I’ll admit, I have no real knowledge of Edens Zero’s source material. All I knew going in was that Edens Zero is an anime and manga series by the same man who created Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima. It was an impulse urge to review this one, and after digging into it a bit, I don’t regret it.

Edens Zero is an action RPG that slowly lets you experience the story of Edens Zero, along with new material penned by Hiro Mashima himself. You can either work your way through story mode, experiencing the story through missions, or, after a certain point, you can enjoy Exploration Mode. Exploration Mode allows you to enjoy a sort of “Open World” experience, where you can explore Blue Garden and take on quests for the guild.

What I find interesting is that there are parts of Edens Zero that align with Fairy Tail. It isn’t just the same writer, either. There are elements in Edens Zero (such as Lacrima) that connect to Fairy Tail, which makes me wonder if Edens Zero’s world is a sort of far-future sequel of Fairy Tail.

As you progress through the Story Mode, you unlock characters for your party, such as Shiki, Rebecca, Weiss, and many of their friends and allies. Each character plays differently, with unique combos and attacks. Though you can only play one at a time, you can have a party of four, which you can switch between at will.

The combat isn’t exactly revolutionary. There are limited combos that expand as you unlock each character’s skill tree through leveling. The controls are a little clunky, but if you played a beat-em-up or Action RPG from the PS3 or PS4 era, then you’ll probably feel at home here.

There is no English dub, so if you have a hard time with subtitles, then you’ll have a hard time here. There is even some text that isn’t translated, although anything vital to playing and understanding what’s happening is translated well enough.

The exploration and gameplay are fun overall, the soundtrack is well done, and the environment is absolutely gorgeous. The storytelling is fantastic, too. Even without having seen the anime or read the manga, I quickly grew attached to Shiki and his friends without having to try very hard to get invested.

Is Edens Zero a noteworthy Action RPG that you should run out and buy immediately? No. However, I think it is definitely a fun experience that would be great for kids and fans of either Fairy Tail or the Edens Zero anime or manga. Even non-fans who might want to try something new will find something to enjoy here.

Overall, I just wouldn’t go in expecting that Edens Zero is going to be some sort of revolutionary experience. There are collectibles throughout the open world, the side quests are somewhat interesting, but the real draw is being able to experience Edens Zero’s story piece by piece, along with the new content.

A PC Review copy of Edens Zero was provided by Konami for the purposes of this review.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!

Edens Zero

$59.99

8.5

Score

8.5/10

Pros

• Gorgeous Visuals
• New story elements from the author
• Beautiful soundtrack

Cons

• Repetitive Combat
• Clunky Controls