What is Final Fantasy Explorers
Final Fantasy is arguably one of the most popular game series in existence. You’d be hard pressed to find a gamer that hasn’t at least heard of the games or played them. However, when most people think of the series they think of a sprawling single player JRPG, or maybe the MMOs such as Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV. While there are elements that are similar, Final Fantasy Explorers for the 3DS doesn’t really play much like any of the numbered Final Fantasy games.
Looking at the art style then, you might think Final Fantasy Explorers may be like the Crystal Chronicles family of Final Fantasy games that we’ve seen over the years thanks to its chibi-like art style. However, it not exactly like those games either. It really is its own separate entity that does a little bit of borrowing from everything.
If anything, Final Fantasy Explorers is more of a mix of the MMO games and Monster Hunter. There are a ton of job/classes to choose from across all of the numbered games that featured the job system and you can mix styles with other players to take down large enemies. Working together to take down bosses is your primary focus in Final Fantasy Explorer and the story acts more as a vehicle to unlock more things for you. Make sure you are aware of that before diving in.
If you want a clearer picture on what is Final Fantasy Explorers and whether or not it is for you, let’s break down some of its most important elements such as its gameplay, story, jobs, and relationship with other games in the series.
Story and Gameplay
Final Fantasy Explorers is not a traditional JRPG. While it can be played single player, it is more closely related to MMORPGs than anything else, and is best enjoyed online with friends.
It is an action-RPG dressed up with a light story about adventurers exploring new territories to gain the power of crystals. This isn’t FFX or FFIX quality story telling here. Enjoy it for what it is, or don’t and focus on gameplay as that’s what you’ll be sticking around for if Final Fantasy Explorers is your cup of tea. Even the MMO games, FFXI and FFXIV have far more detailed storylines than Final Fantasy Explorers, so don’t go into it expecting much.
Instead, Final Fantasy Explorers is like a pocket MMO/Monster Hunter-like hybrid game. You’ll pick up quests and assignments that require you to go out and hunt classic Final Fantasy enemies. It could be something as simple as going out and killing a bunch of easy monsters, or something more menacing like Ifrit. Either way, it’s more of a grindy type game with a lot of repetition. If you’re a fan of MMOs, it’s probably something you can deal with because the fun of those games and Final Fantasy Explorers, isn’t necessarily the complexity of what you’re doing, but it’s more about playing with friends and tackling tough challenges together.
Final Fantasy Explorers uses a star system to gauge a mission’s difficulty. You can do a lot on your own and with monsters that you can recruit to fight with you. However, you’re probably better off finding some buddies and playing online to take down some of the toughest highest starred fights.
Classes and Jobs
Final Fantasy Explorers borrows heavily from Final Fantasy games with detailed job systems such as Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy V, and Final Fantasy Tactics. You’ll be able to choose from 21 different jobs to play as, all with different styles and roles.
There are tank-like defensive classes such as Knights and Paladins. You have your classic offensive minded attackers such as Dragoons and Monks along with damage dealing mages such as Black Mage. Someone needs to keep those people alive, so you have pure healers like the White Mage but there are hybrid support classes as well such as the Red Mage and Sage that can do a bit of offense in addition to using buffing support spells too. Unlike MMOs that demand strict job balance, Final Fantasy Explorers is a little more forgiving and forgoes a lot of balance in favor of accessibility and fun. Pick your favorite job and make it work.
However, in order to play to maximum efficiency, you’re going to make sure you’re keeping up with your abilities and equipment. You will need to do a good bit of farming and exploring to get materials to make new equipment and gain CP in order to learn new abilities. Both equipment and abilities can be enhanced and customized further to fit your playing style.
Relation to the Rest of the Series
What Final Fantasy Explorers lacks in story, it makes up for it in spades with its callbacks to previous popular Final Fantasy titles. Throughout the game, you’ll be fighting classic summons such as Ifrit, Ramuh, and Bahamut. As mentioned already, you’ll be able to use the classic jobs and many of their familiar abilities.
However, what will probably appeal most to Final Fantasy fans is the ability to go into a “Trance” mode and draw on the power of past Final Fantasy heroes and summons. You’ll gain a big boost in stats and be able to go to town on poor unsuspecting enemies using classic abilities and skills.
So while Final Fantasy Explorers isn’t that traditional JRPG game that longtime fans have come to expect, if you want a MMO-light experience, with a ton of familiar elements right in your pocket, you’ll probably like Final Fantasy Explorers especially if you have some friends to play it with.
About the author
