Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is a game that’s all about letting you revisit the music of your favorite Final Fantasy titles, and there are very few games that aren’t represented in some form or another. When you first launch the game, however, you’re only able to select from a few of them.
This decision actually holds quite a bit of additional weight because it also decides which party members you gain access to in the game’s opening hours. If you’re finding yourself filled with trepidation, this guide will help you decide what Final Fantasy game you should unlock first in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line.
The Best Final Fantasy Unlock for Gameplay in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
After starting a new game in Final Bar Line, you’ll notice that the only games available to play first are Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIV, and Final Fantasy XV. If you’re looking for a more gameplay-minded approach and want to gain access to powerful skills, we suggest choosing Final Fantasy II or Final Fantasy XIII.
Unlocking Final Fantasy II instantly allows you to put the healer unit Minwu in your party. At level 30, he gains access to Revive, an exclusive skill that activates at the halfway point of every song. It causes every note you hit to heal you while also reducing damage taken. Because songs typically ramp up at about the halfway point, Revive is a skill that can make clearing higher difficulties that much easier in the early stages of the game.
Conversely, Final Fantasy XIII gives you access to Vanille, another healer unit who also learns an exclusive skill at level 30. This time it’s called Oerba’s Boon, and it restores your HP gauge to full as soon as it dips below 10%. This functionally gives you the ability to continue a song from full HP rather than losing on the spot, and can be extraordinarily helpful as you improve and level up further.
The Best Final Fantasy Unlock for Music in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
Of course, not everyone will only be interested in securing optimal units and powerful skills—some people just want to know which games have the largest variety good music. If you’re looking to choose purely based on musical quality alone, we’d suggest unlocking Final Fantasy V for a great retro soundtrack or Final Fantasy XIV for something more modern.
The soundtrack for Final Fantasy V is one of Nobuo Uematsu’s finest works. As the game was originally released on the 16-bit Super Famicom, the compositions are positively dripping in that old-school charm without feeling limited by it. Many of the songs include a prominent bass that makes playing along to the rhythm a lot of fun, and the Battle at the Big Bridge is an all-time great that’s been reprised several times in other Final Fantasies.
Though some view it a bit differently due to its status as an MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV’s soundtrack fits perfectly alongside any of its single-player counterparts. It sports a variety of high quality tunes across a swath of genres, from rock-and-roll vocal themes to sweeping orchestral pieces. On that note, it also has one of the highest track counts in the game with 32 songs to work through.
Hopefully the above information helped to better inform you about which Final Fantasy game you should unlock first in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. If you’re looking for more RPG goodness, feel free to check out Twinfinite’s list of 2023 JRPGs. If you want to keep things locked into rhythm gaming, you may want to read more about the recently released Hi-Fi Rush.