After going through my second play through with a game that was initially released on the PSP and now given a HD remaster treatment for the current-gen consoles, I am about to begin my third! But, before that, I thought I would share my thoughts on the marvelous new chapter of the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythos of the Final Fantasy series, Type-0.
The first and most important thing this game has to offer is it's tragic story. Just a few minutes after starting the game, you bare witness to a young man and his chocobo fighting for their lives during a war. The worst thing is, they lose the fight and die. Soon afterwards you become quite accustomed to the fact that you're in a war and a lot of people around you are dying. Even people your playable characters know. War has been present in other entries of the FF series (VII, VIII, IX, XII, XIII) but never as vividly as it is here. People don't "turn to crystal". They don't "return to the Lifestream". They remain dead, on the streets, under a pool of their own blood. Cause that's what war is. And, to throw some salt on the wound, people that die are wiped out of people's memories. So, if you die, you practically never existed (because if you don't stay in anyone's memory, what's the point, right?). However, even though you're going through all that, there is absolutely NOTHING that can prepare you for the mind-boggling final chapter that throws everything out the window. And it is the shock of that final chapter that makes it necessary for players to go through a second, or even a third play through. Because it basically leaves players holding their heads, asking for some context.
The characters seem a little one-dimensional, as even though they each have their own unique characteristics (and there is a reason for that), they don't really show them. Apart from Machina and Rem who go out of their way (especially Rem) to point them out, the only person that has some sort of character in the game is Qator Bashtar! (On a more personal note however, I did find myself gaining a lot of respect for Cid Aulstyne after finding out the truth about him.)
The battle system is also a big plus, with the variety of characters giving players a lot of choices: melee or ranged, different types of magic, eidolons or triad manuevers, etc. However it all seemed to go to waste, especially for people who are sticking to the main story, as there's nothing to escalate towards. There is no final boss in this game!!! Here you are in the final dungeon, going through all sorts of trials, when all of a sudden you're up against this huge boss (think Orphan or Barthandelus from XIII, but with a lot more blood) thinking "ok, here we go, epic boss fight!!". Then, all of a sudden, the game comes in and makes it super-easy for you, granting you Haste, Auto-Regen and Reraise... There goes all the anticipation and feeling of accomplishment, out the window!
However there are many high-level dungeons to explore, many secrets to locate and sticking to the main story won't even get you half of what the game has to offer, even if you go through it 3 times! The return of the world map, old-school style and airships is a big plus, and also you get to raise your own chocobos and it's surprising to see how many different types there are (although it still hasn't caught my attention exactly how they differ from one another, but anyway).
Akademeia itself (the base of operations for Class 0) is gorgeous, with a real "Balamb Garden" feeling to those close with the series. There is constantly something to do and new things or hidden scenes to discover there, and you can even hit the battle arena and do some secret training for when you decide to turn off your PS4 and come back to find your character leveled-up!!
The graphics have been half-updated. Class 0 cadets are the only characters with a total upscale in graphics that is true to what the current-gen era of consoles can do. All the rest look dumbed down, as if no one bothered with them. Honestly, it's half-assed and it's something that was noticeable in last year's remaster of X/X-2. Square Enix need to realize that remastering a game doesn't just mean "make some characters and areas look pretty and just screw the rest". That's plain lazy and disrespectful to the customer. It shows that they have the technology to upgrade everything, they just don't feel like it. Akademeia looks fabulous but every time you step your foot outside, you feel like you've gone back to the PS2-era. That's not acceptable. If they want to do a XII HD, it better not just be "upgrade the main characters and Rabanastre and leave the rest as it is"!!
However the music comes and saves the day. It gets you pumped up for battle, it hits you in the feels and there's two particular hidden scenes that feature two amazing tracks! If the future of FF music is with Takeharu Ishimoto and Yoko Shimomura, then the franchise can feel safe that it will have grand soundtracks for many games to come!
All in all, Type-0 is a very nice experience that doesn't shy away where XIII did. It felt like it was worth a lot more attention and definitely more deserving of the title of "flagship of the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythos" than the trilogy that came before it. The fact that it intentionally leaves players in the dark about a big part of the story, thus practically forcing them to replay it is a stroke of genius in my book. There is a lot to learn about these cadets and the world they live in. If a Type-Next where to arrive, I would welcome it with open arms!
