Idea Factory International has revealed more details about Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord, the latest entry of the Fairy Fencer F series, which is coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam in Spring 2023.
Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord is a tactical RPG that breaks the formula of its predecessor. Details about its battle systems, customization, and other elements were revealed, along with information about its soundtrack.
Preorders for Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord are now available at select retailers. The Standard and Limited Edition will be available to wishlist from the IFI Online Stores at a later date. Those who purchase either the Standard Edition or Limited Edition at the IFI Online Stores will also receive an exclusive trading card.
▍Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord Gameplay Overview
A new frontier of tactical FFF brought to you by the power of song!
In Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord, players will fight strategic battles on a grid with height differences. Combined with character orientation, Fairize, and field height, the best feature of the game will be used in battle: the power of Song!
Fairize to boost your stats!
Fairizing is a transformation featured in the Fairy Fencer F world. As you Fairize, stats will increase dramatically. There are also character-specific special abilities during Fairize. They come with different attack ranges and effects, for which players will find them very effective.
The ever-changing strategy of the Muse’s Song
The Fairy Aria, the song of the Muse, is a special ability that will greatly strengthen allies within range. Since only those within range of the song will receive this effect, its position is a key piece for the battle.
The Muse sings by borrowing the power of the Fairy imbued in her microphone, and she can grant boosts to her allies, which could change the tide of battle.
When the songs of ally and enemy Muses overlap, a “Dramatic Resonance” activates and the effects of the songs will be duplicated. The songs mix like a musical duet and the double-vocal track will liven up the battlefield. Taking wise advantage of this high-risk, high-performance mechanic that boosts both allies and enemies can turn the fight around.
▍Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord Battle System
■ Battle Prep Screen
With this feature, it is possible to change the organization of the party, the location of the characters, and their equipment. There can be a total of 6 units, so check all enemy types and locations on the map, and deploy the most optimal units. You can also check the win and loss requirements here.
■ Basics of Combat
On your unit’s turn, you first select a destination to move to. Once you move, you can select from the following actions: Attack, Skills, Object, and Wait.
Also, if certain conditions are met, you can activate “Fairize” and transform your unit!
– Attack: A regular attack that you can unleash without using SP. Depending on the unit, their weapons differ, and so will their attack range and attack power.
– Skills: Various skills you can unleash by using SP. There are four categories: Physical, Magic, Trap, and Special, each with its own characteristics.
– Item: You can use items you possess.
– Wait: You will end your turn without doing anything.
■ Fairy Aria
A Song Skill that is exclusive to the Muse Fleur. It’s possible to select and activate several songs with different effects, and the strengthening effect is given to all ally units within range. Because the effect will disappear if outside of the range, the positioning of Fleur and ally units becomes an important point.
Also, when the Fairy Aria is activated, the battle BGM changes to the song, which not only gives direct effects but increases the excitement for players.
– Range: A special command only available while singing. It will increase the effective range of the song.
– Intensity: A special command only available while singing. It will amplify the strengthening effect of the song.
Players will have to decide which song they’ll choose for a certain effect, and whether they’ll choose to increase the range or intensity of the song when the next turn comes around. The battlefield will change drastically based on the player’s choice.
■ Dramatic Resonance
When both the ally and enemy Muses begin singing, Dramatic Resonance will active. The area where their song ranges overlap becomes the Resonance Area, and the songs’ effects will increase dramatically.
Caution is necessary as both enemies and allies will be strengthened, but if you can control the high-risk, high-reward Resonance Area, you’ll gain a huge advantage in battle.
■ Soul Gift
A special mechanic where allied units that battle alongside each other can receive benefits. Before and after a unit moves, they will receive a Soul Gift from any ally units that are positioned in a straight line away from them. As you can receive multiple effects from good positioning, the locations of your units become critical.
■ Avalanche Rush
When the ally-shared “Avalanche Gauge” reaches its max capacity, a powerful rush attack can be activated. All ally units within attack range will deal damage to all enemies within attack range, so their positioning will be an important point. The Avalanche Gauge increases when ally units attack.
When activated within range of a Fairy Aria, it transforms into an even more powerful Avalanche Harmonics, which not only increases attack power and range but also inflicts additional effects onto the enemy.
■ Fairize
When the Fairize Gauge is maxed from actions taken during the battle, it becomes possible to Fairize, which allows the unit to transform by resonating with their partner Fairy. Not only does the unit’s stats greatly increase when transformed, but they also are able to perform a unique special move. The gauge depletes as you’re transformed and ends when it reaches 0, so the timing of transforming is important.
▍Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord Customization System
You can train your party to your liking with the polished yet familiar Customization system, where you can change character equipment, give partner Fairies points, strengthen and equip Sub-Fairies, and more.
■ Fairy Strengthening
By strengthening Fairies using FP (Fairy Points) that you gain during battles, you can gain various benefits! There are two types of Fairies: Partner Fairies and Sub-Fairies.
■ Partner Fairies
Fairies are unique partners to each character. By strengthening them, they increase their stats, as well as learn skills and abilities. There are character-specific skills within the possible skills that can be learned as well.
■ Sub-Fairies
There are over 40 Sub-Fairies, and like Partner Fairies, by strengthening them their stats increase, and they learn skills and abilities. The large difference is that they can be equipped and unequipped at will, and the skills and abilities a character can use, as well as what kind of attributes and stats they gain, differ depending on the Fairy.
Also, Sub-Fairies can gain Custom Skills and Custom Abilities, which are able to be used even when said Fairy isn’t equipped.
■ Equipment
Within Equipment, there’s Armor, Accessories, and Fragments. You can obtain armor and accessories not just from drops during battle or from shops, but from item synthesis as well.
Fragments are special equipment that contains the Soul Gift effect that activates during battle. You can obtain them through this game’s unique treasure-hunting system, Location Shaping.
▍Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord Additional Elements
■ Special Fairies only a Muse can equip
New Fairies appear in this game. They are special Fairies that only the Muse Fleur can equip, and she can obtain a new song from each Fairy! Song Fairies can be obtained from quests you take on at the Pub or during Location Shaping.
■ View the Branching Endings
In this game, the story will greatly diverge in the middle. How will both of the story split end?!
During the story, Lola will check your progress on collecting Furies. Your Fury collection progress just might influence how the story goes…
– Individual Epilogues
At the end of the story, there’s an individual epilogue for the characters you’ve gotten closest to. Play until the end to see what kind of epilogue each character will have.
■ Get Rewards by Clearing Missions!
Aside from the quests you can accept at the Pub, there are Missions that you can clear by achieving certain conditions.
You can gain rewards like item recipes and Furies by clearing Missions such as “Use Skills X times during battle” or “Use Location Shaping X times”. If you meet the conditions, you can acquire the rewards for clearing it immediately.
■ New Discoveries With Location Shaping
Location Shaping is a treasure-hunting system unique to this game, where you stab Furies (weapons) into the World Map to stimulate the earth, allowing you to find various treasures. You might not only get rare equipment and items, but you might find new battle stages?!
▍Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord Soundtrack
In Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord, a special effort was put into the soundtrack, where multiple well-known Japanese singers and composers participated in the crafting of each of the themes featured in the game. Yui Ishikawa, Miyuki Hashimoto, Nami Tamaki, and Aoi Fuji are four of the singers who contributed to making the music of the muses shine.
ZIZZ Studio, a Japanese music production company, handled all the vocal songs that the Muses sing. They have also created the themes for various Galapagos RPG titles, such as the Fairy Fencer F series, the Mary Skelter series, Neptunia Virtual Stars, and others.
The Opening theme song for the game is “Notes of Faith” by Fleur (CV: Yui Ishikawa) with lyrics by Katuo Kawasumi, composed and arranged by Yoh Ohyama. The Ending theme songs are: “Kioku no Hazama” by marble, and “Hikari no Kodou” by Reika Kisumi, both themes with lyrics by micco, composed and arranged by Tatsuya Kikuchi.
■ Fleur’s Music
– “Notes of Faith” by Yui Ishikawa
– “The Pledging Petal” by Yoko Ishida
– “Memories of the Key” by nicamoq
– “Seed of the Sign” by Miyuki Hashimoto
– “Eternal Fairy Tale” by Luna Haruna
– “Shadow Boundary” by Saki Mitsuki (Masked Girl)
■ Glace’s Music
– “Frozen Polar Nights” by Yoko Hikasa
– “Ignis Fatuus” by Kaori Oda
– “The Fool” by Nami Tamaki
– “Fruit of Evil” by Aoi Fuji
– “Curse of a Thousand Nights” by Aira Yuuki
– “Fire in the Crescent Moon” by Chihiro Yonekura