Everything you need to know about the Fairy Tale anime before playing the game

Fairy Tale has been around a long time before the 2020 PlayStation 4 game. After starting as a serialized manga in Weekly Shōnen Magazine, the fantasy adventure series has grown into a popular anime with 328 episodes spread over a decade. That's a lot to catch up on if you're a newcomer looking to get into the game, but it's quite accessible with the way it borrows from shōnen and fantasy tropes.

The story stars protagonist Natsu Dragneel, your classic orphan with spiky pink hair and a plethora of magical abilities. He is a member of the wizarding guild for which the series is named and is on a quest to find the dragon (and his foster father), Igneel. There are a lot of twists and turns along the way as he gathers friends, grows his group, and progresses through his guild ranks. It practically feels ready to be a JRPG, and the game comes across as a wonderful hybrid of the Dragon Quest and Monster Hunter franchises with its own Fairy Tale spin on formula. The game will feature a whole new original story, but it's always worth knowing where the game fits into the larger narrative.

Pick up in the middle

Fairy tale because the PS4 will drop players right in the middle of the action, starting at the end of the Tenrou Island arc. This fan-favorite story arc - about our heroes' expedition to become S-Class mages and the ensuing war between demons and fairies - is about a quarter of the way through the anime, spanning episodes 96 through 122. From there, the game includes both new beats and reiterations of classic episodes from the anime. If you haven't seen the anime or read the manga, however, the game includes some features to catch up with you.

In the town of Magnolia in the game, you can visit the original Fairy Tale guild hall where there is a specific area called “Lucy's House”. This location will function as an archive of all things Fairy Tale. In Lucy's House, you can catch up with Fairy Tale Story until the point where the game begins. You can also check out the collectibles you've collected over the course of the game, review the cutscenes, and hang out while learning about the many characters.

If you're looking to update or refresh your memory on the million things that happen in Fairy Tale, head to the river that runs through Magnolia and find the Old Guild Hall. It's worth the detour!