Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix,
Platforms: PS4, PS Vita
Tested on: PS4
World of Final Fantasy – Review
The Final Fantasy franchise has been around for quite a while now, resulting in a lot of games and spin-offs. Final Fantasy XV is almost getting released but there is also one other game that had a lot of fans going wild. World of Final Fantasy is a new kind of mixture without losing sight of the older elements. Always wanted to befriend a chocochick? Well, now is your chance in this rather intriguing title.
Story
World of Final Fantasy takes us on an adventure in Nine Wood Hills. Everything seems peaceful but less is true as something is amiss in this slumbering town. Our story starts with Lann, a rather naïve but goodhearted boy who is quite late for his work. Arriving at the coffee shop, the sole living soul is a young woman. Getting her order, he starts with preparing everything although it’s quite strange that his boss isn’t there. Reynn, Lann’s twin sister, joins the scene and states that there isn’t anyone left in Nine Wood Hills. After some rather amusing quarrelling, it seems the two of them were ‘asleep’ for quite a while and lost their memories. Emma Kros, the customer, explains that they were powerful Mirage Keepers before the loss of memories and it is their task to regain their skills.
This journey takes them to the wonderful world of Grymoire, where they will have to tackle and overcome quite some challenges. As you can expect, the game is filled with funny quotes and conversations, although there is room for some more heavier stuff as well. You’ll have a lot of fun just searching for Mirages and advancing the storyline and the complete package will have you hooked for a long time.
Graphics
Graphical wise, the game has a few different styles which work together perfectly. First of all, there is a more anime-chibi style, giving the characters a more cute and hand-drawn look. There is also a more animated aspect as well, mostly when Reynn and Lann are in Jiant form. This doesn’t feel out of the ordinary though and blends in perfectly with the rest of the game. The environments certainly is one of the key aspects why the two styles fit so well, as it is a combination of both elements. At any rate, the game just explodes with colors and makes everything that more enjoyable while the Mirages have the chibi-look, which makes them so adorably cute. It’s certainly fun to befriend them and use them in battles.
On another note, the quality of the graphics are just superb. You’ll be flabbergasted more than often, taking in all of the details of your surroundings. Even more, befriending a new Mirage will give you an overview screen, where you probably will be for a few minutes to admire how beautiful it looks and check the stats and possible transfigurations.
Sound
The music and sound effects are just as amazing as the graphics. When you’re playing, you’ll always have a more classical but cheery tune in the background, while the sound effects and voice acting certainly add a lot of the ambience. Every spoken line is voice acted and is the icing on the cake as all of the voices really fit their character and feel so genuine.
Sound effect wise, there are a lot of small sounds that gives a lot of punch, especially when you’re fighting against some enemies. The magic spells get a nice swoosh, while the fighting skills are packed with quite a punch. In the end, it makes everything so much more lively and real which is always a good factor.
Gameplay
World of Final Fantasy is an RPG that will take you on another story in the Final Fantasy franchise. In this game, you’ll be meeting a lot of familiar faces from the previous titles. The protagonists are two new characters though, which isn’t a bad thing. Reynn and Lann have forgotten their memories of ever being Mirage Keepers and even what these cute but forceful creatures are. Since there is quite a lot to discover in the game, we’ll only give a general overview of what you can expect.
Mirages are ‘visions’ of different worlds although they still roaming in the world of Grymoire and can be used in battle. Obtaining these creatures can be done by capturing them in ‘Prismariums’. These coops are acquired when you find a new type of being. The befriending process is similar to something like Pokémon: do a certain action (like weakening the Mirage) and imprison afterwards. When you’ve obtained your new friend, you can see different stats and other vital elements. This also means the size as this is quite important. There are different sizes, which has its implications for the stacking system. If that isn’t enough, there is also something called ‘Mega Mirages’. These super creatures will take you on their back and fight together with you until the combined HP or AP runs out.
