Final Fantasy Type-0 HD Review

Back in the day, Square Enix was one of the few developers that really put the PlayStation Portable on the map. Thanks to the system’s limited yet functional suite of online features, players could download and play timeless classics like Final Fantasy VII and IX anywhere, any time.

Square Enix also pumped out a number of original games for the platform too, including such acclaimed hits as Crisis Core, The 3rd Birthday, Dissidia, and Birth By Sleep. It was these games which proved that the developer was capable of doing more than simply iterating on the same turn-based formula.

Sadly, the one PSP game I had been looking forward to most from Square never found its way to our shores. If you haven’t guessed already, that game was Final Fantasy Type-0. The stars seemed to have aligned, however, as now – a good three years after its Japanese launch – I’m sat here playing through it on my PlayStation 4. In English, no less.

Unlike Square’s recent spread of Final Fantasy games, Type-0 takes on a different tone and overall feel. There’s a distinct military theme running throughout, complimented by all the series’ familiar tropes and cameos. Another point to make in regards to the game’s setting is that, technically, it forms part of the convoluted Fabula Nova Crystallis universe.

A long, long time ago someone at Square thought it would be genius to group three games in the series under the same umbrella, with Type-0 originally titled Final Fantasy Agito XIII. Thankfully it doesn’t cross into the world of the recent XIII trilogy although there is plenty of shared terminology and lore strands.

In short, Type-0 has players slip into the roles of thirteen gifted cadets during a time of war and strife. Although it’s hard to keep up with all the faction and character names, the overarching plot is fairly easy to grasp. In short, there are four nations, one of which has begun a full-scale military assault on the others. During the invasion of their homeland, the cadets – known collectively as Class Zero – band together to overcome insurmountable odds.

Now, with the White Tiger’s offensive campaign having been stalled, it’s up to you to lead Class Zero into battle to route the enemy and end the threat for good.

In terms of game flow, Type-0 is effectively split into two halves. For the most part you’ll be out in the field, either scouring the world map or navigating smaller areas as you fight and complete missions. The other half is spent in small hubs as well as the central academy, voluntarily interacting with NPCs while upgrading your cadets.

This separation gives Type-0 an almost Mass Effect kind of feel. In many ways returning to the academy feels much like boarding the Normandy after a hard-fought mission. Here, you can chat away with classmates and other characters or simply get down to business – it’s up to you!

Away from home, things become much more active. Areas are populated with enemies and, after getting a taste for combat, you’ll no doubt eagerly bounce around in search of your next fight. In combat, you will take control of a party leader, with the ability to switch between two comrades (or switching to any member in your roster). It’s all action based and will feel somewhat familiar for those who’ve tried their hand at Kingdom Hearts with each battle command and its assigned button displayed in the user interface.

Each of the thirteen cadets, despite sharing a common pool of spells, play differently thanks to their unique weapons and abilities. Cinque, for instance, lumbers into battle with her huge mace whereas King will roll out of danger, momentarily pausing before peppering his foes with a hail of bullets. Inevitably everyone will have their preferred crack squad of cadets yet it’s great to have the option to freely switch whenever.

Between battles you will accrue money and experience which both aid in developing the cadets’ combat abilities. It’s a straightforward system, only made complex by the number of characters you can potentially juggle at the same time.

If you’re expecting FInal Fantasy Type-0 to look as good as, say, The Order 1886 or The Last of Us: Remastered then you’re kidding yourself. Given its nature as a port (and a PSP port at that), it plays home to a wide array of lifeless textures and character models that would look outdated even on last-gen systems. Plenty of areas have undergone a noticeable facelift however, including all of the primary characters as well as most of the key locations. Overall, Square has done a stand-up job in giving the game a fresh lick of paint, even when you can clearly spot the two versions clash.

What’s more impressive, however, is the inclusion of English audio. The majority of imports nowadays, even when brought over by big-name publishers, will only offer localised text and a few voice clips at best. In comparison, all of Type-0’s cutscenes have been dubbed fully as well as many of the smaller, minor conversations that take place between characters.

If there is one problem I have with the game, it’s the noticeable limitations in game design. With only four face buttons and two triggers, the original PSP version of Type-0 reined in the number of abilities available to players when in combat. Although not a deal-breaker it would have been useful for Square to cater for new-gen players by expanding this count to suit Sony and Microsoft’s updated gamepads.

Bar that, there’s little else I can do to defame the game without slagging off the entire JRPG genre. It’s a slightly more active, engaging iteration on the traditional Final Fantasy experience and one that works well, even away from its native platform. If you’ve been avoiding the series for a good few years then Type-0 is a great place to pick up the thread once again.

Score: 8/10

Version Tested: PS4