So I've been known to impulsively buy a game or two in my time. Whether or not all of those games get played is another story. This year I've been working hard to make sure I at least give these games a decent shake before moving on. As it happens, most of the time I find a pretty good amount of enjoyment in said games. World of Final Fantasy Maxima is no exception to that idea. A friend of mine mentioned that it's Final Fantasy meets Pokemon. I have next to no affinity for the Final Fantasy stuff, but if you say anything is like Pokemon my ears perk up, so my wallet became victim to yet another unplanned game purchase.
WoFF was not only a pleasant surprise for me, but it also turned out to be one of my favorite games I've played on the Switch. It does have some issues, like overstaying its welcome and grindy side quests. However, most of it didn't occur until the final chapter and post script. I ended up watching the postscript scenes because I didn't want the game to have a bad taste in my mouth with a long grind at the end.
I think a lot of people right away notice how “childish” the art style is and are potentially put off by it. I personally loved the adorable character and monster designs. Seeing the few characters I recognized shrunk down into cute little warriors was neat, and that it's a different style and not a rehash of the same old, same old. The monster (mirages) designs were fantastic and varied enough that I never felt like I was battling the same creatures for very long. They did the thing where they reuse some creatures with new colors but it was few and far between. As I entered a new dungeon I got excited to see what other mirages I'd encounter.
Speaking of dungeons, Square Enix absolutely nailed their design. I took a lot of screenshots overlooking the upcoming challenges. WoFF checks off a lot of cliche environments (lava land, underwater temple, and jungle) but they are still a thrill to navigate thru. I'd often explore the dungeon just to see what all it offered, and was usually rewarded with a treasure chest or two. If you have no desire to ever play the game I recommend at least looking up screenshots or videos of the WoFF world. Then again you would miss all the charm that comes from the moment.
Part of that charm comes from character interactions and the story. While on the surface the story is simple it can be very deep depending on how far you want to look into it. A quick synopsis is that you play as twins Lann and Reynn, who are sent out into Grymoire to help keep the invading Bahamutian Army at bay. The Grymoire is a separate world where all the other Final Fantasy characters live. In typical JRPG fashion Lann and Reynn have a mild case of amnesia, so while out on their adventure to save the Grymoire, they hope to find their mom and put the pieces of the puzzle together. The story takes some fun twists and turns that pay off in a satisfactory way. This is propelled by the fleshed out main characters. The writing and voice acting for Reynn and Lann helped make them feel like real siblings. Their interactions are a wonderful mix of kind comments and playful sarcasm. You can feel the love they have for each other.
Besides all the cuteness and charm there is an actual game with gameplay as well. The combat plays a lot like a typical turn based JRPG. Fights mostly consist of enemy mirages that can eventually be imprisoned for your team, although the imprisoning system was not explained very well. The hook is that you battle in stacks, they have three spots (small, medium, and large) two of which is for mirages and one will be for Reynn or Lann. This is where a lot of depth could come into play as you switch out your team to fit the dungeon or boss you’re up against, as each mirage has different elemental weaknesses and strengths. I found myself typically sticking to the same stack and swapping out here and there to get a little variance in the game, but my play style in a lot of games is very much keep to the party the same because they have the most experience. That can lead to a lot of repetition, but at least I don't have to grind as much. As much as I loved this game, I am not a big fan of grinding, so anyway I can eliminate time doing that, I'm in. WoFF, however, has a beautiful answer to grinding. They introduced a fast forward mechanic which can be used in battles and cutscenes. I feel like the 22 hours or so would have been about 30 if I couldn't use this feature. Without it I might have fallen off quick and not finished the game. It is a huge quality of life upgrade. I wasn't as bothered by random encounters, until the end, because I knew I could blow thru the battle relatively quickly.
World of Final Fantasy Maxima does a lot of things smart and has a couple ideas I hope they expand on more in a sequel. It is as deep as the player wants to it be but still fun for those who want to just scratch the surface. The combat, story, and design are all solid. The itch I had for a JRPG got scratched without the game being the length of a normal JRPG. I'd recommend WoFF to anyone who's a fan of Pokemon, Final Fantasy, or just want to go on a fun adventure through beautifully designed worlds.
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