E3 2012: Square-Enix Brings Goes Retro with Final Fantasy Dimensions

Think you’ve played every Final Fantasy game? Think again. In 2010 Square Enix launched an episodic RPG on Japanese mobile phones called Final Fantasy Legends. Individually each episode can be completed in around three hours, but the 13 episodes put together offer up a full-fledged 35-40 hour adventure.

Square Enix announced earlier this year that the episodes will finally be translated into English and ported to both iOS and Android, beginning in July.

I had the opportunity to go hands-on with the title (renamed Final Fantasy Dimensions for North America) and I’m happy to report that it plays like… Final Fantasy. Or at least what Final Fantasy was like when I was growing up with the titles in the 90s. The 2D sprite-based graphics, catchy MIDI music and elaborate job system will be very familiar to gamers that played any of the classic Super Nintendo Final Fantasy titles.

Dimensions features the same Active Time Battle system first introduced in Final Fantasy IV. This means that the battles are still largely turn-based, but if players take too long selecting their attack an enemy might be able to sneak in an extra attack or two of their own. The battles play out perfectly on a touch screen. Players simply select menu options by tapping on them, with a second tap selecting which enemy to target. Simple.

Movement on the overworld doesn’t yet feel quite as smooth when using a touch screen, however. When players touch the screen, a virtual D-Pad appears. Sliding your thumb along it moves your hero. But movement is only possible in the four cardinal directions, making movement with the virtual D-pad a little stiff and awkward. A hybrid “swiping” control option similar to a title like Mage Gauntlet would feel better.

FF Dimensions features an in-depth job system for its character classes, similar to Final Fantasy V. In episode 1 the eight mainstay FF jobs are available: Warrior, Monk, Thief, Red Mage and so-on. Later episodes introduce more unique classes like Dancer, Bard, Magus and more.

A short E3 demo is not a great opportunity to learn much about a big RPG’s storyline, but at its core Final Fantasy Dimensions seems to be a battle between the classic Warriors of Light and a competing group, the Warriors of Darkness.

It sounds trite, but the truth is games like Final Fantasy Dimensions just aren’t made anymore. As an oldschool gamer it felt great to summon a sprite version of Ifrit to take out a group of random baddies and to run around a calm RPG town meeting NPCs. Control issues aside, Final Fantasy Dimensions might just be the meaty RPG mobile gamers have been waiting for.



Source : ign[dot]com