liberal - to - free rein game often look sympathetic , but it ’s difficult to know at a glance whether the business good example is subtle and sport wrecking , or fair and worth pump a few horse into . With Freemium Field Test , we ’ll take a late free - to - play iOS game , put it through its footstep , and let you know if it ’s really worth your metre ( and money ) .
As a teenager , I obsess over the Final Fantasy series . I ’d get lost in the many - dozen - hour adventures , soak up the convolute but often emotional plots and get up manoeuvre to overcome the challenging encounters . Truth be told , I spent much , much more time writing about the games on fan site and message board , and it ’s what pushed me towards writing professionally . I ’m ever thankful for that unexpected career track borne out of pure fandom .
But these days , I do n’t act the games anymore — or any other role - act quests , for that affair . I just do n’t have time , between piece of work and upgrade a robustious toddler , much as I ’d like to relive that excitement at times . So maybeFinal phantasy : Record Keeperis designed for tribe like me : It pull in intimate , beloved element from retiring entries while being super streamlined and playable for minutes at a time .
Still , Square Enix ’s latest free - to - gaming endeavor begs the interrogation : does anyone love Final Fantasy for the ironic , turn - based combat above all ?
The pitch
Every bit of gameplay contract position on screens like this , albeit with different backdrops and characters . you could even hit “ Auto ” and watch the battles rather of playing them .
Final Fantasy : Record Keeper is essentially a mega - mash - up of all the main Final Fantasy games from various consoles and eras . It brings together characters , scenarios , narrative titbit , weapons , music , and nontextual matter from some of the most enduringly loved game ever created — all in a free - to - act iPhone and iPad biz , amazingly .
The premise is expectedly thin , with you as the newest employee of a burial vault that house the various serial ’ events . When an evil affliction starts damaging paintings that depict the classic moments , it ’s your job to jump in and revitalize them by reliving the battle . It ’s a fair exculpation to effectively blast together message from nearly three decennium ’ worth of part - act adventures , and do so in a way that works on touch devices .
And that ’s done via a nearly complete focussing on turn - based showdowns . You ’ll foregather a five - fictitious character squad of champion , mages , and more , and then wage in battles against lusus naturae and iconic villain from the series . Each face-off finds you knock a mastery icon — attack , defend , apply a tour — and then watch as the case unfold , making lightly strategic move as needed . battle are bundled three or four in a wrangle without a breather , typically , meaning that you ’ll need to be mindful of health and magic allotment across a series rather than a single fight .
Each mission is spread out across multiple event , with each of those span a few total fight . As you’re able to see , the staying power requisite add up , but at least early on , it ’s not really a hurt .
Curiously , there ’s little literal storytelling and zero geographic expedition in the mix : It ’s all carte du jour - aim , as you go from conflict to battle advancing each biz ’s plot of ground alone through fight . And the combat itself is n’t all that exciting ; after all , you tapdance a button andwatchthe battles instead of run them . The little bit of narrative you get comes via text edition descriptions and the occasional old - schooling screenshot , which — copulate with the awe-inspiring classic euphony — is enough to evoke memories for old fan . However , I doubt it ’ll make much of an impact on anyone who is n’t already well versed with the console games .
Also surprising is the more or less limited launching content . To be middling , we ’re only a couple weeks out from the North American launch — but I ’m still surprised that only a little selection of story commission is included . Currently , you ’ll play through battle from Final Fantasy IV through VII , as well as Final Fantasy X , but the mission only cross a very compact clump of each . For example , there are just two short missions for FFVII , which come from the initial scenarios of that 50 - plus hour adventure .
While that means that there ’s probably awhole lot morecoming , between depicted object from other Final Fantasy games and expand what ’s here , the game does n’t feel as straggling and dateless at its core as a mess of free - to - play experience do . But much tougher professional mission and day-by-day challenge flank the 20 - or - so current account quest , and render some bonus to comprehend in — and perchance spend some money , too .
The catch
Spending mythril or gems on a Rare Relic Draw can garner you some rare , powerful gear to use in fight .
astonishingly , Final Fantasy : Record Keeper does n’t feel like a full grind . It has a stamen system of rules designed to limit protracted play , along with opportunities to enthrone real money to unlock randomly opt rarified items , but the game is very hands - off with its monetizing attempt .
I play minute and hours of Record Keeper , yet never once track down out of stamina . It recharge at a rate of one quartz glass every few minutes , plus each battle take off a few — and they ’re chain together , remember , so a undivided missionary post might take 15 to 30 stamina watch glass away in the bridge of 10 to 15 minute . But your maximum capability increases on a regular basis , each time refilling the bar . Anytime I came near to tapping out , like clockwork it would replenish and I ’d be quick for the next dangerous undertaking .
Where money can add up into bid is with the Rare Relic Draws , which allow you pass enceinte to try and unlock top - rated , memorable gear from the various game . You ’ll occasionally earn mythril rock to apply as currency , and those can be used to wiretap into a Rare Relic Draw . However , it gather so lento that it ’s much more tantalising to pour in some cash for gems and corrupt a crowd of draws at once .
That Rare Relic Draw x11 clit sure enough is sparkly ! Hrmm , it ’s 3000 gems ? I wonder how much that ’ll cost me …
In fact , DeNA and Square Enix will jubilantly sell you 11 draw for the price of 10 — but it costs almost $ 30 to grease one’s palms enough gems to jump on that supposed bargain . Likewise , a single draw purchased with gems will rig you back $ 3 , and there ’s no warrant of what form of appurtenance you ’ll win .
Tempted by the possibility of bring home the bacon the Guard Stick arm from Aerith — a fondly remembered fictitious character from Final Fantasy VII — I expend $ 9 for three detail draws in the current Relic advancement . I did n’t get the token I want . But the weapon system and armor pieces I did gain ground gave my characters obtrusive stat boosts , and if I found myself deeply hook by Record Keeper , I might see it as a honest investing .
The verdict
But I ’m not that invest , and I doubt that I ’ll drop any additional money — although I ’ll probably pop back in from clip to time to survey the new content and see if Final Fantasy : Record Keeper becomes any more interesting over time . It does a nice job of stoking excitement via venerating treatments of adore characters and stories , but shine dead of create the experience sense all important or to the full realized .
Still , die - hards should enjoy the flashbacks , and it ’s a much better freemium attempt than Square Enix ’s earlierFinal Fantasy : All the Bravest . There ’s so much potential difference here to bring together all of these universes over time , and perhaps mob in alone gameplay tweaks and more challenge with the main story quests . Hopefully , as the game grows and thrive , it ’ll asseverate the reasonable free - to - play design and not consume the nostalgic good will it ’s draw thus far .
