Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is all about the music. The game features over 200 different songs from over 20 different titles. The massive library of songs is very impressive when compared with the previous release that only included around 40 songs at launch. The large library also includes new and upcoming releases such as Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-0 and rare titles such as Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. The massive amount of content will ensure players that enjoy the title will spend hundreds of hours in the game swiping, tapping and button mashing through each of the songs on different difficulty setting and across different game modes.
The new storyline for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is possibly even worse than the narrative presented in the first release for the series. The new tale is once again based on the battle between Cosmos and Chaos. Players fight on the side of Cosmos and battle all sorts of baddies from the Final Fantasy franchise. Players get an introduction to the storyline when starting up the game for the first time, and there is an ending cutscene to see later in the game, but there is little content to push the story forward in-between.
Music Stages returns as the primary game mode in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call. Players simply choose from a large selection of songs and start playing in this game mode. There are some fairly significant changes for the game present from the first time the game starts up however. Players can choose a party of four characters from the original cast available in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, and these will be the only playable characters available early in the game. Players still unlock new characters by acquiring shards after clearing songs, but the process is a lot more efficient in the new game with the required amount of shards down to four from eight, and players can choose a character to unlock from a pool of characters, rather than automatically unlocking a character for a specific type of shard. The songs available in Music Stages are based on the characters initially placed in a player's party, but many more songs are unlocked shortly after beginning the game. The new unlock system is far superior to unlocks in the first game and makes players more addicted to the game with a steady stream of new content coming to players that continue to play the game.
Verus Mode is completely new for the series and offers players a way to play the game against AI opponents or humans locally or online over Streetpass. The multiplayer component isn't the best way to play Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, but it does offer the only way to play the game with friends. The mode allows players to chain notes and gain powerups that will confound opponents with high speed notes, notes that spin or grant other random abilities. Some of the powerups are annoying and feel overpowered, and the random factor makes the game mode feel unbalanced at times. It feels as though indieszero could have crafted a more balanced multiplayer game mode for the new game, but the mode can still be fun despite being the weakest of the three game modes available in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call does include a much improved presentation that includes improved graphics, new controls and a few other new features. The game's character design looks just as good as in the previous release, but the in-game notes are now easier to read as they slide across the screen. Many of the backgrounds for levels have been improved and are now a lot more enjoyable to look at than in the original game. The new controls allows players to enjoy the game with the Nintendo 3DS stylus or face buttons and circle pad, but being allowed to navigate in-game menus are the best new change. The new controls combines with less restrictive character abilities to make players spend a lot less time customizing parties and much more time playing through songs. The crazy amount of new songs are just icing on this delicious cake.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is nearly better than the first game for the series in every way. The new title introduces new characters, songs and items. Players that enjoyed the original game for many hours won't mind paying to purchase the new release, and there is enough new content in the new game to help draw in a new audience. The game gives players more unlockables and enjoyable content for their time spent with the game, and the game will add additional DLC to allow players to add even more content if they so choose. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is well worth the $39.99 asking price; Final Fantasy fans should run out and pick up a copy of the game exclusively on Nintendo 3DS today!
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is now available exclusively for Nintendo 3DS and can be purchased for $39.99. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is rated T by the ESRB for Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language & Mild Suggestive Themes. For more information on the game, check out the official Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call website.
Game Features:
- Online and Local Multiplayer 1-2
- 60 Playable Characters and 200+ Songs
- New Game Modes
- Enhanced User Interface and Presentation
- Includes Content from Over 20 Different Titles
Game Information:
Developer: indieszero
Publisher: Square Enix
Available exclusively for Nintendo 3DS (reviewed)
Release Date: September 16, 2014
