The initial reveal of the Final Fantasy VII remake was met with seemingly unanimous applause just a few months ago. Now that details of its release format and gameplay have been revealed, it seems fans have become a bit divided over this bold reimagining. I have yet to complete the original PS1 version of Final Fantasy VII, but the good third or so of it that I have played, I very much enjoyed. I still prefer Final Fantasy IV, but I cannot deny how well VII has aged, nor can I deny its role as one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed video games of all time.
Which brings me to my first point: given just how well-liked Final Fantasy VII is, someone somewhere was going to be let down with at least one decision or another. It’s the nature of the beast, and probably part of the reason that Square Enix was so apprehensive to try and recreate this game in years past. Even less heavily altered updates to classic games like the 3DS ports of the N64 Legend of Zelda titles were met with criticisms regarding changes made to their save systems and the inclusion of helpful hints for gamers who may have been too young to have experienced Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask during their original release.
Also, Final Fantasy VII is a very large game, in both scale and assets. This can be said about most Final Fantasy titles, yes, but each of the areas that Cloud and company visit are full of detail, with many rooms or sections to explore, not to mention the vast expanses beyond the walls of Midgar. And given that the developers intend to add more content than was originally included in the PS1 release, it kind of makes sense that they would want to take their time and stagger the release process instead of dropping it all at once, with less content than they had planned. So long as the remake of Final Fantasy VII is released in reasonably-sized chunks at a relatively consistent rate, I see no problem with this plan. If anything, the feedback Square Enix receives from each installment will help to improve their efforts on the next one.
I admit, I’m not entirely sold on their decision to utilize a new battle system. In my opinion, ATB is one of the best battle systems in any JRPG to date, and as the old saying goes: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” At the same time, the recent gameplay trailer only offered us quick glimpses of the new battle system, and I don’t think anyone outside of Square Enix is entirely sure as to how the combat works just yet.
I’m a big fan of the character designs for Cloud and Barret. Barret is a reasonably-proportioned human instead of some cartoonish hulking goliath, while Cloud looks tall and thin, much like his in-battle character model from the PS1 version. I feel their voices are also incredibly appropriate, and so far (fingers crossed that this carries on through the rest of the remake) Barret does not appear to act the part of the racist caricature that he was in an era gone by. Obviously, only time will tell how the ultimate end product looks and plays, but I feel that this remake has quite the potential to do its original incarnation justice, and perhaps even improve upon some of the world’s locations and character interactions.
Once in a blue moon, I come across a video game that I would consider ‘definitive’ to its genre or series. Final Fantasy IV is one such game, taking the essence of what turn-based JRPGs are all about, and cranking the gameplay up a notch with the introduction of the active-time battle system. It takes the medieval fantasy aesthetic to fantastical settings, with a skeleton wall bearing down on Cecil Harvey and company deep below the surface of their world, a massive tower that bursts forth from the ground to loom over the countryside, and a journey to the moon in order to make the final strike against the true foe of this epic adventure. And while Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Yang, Cid, and the rest of the playable cast were a lovable, iconic bunch, the one character that I adored from the moment of her introduction to the climactic finale was Rydia of Mist.
I think it is not much of a stretch to say that Final Fantasy IV spoiled me, in a way, offering me such a perfect balancing of party members over the course of the game, Rydia being chief among them. She is unquestionably the greatest black mage I have encountered in a Final Fantasy title to date, a role that has long been a core element to my strategies in JRPGs. Even more impressive is the fact that, on top of this, she is also the best summoner I have encountered in the series. I have made mention a number of times that my experiences with the proper numbered Final Fantasy titles remains limited to about six games, but even in the company of other JRPGs that I very much enjoyed, like Persona 4, Rydia still stands out as a force to be reckoned with. She never feels overpowered, per se, but the sheer variety of summons and spells at her disposal late in Final Fantasy IV is incredible.
Her story is also quite well-written – simple enough to juggle with the narratives surrounding all the other major players in FFIV, but elaborate enough to give players a reason to care about her plight. When Cecil and Kain first encounter Rydia, she is saddened by the destruction brought upon her village by the Red Wings, the very team that Cecil and Kain serve, and the fact that the two dark knights inadvertently caused the death of her mother while fighting her Eidolon. All this sorrow and anger causes the young girl to call upon an Eidolon of her own, displaying firsthand to Cecil and Kain the unthinkable powers they have upset. Though their alliance is uneasy at first, Cecil’s decision to abandon his role as dark knight and seek out the underlying machinations involving Golbez leads Rydia to see him as someone more human and trustworthy than she initially believed.
After an attack at sea by Leviathan, the rest of the party believes the young girl has died, and mourns her, only to later discover she was taken to the Feymarch, home of the Eidolons. Because time passes faster in the Feymarch, Rydia was able to hone her skills as both black mage and summoner, growing from child into young woman, and returning to aid her friends and allies when they needed her most. As an adult, Rydia is more calm and collected, and carries a noticeable air of confidence about her. There is, however, a certain element of pep and feistiness to the way that she takes on foes in battle – perhaps due to the fact that, having improved all of her abilities, she knows that her Eidolons are capable of laying waste to as many foes might stand in her way.
