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A Final Fantasy worthy of the name!

  • Veovin
  • 06/20/2015 06:10 AM
  • 2917 views
Since Final Fantasy I hit the States back in 1990, I have faithfully been playing this series. I've been along for the ride through the ups and downs, and I have many fond memories of this series over the last two and a half decades it has been a part of my life. I only recently discovered these fan-made games on RPG Maker, and seeing one with the FF title attached to it, I just had to try it. I went out and bought a controller to make my life easier since there was no way I could play with a keyboard and I sat back to see if this fan-made game could live up to the rest of the series I have loved for so many years. In two words, I would honestly say...INSTANT CLASSIC. For anyone out there debating whether or not to put your time into this game, let me tell you right now that you won't be wasting it. This gem is worth taking vacation from work for, folks! It has everything a fan of the FF series could want in it. The first day I played, I easily put eight hours into it right off the bat because I couldn't stop. This game draws you in right from the beginning with its beauty and brilliant cast. Yes, the story can be a little over the top in some parts with comedy, but that's what the creators were going for and I respect them for doing things their way while still making me love each and every character. In fact, let's start by taking a look at the story.

STORY
Any game with "Final Fantasy" in the title better have a darn good story...and in my opinion, LoB delivers. From beginning to end, this game feels like a game made by the Squaresoft of old because it flows so well! Want to take a break from the main story to play some sidequests? No problem, because there are plenty to choose from and I guarantee that there's plenty of story to go with them! Sometimes there can be either too few or too many sidequests in a game, and if it's the latter, a player can be deterred from the main story and forget a few things that are happening. (Or is that just me because I'm getting too old? ;) ) But on a serious note, the hunts (that made me feel like I was playing an SNES version of XII) made me fall even more in love with this game, and don't get me started on how much I enjoyed the airship battle against the bombs! It's such a simple mini-game but so fun! Square Enix could learn a thing or two from RydiaMist and wotgAshiee! My point is that the sidequests fit in with the story and help push it along while also aiding in the explanation of some of the characters. For those currently playing the game who haven't completed it yet, I won't give anything away, but this game really is like a Final Fantasy of old in which there is plenty of character development. I couldn't stick with one party for long because I enjoyed all of the characters and their stories! The overall story drew me in right away at the beginning, and it just wouldn't let up! As I mentioned already, there was maybe a slight bit of overkill on the comedy, but at the same time, this is a light-hearted adventure as the creators pointed out. The story is easy to follow and leaves no characters out, and since I don't want to give away the ending, let's just say that this game is so good that I started a new game directly after finishing it! My guess is that most of you reading this will too!

CHARACTERS
One word to sum up how I felt about the cast in this game: WOW! Coming from a guy who loved FF VI the most out of any game in the series, let's just say that I spent hours leveling not because I had to, but because I wanted to since it was so fun to use all of these unique abilities! Everyone is so different! Fievel's monk abilities can be input into the joypad like Sabin's abilities from VI, and Level's thief abilities have a combat ring like Shadow Hearts. Everyone has a different job class, and mixing your party up is just part of the fun this game has to offer! I should also mention that there are hidden characters that make this game even more awesome! As someone playing a fan game, I could tell that the creators put time into giving their characters personality, and for me, that is a HUGE deal. (Gradd's love for cheesecake really made me crack-up throughout the adventure!) Another aspect about the characters is that they're all ORIGINAL. I have nothing against Dissidia, Explorers, Record Keeper and (even though it's not out yet) Worlds of FF, but seeing the Warrior of Light, Cloud, Lightning, and many of the others come back all the time is getting a little old for my taste. I loved seeing a cast of completely new characters, and that made the adventure really come alive for me!

GAMEPLAY
Everything this game had to offer from traveling the world map to walking through towns and dungeons to battling hundreds of different monsters was amazing. The world map is set up perfectly, and I had a lot of fun navigating it whether it be on foot, by chocobo or by airship. There's a lot to explore, and it was a lot of fun to do so. I already spoke about how much I enjoyed the battles, and anyone out there who remembers and enjoyed FF VI's battle system, well let me tell you: This game's for you! There is so much to do in this game that it's an impossibility to get bored! By the time I put twenty hours into some games, I sometimes think things get a little monotonous, but with a huge cast of characters to choose from with so many different abilities, there was no way I could stop playing this game! The game is easy to learn and even more fun to strategize with as your party grows.

MUSIC
Many classic FF tunes will be heard throughout this game, and even a few classics from Chrono Trigger and Xenogears. The creators of this game included many tracks, so music does not get repetitious like it can in other games. The choices for certain tunes in certain parts of the game were just perfect, and it has a score that would be quite fitting on my iPod! ;)

Overall, my experience with LoB was something that I'll treasure for a long time. Trying to put into words how much I enjoyed this fantastic game is hard to do because everything about it was simply incredible. I have missed the classic FF battle system for years until Dimensions came out, but even that was a little tedious for me because I don't enjoy playing games on touch devices, so when I played this game, it was like returning to my youth and enjoying those long play sessions of FF all over again. If the creators of the game are reading this review at all, I want to say two things to you...the first being THANK YOU! Thank you for taking the time to create a game that was so fun and exciting enough to draw me back into a second play-through the moment I finished the first. Thank you for putting your hearts into making this game, because believe me, it shows! Thank you for staying true to Final Fantasy with everything from the items to the summons! You did a wonderful job and deserve all the credit in the world!
The second thing I would like to say is that I hope this won't be the only FF game you create. I know that creating something like this takes a lot of time out of your personal lives, and I appreciate the fact that you would do so so people like myself can sit back and enjoy your creation. Your hard work really shows in every aspect of the game, and I hope I'm not the only one who's told you that your creating skills are truly masterful.

So for anyone out there who has yet to play this gem and is still reading this, it's time to download this game and look forward to hours of fun in the way an RPG is supposed to deliver. From beginning to end, I can personally guarantee that you won't be disappointed in this project of perfection!

Posts

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I won't lie, reading your review brought a HUGE smile to my face! And while I'm a bit too humble to think my game is this great, it makes me so incredibly happy that you think so. Thank you for your review, it made my day! =)
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