Even if you’re a casual Final Fantasy observer, you shouldn’t miss this one.Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line features 385 songs from countless Final Fantasy games, spin-offs, movies, and concerts (deluxe edition included). 402 songs if you have one) to create the ultimate celebration of the franchise’s 35th birthday. Final Barline is the fourth Theatrhythm Final Fantasy game after his two 3DS entries in 2012 and 2014, and the 2016 arcade entry (there was also a Japan-exclusive Dragon Quest — boo!). But this is the series’ debut on the PlayStation console and, sadly, the first touchscreen-less entry that isn’t the most elegant transition.
As for controls, there are four separate marker types. First, there is only one red circle. To hit these, literally press any button on the beat. The second is the directional marker. For these, flick in whichever direction the stick is pointing, or sometimes both sticks in different directions. The third is a long note. Press the button and hold the note — it’s pretty easy. You will get an arrow prompt to release this note or flick the stick on the last beat.
These three are the core of a simple yet elegant rhythm game. The problem is his 4th marker. Limited to the field music stage (explained in more detail below) are long notes that move up and down the screen. Now, on the 3DS, this makes sense. Drag the stylus along the note to hold it. Instead of following a line, the controller simply moves the stick up and down depending on the direction of travel. No skill or care required. At best, it’s boring. Worst of all, I feel sick.
The game is split into three separate modes of play. The battle music stage is the most common (and frankly the best) and consists of 4 lanes. Don’t worry. All these lanes can be controlled by pressing the same button. It’s just a stylistic choice based on the original Final Fantasy battle layout, with the party fighting enemies behind enemy lines. Please expect Meanwhile, in the Field Music Stage, the party roams the area and confronts enemies along the way. This mode has only one lane to worry about, but it’s the only lane that features the aforementioned long moving notes. Expect to find cool themes like Final Fantasy VI’s Terra’s Theme here.
Finally, Event Music Stages are basically the same as BMS, but the notes are vertical instead of horizontal, and a movie plays in the background (like the original Final Fantasy opening or advent children super cut). To be honest, we weren’t the biggest fans of these. Luckily they are completely optional.
It wouldn’t be Final Fantasy without RPG elements. Theatrhythm lets you unlock classic his characters from the history of the franchise. Each has its own skills and classes. These characters level up just by playing songs together. During the song, your party fights enemies in the background. How much damage you do is related to how well you play. It’s a great addition that adds depth while still being mediocre, but if you want to ignore that and focus on the rhythmic side of things, it’s also a perfectly valid option.
The game has 3 modes. The series quests that are open from the beginning are equivalent to the story mode of the game. In this mode, you can play songs to relive the titles of the series and start by unlocking one of six categories. This soon opens up to 28 (his final 29th is unlocked after beating 6 titles). These include 15 core Final Fantasy games and, apparently, extras like Final Fantasy VII Remake, the Dissidia series, and Final Fantasy Tactics. There are even weirder ones like Mystic Quests and Chocobo Dungeons.
Each song comes with a quest to unlock some goodies (such as gallery artwork and Moogle follower costumes). Some have modifiers that can change gameplay, such as enemies dealing extra damage or notes moving faster. Series quests are likely where you spend most of your time gaming, and for good reason. Not only is it a great structure, it’s also a fun journey through the history of the series.
The other two modes are Music Stage (a free-to-play mode for songs unlocked in series quests) and finally Multi Battle. This is an online mode where you can have a high score battle with up to 4 people. You can play fair, or you can play a mode reminiscent of Guitar Hero III’s battle mode, where your opponents are challenged, like Fat Chocobo covering half the screen or extra notes being added. Send me traps to confuse you. I didn’t spend much time online during my review period, but I can’t wait to see it come back with some surprisingly fun additions to the game.
Conclusion
Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line is an impressive feat. I gave it credit, but I feel like I just scratched the surface of his massive 400+ song list. The love and passion for this series is evident in every inch of this project, and I recommend it to anyone interested in rhythm games. Packed with absolute bangers, the Final Bar Line will keep you busy for hours.
