 | Oh, goodie. Square being experimental. |
I've owned Crisis Core for a long time, and I put off playing it. I'm not sure why, but something told me to check out other games first. Having pumped about three hours into it, I think I know why...
I haven't played far enough into it to say for sure, but so far it feels half-assed and unnecessary. The areas you enter are plain and underwhelming, even linear. There are a couple of branches now and then, but for the most part dungeons are straight shots to the end.
The game offers side quests called "missions," but most the ones I've played have been even more basic than the dungeons. A few of them were just straight paths that led to a simple fight, rewarding you with an item you could easily purchase. More complex missions offer unique items, though, such as summon materia and accessories.
The game is also somewhat gimmicky, partially automated and largely based on luck. I will admit that this isn't entirely a bad thing. Whenever you enter battle, there's a trio of numbers at the top left that function as a slot machine. Based on the numbers you receive, the game will bestow unto you a temporary advantage. For instance, you might be able to case spells without consuming magic or nullify physical attacks for a short while.
Or you might use a limit break or level up yourself or some of your materia. Yeah, you're reading that right. You and your magic don't level up normally, you don't execute limit breaks in a traditional way. It's more or less random. You don't level up until you receive a 777 slot result. The good news is that, according to the official strategy guide, there's an invisible experience counter that dictates the likelihood that you'll level up. The more experience you receive, the likelier it is that you'll pull a 777.
One last thing: the game's combat system is actually well done. It plays out almost like a standard action-RPG while maintaining Final Fantasy's classic menu system. Pressing X executes an action, the default of which being attack. You can spam your strikes like any other action game by pressing X repeatedly. By pressing the shoulder buttons, you can select other commands, including magic, items and special abilities (e.g. jump, etc.). It's a pretty snappy combat system that keeps the game fast paced.
So far, it's an average RPG. It's not terrible, although I do cringe at some of cutscenes and gimmicky nonsense.
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