The Final Fantastic pedigree is certain, that’s for sure – it has all the hallmarks of the series, save the shift in gameplay genre: haunting, immersive music straight out of its PlayStation 2 progenitor; resplendent artwork, especially in its beautifully rendered cutscenes, but also in-game proper, considering the DS’s technical limitations; and an engaging, imaginative story populated with idiosyncratic yet amiable characters.
The game has merits uniquely its own, however. The novel (to Final Fantasy, anyway) real time strategy approach has been implemented rather successfully, and although I wish there were some better way to organize multiple-unit groups (epic armies tend to get stuck), the largely intuitive controls add far more to the game than they detract. Moreover, the role-playing and adventure elements preserved from the traditional Final Fantasies add some customization potential and strategic depth during missions to the perceptibly streamlined gameplay befitting of a handheld game.
Still, even though I’ve heard the English localization has been tweaked (essentially made more difficult) from the original Japanese release in accordance to presumed market predilections, why does the game feel just a tad too easy?
