Since the franchise’s introduction in 2012, Theatrhythm games have made excellent use of the Final Fantasy series’ incredible soundtrack. Using a familiar yet deceptively challenging gameplay system and mixing iconic scenes from past games in the background, the game serves as a playable portfolio of FF’s most memorable moments. Final Bar Line has been speculated to be the last game in the Theatrhythm series, at least for a while.
The Theatrhythm Final Bar line offers 385 musical tracks from across the Final Fantasy spectrum, with a healthy mix of fan favorites and deep cuts across 29 different categories. After selecting a song, the player hits buttons in time with her three different notes. Yellow, pressing the button is paired with flicking the joystick in the specified direction. It should hold as long as the green bar exists.
This traffic light-esque system sounds simple, but it can actually be quite diabolical, especially when the difficulty is high. It can be difficult to key which part of a song a note corresponds to. Especially when it comes to complex pieces that longtime composer Nobuo Uematsu and his associates have devised over the years. That said, I found my whole body moving to the beat while tapping the controller, so being able to interact with these iconic tunes in this way is still very enjoyable.
There’s one small flaw I have to mention about these notes, as it’s easily caused the most problems, not just with the game, but with the franchise as a whole. During the green note, when the end of the strip is reached, the button should also be released in time with the rhythm of the song, and the timing of the release affects the note streak. It tricks your brain into thinking you need to hold the note until the next one. It’s a novel little mechanic that increases the challenge, but also increases the frustration until it starts to feel more natural.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Final Bar Line’s 385-song library is extensive. While the series’ biggest hits are here, including Zanarkand, multiple versions of One-Winged Angel, and Melody of Life, there are some unexpected tracks that do a great job exploring the full breadth of Final Fantasy’s portfolio. There is a track by The Star Onions, a band formed by composer Nao Mizuta that covers FFXI’s music thoroughly. There are also some songs from the electronica remix albums SQ Chips and More SQ. Arrangement of FFVII that appears in “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate”, Yoko Shimomura’s “Cosmo Canyon” and Keiichi Okabe’s “Aerith’s Theme” are also included. This is a rarely seen anthology of music, and having all these great tracks together is much appreciated.
Each song fits in one of three different formats. That’s what the game calls a “music sequence”. The first is Battle, where each note appears in one of his four different static lines on the screen. Battle proved to be the easiest of his three sets. Even though the notes flowed quickly from left to right, I was able to focus and press on the target area more efficiently than other sequences. For the veteran of rhythm-based games, Battle Music Sequences felt like guitar his hero or rock band, and that familiarity helped in the long run.
Event music sequences flip lines from horizontal to vertical, with notes approaching from the top of the screen and scenes cut from the source material playing in the background.A new format for events, where battles felt like Guitar Hero appear Most similar to those classic rhythm games. This is a change from previous theater rhythm games where notes were scattered around the screen, and you could see them while tapping at the same time. I can still see the scene where the notes fall, but despite the familiar look, the vertical movement feels strange, and I’ve noticed that I miss notes more often than I do in battle. While I understand the thinking behind the change, it would have been nice if Event Music Sequences kept the distinctive scattered note motif of the previous game.
Field music sequences return to horizontal notes, but this mode also incorporates sliding green notes, requiring the player to move the joystick up and down to hit small dots in the green strip. I think a lot of people will develop a love-hate relationship with this format. Because slides can turn even the slowest, melodic and simple tracks into a challenge. Of all three formats, this was the one that caused the most reboots. Because sliding targets caused more confusion than static rows in other modes. I finally got my head around it. It was great when it happened, but the learning curve is higher than other modes.
Most of Theatrhythm’s songs need to be unlocked, and that’s done in Series Quest mode. Here, a party of four characters will tell the story of each game through music, showcasing key moments from each game. As you unlock more games with Series Keys earned during playthroughs, more characters can be unlocked in your party. Completing songs earns experience points for each member of the party, and leveling up also earns new abilities for those characters. Completing a special goal for each song also unlocks a CollectaCard that gives you access to screenshots and other items in Museum Mode.
Customizing your party and equipping it with special abilities is cool, but it doesn’t add much to the overall experience. Moving around town and fighting the occasional monster is at best incidental and at worst a complete distraction.Sure, the better you sing, the more damage your party does, and your mistakes do more damage to your team, but you can’t pay too much attention to the action because the fight takes place far from your target. . got it something I appreciate the light RPG elements that need to progress in the background and listen to the source material, but I wouldn’t expect it to affect overall gameplay beyond helping you complete optional quests. Even so, seeing Final Fantasy Tactics’ Squall, Arlong, Sephiroth, and Ramza teaming up is great in any situation.
After completing the series quest, all unlocked songs can be played again in the Music Stage list. Create custom playlists to play from start to finish without pausing, giving you even more ways to challenge yourself. The other main gameplay mode is multi-battle, where up to four players compete for the high score by playing one of his songs, but there are no major changes to core his gameplay. These modes are fun, but they play the same songs as the series quests, so they don’t add much to the game other than experiencing the same music in a different way.
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is the pinnacle of Theatrhythm’s spin-off franchise. Its expansive and diverse music library offers nostalgic thrills, gameplay is approachable and offers plenty of challenges, and RPG elements like sprinkled party customization provide a personal touch – even if that touch is Everyone from die-hard Final Fantasy fans to those who only know Smash Bros. Cloud and Sephiroth will enjoy it. Simply put, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is a masterclass symphony of fun and nostalgia, a game that deserves its music library.
https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/theatrhythm-final-bar-line-review-greatest-hits/1900-6418029/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f Theatrhythm Final Barline Review – Greatest Hits