Final Fantasy Explorers Lite [3DS] review

[kryss]

Well, this has been up on the store for over a month. It's basically an extended demo from which you can carry over your character to the full game when it comes out this week. I only realised it was there the other day and put it off until after my exams. So my impressions...

I won't be buying the full version.

It feels like SquareEnix took Phantasy Star Zero, looked at Monster Hunter, then took the fun out of both and made a game in a similar vein but in the FF universe. It's in 2D. Are they trying to keep it simple and target 2DS gamers? No, because the 2DS doesn't exist in Japan. This was announced with the New3DS as being compatible with the R-nub. The demo is not.
It looks about a half-step up from a DS game, and not what you would be expecting a game to look like 3 years after the release of the console. The gameplay is overly simplistic, and it feels like there it little too it.

I would hope the full game feels better but I'm not going to be splashing out on it. Initial shipment of the physical edition comes with a code for Final Fantasy download if you're into that kind of thing.

EDIT:
Okay, there is a setting for the Circle Pad Pro that has to be enabled, and then the R-nub works fine. That was on me that one.

[kryss]

A few more quests in and I've started to customise my character, the job system has opened up, etc. I can see that the full game will have more promise. However, it really is just an SE take on MH, and with the NA release of MH4U only 3 months away (give or take), I just don't feel the point in putting money down on the game. Shame really.

[Briareos]

Thanks for the impressions, it's a shame it's fallen so short of what looked so promising.