Developers: MASUDATARO, veryOK, Tiny Cactus Studio
Genres: Indie game, Casual game, Sports
Platform: Microsoft Windows
Publisher: Kodansha
Popular manga are typically adapted into little mobile apps or big role-playing adventures. Fairy Tail has been adapted in both ways over the years, with the guild’s exploits appearing on phones and consoles alike.
Recently, Fairy Tail’s publisher took a more unique approach to their interpretations. The Kodansha Game Creator’s Lab pays indie developers 10 million yen (about $70,000) per year to produce games. Undoubtedly, Fairy Tail: Dungeons was a resounding success, with lone developer Ginolabo putting Natsu, Happy, and the group in a combat-focused deckbuilder. Unfortunately, Fairy Tail’s next indie adaptation isn’t as triumphant.
Some solid foundations.
Unquestionably, Fairy Tail: Beach Volleyball Havok is conceptually sound, transporting its characters to the beach for a magically charged sports match. There are moments of undeniable potential, such as a player select screen featuring stylized pin-ups of Lucy and Juvia, as well as some beefcake from shirtless Zeref and Laxus. And, while Beach Volleyball Havok has some severe flaws, the game’s playables are exceptional. You’ll begin with a few characters before progressively unlocking a collection of 32 different mages.
Havok aims for accessibility. Each game is a two-on-two encounter that simplifies the sport to serve, set, and spike, with each team attempting to score four points to win. On-court highlighting, like most versions of the sport, indicates where the ball will land. Digs allow for imprecise positioning, so your character simply needs to be near an icon to protect the ball from hitting the ground. Pacing is generally casual, and the ball can travel from one half of the court to the other in seconds.
Destroyed by Sorcery
The opening few shots of a match are definitely functional, taking players back to the more straightforward interpretation of the game that games like Super Dodge Ball and Mario Tennis provided. However, as teams go by, lacrima gems—which are collected to power magical abilities—start to cover the court. With over a hundred spells, Volleyball Havok is a powerful spell-casting game. Some of the spells are hilarious visual gags, such making characters muscle-bound or submerging the entire court. Enchantment Time also gives each team a fresh spell anytime someone scores.
Though the formula makes sense in principle, in practice it quickly devolves into chaos. The enchantment gets stronger after a few baskets, producing wild visual effects like severe screen judder, undetectable players, or thick clouds that block out a whole side of the floor. Sports games have always included elements of chaos, such as the erratic ball paths in Mario Tennis and the Squid Ink splashes in Mario Kart. However, it’s much more than just a small annoyance here, sometimes transforming Beach Volleyball Havok into a chaotic scene.
Just me vs the guild.
AI deficiencies exacerbate these concerns. Although your CPU-powered teammate is a capable partner, your opponent’s behavior lacks consistency and logic. Volleys can sometimes go longer than a minute. Other times, they’ll completely miss a slow and basic serve return for no apparent reason. As a result, the game’s single player component provides minimal enjoyment. You won’t feel like your skills are developing because your opponents are so unpredictable. Even worse, there is no method to change the difficulty of the opponent AI.
If you truly want to expose others to the on-screen turmoil, Beach Volleyball Havok can handle up to four human players. Unfortunately, multiplayer games come with a set of limitations: you cannot remap inputs, therefore playing with others requires a controller. Given that there is no online matchmaking, the other option is to use Steam Remote Play, which forces your buddies to use their phones. As a result, I didn’t try out the game’s team-based features.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, volleyball does not inspire many game adaptations, so you’ll have to play Beach Spikers on the Gamecube or import a copy of Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Scarlet to get some simulated digs. Fairy Tail: Beach Volleyball Havok hits the secondaries with fan art, great character portraits, and a spirited soundtrack, but it falls short as a sports game.
Review Overview
Gameplay – 60%
Controls – 70%
Aesthetics – 65%
Content – 50%
Accessibility – 75%
Value – 55%
Overall Rating – 60%
Fair
Summary: “Fairy Tail: Beach Volleyball Havok offers a casual beach volleyball experience featuring beloved characters from the Fairy Tail series. While enjoyable in short bursts, its shallow gameplay and limited content may not satisfy players looking for deeper gameplay experiences.”