Final Fantasy Type-0
Final Fantasy Type-0 is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix as part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries of the Final Fantasy franchise.[1] Originally released exclusively in Japan for the PlayStation Portable on October 27, 2011, it received an enhanced high-definition remaster, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on March 19, 2015, in Japan and March 17, 2015, internationally, followed by a Microsoft Windows version via Steam on August 18, 2015.[2][3][4] Directed by Hajime Tabata, the game is set in the continent of Orience, a war-torn world divided among four nations each governed by a ruling crystal that grants magical abilities known as spells to their denizens.[5] The narrative centers on Class Zero, an elite squad of fourteen cadets from the Dominion of Rubrum's perennially Vermilion Peristylium-bearing Akademeia military academy, who are dispatched to repel the expansionist Militesi Empire's invasion using advanced magitek technology.[3] The storyline delves into mature themes of war, mortality, and the psychological toll of conflict, with a permadeath system where fallen characters remain dead, emphasizing the irreversible consequences of battle.[3] Gameplay features real-time combat allowing players to switch between up to three members of Class Zero, each with unique weapons, abilities, and playstyles, in fast-paced group battles against enemy forces.[3] Missions unfold across a linear campaign with side quests, character customization via equipment and magicite upgrades, and a mission-based structure that highlights tactical squad management.[3] Originally conceived as Final Fantasy Agito XIII—a mobile spin-off tied closely to Final Fantasy XIII's mythology—the project evolved into a standalone PSP title to accommodate broader scope, before the HD remaster introduced improved graphics, voice acting in English and Japanese, and quality-of-life enhancements like an updated battle camera.[6][1] The HD version shipped over one million copies worldwide, marking a successful Western debut for the title.[7][8]Gameplay
Combat system
Final Fantasy Type-0 features a real-time action role-playing combat system where players command up to three active members from Class Zero, a cadre of fourteen elite students, in fluid, high-stakes battles against enemy forces. The player directly controls one character at a time while the other two act as AI companions, but seamless switching between them via the L1 and R1 buttons allows for tactical adjustments mid-fight, such as exploiting individual strengths like Ace's card-based ranged attacks or Rem's rapier combos. This party setup encourages aggressive, combo-driven assaults, with basic melee or ranged attacks serving as the foundation for building momentum against foes ranging from infantry soldiers to colossal l'Cie and mechanical warmachines.[9][10] Central to the combat flow is the Sight system, which rewards precise timing with powerful finishers. By locking onto enemies with R1 and observing their attack patterns, players can trigger Killsights—marked by red reticles—for instant kills or Breaksights—yellow reticles—for massive damage bursts, often during vulnerable recovery frames after an enemy's strike. These moments build a risk-reward dynamic, as successful Sights not only dispatch threats efficiently but also yield Phantoma, ethereal energy harvested from fallen enemies to fuel magic and upgrades, while failed attempts leave characters exposed to counterattacks. Dodging with the Circle button is crucial for evasion, enabling players to weave through projectile barrages or melee swings, while defensive breaks occur if attacks connect, stunning the character and opening counter opportunities for foes.[9][11] The magic system revolves around customizable spell decks, with each character able to equip up to two decks containing four spells apiece. Magic, granted to Rubrum's denizens by the Vermilion Bird Crystal, includes various elemental types such as fire (e.g., Fire, Fira), ice (Blizzard), thunder (Thunder), and wind (Aero), alongside support spells like Cure or Protect. Spells like Fire, Blizzard, or Thunder can be cast instantly or charged by holding the button for amplified effects, such as area-of-effect blasts, but they rapidly deplete MP, necessitating strategic conservation amid prolonged engagements. Support spells like Cure or Protect follow similar tiers, enhancing party survivability without elemental ties.