Format: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
Developer: Square Enix
As a long time gamer I have pretty much played every incarnation in the Final Fantasy series since it was released on the NES many moons ago. For me there are usually two things that stick in my memory long after I have beaten a Final Fantasy game and that is the characters and the music. Even in the 8-Bit gaming days Final Fantasy had great music. Now we have full blown concerts dedicated to the music from the series. So it really is not that surprising that a game based around the music of the Final Fantasy series.
From a presentational point of view this game is a love letter to fans of the Final Fantasy series. Not only are many characters from pretty much every game well represented here, but there is also back grounds from all of these games as well. It really is quite amazing to see how far the games have come from there humble 8-Bit roots to what we have now. There are tons of little things thrown in that die hard Final Fantasy fans will no doubt get a kick out of.
Theatre Rhythm Final Fantasy is a music game and I think that the best way to describe it is Rockband with RPG elements. The basic idea of the game play is the same as the majority of other music based games. Where notes will come across the screen and you will need to tap, swipe or hold depending on the kind of note it is. It makes for very addictive game play that is also a ton of fun.
At the start of each “level” you need to select your party of characters from a choice that spans most of the Final Fantasy games. They all have there own stats and on completion of songs you can level them up making it easier to beat some of the harder songs. This RPG style element really makes it stand up against the other music games that are out there.
The story mode of the game is split up really into three different types of games. Field Music Stage, Battle Music Stage and Event Music Stage.
Field Music Stage will see your character taking a stroll through various Final Fantasy landscapes while you try and hit those notes. This is really cool and while the landscape does repeat its self as you are so focused on the notes you do not really notice it all that much. There are many little hidden things for you to see here which is pretty cool for long time Final Fantasy fans.
The Battle Music Stage is where your team of characters will face off in battle against various fiends. For me in particular this was really cool as much of the battle music from the Final Fantasy games is burned into my brains. This mode is much more fast paced than the Field Music Stage.
The Event Music Stage is perhaps the one where we see just how much Final Fantasy has evolved over the years. Here we have various cut scenes that have been lifted from the various different Final Fantasy games. I know that some people have complained that they have just been ripped from the old games and slapped here, but I think that is a little harsh and love seeing these old videos.
Of course the most important part of the game is its music selection and the thing about a game like this is it is impossible to make every fan happy. There is always going to be that song that you love that has been left out. Still there are a ton of songs for you to play and of course many of them you will need to pay some cash in order to get them, but this really is nothing new for a game in this genre.
In all Theatre Rhythm Final Fantasy is a great game for fans of the series. Make no mistake about it this is a game made for fans. I am sure that people who have never played a Final Fantasy game can enjoy the game play. If you are a Final Fantasy fan then this game is simply a must buy!