Animation · blog · Manga · Proxymité Japon ·

Final Fantasy Explorers - Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy Explorers is an action RPG game for the Nintendo 3DS that was released in Japan in 2014 and in North America and Europe in 2016. The game was developed by Square Enix and includes staples of the franchise, such as a job system and familiar Final Fantasy monsters. The game was directed by Atsushi Hashimoto and produced by Hiroyuki Miura. It was designed by Gen Kobayashi and the lead artist was Toshiyuki Itahana. The game received mixed to good reviews, receiving a 69/100 from Metacritic.

Plot

The game takes place on Amostra, a large island with many crystals that have attracted explorers over the years. The goal of the game is to find the Great Crystal by completing various quests and defeating eidolons, or summoned monsters like Ifrit and Bahamut. In addition to the Explorers' Union's quest to find the Great Crystal, several different organizations come into contact with each other. The Kingdom of Lillium and the Gartian Empire are both seeking to gather as many crystals as possible and are at an impasse in their territorial negotiations. The Church of Madulas is a religious institution that wishes to exterminate the monster population using its militia, the Orthodox Knights. On the other hand, Querasua is a country conducting research as part of its study of the monsters on Amostra. Compared to other Final Fantasy games, especially those in the flagship series, the game has been criticized for lacking in detail and plot fullness.

Gameplay

The game features single-player and multiplayer battle modes, and the main objective of the game is for the player to obtain crystals scattered throughout the game world. The game's plot unfolds as the main quest is completed, and the quest's difficulty level can be manually adjusted. The player has control over three character slots, which can be filled either by previously defeated monsters or other human players. Each job has different strengths and weaknesses. Jobs include Knight, Monk, White Mage, Black Mage, Dragon, Paladin, Rogue, Ninja, Red Mage, Time Mage, Bard, Ranger, Black Knight, Beastmaster, Geomancer, Machinist, Alchemist, Sage, Blue Mage, Samurai, and Freelancer. Using the multi-ability system, players can assign eight abilities to different buttons. When a player masters a certain job, they can use that job's abilities even while using a different job; however, using an ability on a job other than the native job will double its cost. Heroes are fully customizable, and AP is earned by defeating enemies that improve the way they fight. Online play has been compared to Monster Hunter 4. A player can create a room with their objectives or browse rooms created by other players. An important aspect of the game is persistence and continuity. Repeating the same actions, gathering the same resources, fighting the same monsters, and exploring the same areas is a core element of the game.

Stances and movements play an important role in combat. A log displaying damage figures is available for review. As the player progresses through the game, they can craft or obtain up to 500 different items and can change the weapons, armor, and accessories obtained. Using the Trance system, players can transform into characters from previous Final Fantasy games, such as Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII , Cecil Harvey or Lightning Bolt from Final Fantasy XIII. The Monster Fusion Shop can be used instead of playing online or using multiplayer, to generate a team.

Development

Final Fantasy Explorers was announced in Jump magazine in June 2014. Square Enix filed a trademark for the game in the United States and Europe, and the localization was officially announced for release on January 26, 2016. The original idea for the game was conceived by Atsushi Hashimoto, who worked on the Nintendo DS remake of Final Fantasy Legend II. He wanted to add previously summoned monsters to the game, which he felt would give the game a nostalgic feel. In this respect, the game is similar to Dissidia Final Fantasy. One criticism of the game is that it is too easy and, even if the player dies, the consequences are nothing to worry about.

Multiplayer

One of the main reasons Final Fantasy fans eagerly awaited the release of Final Fantasy Explorers was the multiplayer feature. Multiplayer is a key element of the game, allowing players to play cooperatively by creating a private room with their friends locally, or online via the multiplayer lobby. Multiplayer allows players to work together, giving them more power during battles than the AI-controlled allied monsters that the player will add to their party throughout the game. Additionally, multiplayer allows groups of players to expand beyond the areas found in single-player mode.