Final Fantasy Type 0 - Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy Type-0 is an action role-playing game that is part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy series developed by Square Enix. It was first released as one of the 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 several different platforms, including the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. Directed by Hajime Tabata, Tetsuya Nomura provided the character designs, and Takeharu Ishimoto composed the music, with the game achieving critical acclaim.
Plot
The story takes place in the world of Orience, a land divided into four nations or "Crystal States." Each nation possesses its own power crystal based on four symbols, which act as the nation's emblems. L'Cie play an important role in the game. They are humans who have been branded with a divine mission to accomplish. The story primarily focuses on a group of fourteen students from the Vermillion Peristylium called Class Zero. The Militesi Empire invades other Orience Crystal States in hopes of controlling their crystals. Class Zero is tasked with defending Rubrum and thwarting the Millitesi's plot. Eventually, the group begins to unravel the secrets behind the war and the reason and meaning of their existence. The setting and style were inspired by historical events, and the story was 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 Final Fantasy Type 0. They are:
- Ace
- Devil
- Trey
- Caterer
- Five
- Sice
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Jack
- Queen
- King
- Machina Kunagiri
- Rem Tokimiya
Gameplay
The game is fast-paced and relies on a real-time combat system similar to that used in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. The character can choose to control one of three characters, with the other two being controlled by the AI. During combat, a player can focus and "lock" on an enemy, and can also switch targets. Specially timed attacks called "Break Sight," which inflicts significant damage, and "Kill Sight," which automatically kills a target, can be used by attacking enemies at the right time. Another ability is to use what is called a "triad maneuver," where characters formed in groups 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. The former improves as experience is gained and Phantoma is collected, replenishing magic points. These points can be used in the game's leveling system, the Altocrystarium, to strengthen a character's magical abilities. Magic abilities are divided into five basic categories as follows:
- Shotgun (SHG) - Can reach multiple heights. Ideal for close-range combat.
- Rifle (RF) - Fires a straight line at a target and has a long range. If upgraded to the next level, "RF2," it can pierce enemies.
- Bomb (BOM) - Effective in close proximity to the player. Very useful against fast-moving or multiple small targets. Its BOM2 upgrade has a much longer duration and can inflict more damage.
- Missile (MIS) - Tracks and searches for an enemy before unleashing its magic. At higher levels, the magic will spread to affect the environment.
- Rocket Launcher (ROK) - Fires magic where the player commands it and, upon impact, damages surrounding enemies in an area of effect radius.
In combat, players are often faced with time challenges, where failure results in a loss of health. If a character dies in combat, they must switch to another and resurrect 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 draining their health gauge.
Development
Originally planned as Final Fantasy Agito XIII, Type-0 was to be released as a mobile game as part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis group, a sub-series of games bound by a common philosophy. Even though the title has changed, the term "Agito" still appears in the story. Square Enix also released a prequel mobile game called Final Fantasy Agito. Originally conceived in 2005, the initial decision to make it a mobile game was due to the success of previous mobile releases. It was eventually produced for both the PSP and the mobile version, but the mobile version was scrapped. In 2008, the producers decided to make Final Fantasy Type-0 exclusive to the PSP, as they felt that mobile technology was not advanced enough and did not want to wait for advancements in mobile technology to reach a level that could keep up with the technical advancements in gaming. A major inspiration for the game was Centuries of Images as well as other historical documentaries. The multi-character gameplay was heavily influenced by Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII .
