We recently had the chance to not only play Fairy Tail 2, but also speak with Hiroshi Kataoka, the producer on the game and find out what has changed, what the team are doing to welcome in more players and of course, who their favourite Fairy Tail guild member is.

Maxi-Geek: It has been a few years since the release of the first game, but can you recall the reception from fans to that game?

Hiroshi Kataoka: We received a lot of feedback and comments for the first game. Many were happy with having a game adaptation and they enjoyed it game, but they also wanted to see the final chapter adapted into a game, in particular having more focus on the characters, so we referenced these as we made this game.

Maxi-Geek: With it being a few years, what aspects of the series did you want to improve upon in the sequel?

Kataoka-San: The first thing we decided on when making the final chapter into a game was to focus on 'Fairy Tail vs. the Alvarez Empire' and "Fight all of the Spriggan 12!” In the previous game, we were unable to create a flow of battling all the powerful enemies, so this was a point that we really wanted to achieve.

Maxi-Geek: The first game used a grid based battle system. Why the change to a more real-time battle system in this game?

Kataoka-San: With the first game, we thought there would be many fans of the IP who weren't used to playing video games, so we focused on turn-based gameplay that would show the flashy skills while also allowing players to take their time in their decision-making. Since this game focuses on replicating the more intense final arc of the original series, and we also wanted to answer to the calls of fans who wanted to enjoy more action, we kept our way to thinking the same, but changed it to real-time battles where one character is controlled, and added action elements to battles.

The result was keeping the easy to understand and easy to play base, while making battles speedy, feel good, and have big flashy moves, as well as allowing players to combine the strength of all the Fairy Tail team members by coordinating between team members or switching the player (controlled) character, which I think has really made it match the expectations of what battles should be like in this final chapter.

Maxi-Geek: In the manga, the reveal that Emperor Spriggan is Zeref and also Natsu’s older brother was a big deal. How do you manage fan expectations on delivering a story they know, but not just recreating it?

Kataoka-San: While there are players that already know the story, our main assumption is that there are players who do not know the story, so our main priority was to solidly reproduce the story, and for those who are familiar with the story to have them be able to enjoy it as a game whether it is the parts that are a complete reproduction or parts that have slightly arranged the story.

Maxi-Geek: In the Alvarez Arc, there are stories of teams doing different things, Gajeel locating Laxus for example. Has there been any consideration into expanding those side stories for the game?

Kataoka-San: We wanted to recreate as much of the multifaceted storyline of the final chapter as possible, and to make it a fun and immersive game as if you were a part of Fairy Tail, so we wanted the players to basically fight as the Fairy Tail team and we adjusted parts of the story for the game with the supervision of Mashima-sensei. So during the main story, we do not have plans to expand the side stories.

Maxi-Geek: Mavis was a big part of Zeref’s life long before the Fairy Tail fans know, will their story be included in this game?

Kataoka-San: Their story is a key element to understanding the story, so we have included it in this title.

Maxi-Geek: Something that has been mentioned is that players can explore the world, without load times. Was this something that the team wanted to put in from the start?

Kataoka-San: Yes, in order to recreate the situation in the original anime where the Alvarez Empire attacks from all sides, we have adopted a field where players can seamlessly run around the Kingdom of Fiore with Magnolia as its center. As a result, we were able to take a highly immersive approach to the story, in a way that we believe is a good match for this title.

Maxi-Geek: A big part of the Fairy Tail story are the characters and their connections to each other. Campfires are going to be a way for players to learn more about them. Were there any restrictions to these moments, or were you allowed to give your own spin on the conversations they were going to have?

Kataoka-San: For the original stories we were able to depict what we wanted. We received advice on the development of the story as well as supervision on the speaking patterns of the characters and choices for dialogue, so players can enjoy the Fary Tail-ness of the interactions.

Maxi-Geek: There are many gamers who may not be able to keep up with a real-time battle system. What considerations have the team brought to the game, so those players can still enjoy the title?

Kataoka-San: In the real-time battles of this game, through the 'FAIRY RANK' system which increases through attacks, the battlefield heats up, and the Fairy Tail characters can be seen becoming even stronger during battles. This system allows for more intense and powerful combos, and also serves as an aid to users who are not good at action games so they can play with confidence!

For those who have a hard time clearing the game, we have prepared a “Story” difficulty level that makes it harder to lose. The difficulty can be changed at any time in the field, and we hope they will take advantage of it.

Maxi-Geek: Game development can be a hard process, were there any times during the creation of this game, that made you smile?

Kataoka-San: Even in the midst of hard work, there are always moments that bring a smile to my face, and I always try to enjoy working on a project. The biggest moments for me are when we receive comments from Mashima-sensei saying he was pleased with what we had submitted for his supervision. I get so excited!

Maxi-Geek: Is there any part of the game, that you are excited for players to discover?

Kataoka-San: In battles, the central "FAIRY RANK" system is designed to heat things up and strengthen you as you attack, so it matches how battles develop and progress in the FAIRY TAIL series and I think players will enjoy this similar feel.

While there are many real-time JRPGs, and there may be similar types of battles, I think this battle cycle is a very good representation of something unique to the FAIRY TAIL IP.

Maxi-Geek: Finally, I would be remiss not to ask this, but which character from Fairy Tail is your favourite one?

Kataoka-San: To be honest, I found myself changing that answer more and more during the story (laughs), but if I had to choose, I admire Gildarts' strong fatherly ways!

Many thanks to Kataoka-San for answering our questions. If you want to read our preview for the game, you can do that here. As for when you can play it, the game will release for Switch and PlayStation on December 13th, with PC getting it on December 12th.