Review of "Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier," Available November 17!　Battlova x "Final Fantasy! Battle Royale to fight for the Soldier!

On November 17, 2021, Square Enix began distributing the smartphone app "Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier" ("FF7FS"). This is a battle royale game set in a world 30 years before "Final Fantasy VII" ("FF7"), in which players become soldier candidates and fight for their survival. In this article, we will provide a review of "FF7FS".

Five Jobs with Different Battle Styles

As a Soldier Candidate, the player character can freely customize his or her appearance. Starting with the hairstyle, the shape of the eyes, the thickness of the lips, and other details can be changed to a great degree. New outfits and accessories can also be obtained after completing matches.

Characters also have "styles. There are five styles: Warrior for melee attacks, Sorcerer for magic, Ninja for movement and exploration, Monk for support, and Ranger for long-range attacks with guns, each with its own unique characteristics, abilities, and skills. Abilities are used by the player at any given time, and skills are always active.

I personally recommend the Warrior and Ranger styles. The Warrior can use the ability "Dodge" to move at high speed over short distances. This can be applied when closing the distance with an opponent or, conversely, running away. The ranger has a strong "Miyaburu" ability that allows him to detect the location of enemies around him. The amount of ammunition that can be carried and acquired, as well as the reloading time of guns, can be shortened by identifying the ranger, making it easier to fight without supplies and to gain an advantage in a firefight with the enemy.

This work's unique battlow with magic and level-up

The battle for survival is the same as in conventional battle royale games: fleeing from a circle that shrinks over time, gathering supplies and equipment, and fighting for survival. In "FF7FS," unique elements such as "magic" and "level up" are incorporated into the battle royale.

There are various types of "magic," from offensive to support, such as "Fire," which sends fireballs to a specified location, and "Brine," which creates a smoke screen over a certain area. The same materia can be obtained to increase its level and enhance its performance.

Fire, for example, can be used not only to hit the enemy in front of you, but can also be used as an obstacle to throw off the enemy's pursuit. Brine can be thrown at enemies to block their vision, and can also be used as a shield to hide when shot at in an empty space. Magic cannot be used without MP. While powerful, it is necessary to consider when to use it.

Supplies can be taken from defeated opponents.

In addition to enemy players, monsters are scattered throughout the field, and experience is gained by defeating them. When you accumulate a certain amount of experience, you "level up," which increases your HP and enhances the performance of your abilities. There is no such equipment as "body armor" in this game; the amount of HP you have is directly related to your durability. Leveling up is necessary if you want to gain the upper hand in a firefight.

The secret is that experience is gained not only by the player, but also by killing monsters. Since it is dangerous to carelessly shoot at each other in this game with no resurrection, it is a little safer to fight with monsters.

However, there is a possibility that you may be attacked by enemies while you are fighting monsters. It is not uncommon for enemies to join in and put you at a disadvantage in numbers when you are trying to safely raise your level. It is interesting to wonder whether you should play it safe and fight the monsters or attack the enemy players for supplies.

Easy to play, including some operations that can be automated

Another feature of this title is that various operations are automated. Small bumps can be overcome by approaching them, and ammunition and recovery items can be obtained on your own as long as you have enough in your possession.

Falling from high places does not cause damage, and nearby enemy footsteps and gunfire are displayed as icons on the screen, so the game can be played normally even with the sound off. The game is designed to be fun rather than realistic, so players are not distracted by small details.

However, while some parts of the game are convenient, there are many areas that require tapping, which is a bit of a concern. The player must tap to move, shoot, move the viewpoint, select items, use abilities, magic, and items, and switch firearms modes, so the controls are very busy.

Although a low probability, you can also obtain summoner materia familiar from "Final Fantasy" during a match.

If you are not used to tapping, you may want to use a home console controller; the PS4, PS5, and Xbox wireless controllers can be connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth. I tried two types of controls: tapping and controller operation, and personally, I found the controller operation to be easier to use.

There are many battle royale-type games, but this title incorporates elements such as magic using materia to create a battle royale that is unique to "Final Fantasy. It has only been two days since the game was released. Expect more events and updates in the future.

（Text by Yoshiyoshi Natsunouchi)

Title Information: FINAL FANTASY VII THE FIRST SOLDIER; Genre: Battle Royale; Compatibility: iOS/Android; Distribution date: November 17, 2021; Price: Free for basic play (with item charges); Distribution area: Worldwide (excluding mainland China); Languages supported: Japanese / English / German / French / Spanish / Traditional Chinese / Korean

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