The first and most important thing this game has to offer is it's tragic story. Just a few minutes after starting the game, you bare witness to a young man and his chocobo fighting for their lives during a war. The worst thing is, they lose the fight and die. Soon afterwards you become quite accustomed to the fact that you're in a war and a lot of people around you are dying. Even people your playable characters know. War has been present in other entries of the FF series (VII, VIII, IX, XII, XIII) but never as vividly as it is here. People don't "turn to crystal". They don't "return to the Lifestream". They remain dead, on the streets, under a pool of their own blood. Cause that's what war is. And, to throw some salt on the wound, people that die are wiped out of people's memories. So, if you die, you practically never existed (because if you don't stay in anyone's memory, what's the point, right?). However, even though you're going through all that, there is absolutely NOTHING that can prepare you for the mind-boggling final chapter that throws everything out the window. And it is the shock of that final chapter that makes it necessary for players to go through a second, or even a third play through. Because it basically leaves players holding their heads, asking for some context.
The characters seem a little one-dimensional, as even though they each have their own unique characteristics (and there is a reason for that), they don't really show them. Apart from Machina and Rem who go out of their way (especially Rem) to point them out, the only person that has some sort of character in the game is Qator Bashtar! (On a more personal note however, I did find myself gaining a lot of respect for Cid Aulstyne after finding out the truth about him.)
The battle system is also a big plus, with the variety of characters giving players a lot of choices: melee or ranged, different types of magic, eidolons or triad manuevers, etc. However it all seemed to go to waste, especially for people who are sticking to the main story, as there's nothing to escalate towards. There is no final boss in this game!!! Here you are in the final dungeon, going through all sorts of trials, when all of a sudden you're up against this huge boss (think Orphan or Barthandelus from XIII, but with a lot more blood) thinking "ok, here we go, epic boss fight!!". Then, all of a sudden, the game comes in and makes it super-easy for you, granting you Haste, Auto-Regen and Reraise... There goes all the anticipation and feeling of accomplishment, out the window!
However there are many high-level dungeons to explore, many secrets to locate and sticking to the main story won't even get you half of what the game has to offer, even if you go through it 3 times! The return of the world map, old-school style and airships is a big plus, and also you get to raise your own chocobos and it's surprising to see how many different types there are (although it still hasn't caught my attention exactly how they differ from one another, but anyway).
Akademeia itself (the base of operations for Class 0) is gorgeous, with a real "Balamb Garden" feeling to those close with the series. There is constantly something to do and new things or hidden scenes to discover there, and you can even hit the battle arena and do some secret training for when you decide to turn off your PS4 and come back to find your character leveled-up!!
The graphics have been half-updated. Class 0 cadets are the only characters with a total upscale in graphics that is true to what the current-gen era of consoles can do. All the rest look dumbed down, as if no one bothered with them. Honestly, it's half-assed and it's something that was noticeable in last year's remaster of X/X-2. Square Enix need to realize that remastering a game doesn't just mean "make some characters and areas look pretty and just screw the rest". That's plain lazy and disrespectful to the customer. It shows that they have the technology to upgrade everything, they just don't feel like it. Akademeia looks fabulous but every time you step your foot outside, you feel like you've gone back to the PS2-era. That's not acceptable. If they want to do a XII HD, it better not just be "upgrade the main characters and Rabanastre and leave the rest as it is"!!
However the music comes and saves the day. It gets you pumped up for battle, it hits you in the feels and there's two particular hidden scenes that feature two amazing tracks! If the future of FF music is with Takeharu Ishimoto and Yoko Shimomura, then the franchise can feel safe that it will have grand soundtracks for many games to come!
All in all, Type-0 is a very nice experience that doesn't shy away where XIII did. It felt like it was worth a lot more attention and definitely more deserving of the title of "flagship of the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythos" than the trilogy that came before it. The fact that it intentionally leaves players in the dark about a big part of the story, thus practically forcing them to replay it is a stroke of genius in my book. There is a lot to learn about these cadets and the world they live in. If a Type-Next where to arrive, I would welcome it with open arms!
