Yep, Theatrhythm got me all nostalgic.
So nostalgic, in fact, that I had to select a Final Fantasy from that collection you’ve
doubtless seen pictured on the twits or the bookface or what have you, and get my classic
JRPGing on.
Only I did nothing of the sort.
Instead, I grabbed Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings, a curveball so weird it leaves the
PS2 original entirely, pulls a hard left, and ends up as a DS real-time strategy game.
That’s right, it swung so hard back through the admittedly Tactics-influenced source material
that it became a unit-grouping, target-designating, tech-researching, reinforcement-building RTS.
When we last left our heroes...
well, I don’t want to spoil XII itself for you so let’s just say everything’s hunky
dory and Vaan and Penelo are trying their hand at being super awesome sky pirates...
just like Fran and Balthier over there.
While investigating (read: stealing) the Glabados Cache, they accidentally trigger a landslide,
what swallows up Vaan’s brand-new airship and really puts a damper on his plans for
sky piracy.
So Balthier and Fran go off and continue to be awesome while Mr. Who Let Me Be A Protagonist
Anyway slinks back to the Rabanastre slums, until he hears tell of a massive, ancient,
abandoned airship that docked itself nearby.
Being the most interesting thing to happen in milliseconds, Vaan grabs a couple nearby
accomplices and sets to the task of investigating (again read: stealing) the derelict.
And all this is done through the use of point-and-click RTS controls, which actually feel quite comfortable
in the hand.
The primary resource throughout the game is summoning portals, which can be turned to
your side and used to produce henchmen to serve under and fight alongside your up-to-five
lead characters.
These summoned creatures are separated into tiers, with tier 1 being the cheapest peons,
tier 2 being your Tonberry-level hitters, and tier 3 being your familiar Final Fantasy
summons.
It seems a strange, strange concept, but there’s enough RPG in this RTS to make it comfortable
to fans of the series, while RTS fans will find the game fairly challenging (if a bit
rudimentary).
The tech trees (read: the progression of pacts you buy to obtain new espers to summon) are
rather shallow, though the Flying-Ranged-Melee balance of power means that you’ve got several
options in each of the four elements (as well as neutral and healing units).
There’s a healthy game here, especially near the end where you’re getting five and
six Grand Malboros thrown at you at regular intervals.
But you’ll keep pressing on, trying to unravel the fate of this mysterious floating continent,
and whether or not Balthier has beaten you to the good spoils.
Because, let’s face it, Balthier is the Gary Oak of Final Fantasy.
Just check the sign welcoming you to Nalbina.
Do it.