A spike of Nostalgia for the franchise’ true Fans

HAIKYU FLY HIGH is a thrilling volleyball-themed RPG from Garena. Based on the popular anime series “Haikyu!!,” the game brings back iconic moments as well as a tight grind from the beginning. The game was released in July this year. Before the release, it opened pre-registration in January 2024 and was released in Japan in March, the same year. As I’ve been playing HAIKYU!! FLY HIGH for quite a while now, let’s share my thoughts as a review.

I have played the game on multiple devices. I used the Samsung S20 FE Snapdragon 865 5G Version 2 and iPad 9th Gen simultaneously. On both devices, it was a new experience. While the bigger screen provided a console-like gameplay, the mobile one is a fun port.

If you’re just starting, we have covered some guides for the game. You can go through the redeem codes and beginner’s guide for a head start. Let us know what else you need, and we’ll make sure you get the latest updates.

Easy gameplay mechanics, but you will be managing a team that you cannot control

Each match in HAIKYU!! FLY HIGH is played for only three points. So the matches are super quick, and before you get goosebumps or start to feel something, the game’s over. Another issue is that you’ll be responsible for clicking. The game doesn’t allow you to control the actual gameplay. Rather, you can only select where to serve, wait for the perfect tap, make the serve right and tap on the block, and smash. Yes, that’s it for you.

The game mechanics work a bit differently as you are not in total control of the team or the players. Unlike other RPGs, where you can decide each move, this game does that of its own. The players will move based on your direction, but you cannot control their skills; rather, they will do it themselves.

This is the best I can explain the mechanics in a line, haha! The game definitely turned out to be a manager mode, but with other flexibilities. Sometimes you will feel bored, while you will be super relaxed while playing. Why say so? Because you won’t need to think about every move or set a deeply researched strategy to fight in each game.

Let’s talk about the game modes. Yes, there are a few modes in the game; you start with the challenge section. The main story unfolds after you spend just over an hour or so (after level 10), and it runs parallel with the challenge missions. So, if you want to progress, just focus on clearing challenges. Challenges, story, mini games, and events will be your primary sources of getting inventory items and currencies.

Build your dream team strategically and win matches with ease

The game allows you to enter new matches continuously; you shouldn’t bother about the strategy much except for building a team with a high rating. Why is that? Because when it comes to setting up your strategy, there are some things that you can control and some you can’t.

Such as the bond system; if your team players are from the same school, you get a bond buff. There are two kinds of bonds. Besides, you need to choose players based on their positions and upgrade their skills accordingly.

So, your team rating basically depends on how much your rating is and the role-wise levels of your players. So, the choices become simple: grind and make a balanced team by upgrading your players. The go-to choice will obviously be the SSR characters and then the rest. Since you won’t need to set up much strategy and plan, you will enjoy it.

Make sure to upgrade your players to avoid missing out on wins

Oh, I forgot another thing. You’re also in charge of upgrading your players. How? Yes, you’ve got it, by spending money! The game asks you to spend money each time you enter. Apart from that, you cannot enjoy PvP mode, which could have been a great addition to this game.

Rather, it is only about team rating. If you have more rating than your opponent, you’re certain to win it; nothing else is needed. The game is full of money-grabbing ads. Generally, you spend money in stores and on passes. But this game gave in-app purchases a new genre, as any option you choose will take you to a purchase notice or offer.

Experience the true passion of high school volleyball with amazing visuals and voice acting

The very first thing you will notice after entering the arena is that the game looks super clean. The cutscenes are original, I mean, not taken from the animation; rather, they gave a fine touch to remodel it. It will make you feel like playing a perfect sports RPG on mobile without any second thought.

The main story unlocks after you complete training mode 2-3, and then you can hop on to the world of flying high! It starts with Shoyo Hinata‘s fifth year of elementary school. His passion for winning and becoming the top in court leads the main story, along with other small side missions.

The game has original voice-overs from the anime series. You should feel your heart pounding moments with every stunning spike and block. The visuals are soothing, and the ultimate animations for each player will take you through the game. From Hinata and Kageyama’s seamless “Quick Attack” to Oikawa’s powerful jump serves, to Kuroo’s masterful blocks, the game is successful in delivering what it says.

Coming back to the game UI, it is simple. You will know where to find what just after 30 minutes or so. But things could have been way less than what the screen houses now, as you can enter into a lot of pages through each primary menu. So I think the title could have made the home screen a bit clearer.

Plenty of Resources are on offer, but SSR characters still rely heavily on gacha

The game mechanics are improved over those of the predecessor, Haikyu!! TOUCH THE DREAM. Now, this one gives tons of free stuff, but those can drown you in losing side if not used accordingly.

The freebies are mainly EXP, Gold, and Recruit Tickets, which don’t get you good stuff; rather, they’re to encourage you to keep playing. These rewards will be from login events, daily events, challenge mode, training, and even some mini games, including a trivia challenge, which doesn’t make any sense unless you research a bit about the questions or watch the series.

The gacha system is the heart of the game to pull SSR players, but again, the chances are severely low if you’re pulling by using the regular tickets. But on top of everything, the game is great. The animations are awesome, the skills and ultimate for each player are real, and so energetic that you won’t want to miss anything at all.

In-app purchases: The only place where your strategy is important!

How many times can you ignore the pop-ups? Let’s say you do bypass them and are not bothered by the ads. Still, you will need to spend something to form a decent team. The gacha system does let you pull SSR characters, but the possibility is below 1% so you should spend some if you’re planning something with it.

For F2P players, the regular recruitment tickets are okayish. The game will offer you some premium tickets as well, but those are limited to early game characters so far, as I have played and experienced. For a game that doesn’t let me control much, I won’t spend that much. On the other hand, it does provide the original feeling, so I wouldn’t complain much either. The rest is up to you!

Final Thoughts

If I come to a decision on whether the game is good or not, I would first make some points. The gameplay is engaging and will take you to the original and raw world of competition, throwing you into the tough and strategic world of HAIKYU!! The game has evolved significantly since its inception, and we can expect a steady improvement in everything it offers now.

However, it doesn’t let you have much control like a football game, where you control who to pass to, how to throw, or where to shoot. You can only perform some simple a nd quick taps here. But overall, the heavy impact on freshening your mind that this game has is another level.

Now, should you play the game? Yes, definitely. Even if you’re not an anime fan or haven’t watched the series, you will love the game. You will get relaxed, thrilled, and though you won’t be feeling the intensity as matches are as long as a minute, you will catch the differences in it from the other games.

That’s all from us for the HAIKYU!! FLY HIGH Review! Did you find the review helpful? Let me know in the comments below!

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