This morning, my Twitter feed was abuzz with word of the first proper trailer for Persona 5. While Atlus did offer us a teaser in 2014, this new footage showed off more action-packed anime cutscenes in greater detail, as well as some of the dungeon-crawling and shop-browsing. While the majority of the response was positive, my own feelings toward the trailer were a tad mixed. To be fair, my experiences with the Persona series are relatively limited – I only played through Persona 4 within the past year and a half, am currently entering the late hours of Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, and have spent a grand total of about twenty minutes with Persona 4 Arena. With that in mind, I have very much enjoyed the Persona games as I’ve played them thus far, and even the anime adaptation of Persona 4 was a solid offering, despite its need to condense the forty-plus hours required to play through its video game counterpart.
The new Persona 5 trailer
I did notice, however, one particular tweet that stated how someone had watched both this new Persona 5 trailer and the Final Fantasy XV gameplay trailer back-to-back, and how they felt it 'put things in perspective'. While I can’t speak on their behalf, I can say that this individual’s particular post led me to go and rewatch the Final Fantasy XV gameplay trailer from the Tokyo Game Show 2014, and I have since drawn some conclusions about the presentations of both titles. Obviously these titles are both a ways off yet, and we don’t know everything about the final product, so this is less my attempt at gauging the final games themselves, rather my thoughts on what we know of them so far and some concerns I have with the angle both Atlus and Square Enix are taking in trying to sell these titles.
To be blunt, I have very little faith in Final Fantasy XV. It’s been repurposed from Final Fantasy Versus XIII, which spent nigh on a half-decade in development hell. It appears to follow the action RPG formula, and the last time an FF title did that (Final Fantasy XII), it was met with heavily polarized reception. Equally strange is how un-Final Fantasy this latest numbered entry looks. There seems to be some strange obsession in the industry today that because our consoles have higher graphical capabilities than ever before, developers ought to push highly-detailed and hyper-realistic character and environment models, instead of being creative and adventurous. The problem with this approach is that the aesthetic loses its identity. Instead of colorful monsters and exciting Chocobo rides, we have been treated to dull brown behemoths and futuristic armor-clad soldiers with less variety in textures than Final Fantasy XIII’s Psicom troops. And all of this is presented through the eyes of a small group of stereotypical dude-bros with pretty faces and silly hair, getting overly excited as they spot these uninspired designs from an equally boring high-end car - one that looks like it could be driving through the Hamptons this very minute. Even the earlier trailer that announced Versus XIII’s rebranding as FFXV highlighted some (again) all-too-familiar Mediterranean architecture. There are no suits of Magitek armor to be seen, no medieval knights boarding a fight to the moon, no massive structures that combine ancient culture and space-age tech in seemingly impossible fluidity. There is a complete absence glory and fanfare in the overall presentation - just a group of handsome guys on a road trip, and their 'oohs' and 'aahs' at the other in-game assets proved a failed attempt at trying to evoke the same reaction from me.
The TGS 2014 gameplay trailer for Final Fantasy XV
Persona 5’s trailer showcases what I can only assume to be the base cast – four characters, including the neutral-looking male protagonist, his two blonde-haired friends (one male, one female), and a cat. I say the ‘base cast’ because that was how Persona 4 operated – the game offered three playable characters almost immediately, with the fourth (Yukiko) added to your crew only a few hours into the experience. From there, the other party members (Kanji, Rise, Teddie, and Naoto, respectively) were gradually incorporated into the story. Today’s trailer highlighted some chandelier-hopping, stealthy dashes down a hallway, the different places around the city that will be visited, and a couple of the menu systems and shops. It’s a lot to throw at fans of the series right off the bat, but understanding just how narrative-driven Persona titles are (yes, even a spinoff like Persona Q), this trailer has merely shown the tip of the iceberg.
What little was shown of the gameplay evoked an overwhelmingly positive response from me – the dungeon-crawling looks slightly more free-form than in Persona 4, but relies on the same general layout and design as far as I can tell. The shops appear almost entirely unchanged, albeit with new faces running them, and there will apparently be ample time spent in class or hanging out with friends. Though no fusions were explicitly shown, the Velvet Room’s Igor made a brief appearance, indicating that the familiar Persona Compendium will make a return. The aesthetic direction of this latest numbered entry in the Persona series has me unsettled, however, as the emphasis on black, red, and white is strikingly similar to the currently-popular Danganronpa games/anime.
I realize that aesthetic appeal is not something that everyone weighs with the same degree of importance. But for me, I at least want to enjoy looking at what it is that is on the screen in front of me, especially when I’m going to be spending anywhere between forty hours or more with a game. I might not be so disappointed with these four P5 characters if three of them were not such simply boring designs. The protagonist bears a striking resemblance to Vincent from Atlus’ surrealistic puzzle stacker, Catherine. Meanwhile, the blonde boy and girl have very few defining characteristics. I feel this is in part due to the darker color palette of Persona 5, as it emphasizes black suit jackets and pants for their school uniforms, and there similarly do not appear to be many distinguishing features in their bandit/super hero/vigilante costumes aside from them having different colors (which are, again, under dark lighting). I will give Atlus props on the cartoony, scarf-donning cat, who is easily the standout crew member at this point. But whereas Kanji was instantly recognizable thanks to his skull t-shirts and refusal to wear his jacket properly, Naoto's hat and coat quite becoming of a mysterious young detective, and Yosuke's headphone's and sharp smile subtle nods to his being the child of a successful business-owning family, the P5 cast - at least, as they stand right now - fall into territory that could easily have them confused for Danganronpa or generic characters from any other contemporary anime.
