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Final Fantasy Legends (mobile) preview
By Heath | September 8, 2010 at 2:10 am
Now available for Japanese iMode users is Final Fantasy Legends.
As one can see from these images, Square Enix has gone with the basics in terms of visuals. The real attraction of this 2D throwback is not the flashy CG renders that flood modern titles, but the deep job system of some past games. Similar to Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy V, characters can select from several jobs (though not in the middle of a battle like in Final Fantasy X-2). After each battle, Ability Points (AP) are gained, which count towards characters learning skills and abilities thematic of their current jobs. Jobs revealed so far are black mage, white mage, red mage, warrior, monk, thief, summoner, and “jobless.”
Like in several previous games that have used this system, abilities learned through AP will stay with the character even after switching jobs. The obvious long-term goal for players is to build characters trong in more than one job and who have a variety of useful skills. Where this game takes a slightly different turn is allowing players to mix different types fo abilities together with what they’re calling “Fusion Abilities.”
The story in this mobile Fantasy tells of two separate groups of adventurers from different parts of the world. Producer Takashi Tokita has called them “a party of light and a party of darkness.” A great war just recently ended, and the people are looking forward to peace. No sooner do these kids cross paths, however, than the famous Final Fantasy crystals begin to act up, and the youths are called upon to settle things down.
Like Before Crisis: FFVII and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, this game will be divided into periodic episodes. The prologue will be a free download, and the rest will cost a few hundred yen each. New scenarios will focus on one particular job, and clearing one will unlock that job for the player.
While there are no currently announced plans to release Final Fantasy Legends on any other platform than cellphones, it’s not unreasonable to suspect another form of release after a few months of mobile exclusivity. This happened with Final Fantasy IV: The After Years as it transitioned to Wiiware from cellphones, and The Third Birthday and Agito Final Fantasy XIII were both mobile titles that later were switched to PSP.
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Topics: Final Fantasy Legends, Previews