Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: Wii
Cost: $49.99
Genre: RPG
Acquired: Review copy provided by publisher
Pros: Innovative and true to the Final Fantasy legacy.
Cons: May be frustrating for veteran/perfectionist gamers
Verdict: If you like Final Fantasy, and you like the Wii, you’ll love this game.
Final Fantasy has a history of knowing what gamers need and when they need it. They’re like the sweet spot seekers. So it comes as no surprise that they brought an RPG with easy controls and amazing graphics — as well as innovative gameplay — to the console that needed it most: the Wii. To me, the Wii tends to be the console of choice when I’m looking at games for my 5 year old; nothing against them. Really, it’s a compliment that I would rather have her playing the system that involves more movement, and more bubbly characters, and the games released for the Wii generally give me the same vibe, validating my bias. Lately, though, it seems that there are a lot of games coming out to challenge that stereotype. The problem is that if someone is going to get those games, they either already have a preferred system on which to play them, or they didn’t get one of those systems for a reason; they don’t want it. This game is a brilliant mix of both grown up and childlike; the Tween of the Final Fantasy games, if you will.
There are a LOT of new things introduced in this game that are key to enjoying the gameplay, so you need to know that understanding them from the beginning will save a lot of pain and frustration. The storyline itself unravels very easily, and not a lot of effort is necessary. In fact, there are so many movie sequences, one may forget they’re playing a game (I know I did at one point). Another slightly different element is that you’re not always supposed to get things right in this game. The game allows for some imperfect play, which is fortunate if you aren’t a fabulous gamer to begin with, but may get frustrating for the veteran gamers. Honestly, it’s not a game I would necessarily advise veterans to worry about in the first place. This is a great game, however, for someone who has yet to be introduced to the world of Final Fantasy. I mean, where else are you going to be properly introduced to Chocobos?
Controls in this game are very strange and very Wii. The main character you play as, Layle, is controlled with both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. The ‘B’ trigger allows you to use Layle’s energy stream. Do this by placing the green squiggle (you’ll know it when you see it) on your target, holding down the ‘B’ trigger, and either flicking your wrist, or pushing ‘A’. This is the key to everything within the game: talking to people, opening chests, throwing things, fixing things, trashing the monsters, etc. It reminds me of the little pen that Dr. Who uses on everything he comes across. [Editor's note: The Sonic Screwdriver, for those in the know.] The ‘A’ button is your action button. When you are supposed to perform an action you’ll generally be grabbing it with the stream ’B’ and then manipulating it with ‘A’. Only on the Wii could this work, and although most games on the Wii tend to get frustrating in the controls department, this game seems to work fairly well. The only issue I really had with the controls was the camera (which you use the D pad to manipulate). Once I changed the direction from normal to reverse (I can’t do anything inverted), I was fine. It does get frustrating that the camera angle reverts back to it’s “home” position no matter how many times you move it. Makes me wish it had the WoW controls for this particular thing. Yes, I’m a nerd; I just made both a WoW and Dr. Who reference in the same paragraph.
Other gameplay elements include differing random events, almost like mini-games, that include things like 3rd person shooting, throwing things at people, controlling monsters and their powers, controlling the people around you, etc. The further away the object/monster/person you’re wanting to interact with is, the less power your energy stream has, so keep that in mind when you’re getting overly excited about throwing one baddie at the other one. Another thing to keep in mind, especially when you’re using Layle’s powers to interact with others, is that every person you come across can show you emotion. Yes, they emote. If you pick someone up and throw them, they might get pissed, so make sure you’re paying attention to their emotes. This a kind of cool aspect about the game, but less so regarding the interaction with Layle, more so in that you can watch a brother and sister, for example, start fighting; emotes and all. It’s entertaining, and makes you much more a part of your environment than a lot of the other FF games.
The storyline is very slow to develop, and didn’t keep me compelled to learn more. It has been my experience that RPG’s generally have a fairly quickly developing storyline. You watch the opening movie, or sequence of movies, and you spend most of the game playing it through. Sure, sometimes there is a twist at the end, but you have to want to get to the end in order to endure the endless fighting and character progression. This storyline just didn’t do that for me. While I loved the innovative game play and graphics, I have a short attention span; I wasn’t enthralled.
The voice acting was great most of the time. Just as with any other FF game, the characters’ sounds match their personalities and looks. My only complaint is the inflection that Layle doesn’t have when he talks. One of the coolest things I noticed while listening to the characters voices is the sound of an old friend. Michael McConnohie is the voice of Jegran, high commander of the Lilty army. Not sure who he is? Think anime (I’m an anime-aholic). Think Transformer’s Ironhide; old school. He’s also been in Lupin the 3rd, Naruto, DBZ, Trigun, Vampire Hunter D, Bleach.. get the picture? A pretty impressive and extensive resume.
The background sounds that come from game play are a little on the mystical sounding side, but nothing you wouldn’t expect, especially coming from a game that has energy streams as a main function. The graphics are gorgeous, of course, and feel like a cross between Skies of Arcadia and FF X for me. You don’t get the individual strands of hair (that I’m so incredibly fond of), but I would be willing to bet that you won’t be disappointed.
Bottom line, if you’re interested in something a little different that retains the Final Fantasy feel, this is a great game for you. Likewise, if you’re new to the Final Fantasy world, this is a great way to get started; if you’re a veteran gamer needing an introduction, I would suggest something different. Playing this game is like watching a cartoon movie: you don’t really have to think too hard about it, and it’s definitely enjoyable, but it may leave you numb after a while due to a lack of “hardcore” challenge. Unless, of course, that’s what you’re after. Either way, this game is definitely worth picking up.
Sharing: It’s Win/Win
