Fairune 2 (Nintendo 3DS) Review

Released at the tail end of 2016, Fairune 2 takes it inspiration from The Legend of Zelda, including its visual representation, puzzle elements, and use of a single-screen display that scrolls from area to area. The combat works ever so slightly different in that, rather than swinging a sword, the player just abruptly bumps into the enemies. This takes the enjoyment of defeating enemies out of the whole thing, although this concept is mainly used to help guide the player.

Only enemies of equal, or one level higher, can be defeated with ease, or without sustaining damage, hindering progress should a different route be taken. Defeating enemies provides more XP and, therefore, allows for a levelling up process, which in turn permits the player to go against stronger enemies. This progression system guides the heroes through the adventure, and, evidently, the difficulty curve is hardly existent, just like in its predecessor.

If anything, exploring the map is far more important than slaying enemies, as it uncovers a range of items, but, more importantly, reveals pathways that are needed to progress, so it is highly encouraged to discover the nooks and crannies of each area. This doesn't really punish dying, although some items do happen to end up going missing. Fairune 2 boasts a much more expansive map to explore than its predecessor, which in turn boosts its length to around the six-to-seven-hour mark, compared with the original, two-to-three-hour adventure.

The Fairune series feels more at home on the 3DS than it does on iOS and Android systems, with tight controls including a real d-pad, and a standard 8-bit-style soundtrack. The original has been listed for much cheaper, or even free, on mobile platforms, which can be a great entry to the series but for a fraction more this improved sequel can be purchased on the 3DS, and really appease fans of traditional 8-bit style games.