Final Fantasy XIII does not use the exact combat system of its predecessors, but that’s kind of a pattern the series has followed all along – trying new spins on an old classic. FFXIII utilizes a variant of the ATB battle system introduced way back in Final Fantasy IV, and puts you in control of three characters at a time, requiring you to rotate through your lineup of roles (known as paradigm shifts) in order to fight foes. While it is true that the game does not require you to be particularly involved with selecting specific attacks seeing as auto-battle will generally select the most useful magic or physical attack, FFXIII’s fast-paced combat will ask that you remain attentive and ready to switch party roles at a moment’s notice. As a result, the combat is less chaotic and frenetic and more fluid and methodical.
The only real gripe that I have with Final Fantasy XIII is that the side quests are all centered around the concept of tracking down increasingly stronger creatures and slaying them in order to unlock Xbox 360 achievements/PS3 trophies. While you can technically continue grinding during the game’s later hours in order to fully level up your party members and expand their crystarium, the roles you’ve assigned them up to that point should complement each other impeccably – each character basically starts off on two primary roles (in the case of Snow, these are Sentinel and Ravager), and then a third is recommended to both further specialize your party members as well as cover potential gaps in your strategies. Unlike many a JRPG, it offers opportunities for grinding for experience points without actually requiring it.
For my first foray into the core Final Fantasy games, FFXIII was a strong start. It’s not perfect and I have since discovered elements of other Final Fantasy titles that I prefer over some of what FFXIII has to offer. But nearly everything that FFXIII brings to the table is handled very well. During the forty plus hours it takes to complete the main game, there is ample time to develop each of the six main characters as well as explore the lore of the Fabula Nova Crystallis universe without the terminology going completely over your head. I loved Lightning and Sazh, I came to appreciate Snow, Fang, and Hope and everything they offered to the party. But in a most unexpected turn of events, Vanille, the bubbly girl who I expected might get annoying rather quickly, proved to be the most deep and engaging of the bunch.
Originally released in 1991 and first known stateside as Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy IV played a key role in setting the popular RPG series on the road to stardom, bringing a number of important gameplay mechanics and story elements into play that would heavily influence future Final Fantasy titles. As part of Square Enix's celebration of the series' twentieth anniversary, Final Fantasy IV saw a complete overhaul for a re-release on the DS. What resulted is a handheld version that feels fresh and up-to-date with current RPGs, but still retains its 1990s roots.
The story of Final Fantasy IV sticks close to the classic medieval fantasy origins of the RPG genre. It follows the story of the dark knight Cecil as he uncovers a plot by Golbez, who plans to steal all the crystals in the land and place both king and country under his influence. Upon witnessing the terror and destruction that Golbez's forces are capable of, Cecil questions his own motives for defending the country he formerly believed to be of pure intent. During his journey of re-discovering who he is and what he stands for, Cecil carries on a friendship/rivalry with his fellow knight Kain Highwind, has romantic ties with Rosa, and even becomes something of an adoptive elder brother to Rydia of the Mist. A host of other characters also join the fight against Golbez, including tough-as-nails engineer Cid, cocky ninja Edge, calm and collected monk warrior Yang, old sage Tellah, brother and sister duo Palom and Porom, and the rather effeminate bard Edward.
During the first half of the game, members of the party will frequently swap in and out due to scripted events. It can be a bit frustrating at times, when you have finally gotten used to the combat style of a certain character, only to have them suddenly whisked away. But the primary reason for this is to familiarize you with the many different approaches to combat. The game takes its time with each one to make certain you are fully confident in your abilities going forth. It may sound like hand-holding, but it is something that should be much appreciated when things heat up during the second half of the game.
Even though there are quite a few characters that accompany Cecil during his travels, Kain, Rosa, Rydia are easily the most important to the main story. That said, the rest of the cast proves genuinely entertaining, with Edward being the only character that falls a bit flat in comparison to the rest. Edward's confrontation with Tellah adds a bit of conflict to the story, but as a whole he seems a less-than-necessary inclusion. There are a number of melodramatic moments that pop up as the story unfolds, and a few lines do seem a tad cheesy. But by and large, the experience is quite enjoyable as a classic fantasy tale.
Each dungeon and cave holds a varying number of treasures and items that can be added to your inventory. These include useable items like potions and phoenix downs, valuables that can be sold, and weapons. While early weapons obviously won't be as strong as those picked up later on, there is a nice amount of customization allowed. While some weapons may have comparable offensive and defensive stats, they may also be ascribed elemental powers. For example, one of Kain's lances may have a strong offense stat, while another might be slightly weaker but capable of dealing out fire attacks. Such weapons can prove invaluable in certain environments that are crawling with element-specific enemies.
The combat system is a combination of sorts between turn-based and real-time. While each character must recharge their ATB gauge before they are allowed to attack, the battle will continue on whether you have instructed your party members to carry out any moves or not. It forces you to stay on your toes with each encounter, making some of the boss fights intense. It's possibly the best combat system in the entire Final Fantasy series, as well as one of the best in any JRPG.
There are times where the trial-and-error method will see successive uses as you come across seemingly impossible boss encounters. Most of these moments do not come into play until the second half of the game, though there are more than just a few of them. But what might seem initially frustrating to the point where you are prepared to toss your DS across the room are actually cleverly designed gameplay elements retained from the original release - from a time when game strategies were not readily available online. In that respect, this version of Final Fantasy IV, just like the original, caters to gamers of the late 1980s/early 1990s.
There is an optional side-quest tied to each dungeon area. If you explore every inch of a floor and complete the map, you will be rewarded with items like potions or phoenix down. Also, most dungeons will include at least one (if not multiple) areas set aside for the party to set up a tent and rest to recharge both their health and magic. A few of the towns will include hidden treasures, but for the most part, these areas serve as pit stops for you to stock up on supplies and rest before the next leg of the journey.
The soundtrack has been beautifully remastered for the DS release. It capture the classic fantasy essence perfectly. Though many of the tunes may not be as boisterous or as complex of compositions as those in later Final Fantasy titles, Final Fantasy IV's soundtrack is still a fantastic accompaniment to the adventure. The artistic approach is divided between two styles. While the introductory cutscene depicts each and every character as gorgeously-rendered and highly-detailed, their in-game counterparts are somewhat cartoony; almost chibi style. It's an odd combination, to be sure, but after a while the distinction wears off and the in-game models become endearing.
Final Fantasy IV isn't terribly long when compared to other games in the series. One playthrough will last roughly twenty to thirty hours, depending on how much time is spent exploring the caves and dungeons. But it is a great experience from start to finish. The characters are charming, the atmosphere sublime, and the combat as close to perfect as any RPG could hope to get. Final Fantasy IV has quickly climbed the ranks to become one of my favorite handheld games of all time.
Last year Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics showed off their vision for a new Tomb Raider. It featured a younger Lara Croft instead of the seasoned adventurer from the older games. This new trailer continues that theme with a look into the fear and anxiety Lara experiences as she and her party and trapped on an island and are kidnapped by some unknown group of people. While last year's reveal trailer made it seem as though this new Tomb Raider would be heavy on the action and adventure elements, this new gameplay trailer seems to imply that some survival-horror elements may also be at play. I love the environment designs shown thus far. I never played many of the older Tomb Raider games, but the atmosphere in this one really appeals to me. That said, I could do without the amount of screaming and crying that Lara exhibits here. I'll have to keep my eye on Tomb Raider it as more information is released.
For this month's top five list, I decided to focus on the Final Fantasy series and the accompanying soundtracks that are so widely respected. While everyone has their own favorite tracks from each game, one of the defining constants through all the years has been the battle theme. Each game is host to a distinctly different spin on the battle theme, generally as a reflection of the story and setting of that numbered entry into the series. The following is a list of my five favorite battle themes from the core Final Fantasy games. Spinoffs such as Crystal Chronicles and sequels like XIII-2 and FFIV: The After Years will not be considered for this list, nor will boss battle themes or variants of the primary battle theme. Each of these entries is limited to the main battle theme from the respective games.
#5 - Final Fantasy IX: With a classic nineties vibe to it, Final Fantasy IX's battle theme certainly stands out from the rest of the pack. It's something of a nontraditional approach to the battle theme, using heavily synthesized sounds to give it an electronic style. But it's certainly an interesting listen.
#4 - Final Fantasy VI: The battle theme from Final Fantasy VI has a darker tone to it, as if the battle at hand is of a most dire consequence. I really enjoy the way that this tune is coupled with the steampunk-esque world of FFVI, and think it is a strong reminder of the darker territory the series began to explore in FFVI and the games that followed.
#3 - Final Fantasy II: Taking a wildly different approach than that of its predecessor, the battle theme in Final Fantasy II is fast-paced, loud, and reflective of the medieval fantasy roots of the long-running JRPG. It screams action with every note, and despite it being so radically different than the rest, I quite like it.
#2 - Final Fantasy XIII: This song played time and time again during my play through Final Fantasy XIII, and I looked forward to it every time. Final Fantasy XIII's soundtrack is among my favorite video game soundtracks of all time, and while the battle theme does not rank as high for me personally as the likes of "Fighting Fate" or "Born Anew", it's still and awesome track. It's a great fit for the futuristic sci-fi/fantasy hybrid realm that Lightning and friends spend their time exploring.
#1 - Final Fantasy: Above all the rest, the original Final Fantasy battle theme is easily my favorite. Its approach is more simplistic than the rest, but for an NES tune, it's pretty intense. It really captures the atmosphere of the battle, and is an instant classic for me. Plus, it is the formula that practically every other Final Fantasy battle theme followed. It's an oldie-but-a-goodie, for sure.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 is not as original as the first entry in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series, but still seeks to explore possibilities by integrating JRPG elements both new and old. The game opens with Lightning trapped in a realm known as Valhalla, a place where time does not flow naturally. Her attempts to hold powerful rival Caius at bay prove challenging, though she seems to be holding her ground well enough. From an opening in the sky falls Noel Kreiss, a human from the end of days. His wishes for a miracle brought him to Valhalla, and, knowing the threat Caius poses to the goddess Etro, Lightning sends Noel through time to find her sister Serah. After a brief exchange, Serah explains to Noel that she seems to be the only one who remembers that Lightning survived the fall of Cocoon at the end of Final Fantasy XIII, and Noel confirms her memories, informing her of Lightning's whereabouts. The two then set out to correct a myriad of paradoxes in hopes of restoring the 'true timeline'.
The gameplay is largely retained from FFXIII, with the battle system controlling in an almost identical manner. There are, however, a few small changes that go a long way. Serah and Noel are the only two human party members players will have control of throughout the entirety of the game. While both are granted three roles to begin with, leveling these up with crystogen points with present the opportunity to unlock all six roles, as well as bonus boosts and increases to both the ATB gauge and the equipment they are able to carry. Monsters can now be tamed and leveled up via special materials that can either be earned after battles or purchased with Gil. Each monster is allotted a single role (a Zwerg Scandroid is a Ravager, a Cait Sith is a Medic, etc.), but players can have three on call at any given time to work into their Paradigms.
