GAME REVIEW | Hitting the Beach with the "Fairy Tail" Gang
There are many kinds of game genres Hiro Mashima’s Fairy Tail could enter. The last one I could’ve imagined was a sports game, especially volleyball. But here we are, in a world where Fairy Tail: Beach Volleyball Havoc exists before Harukana Receive got one! Good news: it’s a fun and very inexpensive game tie-in. However, it’s certainly gives off a “you get what you paid for” vibe.
Up to four players can join in on the mayhem of Fairy Tail: Beach Volleyball Havoc. According to the game’s instructions, this is a very normal game of 2-on-2 volleyball. By Fairy Tail standards, “normal” can mean a lot of things. If having your players grow two stories high, initiate clone balls, or having an army of Plues invade the field is your version of “normal”, then…maybe you should seek psychiatric help.
Joking aside, the unpredictable aspect of this game is what makes this game a lot of fun. One moment, you and your Fairy Tail comrades are playing a simple round of volleyball. But when you collect enough magic gems, the chaos that we’ve come to love from Mashima’s iconic series can commence. Fireballs, smokescreens, rocket ships, ice attacks, and many more wild maneuvers will be unleashed to make what should’ve been a nice day at the beach a revelry of chaos.
It’s not just Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and the rest of the main Fairy Tail guild that are playable. Thirty-two characters from the manga & anime’s massive world can be chosen. However, most characters will have to be unlocked before you use them. Fortunately, it’s very easy to accomplish this, with only having to play X amount of matches to do so. (After that, you can unlock various artworks submitted by the series’s fanbase.)
Playing this fantasy version of volleyball is — thankfully — not like having to play Star Trek’s Tri-Dimensional Chess. You simply hit or pass the ball when it’s in your vicinity. If you have enough gems, you can then unleash a more powerful attack. The only downside is that you have no choice but to unleash the attack, even if you wish to save it for a more important attack. So if you’re the kind of person who likes to hold their more powerful cards until the end, then you’re out of luck.
This does lead to a flaw in Fairy Tail: Beach Volleyball Havoc: its overall presentation. The game is very cute to look at, with the characters looking very nice in their swimsuit attire. (There’s plenty of fan-service for all sexes to enjoy, since Fairy Tail is quite the equal opportunist.) However, when everyone is throwing magical attacks at once, it can be very confusing to see what exactly is going on.
Perhaps that’s the point. Many comedic fights in Fairy Tail lead towards a “what the hell’s going on here?!”climax, with the victor emerging from a cloud of cartoonish smoke. And this game is no different, with some of my wins being obtained after my opponent seemed overwhelmed by the wackiness happening on the sandy court. These are fun first-to-four-wins matches, but you’d be forgiven if you’re left questioning how you managed to score the victory.
Alas, this now leads to a big issue with Beach Volleyball Havoc: what it offers gameplay-wise. There’s only one mode to play, with local multiplayer the singular option. No story mode, no tournament mode, not even online modes are to be found in this game. There’s always the chance these could be added on later on, but for now, what’s offered is very lacking. Then again, this game is only $5, so — again — you get what you pay for.
PROS:
- Cute visuals
- Easy to control
- Great selection of characters
CONS:
- Gameplay kind of confusing
- Very barebones
- Lacks online multiplayer
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Fairy Tail: Beach Volleyball Havoc is an odd addition to Hiro Mashima’s franchise. Although it has only one game mode as of this writing, it’s still a pretty fun twist on the traditional summer sport. With that being said, prepare yourself to being confused as to how you’ll achieve victory or — in rare cases — suck on the sands of defeat.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Sarah Blackwell of Stride PR.
