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World of Final Fantasy: I love Final Fantasy. well, I mean I think I it. Final Fantasy VII is still, by a long shot, the best game that I have ever played. I have played every spin-off from Final Fantasy VII as I was hooked on the series. I own every FF title released before and after, and believe myself to be a proper fan, even if I can’t say I have completed every single one to the fullest since Final Fantasy IX.
This game is made by Square Enix, although I did prefer them when they were Squaresoft, and they are heavily involved in a number of series such as Final Fantasy, Deus Ex, Dragon Quest and many more games.
First impressions: Whilst reminiscing about FF7, I switched this game on and was impressed with it, initially, as it reminded me of the things that people love about the franchise. There was the orchestral music which pulls on your heart strings, as well as graphics which were. well, cute. They look cool, like something you would want to pick up and cuddle if you weren’t feeling well. The first hour of this game is the introduction because after that, you get what I must say is the best anime intro to a game I have ever seen. Great music and great fun.
I never like to speak about the story too much in most games because I don’t want to ruin it for others. Of course, this game is an RPG so, as usual, the story line is quite complex. However, I will break down a simple version without spoiling it too much. You take the role of Reynn and his twin sister Lann. When you wake up with amnesia, it turns out that the whole life they have been living (or not living) has been a lie and you actually have great strength and can control mirages. You step into a new world called Grymoire which just so happens to be under attack by the Bahamut army, you’ll meet cool characters like Enna Kros, who reminded me of Alanis Morissette in Dogma, for any Kevin Smith fans reading this. So, you must recover your memories as well as control a range of mirages and summons (including Cloud Strife – whoop whoop!) and save Grymoire. Simples.
The graphics to this game are quite different than most Final Fantasy games of the new generation. They aren’t realistic and don’t try to be. They offer a lighter tone to the franchise and, potentially, are more focused on a relatively younger generation. The exact name for the graphics are super-deformed (SD) graphics. This type remind me of Studio Ghibli films and that signalled many a happy memory in my head. As I have previously mentioned, I believe Square Enix have used these graphics to appeal to a younger audience, although I felt they didn’t stop me from enjoying them. That said, it also didn’t captivate me in a way I would have liked them to. I wouldn’t say that this game has any major flaws when it comes to the graphics, although at times I just found them.well. boring.
After the cuteness wore off, they just looked like something you’d expect on the Nintendo Gamecube, which were stunning at the time, but feel a little outdated now. What I was impressed with, was the sharpness of the colours, but that may have been due to my new 4K tv and PS4 Pro. So, overall the graphics are cute, they are cuddly, but do they do enough? I wasn’t quite sure, so feel it would be fair to score them at a 7.
Something I love about Final Fantasy games is the effort and importance they always put into the music. I have never played one where I felt it was low-budget in any way, and this game is exactly the same. There are nearly 100 original songs within, most of which were composed and arranged by Masashi Hamauzu, although he wasn’t the only one involved with the soundtrack. There’s too many involved to name all of them, but you will notice the German pianist. Now, of course music is not the only audio aspect of a game like this that is important in a game like this and that is voice acting.
This game was originally made for a Japanese audience, at there are times when the dubbing isn’t a perfect fit. This highlights a bit of a problem for me as I am aware that the actors and actresses who voice the Japanese version are well-known and experienced. Saying that, I still decided to play the dubbed version due to not having to wear my glasses and read the subtitles. There are also the standard sounds to the game which follow the style of the graphics: cute (damn, I’ve said that word too many times already in this review). All the little mirages sound cool and that’s the same as all the little village noises. The creeks and cracks of your standard village, some might say.
Overall, once again I have impressed by the sound/music and voice acting of a Final Fantasy game therefore I think an 8 is a fair score.
Go to page 2 for more thoughts on the game.
I have been a video game player since 1993 and a music fan since I can remember. I studied Film and Journalism at university and ended up becoming a Primary School teacher. Video games changed my life and sent me on the right track and have stayed with me ever since.