Final Fantasy: Type-0 (HD) is a remake of the PSP version (released in Japan in 2011), which has been altered in a few ways from the original. The most obvious change is the updated graphics, which have been given a nice bump up from the PSP but still don’t really look like they belong on an Xbox One. The sound quality has also been improved, again not a surprise as it moves from PSP to consoles.

The game is set in the world of Orience, which is split into four nations. Each of these nations has a crystal which acts as a deity to the indigenous people, who have formed a religion around them called peristyliums.  The four nations include Rubrum, which holds the vermillion bird crystal; the Militesi Empire, which holds the white tiger crystal; Concordia, which holds the azure dragon crystal; and the Lorican Alliance, which holds the black tortoise crystal.

The story is based around a group of students, from the kingdom of Rubrum, who are called to action when their kingdom is attacked by the Militesi Empire, who are after the other three nations crystals. The group of students are called Class Zero and are given the job of defending the world from the Militesi Empire.

Class Zero is made up of 14 characters, all of which can be controlled, each having their own unique fighting style. They also have their own weapon and abilities ranging from swords, bows, guns and even a deck of cards. The leveling system is the familiar classic get experience points and gain levels. When each character raises a level they get an ability point which they can spend to unlock or improve their abilities. Each character can only use the type of weapon they are given, but all characters can share accessories. Each character can also use magic and some have the ability to use two separate spells. The combat system is very similar to Final Fantasy: Crisis Core.

There are also summons in this game called Eidolins, which let you call a controllable monster to fight for you. But it comes at a price of having to kill one of your characters, but the sacrifice is well worth it, especially when tackling bosses. The Eidolins are separated into various categories, such as Ifrit and Shiva, which have a few variations.

There is also another way to improve your characters and that is the Altocrystarium System, which is used to improve magic by collecting objects called Phantom, which can be picked up throughout the game from fallen enemies. The way this system works is by powering up different spells using different coloured Phantoma. For example, powering up a fire spells needs red Phantoma. Each spell is also separated into several different categories such as damage, MP usage and casting speed, there are also other areas which can be improved such as the fire spell, which shoots a projectile which can be upgraded to reach longer distances; or the ice spell releases an area of effect, around the caster, which can then be widened.

One cool thing about this game is the return of a world map. It's massive, being separated into about 20 sections and each one having at least three places to visit ranging from little towns to bases and caves which hold enemies. The towns have vendors and npcs to talk too. There are several places in which you can explores, such as caves which hold strong enemies, but also high rewards. There are also other places to go which are part of the story, such as a prototype weapons factory full of Militesi soldiers.

The way this game works, in terms of story, is by engaging in missions that take you out into areas on the world map. These often involve a boss at the end. The missions are started from a place called Akademeia, where you will spend most of your time. In this area there are many things to do such do small side quests that allow you to collect rewards. Each side quest uses up hours which you are only allowed a certain amount of in between missions. There are also a variety of vendors including new weapons and accessories. There is also an arena where you can train by taking part in a never ending wave of enemies, also you leave your character training whilst you are not playing the game to collect XP.

When on missions you are given the option of support, which means that at certain points your AI characters are replaced with stronger AI, which if killed don’t effect your main team. When you kill an enemy this generates SP, which can be used to buy special, stronger items from a special vendor in Akademeia. Support is put in place instead of the multiplayer system, so while this means you can't play with other people, it does have the benefit that in the future, when this game becomes less popular, you can still get help.

On the whole this game is massive with plenty of stuff to do. If you are a hardcore RPG fan you will have your hands full for a  fair amount of time, but unfortunately this game can become boring fairly quickly, with its simple game play and fairly uneventful story. While this is not a bad game, as a filler, don’t expect it to be like a normal Final Fantasy game. If you can stand the repetitive combat system, and don’t expect much from the story, but like to spend time doing side quests and collecting everything, then this game is for you. Otherwise I would give it a miss until Final Fantasy XV comes out.

7

Carl Simpson