XIII-2 jumps into the action pretty quickly, giving quick refreshers for veterans/tutorials for newcomers. For the most part, XIII-2 feels like a title made for those who played XIII, but it is not so quick to entirely alienate anyone who missed out on the adventures of Lightning, Snow and company the first time around. The crystarium has been streamlined, as each new improvement means a level increase for the respective character/monster. The improvements now also list the number of crystogen points required to level up.
The fact that only the Commando, Ravager, and Sentinel roles are available early on can prove a tad frustrating, especially when coupled with the fact that certain monsters are area-specific. But a few hours in, that aspect smoothes out. Some battles are followed up with a Cinematic Action, wherein players will interact with certain command prompts. These behave similarly to the interactive cutscenes in the more recent Resident Evil games, though they do not have significant negative repercussions should players miss the prompts.
The game is still one of the prettiest releases on current-gen consoles, which is no surprise, considering it is a Square Enix property. The environments designs see as much variety in aesthetics as they do in different layouts. From the overgrown forest of the Sunleth Waterscape, to the wide open fields of the Archylte Steppe, to the futuristic technological cityscape of Academia, every level presents players with new visual treats. The soundtrack is the most varied and experimental of any Final Fantasy to date, presenting traditional orchestrated tracks alongside techno tunes and borderline-death metal. Despite this great break away from the familiar, it all fits pretty well, save for a few tracks whose vocals throw off the vibe of their respective levels.
The minigames, a longtime staple of the more traditional Final Fantasy games, have returned following their absence from FFXIII. The quiz game is entertaining enough, and will test players knowledge of both XIII and XIII-2. But the bulk of the minigames are found in Serendipity, a casino-themed level entirely devoted to distractions and earning coins to spend on prizes. The lack of engaging minigames among the very few that are presented will easily turn players away from its colorful setting. The sidequests riddled throughout the multitude of levels, however, prove much more varied and enjoyable. The fragment rewards and crystogen point bonuses also act as sufficient incentive for players to seek out one after another.
A few puzzle elements have been worked in, though nothing quite so cleverly devised as anything a Legend of Zelda title or even the Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles spinoffs could muter up. Instead, FFXIII-2 offers three styles of puzzles, dubbed 'temporal rifts'. The easiest require players to connect matching jewels in a constellation shape before the clock runs out. The second challenge players to determine the correct path to take while collecting crystals, but at the same time do not allow them to retrace their steps. The trial-and-error aspect of these make their design seem rather trivial, but at the same time helps the RPG from derailing from its core gameplay.
The third type of temporal rift comes in the form of a clock. These require players to figure out the number of spaces the hands must rotate in order to clear all of the numbers. If the hands of the clock land on an empty space, the puzzle resets. It sounds a lot more simplistic than it really is, especially when you take into account the increase in numbers as each stage of the puzzle progresses. These are all randomly generated, and players may find themselves turned off by their inclusion - not just because they require careful plotting, but because of how lethargic they feel in comparison to the rest of the game.
Prior to Final Fantasy XIII-2's release, Square Enix touted that main villain Caius Ballad would be among the most challenging bosses in the series history. While this is true, his fight can prove rather easy if players grind for experience points. Compared to many previous Final Fantasy titles, grinding in XIII-2 is incredibly easy - in fact, most players will likely find themselves at higher levels than necessary without really trying to seek out extra battles. Taking a few wrong turns in Academia 400AF or encountering wild creatures in the Archylte Steppe can easily merit significant boosts to their crystogen count.
The game's ending is in keeping with the much darker tone the sequel carries over FFXIII. It's also an insulting conclusion to the solid storytelling that builds up the entire experience. This, combined with the DLC that is already being released, leads to some heavy implication that they basically released an incomplete game. So many of the game's weak points are exposed late, which may leave a distinctly sour taste with players who otherwise enjoyed this sequel.
When all is said and done, many players may find Noel Kreiss among their favorite Final Fantasy characters. His story in genuinely compelling as part adventure through time, part tragedy in being one of the last humans left at the end of time. Serah is not nearly as memorable, though her inclusion is certainly a step up from her role as a convenient plot device in FFXIII. Mog serves as a cute, often goofy sidekick, while Lightning takes a backseat for nearly the entire game. There are many familiar faces, and their stories all play out in a fitting, if not somewhat predictable way. Hope is easily the most interesting of the NPCs, though resident villain Caius and seeress Yeul present compelling enough expansions to the Fabula Nova Crystallis realm.
I'm really digging the pacing of Final Fantasy X. It's taken its time to set things up, but also introduced the party members in a most timely fashion. I'm honestly not sure where the story will go, but I'm far enough into the game to get a general sense of what might lie ahead. As the game seems to have confirmed, Auron has access to something that allows him to travel through time. I assume this is Sin, but how exactly he is able to move backwards is beyond me at present.
If I'm being completely honest, I was not particularly thrilled about having Tidus as the main character early on. He came across as rather obnoxious, decided to cop a serious 'tude when Rikku and her Al Bhed group came to his rescue, and somehow took to all his confusion and misfortune as being trivial the moment he saw Wakka playing Blitzball. He was stupid, brash and impulsive; even a bit whiny. Thankfully, his character has improved over the course of a few hours. Now that he's accepted the possibility that he might never return to Zanarkand, he's become a much more likeable character, and has presented a few moments of rather deep thought. I really like the way that I (as the player) am constantly exposed to two versions of Tidus - the version of him that is embarking on the journey, learning as he goes, and the future version of him who is reflecting on his travels with Yuna and company.
