4 aspects of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD's battle system we're most excited for

[Psychotic]

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As part of our continuing coverage of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD and its upcoming release next week, we decided to have a little look at the battle system. After all, a battle system can make or break a Final Fantasy game, underpinning the entire gameplay and being what players spend an ungodly amount of time doing.

Here are the four things the staff of Eyes on Final Fantasy are most excited about trying in the Type-0 battle system. To get you all pumped up and in the proper frame of mind, please enjoy one of the battle themes from the game, Three Hours of Fate (aka Three Hours that Changed the World)

It's all about the ATB
Type-0 HD has a fast-paced ATB system, originally used in Final Fantasy X-2 and then modified for Crisis Core. It's a lot like Crisis Core but given that you now have a party to control. And we mean a party! While you pick your Final Fantasy standard issue three characters to lead the line, when one of them snuffs it a back up character can then step up to take their place.

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You da bomb! Geddit? Because they're Bombs you see and that's a funny joke.

With all that said, you take the reins of one character at a time. While this may sound simple enough, Final Fantasy Type-0 boasts a whopping fourteen playable characters, each with their own abilities, traits and skillsets. Type-0's battle system places a lot of emphasis on controlling the character with the right skillset at the right time.

The Phantoma Menace
Phantoma is a brand new system for Final Fantasy Type-0. When you've managed to smash some poor unsuspecting chump's brains in, they leave behind Phantoma - their source of life and magic. And guess what? You get to absorb their very life force! Like Skittles, Phantoma comes in all the colours of the rainbow and each one has a different effect such as restoring a bit of your HP or MP.

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Surely there are moral and ethical implications t... OH SWEET MP RESTORED!

Final Fantasy Type-0 brings back the Crystarium from XIII although it's slightly modified (they added the prefix "Alto" for starters!) and Phantoma is used in the Altocrystarium to power up spells. You can improve a spell's power, recovery rate, MP cost, casting time, range, speed and homing using Phantoma harvested from the souls of your defeated foes.

It wouldn't be Final Fantasy without...
summons! Or in this case Eidolons, as they are once again called following the examples of IX and XIII. All of your old favourites make an appearance - Ifrit, Shiva, Odin and Bahamut, as well as the return of a couple of less proliferative summons in the form of Golem and Diabolos.

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Any excuse to post sexy Type-0 Shiva. Hey, I get beaten if I don't get article views, okay?

As you might expect, summoned Eidolons are more than capable of raising a ridiculous amount of Hell. Sounds wonderful, right? Let's start spamming us some Eidolons? There's a rather stonkingly huge catch to unleashing these ferocious creatures: The cost of the summoner's life. Ouch! Sounds like the best way to utilise your allies would be as a last ditch Hail Mary attack!

The Dynasty Warriors Approach
For those of you who have denied yourself the pure unbridled pleasure that is the Dynasty Warriors series might be unaware that the games offer large and sprawling battles, but all you really need to do to be victorious is kill the enemy commander. The same principle applies in Final Fantasy Type-0, but don't for one second expect taking out the leader to be a cakewalk!

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The soundtrack even gets a little Dynasty Warriors at times!

Still, should you manage this Herculean feat, the rest of the enemies will soon fall into line. They may surrender, flee, or you can even interrogate the poor blighters to get them to blurt out all of the enemies' dastardly plans.

Which one of these features are you most looking forward to with the release of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD next week? Let us know!

[Loony BoB]

That's Shiva? Blimey. *tugs at his collar*

Great article as I wasn't too clued in regarding the battle system. Definitely worth the read.

[Del Murder]

Looks fun bro.

[Vyk]

Wait what? ATB? All the game previews I've seen had people running around a battle time in full real-time fights raining hell in all directions. Are there two types of battle systems? I only recently became aware of the overworld and random encounters, so it wouldn't surprise me. (Note that video may explain things, but the internet hasn't been happy so far this weekend)

[Psychotic]

Yeah it's ATB, but it was designed, in the words of Takatsugu Nakazawa, to be the fastest version of an ATB yet.

[Vyk]

They accomplished their goal by the looks of it then. It may feel different playing it, but to see it in action, it looks real-time. Fast, hectic, and fun. I can't wait :3

[Del Murder]

If Crisis Core is ATB, then they are very loosely applying the term these days. Kind of like the way they apply the term 'Final Fantasy' to games.

Regardless of what they call it, it looks fun and I'm excited to play it.

[metagloria]

"People don't use summons. How can we make them more user-friendly?"

"How about you have to sacrifice your character to summon?"

"..."

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I think it's cool to have to weigh the risks and rewards of using a summons. Most of the FF games I feel like either just give them a high mp cost, or they end up doing a lot of damage while having their own mp, so you can use them without risk to the rest of the party.

[fat_moogle]

I think it's cool to have to weigh the risks and rewards of using a summons.

I agree.

Say you're failing miserably in a mission. You've got like, what? 4 party members left? You use a summon (which doesn't stay around for that long considering you've lost a member for the foreseeable mission), the summon goes, and you're down to three. Is it worth sacrificing that member and losing that last backup? So less spamming summons (FFVIII would have been harsh with this system!) and more making sure you have as many party members left as possible, whilst using summons when they're really needed.