[12][13] Eidolons, the game's summons, add a desperate escalation option, invoked by sacrificing the active leader to call forth massive entities like Ifrit or Odin for a limited duration. During this period, the Eidolon can be directly controlled for devastating strikes, or the player swaps to another party member while it acts autonomously; upon expiration, the sacrificed character suffers permanent KO for the mission unless revived via items or spells, emphasizing the summons' high cost in a war-themed narrative. Enemy encounters demand adaptation, as humanoids favor close-quarters dodges and sights, while larger beasts require ranged magic and evasion to expose weak points.[14][9] The original PlayStation Portable version incorporated touchscreen elements for targeting and menu navigation, which could feel cumbersome in heated battles, alongside a steeper difficulty curve that often overwhelmed underleveled parties. The HD remaster for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One refines this by mapping camera control and target switching to the right analog stick, eliminating touch reliance for smoother operation, while introducing adjustable difficulty modes and rebalanced enemy scaling to broaden accessibility without altering core mechanics. These updates, combined with full voice acting, integrate more seamlessly into combat flow, allowing cues like character shouts to signal incoming threats.[15][9]Missions and progression
The gameplay of Final Fantasy Type-0 revolves around a mission-based framework, where the linear story unfolds across eight chapters comprising primary story missions that advance the narrative through sequential battles and objectives. These are interspersed with optional elements such as expert trials—higher-difficulty challenges available during free time that provide additional story insights and rewards—and side missions that offer supplementary quests for items or character development. Free-time events allow exploration within the Akademeia hub, where players can engage in interactions, lectures, and tasks to build relationships or gather resources before the next story segment, with time limits simulating the cadets' constrained schedules.[16] Party management centers on the 14 playable members of Class Zero, who can be selected for active (up to three combatants) and reserve roles before each mission, enabling strategic switching during battles to leverage individual strengths. Each character maintains a separate experience pool, ensuring specialized progression, while the affinity system tracks interpersonal bonds built through joint mission participation, free-time events, and synergy maneuvers, ultimately influencing narrative outcomes like character-specific endings or revival priorities in critical sequences.[9] Character progression occurs via EXP earned from completing missions and defeating enemies, which levels up individuals to boost base stats like strength and magic and unlock new abilities. The Altocrystarium allows further customization by upgrading spell potencies using Phantoma harvested in battle. Abilities are further customized using cards acquired as mission rewards or through synthesis, representing items like potions for healing, spells for elemental attacks, and summons for powerful allies. Obtaining a l'Cie brand marks a pivotal mechanic, granting permanent power-ups such as enhanced magic potency but imposing a curse that affects character longevity and story branches.[9] Resources are managed through item synthesis at workshops using materials from missions or exploration, and rewards like mission seals earned by achieving high ranks (e.g., S-rank clears for optimal performance). These seals unlock further content, including new cards, equipment, or even alternate mission paths, encouraging replay for completion.[17] New Game+ mode, activated after the first playthrough, carries over character levels, equipment, cards, affinity progress, and unlocked content while escalating enemy difficulty and enabling expert trials from earlier chapters for deeper narrative exploration and superior rewards. This mode supports multiple endings by allowing refined affinity management and mission strategies.[18]Synopsis
Setting
