Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force

But I guess that’s the rub of doing a review. If I stopped after my first playthrough, I wouldn’t be recommending it. With two under my belt, I recognize I could have had a great time with Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force had I just done the opposite of what all the characters told me to do. It’s quite the Jekyll and Hyde situation, one I can easily recommend to Compile Heart fans, but only endorse for non-fans on the stipulation they don’t listen to Tiara and Eryn.

Compile Heart has taken measures to amend major issues with the plot, but players must first endure some poor design decisions.

Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force is an enjoyable, though not groundbreaking RPG.

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.

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.

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 an honest port with added narrative arcs that enhance its longevity. While not revolutionary, it offers a functional and well-realized gameplay experience, albeit with some repetitiveness and technical limitations.

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 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.

Fairy Fencer F Advent Dark Force is a deceptively simple game housing some deep customization options. It's easy to get into if you're new to the series, while veterans will no doubt enjoy all of the new content that's been padded on. While it no doubt caters to a certain audience, Fairy Fencer F Advent Dark Force does show both promise and potential in the niche market.