Final Fantasy Type-O HD: A Clumsy Grope In The Right Direction For The Final Fantasy Brand

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD has finally been released in NA for current generation consoles, and reviews seem to be largely in line with my thoughts on the vanilla PSP version: namely, the game’s combat is fast, frantic and fun, but occasional spikes in difficulty and an unfulfilling story seem to detract moderately from the overall experience.  As is, FF Type-O’s flaws are many, and the finished product is more analogous to a successful fumble (one resulting in say, a clumsy grope), rather than a confident stride in the right direction for the Final Fantasy brand.

Final Fantasy Type-0 (in both the vanilla and HD formats) is a murky win for team-Square Enix then. Internet comments appear to treat the game as largely worthy of the 4 year time span they had to wait between the Japanese PSP release, and the global HD release. Reviews are middling, but the attached Final Fantasy XV demo should help add value to the overall package. Overall however, most seem to agree that despite its faults, Final Fantasy Type-0 offers enough entertainment value to invest your time into. And the combat is amazing, which is always a plus in my books. Credit is given where credit is due, and all that.

I’m trying to stay positive here, because I genuinely feel that Final Fantasy Type-0 (occasionally) offers a good time to players. You can play as any one of 14 party members, with each offering interesting combat differences. Combat in general is immediate, visceral and exciting. The story is largely removed of all melodrama. Also, the world itself is easy enough to invest yourself in, largely because of how historically rich it is.

Some negative points worth noting here before re-focusing on my overall message: sandwiched between these meaty positives (or meaty-like vegetarian alternatives—always important to make metaphors as accommodating as possible) is a starchy, nutrient deprived and bleached feeling that the game is overwhelmingly amateurish. Sort of like a Suda 51 game, I guess. The difficulty is unbalanced. The game’s story tapers off and loses an enormous amount of steam toward the latter portion of game. The level design is plagued by poor enemy placement and terrible checkpoints. You get the point.

Anyway, play the game. You’ll likely find that it takes your time into consideration, offering a much better “fun per hour” ratio than most any other RPG that I can think of. The art direction is pretty legit too, and the school setting that encases and contextualizes the war-centered story reminds me more than passingly of Final Fantasy VIII. And who doesn’t want to play another Final Fantasy VIII?