I have been a fan of the Final Fantasy series for more than 20 years now. Within those two decades, I have seen games in the series take many different forms. There are the classic JRPGs that make up most of the main series, Final Fnatasy XV is taking a more action based approach, Final Fantasy Dirge of Cerberus was very much a third person shooter, and Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, the most recent Final Fantasy title to see a world-wide release, is a free to play mobile role playing game. Yeah, I can already hear the groans. I think free to play is one of the worst things to ever happen to gaming, but Brave Exvius is a Final Fantasy game so I had to give it a shot. Let’s go below and see what I thought.
Story: As with any RPG, I have to talk about the story. Brave Exvius follows two knights, Rain and Lasswell, who are returning home when their airship is suddenly attacked by monsters. After fending off the creatures they are approached by a mysterious girl. She warns them about a threat to the crystals. Rain decides to heed her warning and the duo stops off at the Earth Temple to see if there is any truth to the girl’s words. They arrive in time to witness the game’s big bad guy, a figure clad in black armor, shattering the earth crystal. Lasswell and Rain return to their airship finding it destroyed and all of their soldiers dead. From there you get to guide Lasswell and Rain through their adventure, where you will also get to learn more about Rain’s father and their strained relationship. This is a very Final Fantasy-esque story, but it lacks some of the depth that Final Fantasy veterans are used to seeing in the numbered installments. Overall the story isn’t bad, it just isn’t very engrossing.
Gameplay: Touch controlled, turn-based combat, RPG. You tap to attack, and swipe to use abilities. It’s that simple. Nothing more to it or is there? I initially though that there was nothing more to the gameplay than collecting characters through the use of in game currency, then using them to battle monsters. Though, after progressing a bit through the game I found myself pleasantly surprised. The combat remained simple, but the customization options that are unlocked over the course of the story are surprisingly varied for a mobile game. Eventually, you are able to assemble your own party of five characters. You have your choice of basically anyone from the entire Final Fantasy series, depending upon how lucky you are. Each character can level up and unlock upgraded forms while gaining new abilities along the way. Then there is the Esper system. Espers are powerful monsters that you can attach to your characters, enhancing their stats and allowing them to use new abilities. When used during combat Espers cause a short cinematic to play and deal out some decent damage to your enemies. The combat may be simple, but Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is remarkable just for the party customization options.
Monetization: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is free to play. People with the deepest pockets will almost always be the most successful “free to play” players. That being said, if you do not wish to sink any money into Brave Exvius then you should still be able to enjoy the game. For those who are willing to spend a few bucks you will find a few different things to invest in: additional slots, item bundles, new characters, and recover energy. Players who pick the game up by July 17th will receive Magitek Armor Terra, Biggs, and Wedge as well as 10 rare summon tickets to help build up their roster of characters. This is actually a pretty good deal. I used the tickets to get fairly good characters, and with them I was able to make my way through most of the game with relative ease. The monetization isn’t really that bad in this game, though there are still moments of frustration, especially when you run out of energy.
Conclusion: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is basically what you might expect from a mobile experience based on Square-Enix’s most iconic series. The story is passable, the gameplay is simplistic with some pleasant surprises, and the monetization isn’t overly annoying. It’s a far cry from a main series Final Fantasy title, but if you enjoy RPGs then Brave Exvius can provide you with some entertainment while on the go.
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