Many anime fans are awaiting the release of the Gust-developed adventure RPG Fairy Tail. The IP has gained fame from its wildly popular manga and anime series as well as its charming cast of characters. So, a lot rides on this release, which may have been a factor as to why the developer delayed the game’s release to improve its systems and features.

We had a chance to speak with Fairy Tail producer Keisuke Kikuchi and discuss what has been added to the game as well as what fans expect from this RPG experience.

Azario Lopez Fairy Tail was delayed recently to polish the game. What did the additional time allow you to add to Fairy Tail in terms of new mechanics or systems? Which areas of the game were able to improve?

Keisuke Kikuchi: We utilized the additional time to brush up on various aspects of the game, including gameplay mechanics, game balance, and visual effects.

In particular, we improved on three major game mechanics.

First off, FAIRY TAIL’s creator Hiro Mashima oversaw and helped create new Unison Raids, all of which are exclusive to this game and did not appear in the original manga. We are confident players will enjoy these new attacks which can only be experienced in FAIRY TAIL.

Our team also improved the rank system, a feature in the game which allows players to upgrade their favorite character. Points received from completing requests can be freely assigned in order to increase a character’s rank. For example, as a mage increases in rank, they learn new skills and gain access to additional features. This allows each character to become stronger in aspects that differ from those received when leveling up.

Players can also utilize various materials to produce a variety of equipable Lacrima. Our team increased the total number of available Lacrima and improved their functions so that players can make even greater use of this system.

In addition to game mechanics, we also worked on a number of other aspects of FAIRY TAIL. The camera and visual effects during battles were improved, along with lighting and object behavior in order to enhance the game’s atmosphere. Character animations and facial expressions during events were refined as well.

Finally, we made great efforts to increase the balance of boss attack patterns and attack strength, along with fine-tuning the distribution of experience points among party members and in other aspects of the game as well.

AL: There are a few new characters being added to the roster, as a fan of the Fairy Tail series was boosting up the roster of playable characters something that you were looking forward too? Can you tease any unannounced characters?

KK: As there are so many characters in the original manga, we had trouble choosing who we were going to add to the game. In the base game, there will be 16 playable characters, but in the near future, we should be able to introduce additional characters that will temporarily assist your party.

AL: Are players able to play through the game as the same characters or do you encourage them to try new combinations of party members?

KK: There are two ways that parties are formed in the game: parties organized automatically based on events that occur in the story, and parties that the player can freely customize. Because of this, I’d recommend that players work on leveling up a number of characters as they play through the game. Some party compositions can only be realized in this game, such as a full team of S-Class Mages or an all-girls team. I hope that players can have fun with a number of different party compositions, ranging from teams that represent their fondness for the FAIRY TAIL series or a party born from their own imagination.

AL: Given that the game is based in the town of Magnolia, are there things for players to discover if they explore? Such as easter eggs or optional events?

KK: There are. In the town or fields, you can collect many hidden items that will provide you with nice rewards. Please try and look for them by searching a number of areas in the game.

AL: Do you have plans to implement a photo mode in the game?

KK: We also received the same request from FAIRY TAIL’s creator Hiro Mashima. The development team is discussing a number of ideas, but exactly what form the photo mode will take is still being discussed. However, I would definitely like to prepare this feature in the future.

AL: Considering DLC is often a big topic amongst Koei Tecmo fans, do you have plans for post-launch DLC in terms of extra costumes or additional missions? Will players be able to unlock costumes through story gameplay?

KK: As FAIRY TAIL has a lot of characters and costumes, we are planning to provide DLC so that players can continue to enjoy new content even after the initial release. In addition, we are preparing costumes for the base game as well.

AL: Is there anything you’d like to say to fans awaiting the release of Fairy Tail?

KK: We are sorry for the delay, but with the extra time our team will be able to provide players with a powered-up version of FAIRY TAIL. We ask that you wait a little longer for the finished product. All of the messages we receive from fans via social media really gives us the power we need to keep moving forward on this game. Please look forward to new details and trailers in the near future!

Fairy Tail is coming to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on June 26 and June 25 for PC.