I was born with a 7-foot-long-sword and a Chocobo beside me. I eat phoenix downs for breakfast and elixirs for dinner. I slay Tonberries while sleeping and quell Cactuars for enjoyment. We can all dream right? If you recognize any of these references you’re a nerd, but also, this article is for you.

I’ve been a diehard FF fan since…well forever. I’ve racked up countless hours needlessly leveling up my characters, delving into giant maze dungeons and for what? For FUN. I love it! Lately however, I’ve been pretty disappointed with Square Enix and how they’ve been responding to their fan base. Let me rephrase, stop remaking games and give me something original! But that isn’t the only problem; their newfound “originality” is stale, often boring, and nonsensical. Yes I said it, the last few Final Fantasy games have not been impressive to say the least, and many have plainly offended me as a long time RPG lover and avid fan. Now I know this is pure opinion and conjecture, but hear me out.

As someone who views the FF series in an unfortunate decline since 2002, I could be considered a cynic. I was once the biggest final fantasy fan in existence and now I mourn what the series use to be. Despite my apathy, a new installment to the franchise has piqued my interest. The title in which I speak is Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. As its name hints, this is not your traditional dungeon-crawling, story-driven Final Fantasy experience. Besides being a showcase of bad spelling, Theatrhythm is a completely unique, strange, and deliciously awesome concept that will appeal to nostalgic gamers and welcome newcomers alike.  

To be broad, Theatrhythm is a compilation of characters, locations, music, and scenarios inspired from the entirety of the Final Fantasy series, the great years spanning from 1987 to the present, 2012. Players take control of characters with stylus-based, touch controls that correspond to different musical tunes from the series. Each level consists of three stages: field, battle, and event; each featuring different game mechanics. The game celebrates the heavy hitters of the series: Cloud Strife, Locke Cole, Squall Leonheart, Tidus, Kain Highwind, and many more. A cool addition, the characters have the ability to level up as well. 

To be honest with you, I don’t care about the story, the 3D capability, or the innovative gameplay. What draws me to Theatrhythm is a sense of nostalgia derived from decades of game releases, and the many hours I’ve spent journeying through the universe that is Final Fantasy. I have very fond memories of giggling at Selphie’s obsession with trains in FF8 or reading the tombstone entitled, “May Link Rest in Peace” in FF1. Theatrhythm is a great opportunity for fans to re-experience the classic titles, characters, locations, and music of the franchise in a fun, light-hearted way.

Even though I, for the most part, have moved past the Final Fantasy series, the idea that I can play as all my favorite characters and listen to some of the greatest gaming music of all time is a prospect that the inner fangirl in me cannot ignore. Do you know how many times I’ve watched the cutscenese in FFX? And now I get to play them, sounds like a nerdgasm to me. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy will be released July 3, 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS. For complete character and music lists, check out Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Character and Track List.

What are your impressions of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy? Would you be willing to give the game a shot despite the light-hearted, music based gameplay? Personally it’s already on my Gamefly list so you have my answer.

         

WordPress › Error

There has been a critical error on this website.

Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.