The Theatrhythm collection has been a standout, if criminally underplayed, instance of how one can each showcase a collection’ wonderful set of scores whereas celebrating a prolific franchise’s historical past. Because the earlier entry’s launch on 3DS in 2014, Remaining Fantasy music has advanced because of the releases of Remaining Fantasy XV, Remaining Fantasy XIV expansions, remakes, and extra. Theatrhythm Remaining Bar Line folds these additions into a mixture of returning classics and lesser-known tunes to create a tremendous catalog of songs to play by within the collection’ trademark tackle the rhythm style.
And identical to in 2012 and 2014, it stays as quirky and eclectic as ever. I’ve minor gripes with the sport, however they not often get in the best way of what issues: the gameplay. This new Theatrhythm units a excessive bar for your complete collection, persevering with the pattern of outdoing what got here earlier than it and showcasing simply how properly a celebratory collection compilation might be achieved.
There’s so much that’s acquainted this time round for returning gamers. This sequel retains the identical chibi artwork model, the identical forms of stage codecs, and lots of the current songs. It’s a “don’t repair what isn’t damaged” state of affairs and one which works. One massive distinction is that because of the {hardware} variations between the 3DS, the place the final two video games resided solely, and the PS4 and Swap, is the way you hit notes. The 3DS video games had been extra tactile since you’d use the contact display screen stylus to faucet the notes on display screen. Now, you’ll have to hit a be aware because it scrolls throughout the display screen by urgent a face button, shoulder button, or slashing directionally with an analog stick.
Admittedly, it’s fairly awkward at first and I wasn’t a fan of this mandatory format change, partly as a result of the sport does little that will help you decide a becoming management scheme. As a result of you possibly can hit most notes with virtually any button on the controller, it’s initially exhausting to maintain observe of the place your palms are and the place they need to be going when issues get hectic. After an hour or two, I settled right into a scheme that labored for me, however I found that every one by myself. I’d have preferred extra path from Remaining Bar Line, particularly in a style the place most video games assign particular button presses to particular notes.
After discovering what labored for me, I fiendishly blazed by songs, and my previous love of Theatrhythm reignited. Each Subject Music Phases and Battle Music Phases start by choosing certainly one of your 5 celebration loadouts. Every loadout can include as much as 4 characters from numerous Remaining Fantasy video games. I loved mixing and matching a few of my favorites, like Lightning from Remaining Fantasy XIII and Cloud from Remaining Fantasy VII, to create offense-heavy builds. And when boss fights, for instance, gave me explicit challenges, I geared up magic-focused characters to focus on the enemy’s weak spot alongside extra defensive heroes. It’s a brand new component of technique that provides a deeper degree of engagement for gamers chasing down the best doable scores and treasure yield in every stage.
This was particularly essential to finish Collection Quests, that are non-obligatory goals connected to every tune. Finishing these quests ranges from defeating difficult boss enemies, necessitating that you simply hit “crucial” notes all through the tune, or one thing so simple as finishing a stage with a specific character within the celebration (often as a result of that character is connected to the tune in a roundabout way). These quests add a contact of further problem if you need it. They’re additionally fully non-obligatory, which means for those who solely need your Remaining Bar Line expertise to encompass enjoying by some nice songs and staying on rhythm whereas doing so, it may be simply that.
I do want the quests had been extra built-in into the first development. Whereas they aren’t essential to advance, finishing them does include rewards. However generally the reward is awful, like a potion, which is an merchandise I not often used. Different instances, it’s higher, corresponding to whenever you earn a CollectaCard that showcases a key Remaining Fantasy second in a buying and selling card model. Regardless, as a result of these further challenges are non-obligatory, I not often felt compelled to offer every greater than a few tries. If I failed a tune sufficient, I’d simply transfer on as a result of there’s no penalty for doing so. Finishing the tune is all that’s required to advance.
Certainly one of my favourite facets of Remaining Bar Line is unlocking particular Occasion Music Phases, which let you play by songs whereas cinematics from the sport play behind the notes. It’s a pleasant contact and provides a premium degree of high quality to the sport’s nostalgia issue. The in-game Museum additionally helps out on that entrance, as you possibly can view your CollectaCards anytime. promotional artwork I forgot existed for some Remaining Fantasy video games was an particularly good deal with, however different playing cards give a greater take a look at in-game characters or enemies of their chibi design. It’s an ideal addition for gamers trying to 100% the sport and speaks to the Remaining Bar Line’s celebratory nature properly.
Outdoors of the sport’s single-player choices, there are Multi Battles. Right here, you possibly can compete with as much as three different gamers, and I loved how this switches up the gameplay. The success of different gamers triggers results in your display screen, like a “Fats Chocobo” rush that sends a fleet of huge Chocobo to your display screen, obscuring incoming notes. Others take away the UI that tells you the way properly you hit a be aware, which has a surprisingly unfavorable impact on how I carry out. And probably the most difficult impact despatched by an opponent provides faux notes to my scroll. It’s an thrilling and irritating approach to play by my favourite Theatrhythm songs and a positive approach to lengthen my playtime with the sport. The identical goes for the Infinite World stage, which helps you to play observe after observe till you not have HP.
Remaining Bar Line does little to propel you ahead by any of this, although. There’s barely a semblance of a narrative, and I rolled credit with out even realizing I used to be close to the tip – I had solely accomplished roughly a 3rd of the 385 tracks. You possibly can earn new Summons, which routinely play throughout a stage based mostly in your rhythmic motion, from different gamers in Multi Battles, and you may go for prime scores by replaying songs, however Remaining Bar Line doesn’t emphasize why you ought to be doing this.
Regardless of that lack of propelling issue, I’m nonetheless fully engrossed on this sport, enjoying it throughout any 15 free minutes I can discover all through my day. Although I’ve technically accomplished the sport, I wish to SSS rank all of my favourite songs, dig deeper into the libraries from Remaining Fantasy video games I’m much less acquainted with, and showcase my rhythm prowess in opposition to different gamers. It is a unbelievable rhythm sport set to the tune of arguably the best music catalog in all of video games. Whereas I’d have preferred extra steerage in how one can proceed, the musical content material on supply is so various, so nostalgic, and so properly achieved, that I’ve no downside composing my very own enjoyable.