The world of Final Fantasy Type-0 is Orience, a continent perpetually embroiled in conflict among four nations, each empowered by a Crystal that serves as both a source of strength and a catalyst for endless warfare.[19] These nations—the Dominion of Rubrum, the Milites Empire, the Kingdom of Concordia, and the Lorican Alliance—draw their abilities from Crystals aligned with the Four Symbols of Chinese cosmology: the Vermilion Bird Crystal grants Rubrum's citizens mastery over magic; the White Tiger Crystal bolsters the Milites Empire's mechanical and technological prowess; the Azure Dragon Crystal enables Concordia's summoning of divine beasts; and the Black Tortoise Crystal enhances the Lorican Alliance's physical might and resilience.[20] The Crystals' blessings extend only to their faithful followers, fostering a fragile balance where any nation's dominance threatens the others, perpetuating a cycle of invasion and retaliation that has defined Orience for centuries.[21] At the heart of this lore lies the Crystals' dual nature: they bestow extraordinary powers while enforcing a harsh mechanism upon death, erasing the memories of the deceased from the living to prevent grief from hindering the war effort, thus ensuring generational turnover and renewed devotion.[22] Upon the demise of a nation's chosen warriors—known as l'Cie, immortal servants bound to the Crystal's will—a new generation is selected, restarting the conflicts as each Crystal seeks supremacy to fulfill a greater cosmic purpose.[23] This system ties into the broader Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology shared across select Final Fantasy titles, where the Crystals originate from fal'Cie—godlike entities created by higher deities—who manipulate human affairs to access the unseen realm of the afterlife.[21] In Orience, the fal'Cie Arecia Al-Rashia engineers the Crystals as tools in her experiment to birth the Agito, enlightened saviors capable of opening Etro's Gate and allowing souls to reincarnate freely, while her rival, the fal'Cie Gala, acts as the Arbiter, judging the outcome and potentially dooming the world to oblivion if the cycle fails.[24] Central to the narrative's backdrop is Akademeia, the fortified capital and premier magic academy of the Dominion of Rubrum, where elite cadets train under the Vermilion Bird Crystal's influence and serve as a strategic hub amid the encroaching threats.[25] Beyond its walls lie the scarred battlefields spanning Orience's diverse terrains—from Rubrum's verdant plains and Concordia's misty mountains to Milites' industrialized frontiers and Lorica's rugged badlands—sites of ceaseless clashes that underscore the world's fragility.[26] These elements emphasize Type-0's distinctive themes of unrelenting war, the inescapability of mortality, and humanity's perilous reliance on the Crystals, marking a stark departure from the series' traditional optimism toward a more somber exploration of sacrifice and futility.[27]Characters
Class Zero consists of fourteen students from the Dominion of Rubrum's Vermillion Peristylium academy, serving as the game's primary playable characters. These cadets are trained as elite soldiers independent of the kingdom's Crystal, each wielding distinct weapons and magic styles that emphasize diverse combat roles, from close-range melee to long-distance spellcasting. Their personalities range from stoic leaders to comic relief, reflecting a tight-knit yet fractious group bound by their shared upbringing and military duties. Each member also has unique affinities for summoning Eidolons, powerful entities that can be called into battle to provide support or transformation abilities.[3] The following table summarizes the core members of Class Zero, highlighting their weapons, key personality traits, and combat roles:| Name | Weapon | Personality Traits | Combat Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ace | Cards | Calm, strategic leader | Magic-based ranged attacks[28][29] |
| Deuce | Flute | Kind-hearted, assertive musician | Supportive magic projectiles[28] |
| Trey | Bow | Intellectual, composed scholar | Long-range archery specialist[28] |
| Cater | Magicite Pistol | Cheerful, optimistic sharpshooter | Gun-magic fusion for mobility[28] |
| Cinque | Mace & Shield | Childlike, loyal tank | Defensive frontline brawler[28] |
| Sice | Scythe | Cynical, brooding reaper | High-damage area sweeps[28] |
| Seven | Whip | Elegant, insightful aristocrat | Flexible mid-range control[28] |
| Eight | Claws | Hot-tempered, disciplined fighter | Fast combo melee[28] |
| Nine | Spear | Boisterous, athletic powerhouse | Aggressive thrusting attacks[28] |
| Jack | Katana | Theatrical, flamboyant performer | Slow, precise melee strikes[28] |
| Queen | Sword & Shield | Serious, protective knight | Versatile defense-offense balance[29] |
| King | Dual Handguns | Stoic, reliable veteran | Rapid ranged gunfire[29] |
| Rem | Twin Daggers | Timid, devoted supporter | Agile evasion and strikes[29] |
| Machina | Twin Rapiers | Arrogant, ambitious rival | Agile melee strikes[29] |