One thing that stood out to me after only a few hours of play is the fact that Final Fantasy X is, by and large, quite linear in its design. That's not to say that I don't enjoy it. It's just that I feel most criticisms about how linear Final Fantasy XIII is are unmerited, considering this is nothing new to the series. As of right now, Final Fantasy X's battle system is my favorite of the four core games I've played. While I like Final Fantasy IV's battle system, it can present some really tense moments as I try to balance offense and defense, knowing that the enemy can still attack while I choosing my moves. I've messed up more than a few times trying to beat the AI in FFIV, which, in some cases, cost me a lot. FFX's battle system seemed a little strange a first, but in reality it isn't too far removed from that of the original Final Fantasy. And it works really well, so I'm not complaining.
The soundtrack is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Some of the tracks may not be on as epic a scale of those in, say, FFXIII. But they certainly fit the atmosphere of FFX wonderfully. Though it is a 2001 release, the graphics and art style both look pretty good. In all honesty, I was never much a fan of the artistic direction Square chose for Final Fantasy VII. X has the right blend of realistic characters and stylized environments. The cutscenes are beautifully rendered as always, and the transitions between gameplay and cutscenes have proven surprisingly fluid. I expected the load times and transitional phases to be a bit longer, but the reality of it all has been a most pleasant surprise.
It's been a while since this was announced, and I've simply neglected to make a proper posting about it until now. When I first saw the trailer for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, I thought it looked kind of gimmicky, though certainly a neat idea for nostalgia's sake. But after a few trailers, the gameplay has me genuinely interested. I think the 3DS controls in a rhythmic style will prove a nice blend of the musical aspect with a basic combat system. I have no idea how many songs are going to be included in the game, but I think it's a really smart move on their part to include song selections and characters from every main game in the series. One thing I do hope they include in the final product is a 'sound test' or similar feature - even if I have to unlock specific songs with points earned in-game, it would be awesome to have a library of Final Fantasy tunes to go with me anywhere.
“I am Fal'Cie. My name is Barthandelus; voice of the Sanctum, and Lord-Sovereign of the Cocoon Fal'Cie. Your kind feared the darkness, so we gave you light. You begged us for the Purge, and did it not come to pass? Now you spurn our counsel? You must learn your place!"
Disguising himself as a human and assuming the role of Primarch Dysley, Barthandelus is the Fal’Cie who reigns over the people of Cocoon. He manipulates them into believing that Gran Pulse, the expansive realm that exists below the floating world of Cocoon, is a dangerous place. He also incites fear into the people by leading them to believe the L’Cie are dangerous, violent beings. But at the same time, Barthandelus is the one who led Fang, Vanille, Lightning, Sazh, Snow, and Hope to become branded as L’Cie.
Barthandelus’ aims are no quite as simple as a lust for power or greed. He has already cemented himself in a position of power before the game begins. What he wants is to bring back the Maker, the Final Fantasy XIII God, hoping that said Maker would create the world anew, presumably with the Fal’Cie able to act on their own, not requiring the Focuses of L’Cie to see their own aims met.
When Lightning and the rest of the L’Cie first confront Dysley, they believe him to be human. Knowing what must be done, Barthandelus reveals his true form to them, humoring himself with a short fight. But he also realizes that, in order to bring back the Maker, Barthandelus must leave the L’Cie with a desire to destroy Fal’Cie – most notably, the Fal’Cie Orphan.
Even after he steps down from his position as Primarch, Barthandelus continues to manipulate the people, choosing Cid Raines as his successor. He meets the L’Cie during their travels on Gran Pulse, offering them a means of transport back to Cocoon once their trials are completed. Making their way through the streets of Cocoon’s capital Eden, now ringing with the chaos of combat as the worlds of Cocoon and Gran Pulse collide, the L’Cie enter Orphan’s Cradle. Once at the center of Orphan’s Cradle, Barthandelus challenges the L’Cie to one final battle. Upon his defeat, Barthandelus is assimilated into Orphan’s consciousness, along with Eden. Barthandelus is then able to influence Orphan to the same goal of bringing back the Maker.
Ultimately, the Maker never comes, even after Barthandelus, Eden, and Orphan die. But their death does trigger something else – something Barthandelus had longed for, believing it a necessary part of the ritual to call back the Maker. Ragnarok is born of Fang and Vanille’s L’Cie powers, and manipulates the environments around itself to stop Cocoon from falling out of the sky.
Barthandelus exhibits a careful and calculating behavior, having plotted every step of the L’Cie’s journey and the manner in which he will propel them forward. He also has an unwavering patience, having waited a half-millennia for his plans to come full circle. That said, he does appear quite eager to finally see the fruits of his labor in Final Fantasy XIII. His classical appearance as something distinctly demonic, yet at the same time slightly angelic is well-suited to his role as puppeteer and borderline-demigod.
Boss theme:
This is one of my favorite tracks from the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack. And the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack in its entirety is one of my favorite video game soundtracks of all time.
A new trailer highlighting the core gameplay elements of Final Fantasy XIII-2, courtesy of GameTrailers. A lot of this is old information, conveniently gathered in one place. It seems towns will be featured this time around, and the minigames that come along with those. Sidequests also appear to be more varied, a nice change of pace from the series of Gran Pulse Cie'th Stone missions in FFXIII. What strikes me as the most peculiar is the ability to recruit monsters to aid you in battle. I assume this is to make up for the change in the way the Eidolons behave in FFXIII-2, but I'm really interested to see how it will play out.
