, the voice acting is excellent, and dual audio is available for all of you to enjoy! What is even better is that the music is by famous composer Nobuo Uematsu. What more could you possibly want in a JRPG? Fingers crossed sales do well enough to warrant another Fairy Fencer F game for us to enjoy! I had a blast playing the game for my Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Forces review, and I’m still going strong towards the Platinum trophy!
: Overall we really liked what this new take on Fairy Fencer F had to offer. If all goes well, we might even get a sequel on PS4! The addition to the battle system was great and completely changes the way battles play out. The new storylines are a major addition to the game and give players who already enjoyed this one on PS3 a reason to come back for more.
Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force is a worthwhile adventure for both those who are looking for an enjoyable JRPG to kill some time and fans of the original who want to experience it in a new light.
Fairy Fencer F Advent Dark Force is definitely a must-buy for fans of the original game as it provides players with new experiences and improvements on existing features. Nonetheless, the game may feel stiff at times with nothing too ground-breaking. Overall, the game is a standard JRPG which can be fun enough for many players but may not stand out to those looking for something unique. Nonetheless, I am hoping for a sequel as I did enjoy the story, especially with Fang’s interactions with Eryn.
Fairy Fencer F is still a pretty decent RPG, containing a lot of the same fun mechanics that make quite a bit of the other Idea Factory RPGs work so well. However, it all comes down to the gameplay loop in the end, and unfortunately, while the combat is great fun and exploration is fine, the repetitive nature of traversing simplistic dungeons over and over again is just a big bore, as even with the boosters and free DLC the game lets you use to power through the story if you so desire, it still feels like you’re just going in boring circles and not doing much of anything, even as you recruit new party members, gain access to alchemy and sidequests, and have lots to do. When it just feels like busy work, it’s tough to recommend this older game over one of IF’s newer RPGS.
At the end of the day, Fairy Fencer Advent Dark Force is a must-have for fans of the Hyperdimension Neptunia series, or JRPG fans wanting to find a good game to invest into. People who have already played the original Fairy Fencer will find plenty more to do in this version of the game and is worth double dipping for sure.
Whilst this may be a time killer whilst you wait for the next big RPG, this won't be an RPG you'll remember fondly.
If you are looking for a new RPG that feels like many popular titles and presents itself in a very anime way, this game is for you. Solid playtime shows around 30 hours or so for the first play through, however new game + and three story lines make the replay value very worth it.
Building upon the original release, Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force includes new characters, combat and endings. While there are some typical anime tropes and cliches, you'll find a great cast of characters who offer witty banter on a lighthearted journey.
Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force provides enjoyable gameplay, memorable characters, and a branching story good enough to warrant multiple playthroughs – and hey, isn’t that all that matters?
The plot is largely uninteresting and the characters are annoying, especially on the only route that most people will play through. The game pokes fun at RPG conventions, but it also plays them completely straight. The sole innovation lies in the fairy and fury systems, which work well together, but it isn't enough to keep the battles from blurring into an unmemorable mess.
Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force is a fairly deep JRPG that is, unfortunately, held back by several key components. The story and cast are just not good enough to incentivize long-term play despite the excellent character customization and combat systems. Unless you adore lazy, food obsessed-men and a healthy dose of boob-jiggling physics, then you’re in for a real cinematic treat. Furthermore, the performance issues and overall poor quality of graphics in the field prevent you from fully appreciating the exploration and combat aspects of the game – that of which will make up the majority of your game time. Although you can easily get dozens of hours out of this game, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend it on Switch unless you know exactly what you’re getting in to first.
To conclude, you'll never be bored with all the stuff that's jam packed into this game. The story and characters are colourful and fun to play through and the combat keeps on giving you more and more. Yeah, maybe the jokes can get a little corny and over repetitive at times, but I always seem to have a smile glued to my face. I give this game an 8 out of 10.
Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force is a solid, fun JRPG experience with a strong anime flavor and many hours worth of content. If you're a fan of turn-based RPGs and pulling off stylish, over-the-top moves with finesse, this is a great game to look into.
It felt so good being back in the world of Fairy Fencer F, as it’s definitely my favorite Compile Heart release to date. I truly hope they continue to explore this world with future releases, as there’s so many more stories to be told here. It’s also their most beautiful game available on PlayStation 4 to date. Even if you aren’t a fan of their other releases, you owe it to yourself to play this one if you’re a fan of JRPG’s.