Reynn and Lann have two forms they can shift into, Jiant and Lilith, making them Large or Medium. Depending on their size, they can stack up to two smaller creatures on their head, or when they’re in the smaller form they can ride a certain Mirage and have a Small one above. The stacking system certainly looks quite hilarious but there are some advantages why you should definitely look into making good combinations. For starters, the stats of the individuals in the heap gets combined, giving you more HP, attack and defence for instance. On another note, each character has its own abilities and although they are separately available, it could be that they can be combined as well by stacking, giving access to new skills. The most easy example is by making a pile of fire-skilled Mirages. If two of the stack have the skill ‘Fire’, it gets upgraded to ‘Fira’. In the end, you’ll need to befriend as much Mirages as you can and try to find the best combinations.
Of course, there are some times that it is better to unstack during battle. Getting hit by enemies will make your construction unstable and they might even fall over, which isn’t something you want to happen. One other reason is that not only the strengths of the Mirages is transferred, but also the weaknesses, making everyone vulnerable. Also, during certain fights, it might be more efficient to have multiple attacks instead of one combined, which is another good reason to unstack. Don’t worry though, you can get your tower of doom back in track during the same battle, if necessary.
Fighting is done in a turn-based way, where everyone has their own particular turn. The default setting is that time will stop when you’re choosing an attack but this can be changed to (semi-) automatic if wanted. When you have the time to choose your attack, you have quite some possibilities to consider. When you’re in a stack, you can choose from everyone’s individual skills or you can check if there is something suitable from the combined attacks. Next to that, items can be used or you can unstack and defend. When you’ve chosen your move, the next one in line gets a shot (unless he/she is killed of course). Doing special skills will consume AP but is regenerated every turn. Just keep in mind that some of the abilities use more points than others, and you might get in trouble of you were hoping to do some sort of combo.
Befriending Mirages is fun, but you can only take a certain amount with you. All of your chosen friends will get experience after battle and when they level up, they gain AP. These can be used on their respective Mirage Boards, giving them better stats or learning new skills. Unlocking certain nodes will give your Mirages the chance to transfigure and access a new board. Something else worth mentioning is that the Mirages can not only get bigger, they can also get back to their smaller form if necessary. This can only be done with the help of Serafie, at the entrance to Grymoire or other portals. One other important note on the mirage boards is that there are empty modules as well, which can be filled up with ability seeds. This means that you can ‘shape’ your mirages to your own liking.
Some of the abilities that your allies can learn, will not only benefit you on the battlegrounds but also while roaming the area. There are certain Mirages that are able to search for items, while others are big enough for you to sit on and travel in style (and faster). These skills certainly are important as there are puzzles in dungeons which needs to find and ‘offer’ certain items, while others will need you to catch Mirages that are suitable for that puzzle. For instance, there are triggers that need to have a certain weight or an amount of stat points, which limits the possibilities dramatically.
Next to the ‘normal’ Mirages, there are also special Mediums that can be awakened to be Champions. The powers of these superior beings can be summoned, but only if you have bought their special Champion Medal with the Arma Gems and if you have filled your gauge during battle. One of the factors before your champion can be summoned is when you get damage, so don’t be afraid for some pain. Speaking of pain, there are some strange cubes floating around in Grimoire called Murkrifts, but these spheres obtain some powerful foes. You know how difficult one is by entering, but you cannot escape afterwards. If you want to test your skills, you can always jump in but it might be a good idea to wait until you’ve toughen up a bit.
Arma gems are also used for activating side-quest and enemies that you defeat during this time will be catchable when you encounter them in the wild. If that isn’t enough though, there are already extra DLC’s announced, which will give a lot of extra champions and quests.
There is a lot to see in the world of Final Fantasy, but it might get repetitive quite fast for some people. The battles feel always similar, although you can have some fun with the stacking system and finding new Mirages. At least the developers added a way to speed up the fighting as you can fast forward until it’s your turn.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for something different but something Final Fantasy-related, you’re in for a treat. The special graphics and awesome sound are both extras that make the game that much better, while the gameplay on its own has so much to offer. If that isn’t enough, World of Final Fantasy is filled with humor and quarrelling, which certainly is the icing on the cake. One minor remark is that the game might get repetitive after a while, but that’s forgotten in the blink of an eye if you find a new Mirage.
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