With fans of the Final Fantasy franchise clambering over the news that codes for a Final Fantasy XV demo will be given to those who purchase Final Fantasy Type-0 HD when it comes out on March 17, 2015, many who hadn’t really considered Final Fantasy Type-0 HD at all are starting to turn their eyes towards it. Final Fantasy Type-0 came out in Japan in 2011, but the game never made it to the West due to flagging support for the PSP, and since it’s not a “numbered” Final Fantasy, many are unsure what to think about this new remaster.
The HD version of Final Fantasy Type-0 is getting a facelift from its original version and the addition of an easy mode, but unfortunately lacks the original’s co-op functionality due to time constraints on the new port’s release. The story focuses around fourteen playable characters, all of whom are cadets at Magic Academy Peristylium Suzaku in Class Zero. When the Milites empire begins attacking the other nations to possess the world’s crystals, Class Zero refuses to give in and takes the fight back to Imperial Marshall Cid and his l’Cie soldiers.
This year’s Tokyo Game Show gave Westerners their first good chance to actually try the game, and the reports that have been coming in have been very favourable. RPG Site describes the game visually as a “joy,” saying “it’s very easy to forget this came from a handheld, even if it doesn’t look like a game at full PS4 or Xbox One quality.” Gameinformer also enjoyed their time with the game, noting that “Type-0 is unmistakably Final Fantasy. In the brief slice of the game I played, I saw Magitek armor, summoned Ifrit, and heard a reference to a l’Cie” but also noted that the game can be notoriously difficult:
“Type-0 is a straight action/RPG hybrid with demanding combat. You can’t stand there planning your next move while a group of enemies is rushing in; you need to act quickly and be aware of your surroundings. Avoiding enemy attacks and strategically using your special abilities are key components of the battle system. This results in fast-paced encounters that have the potential to be a lot of fun…or frustrating, if you just don’t like action games.”
In an interview with Kotaku, the game’s director Hajime Tabata comments on the original game’s steep difficulty curve in which you must utilize all of your character’s skills to win the day:
“I wanted to emphasise knowing the characters you have in your party. You have 14 students and each of them has his or her individual abilities. So it’s a combination of skill, weapons, and magic—trying to understand your characters . . . so that you can fully equip them appropriately — so that you can send them into the mission. Of course, there is an ideal way of beating your monsters, but you also want to be faced with the reality of if you don’t plan appropriately, you’ve got the reality of failure of the mission. And I felt it wouldn’t be right to spoon feed the direction–it kind of spoils the fun of being able to strategize and go into battle and execute your plans seamlessly.”
In the new easy mode of the game, characters will hit harder, level-up faster, and have increased health, for those who feel like being “spoon fed.” Hardcore strategists should be happy to hear, however, that this game does not coddle you through your missions.
Will you be playing Final Fantasy Type-0 when it comes out, even if only to get your hands on the Final Fantasy XV demo? Let us know in the comments.
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