New screens for rhythm-action 3DS title highlight deformed character revamps
When you first heard the 3DS announced, your first thought %26ndash; obviously %26ndash; was, %26ldquo;I just hope to God that system gets a mashup of Final Fantasy and the rhythm-action genre, or it doesn't have a hope in hell.%26rdquo; Thankfully, Square Enix realized this was what people would be thinking, promptly assuring citizens that, indeed, they would be getting a game that combined these two eminently combine-able things. Now the company has released new details for Theatrythm Final Fantasy, including screenshots that highlight the game's FF characters, redesigned for rhythm-theatricality (and creepy resemblance to stoned marionettes).
TFF's official site, while mainly in Japanese, does go to pains to explain to both locals and Westerners the implications of the title: if you were figuring on a whole new Final Fantasy game, you should be prepared for a simplified %26ldquo;Theatre%26rdquo; experience, but don't worry, because there's also %26ldquo;Rhythm%26rdquo; involved %26ndash; which is where we get %26ldquo;Theatrythm,%26rdquo; see? With that puzzle solved, you can get back to your daily life.
The game's play style %26ndash; pick four characters from throughout the FF franchise and take them on adventures based around tracks from the series' music-rich lineage %26ndash; has been explained a little more, with level-ups and item-collection adding to the traditional rhythm-game structure. Which is lucky because, let's be frank here, that structure hasn't really changed since BeatMania %26ndash; which coincidentally happened at the same time Final Fantasy was enjoying the kind of mass-cultural clout it's unlikely to regain within our lifetime.
Above: FFXIII's Lightning features in a semi-interactive story governed by arbitrary button-presses, in a first for the character. Oohh, FFXIII-burn
The game doesn't have a Japanese release date yet %26ndash; let alone any hint of a Western release. Would you be keen to play? What do you think of the designs?