Though I have not played the PS1 classic, I am relatively familiar with all the characters and major events therein. (Yes, I realize as someone who considers themselves a hardcore gamer, missing Final Fantasy VII presents a significant hole in my experience. It's on my to-do list, as I've only recently started on the Final Fantasy series.) The CGI anime film will appeal primarily to two audiences: fans of action movies, and fans of Final Fantasy VII.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children picks up two years after the conclusion of the original Playstation game. Cloud and Tifa have adopted two orphans, but the hero is still unsettled and has taken off to be with his thoughts. Out in the wastes, he encounters three silver-haired individuals who are intent on finding "mother". They prove themselves more-than-capable fighters, each specializing in a certain field, and Cloud has grown rusty since his days of fighting Sephiroth. Despite their action-packed premiere, the trio allows Cloud to leave unscathed. He then seeks out Rufus Shinra, former head of Shinra Company, who explains that Kadaj, leader of the three, wants to recreate Sephiroth. Shinra, however, insists that he wants Cloud's aid in stopping the trio's plot.
From there, the film provides a quick play-by-play of two backstories. The first is a brief synopsis of the major events in Final Fantasy VII relevant to the film. Jenova, the meteorite, and Sephiroth are all explained. Then the story shifts to the Geostigma disease that has emerged in the wake of the fallout, and how it has affected certain individuals, most of them being children.
All the major party member from Final Fantasy VII make a return in the film, but for most it seems like glorified cameos. Everybody gets to take a crack at the giant Bahamut in one team-centered fight sequence, but aside from that they do little more than observe from Cid's airship as Cloud does all the work. The three exceptions to this are Tifa, Aerith, and Vincent. For being an adoptive parent alongside Cloud, Tifa doesn't come across as particularly fleshed out. When she isn't doing kick-flips and punches, she's spending her time nagging at Cloud that he needs to return to being the guy she knew two years ago. Aerith acts as a voice of reason from beyond the grave, interacting with Cloud at key moments. Vincent fills a similar role, though his being alive allows him to aid Cloud in physical combat. He is also the source of a few clever jokes, despite his generally quiet nature.
Visually, the film is stunning, especially taking into consideration it was a 2005 release. Anyone who has ever had the privilege to witness Square Enix's cutscenes in their games should expect all that quality and more for an hour-and-a-half straight. The voice acting is quite solid, even with an occasional cheesy one-liner that comes as a result of translation and localization. The orchestrated soundtrack presents a nice accompaniment to all of this, with its variety of sounds and styles, and feels like a genuine successor to the game's soundtrack.
For the hour-and-a-half run time, the story feels a fairly creative and sufficient follow-up to the game. The last twenty minutes show a real shift, with the "physics be damned" action almost completely overshadowing the story. While there will be plenty who will find the refresher course of Final Fantasy VII welcome, the film hardly tries to connect the dots, leaving a sense of confusion for anyone who has never played FFVII or who hasn't revisited the game in a long time. Though it is sold as a major plot point early on, the impact that the Geostigma has on this emerging peacetime society is only briefly touched upon, and even a little more exploration could have added another layer of believability to this fantasy realm. While Cloud's internal struggle presents a genuinely engaging narrative, most of the supporting cast falls rather flat, and the story's delivery suffers because of this. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is an interesting chapter of Final Fantasy lore, just not one that will rank among the greatest.
A new trailer for Final Fantasy XIII-2 has been released, and provides more insight into what the story will entail. It seems the events at the conclusion of Final Fantasy XIII opened a rift to another world, which is where Lightning ends up. The rest of the cast will travel back and forth between their world and this new one, it seems. I'm really digging some of the new character designs. And Caius looks like a cool antagonist - from this trailer alone, I'm sold on this sequel.
The story of Arkham Asylum begins with Batman having captured the Joker once again. After arriving back at Arkham, Batman informs the guards that he is suspicious of the whole scenario, since Joker didn't put up much of a fight. Not long after, it is revealed that Harley Quinn has infiltrated Arkham under the guise of a newly-employed nurse, and she releases the asylum's many inmates while the Joker runs off. Though Batman is quick to take out the weaker thugs he first encounters, he realizes he will have his work cut out for him rounding up the more powerful, iconic villains, as well as getting to the bottom of Joker's plans.
The layout of the game is a combination of linear scripted events and the free-roam environments of the Asylum grounds and buildings. While the transition to different areas can seem a bit choppy at times, serving to the convenience of squeezing in most of the major villains from the Batman universe, the story prevents this from weighing the experience down and things keep chugging along smoothly enough. The more wide-open expanses of the island, as well as many of the corridors of each building, are host to a number of collectibles and Riddler challenges, which can unlock character bios and trophies.
Batman's close-quarters combat is fairly simplistic in design, utilizing three buttons to attack, counter, and stun, and allowing combo moves to automatically play out after these are chained together without Batman taking too many hits. Batman can also knock out thugs who are temporarily stunned, though this will leave him vulnerable for a few seconds to other nearby inmates. Glide kicks, silent takedowns (where Batman sneaks up behind one thug without alerting others), and inverted takedowns (where Batman hangs from a Gargoyle mounted on the wall and strings up a thug and leaves him hanging) are available for segments that require a more stealthy approach. There's also a small arsenal of gadgets at Batman's disposal, including the batarang, batclaw, explosive gel, grappling hook, zipline launcher, and code sequencer, each of which is used fairly often and complement the more action-heavy sequences quite nicely.
While Batman encounters a slew of big name villains, he doesn't encounter all of them in traditional boss fights. Some, such as Bane, are tackled in a more straightforward boss fight, while Scarecrow challenges Batman to some Metal Gear-style sneaking in a nightmare realm (courtesy of his fear gas), and Killer Croc jumps out sporadically as Batman scours Arkham's sewers in search of a plant to counteract Joker's chemicals. The final boss fight is, admittedly, a bit disappointing when compared to all of the fantastic encounters Batman has prior to the game's conclusion. The voice acting is top-notch all around, though Mark Hamill really steals the show as The Joker. The dialogue is very well-scripted, and can be genuinely hilarious at times. With regards to immersing players in the experience, this combination works wonderfully, as every one of the villains is a great reflection of how they appear in the comics. And though not every one of Batman's foes receives a starring role in the game, a few easter eggs give nods to the likes of Mr. Freeze, Calendar Man, and Clayface.
The art style has some obvious influences from its comic book roots, as well as from the 1990s cartoon. Character models are pretty evenly divided between those two source materials, while the setting and story both aim for dark and eerie. There is some stylization with the game's graphical direction, though it's not host to any vibtantly cel-shaded characters like those present in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Arkham Asylum is a very colorful game, however, with nicely detailed environments. A few textures here and there leave something to be desired, but overall the game does a great job of maintaining its roots while building its own identity as a narrative in the Batman universe.
The game does hit a few snags along the way. This is most notable in a handful of scripted events that require players to perform a certain task or attack, without giving them a good grasp on what it is they are supposed to do. This will ultimately lead players through a trial-and-error process, which lasts longer than it needs to.
On the flipside, there are times where game goes out of its way to stun players with some of its mechanics. The Riddler challenges, though simple enough in concept, provide some fun sleuthing while testing player's knowledge of Batman and co. Segments where Scarecrow's gas affects Batman distort the camera angle and - on one most notable occasion - throws the game on its head to mess with both the Dark Knight and the player.
The game will last around twelve hours for a single playthrough. Upon completing the main storyline, players can still solve the Riddler challenges, though they will need to start the story mode over again if they wish to revisit any of the boss fights. Challenge mode will allow players to take on the Joker's thugs in various areas around Arkham, and are divided into two styles of play. Combat challenges pit Batman against hordes of thugs that increase in both numbers and difficulty as waves progress. Predator challenges, on the other hand, require Batman to take out armed thugs without being detected. While these challenges provide a snapshot of the game as a whole, the entertainment factor only lasts so long.
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a rare gem among licensed games. It has its deepest roots in the comic book storyline, but doesn't hesitate to explore familiar characters in new ways. The gameplay is solid, the boss segments brilliantly planned, and the game is - simply put - a ton of fun to play. It might not be a perfect game, but with everything that Arkham Asylum has done right, it's a fantastic start to a new franchise.
Gameplay footage of Final Fantasy XIII-2, the direct sequel to Final Fantasy XIII, showed that the Paradigm Shift system will be retained, along with the basics of the gameplay. One new inclusion, however, are quick-time cinematic events, and the one that stood out the most to me was when Lightning was riding Odin while fighting a monster off in the distance. This could mean that Square Enix is retooling the way the Eidolons are used in FFXIII-2. As for the story, not a whole lot was revealed, but there was enough to tease fans. A new Bodhum has been constructed on the surface of Gran Pulse since the conclusion of FFXIII, and it was made clear that Lightning and Serah have been separated, with some of Snow's friends from Nora believing Lightning to be dead. A handful of new characters were introduced, though only one of them was shown in combat as an actual party member (who bore a resemblance to Final Fantasy X's Tidus), fighting monsters alongside a now much more combat-capable Serah. No sign of Sazh or Snow in this trailer, though I'm sure there will be plenty more footage to come before the game releases in early 2012.
It seems Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was only a teaser for a much bigger project from Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix, which comes in the form of the new Tomb Raider. The game will focus on a young Lara Croft, as she wakes up on an island following a shipwreck. Being an origin story, the game will focus on Lara developing her adventure and survival skills. Both a trailer and gameplay were revealed, and the visuals are pretty impressive thus far, with a very gritty artistice direction charging this new Tomb Raider. The demo highlighted a few quick-time button events (not unlike portions of Resident Evil 4), butrunning and jumping through caverns were the primary focus and there was a real sense of desperation surrounding Lara's escape run. It would not be surprising if this Tomb Raider took a much darker tone, which would seem an obvious marriage with the gritty art style. Either way, Square Enix's cutscene visuals were stunning as ever. My only negative feelings towards the gameplay stemmed from the fact that Lara never shut up the entire time.
Square Enix will be re-releasing Final Fantasy VI for the Wii Virtual Console before the end of March. The game was originally released for the SNES, and was later ported to the PSOne (along with Final Fantasy V) and the Gameboy Advance. No changes are planned for FFVI, though the title will cost slightly more than most SNES releases for the Virtual Console at 900 points.
Other March releases for the Virtual Console include: - Fire Fighting - Hebereke - Last Resort - PuyoPuyo
Gamespot (as well as a number of other similar websites, I imagine) announced earlier this week that Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII would be receiving a direct sequel, titled Final Fantasy XIII-2. Only so many details have been released thus far, but it is clear that Lightning will be returning as a lead protagonist. The game has been slated for a Winter 2011 release. Surprisingly enough, a trailer has already been released (in English, no less), which I have posted below. It's only a short teaser, but I can personally say that I'm quite looking forward to FFXIII-2's release.
