Final Fantasy Type-0 HD Remaster a Great Game, Not Without Transitional Struggles [TGS Hands-On]

September 27, 2014

When you say that an upcoming game has something that isn't remarkable about it, the internet tends to jump all over your shit. When Janelle wrote the English-speaking world's first review of Final Fantasy XIII, awarding it 7/10, she was labeled a "troll" and a "hater." Yeah. And what is Final Fantasy XIII's reputation about series fans, now, remind me again? Point is, cool your jets, internet.

Here, I'll start with the good things. Keep in mind that my perspective is one of someone who has beaten the PSP game while I write all this.

The Good

Final Fantasy Type-0 is, overall, a wonderful game. I have no doubt that the console version will be an excellent, memorable experience for those who haven't played it handheld. It has furious combat, a battle system fairly unique within the FF series, a well-done school setting, a soundtrack for the ages, and a story that sticks with you.

The controls are made easier by the inclusion of a second analog stick.

What I saw at TGS was a fun game.

There, we good, internet? Am I immune from your flames about a game you've never played?

Moving on…

The Not Good

On the PSP version, the camera showed you a bit more of the action. While the enhanced graphics of this HD remaster are an improvement, the camera seems oddly zoomed-in. I've read others saying it's the opposite, but doing some digging, I can't find any evidence that these writers have played the PSP version, just that they're quoting Guy 1, who is quoting Guy 2, and so on in an internet gamez jarnalizm brand of the Telephone Game. So here it is. I say, as someone who beat the PSP game and played the TGS demo, that the camera on the HD Remaster shows less of the battlefield. It felt like my vision was not what I was used to seeing in my PSP fights.

Remember, however, that if you've never played that version, maybe that won't irk you at all. Bliss.

But there are other visual problems. The camera also swoops around more than I would like, undoing my hard work of positioning it so that I can see what I want to see. This also zooms in on the PSP assets that aren't quite as remastered as others. The character models are brought up to what I would call a decent PS3/360 standard (sorry, Square, not PS4/X1), but flora and some other bits of environments look very aged. They just do. And you can tell some special effects are given a bit too much shine to mask their flaws. Do they look bad? No, not necessarily, but they don't look like a 2015 PS4/Xbox One game. Director Hajime Tabata said that Type-0 HD looks like a game build natively for the PS4 and X1, but no, it simply doesn't.

So, all that being said, calm your ass down, this is one of my favorite Final Fantasy games and it'll make a fine console game when it comes out. The graphics and camera have issues. I have to say it.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is set to be released worldwide in mid March of 2015.