Theatrhythm Final Bar Line brings the rhythm saga with music from Final Fantasy to consoles in a frenetic and spectacular rhythm game. We tell you what to expect in its Switch version, in this note!
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is the latest rhythm video game of Square Enixand proposes a complete journey through the saga final fantasy featuring songs from each of its 15 games, its prequels, sequels, and spin offs. This title is the third installment in the Theathrythm saga, which is now coming to home consoles for the first time after being confined to the 3DS in its previous editions. Thus, once again, we will be able to take control of characters from the entire series to listen to music and follow the rhythm.
Keep dancing, keep dancing
Theathrythm Final Bar Line It is a rhythm and role-playing game at the same time. The title has no story, explanation, or anything but goes straight to the steaks: you’re here to hear Final Fantasy songs and tap buttons to keep up with the rhythm on the screen, as if it were Project Diva either dancing person. But, the grace and differential is that you will be able to choose your heroes from each title that you unlock, level them up, and learn more skills. The thing is, it’s not enough to just “pass” the themes: you also have to have appropriate bonuses and character level to be able to face the monsters that appear while you “play,” and the better you keep up, the better the fight will turn out.
After a successful demo where you can test the game system and go through various themes from classic titles we were able to grab the full game in switches. The first thing that will surprise you about this song pack is that there are 385 songs in the base game alone, with the promise of 27 more to be added as DLC. This is a lot more than previous versions that included just 3 or 4 songs per title – some like FF14 with its DLC or FF7 and its prequels and sequels have almost 40 of those games alone, which is insane. If you have a theme that you love, it is very likely included.
The versions included, except for some special remix, are the original sound. This is a mime to nostalgia (listening to FF2’s Rebel Army in glorious 8-bit is spectacular) but, if you don’t know them or know where they come from, respect for the base material may seem excessive to you. The theme is that each song is accompanied by a background where we see our chosen heroes move from right to left on the map while facing beasts, creatures and bosses that are somehow related to what is playing.
And all the people sang
The point is that you don’t necessarily have to use characters from the game in question. For example, if you really like clouds, a character designed to do damage, you can take it to all the games and use it at level 99 to play the song you want. The thing is that each character has a unique skill set and sometimes to complete a level you will have to use certain characters with specific builds if you want to unlock all the collectibles. It is a game that, if you like it, will give you tens of hours of content while you mash buttons.
As final fantasy has 35 years of history and not all heroes have the same aesthetic, for Theathrythm Final Bar Line it was chosen to represent them all with a unique art style where they look like rag dolls. The exception to this rule are certain more modern levels where instead of progressing by killing bugs you see the cinematic in the background, in glorious next-gen graphics, while the pace bar progresses horizontally instead of vertically.
waltz time
Theathrythm Final Bar Line It has three game modes. The first is the equivalent of a campaign mode, where you unlock different games, beat themes, and recruit characters while completing missions. The second is basically a mode free play, where songs are added as you play and where you can play for points. The third mode, which is fun but superfluous, is a multiplayer where very often Tetris 99 You are playing your theme and getting powers to throw at the other player and make the controls speed up, the screen locks, and more things to lose. Of course, you will have to unlock each theme before you can go there – as in the game itself, everything goes at its own pace.
In conclusion
final fantasy is one of the most beloved sagas in the video game universe, a totem of more than 35 years of epic stories. Its plots excite, its characters make you a fan, its art drives you crazy, and its gameplay makes you come back for more. However (subjectively speaking), what really makes the series special and its best aspect is the music. The work of composers like Nobuo Uematsu, masayoshi soken either Yoko Shimomurajust to name a couple, is the kind of art that changes people’s lives. Theathrythm Final Bar Line is, more than a game, a celebration of the work of some of Japan’s greatest composers. As a rhythm game, it’s very good… but as an artifact of the saga’s music, it’s essential.
| RELEASE DATE | February 16, 2023 |
| DEVELOPER | Square Enix |
| DISTRIBUTOR | Square Enix |
| PLATFORMS | PS4, Switch |