Libra: World of Final Fantasy Maxima

Libra is a new series which will provide first impressions of games well before a review. As is the case with our formal reviews, these will generally be spoiler free, however some very minor spoilers could still lurk ahead.

World of Final Fantasy is a game that I’ve been interested in since its inception, though I avoided it at first due to its generally mediocre reception at launch. When it finally released on the Switch, I knew it was only a matter of time before I picked it up, which I did while it was on sale a couple weeks ago. While I’m only about 12 hours in so far, my impressions as of this point are…mixed at best. Here are a few thoughts based on my experiences thus far.

The Gist

World of Final Fantasy Maxima follows amnesiac twins – also monster-catching (Pokemon-esque) Mirage Keepers – on their journey to recover their memories, which are said to reside in the world of Grymoire – a fantastical world with tie-ins to many locations scattered throughout the Final Fantasy franchise.

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• The amalgamation of Pokemon-like mechanics set within the aesthetic framework of the Final Fantasy franchise is an interesting idea.
• Loaded with nostalgia. If you’re a franchise fan, you’re going to be bombarded with familiar creatures, faces, sounds, and locations.
• Lots of mirages (“monsters”) – many iconic of the brand – to choose from to do your bidding in combat.
• The stacking mechanic adds on a layer of strategy to the combat, especially when playing in semi-active or active modes.

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• While it does a decent job of tying all characters and events together into a somewhat cohesive story, the twins are not incredibly interesting themselves.
• As nice as it is to see familiar Final Fantasy faces and visit famous locations, such as Cornelia and Saronia, the segmented nature of the world makes everything feel a bit disjointed from the get go.
• Very linear experience, and it (feels like it) takes forever to get going with the most basic of objectives.
• UI is a bit cumbersome, making it difficult to easily compare mirages to each other, especially with their abilities.
• Stacking and catching mechanics might be a little too complex for their own good. I haven’t found a need to frequently adjust my default stacks when facing new situations. Additionally, many mirages require a certain ability or item in order to be caught, which means a lot of backtracking to previous areas should you desire a complete catalog.

All things considered, I’m still curious as to where my overall thoughts will end up when I have more time to play. Be on the lookout for my World of Final Fantasy Maxima review in the coming weeks!