Final Fantasy Type 0 - Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy Type-0 is an action RPG game set part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy series developed by Square Enix. It was first released as one of many Final Fantasy PSP games on the PlayStation Portable in October 2011 exclusively for the Japanese market. It was later re-released worldwide as Final Fantasy Type-0 HD as a port on a number of different platforms including the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. Directed by Hajime Tabata, Tetsuya Nomura provided the character design and Takeharu Ishimoto composed the score, the game making a critical success.
Plot
Taking place in the world of Orience, a land divided into four nations or “Crystal States”. Each nation with their own crystal of power based on Four Symbols, which act as the nation’s emblems. L’Cie plays a prominent role in the game. They are humans that have been branded with a divine mission to accomplish. The story focuses primarily on a group of fourteen students from the Vermillion Peristylium called Class Zero. The Militesi Empire invades other Crystal States of Orience in hopes of controlling their crystals. Class Zero is tasked with the defense of Rubrum and foiling the Millitesi plot. Eventually, the group begins untangling the secrets behind both the war and the reason and meaning for their existence. The setting and style was inspired by historical events and the story designed to be more sinister than other Final Fantasy titles.
Characters
The main characters of the game are all students of Class Zero. There are fourteen playable characters unique to the Final Fantasy Type 0 game. They are:
- Ace
- Deuce
- Trey
- Cater
- Cinque
- Sice
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Jack
- Queen
- King
- Machina Kunagiri
- Rem Tokimiya
Gameplay
The game is fast paced, pertaining to a real time action based battle system similar to that used in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. The character may choose to control one of three characters, the other two controlled by AI. During combat, a player can focus and “lock in” on one enemy, and can also switch targets. Specially timed attacks called "Break Sight", which deals high damage, and the "Kill Sight", which automatically kills a target can be used by attacking enemies at the right moment. Another ability is to use what is called a “Triad Maneuver”, where characters formed in a group of three combine their attacks together. Monsters can be encountered in missions or on the world map.
Each character has a unique weapon and special attacks. While the former improves as experience is gained and Phantoma is collected, which replenishes Magic Points. These points are able to be used in the game's level up system, the Altocrystarium, to strengthen a character's magic skills. Magic skills are divided into five basic categories as follows:
- Shotgun (SHG) - Can hit multiple heights. Best used in short range combat.
- Rifle (RF) - Shoots in a straight direction at a target and has far range. If upgraded to the next level “RF2”, it can pierce through enemies.
- Bomb (BOM) - Effective in a player’s immediate vicinity. Very useful against fast or multiple small targets. Its upgrade BOM2, has a much longer duration and can inflict more damage.
- Missile (MIS) - Follows and seeks an enemy before releasing its magic. At higher levels the magic will expand to affect surroundings.
- Rocket Launcher (ROK) - Fires magic where directed by the player and on impact damages surrounding enemies in an Area of Effect radius.
In combat one often faces time challenges, where failure results in the loss of health. If a character dies in combat, they must switch to another and revive the fallen comrade outside of the mission. Creatures called “Eidolons” with their own unique abilities and powers can be summoned, replacing one of the characters and emptying their health gauge.
Development
Type 0 was originally planned as Final Fantasy Agito XIII to be released as a mobile game as a part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis group, a subseries of games tied together by a common ethos. Even though the title has changed, the term "Agito" still appears within the story. Square Enix has also released a prequel mobile game called Final Fantasy Agito. Originally conceived in 2005, the original decision to make it a mobile game was due to the success of previous mobile launches. It was eventually produced both for PSP and mobile release, but the mobile version was scrapped. In 2008, producers decided to make Final Fantasy Type-0 exclusive to the PSP, as they felt that mobile technology wasn’t advanced enough and did not want to wait for the progress of mobile technology to reach a level that could keep up with the technical advancements of the game. A major inspiration for the game was Centuries of Picture as well as other historical documentaries. The multi character gameplay was influenced heavily by Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII.