Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier Review

A Final Fantasy Battle Royale

The Final Fantasy franchise enters the battle royale genre with Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier. Developed by Square ENIX, The First Soldier offers action-packed gameplay imbued with RPG elements.  Battle monsters, level up, and most importantly, be the last one standing In this battle-centric game based in the world of Final Fantasy VII.

Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier does a great job of ushering the Final Fantasy Universe into the battle royale genre. Players begin by customizing their appearance. Unlike some games that tend to go overboard when it comes to character customization, FFVII: The First Soldier keeps it simple. Considering this title is a battle royale and not a makeover game, it’s quite the relief that the customizations aren’t overly in-depth.

For Shinra

Once you’ve got your character ready, you’ll enter the training grounds where you’ll battle it out against roughly twenty foes. Fans of Final Fantasy VII will recognize the sector seven slums and other familiar locations throughout the game map. Grab any weapons, spells and ammo you can from chests to upgrade your arsenal and give yourself an edge over the competition. The safe areas will shrink over time, forcing players into close proximity. The win condition is simple—be the last one standing. After completing the training round, you’ll be able to join rounds at your leisure. These rounds typically start out with 75 players competing for a spot amongst Shinra’s elite.

You’ll start with a base weapon, but you’ll need to level up and collect stronger weapons if you really want to pack a punch. You’ll find varying types of weapons, ammo and spells in the chests scattered throughout the game map. From assault rifles to light machine guns to revolvers, the game offers a plethora of ranged weapons to find. Findable spells include Fire, which unleashes a blast of flame and Cura, which allows you to heal yourself. You’ll also come across ammunition and melee weapons. Of course, when you defeat another player, you’ll be able to loot them. However, sweet weapons and spells aren’t the only things you’ll need to reign supreme. To truly succeed in Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier you’ll also need to level up.

Leveling Up

To level up you’ll need to forgo chasing down your opponents for a bit and defeat some monsters. The gameworld is littered with creatures familiar to fans of the Final Fantasy franchise, including living bombs and Cutter robots.  Including these well-known monsters was a nice touch and serve to fully immerse the player in the world of Final Fantasy VII.  Leveling up will give you an edge over the competition. Just watch your back, or you may find yourself battling monsters and players simultaneously.

Chocobo Farm

FFVII: The First Soldier allows players to drive cars and motorcycles, but the real treat is the Chocobos. What Final Fantasy fan doesn’t love these feathered beauties? Not only can you ride Chocobos, but you can also hatch, care for and breed them at your own Chocobo farm. Okay, so I know this is a side game, but honestly, I was more excited over this than the actual gameplay. That really says something, considering how fun the battles are. Of course, once you have a Chocobo, you’ll be able to summon it when competing in the battle royale.

Control Issues

Unfortunately, The touch screen controls are difficult to master. You’d think with so many titles under their belt, Square Enix would know how to develop user-friendly controls. I mean, they’re certainly not the worst I’ve ever come across, but you should use a controller if you’re really itching to win in this battle royale. I had a much easier time taking down my opponents once I paired my PS4 controller with my phone.

Verdict

Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier is an epic battle royale title that will also appeal to fans of RPGs. The ability to level up adds depth to the game. Midgar really comes alive as you battle against fellow contenders and monsters alike. While the touch controls could use some work, they aren’t so bad as to make the title unplayable. However, I do recommend using a game controller if you have one on hand. All in all, Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier is a battle royale title you won’t want to miss.