Platform: Playstation 4
US Price: $39.99 – Amazon
PH Price: PHP2,999 – Shop List
With Final Fantasy XIII going to PC and ultimately receiving an HD makeover, Square Enix has been trying to keep itself busy by releasing older titles into new platforms while it toils away at the next installment of the Final Fantasy series. For next-gen consoles, Square Enix decided to bring over a PSP title which is what we’re going to look at today.
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is a visual upgrade of the 2011 game for the Playstation Portable. The game is part of Square Enix’s Fabula Nova Crystallis series of games that revolve around a similar theme. The plot revolves around Class Zero: students / cadets who combat the invading forces of the Militesi Empire which has declared war on the other nations of the game’s world, Orence.
You are presented with a party of three characters at the start of the game. A portion of the 14 playable characters overall in the game. Yup, fourteen. While it may seem daunting and expectantly forgettable to have such a large roster, Final Fantasy Type-0 manages to flush out a bit of uniqueness to each character and a few hours into the game and you’ll be able to know which is which. This is a key part of gameplay as the characters all posses varying sets of skills and weaponries which affect how they handle in game. Studying how to take advantage of these skill sets is key in properly deploying parties to combat enemies as the story progress.
Between missions, you will spend time in the Academy where you are given some time to pursue other activities like talk to students and people in the academy or explore around and battle to get a few levels. You will have to plan these carefully to avoid being underpowered in future battles.
To call this game HD is a complete joke though
To call this game HD is a complete joke though. Nothing in this game besides the resolution is HD and the models and textures are just horrifyingly lacking in details. While this can easily pass off as the game’s artstyle, the hazy/foggy visuals coupled with motion blurring animation gives the cinematics an eye sore. Again, there is simply nothing HD about this game other than the resolution.
Ultimately, aside from the visual upgrades, there is little changes in the Final Fantasy Type-0 from its PSP counterpart. Some improvements are noteworthy though with the expected move of the camera controls to the right analog stick. Character switching has also been made easier by dedicated the D-pad for it and lastly, difficulty which now includes an easier mode and an extra challenging Agito mode that adds +30 levels to the enemies. Another change worth noting is the lack of multiplayer in this version due to development restrictions. To compensate though, Square has included multiplayer-only skills in the base game.
Conclusion
All in all, if you have experienced the game already there’s little meaning to buy the game again unless if you’re like me that’s been itching to get their hands on Final Fantasy XV then pre-orders of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD will include a code to download the demo of Final Fantasy XV Episode Duscae allowing a short but satisfying experience of what’s to expect from the upcoming title. If you haven’t played Type-0 though, the war story is partly hard to digest and the flow of the story is ever slow and depressing, still if you’re in it for the action then Final Fantasy Type-0 holds its own with many other RPGs giving you a unique experience combining elements from other Final Fantasy series while delivering its own.
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is a nice change of pace from all the recent Final Fantasy releases and solid game overall. Disregarding the poor image quality of the game where everything looks so hazy and lacking detail, the gameplay more than makes up for this pitfall and the story while completely forgettable is complemented by a few memorable character. Worth picking up if you need a fix of Final Fantasy but tired of Lightning already. Available only for Playstation4.
1 Comment
Uhhhggggg someone gimme a PS4 right meow