Dear Readers,
Today I'll talk about my start with this new game, focusing on introductions and personalising settings. I'm going to be using the Circle Pad Pro XL, inverting the camera axes, speeding up the text, seeing what the loading times are like, sit through tutorials and apply them to gameplay.
It's been a long time since I used my Circle Pad Pro XL. I'm using headphones and the charger at the moment and I'm glad it makes room for both of these!
Anyway, it's compatible with this new game. I didn't get the collector's edition, but in this box there's a registration card, kind of like the Club Nintendo ones when it was still around. There's also an English Quick Guide, which is quite nice.
After choosing what my character looks like, I watch a cutscene with plot exposition that lasts about a minute or so and get into a tutorial battle where I have to deal with Bahamut. Various onscreen tutorials say what to do. I flee the area and meet a woman outside named Surama. She helped me out.
There's a loading screen here. It's black and it says "Loading..." in the bottom right corner, accompanied by a little blue glow effect. It lasts for approximately 5 seconds. This is a thing I expect to see a lot.
Next, I find myself in a town called Libertas. There's a garishly dressed man here named Ludio talking to me. He says I have to register with the Union if I want to work. After I'm done talking to him, I take a look at the menus. I'm looking for the options menu, so I can turn on the Circle Pad Pro, but I can't find it yet.
I talk to a guy in front of the crystal named Shion. He's a beginner as well and hopes we'll stick together.
The dialogue is mostly voiceless except for "Hello" and that kind of thing. The text scrolls kind of slowly but you can fill the box by pressing A. This makes a sound and another sound when you press A again to get rid of the text box. I love this sound! It's the iconic Final Fantasy menu cursor bipping. I wonder if I can at least make the text scroll faster. I must find that options menu.
I see a big exclamation point over some guy's head, so I run up and talk to him. It's this game's incarnation of Cid! He's in charge of the Union branch office in this town. He says he used to be an explorer himself and assumes that's why his name rings a bell with me. He gives me a little tutorial quest before I can start working.
I talk to Marie at the Quest Desk. She dresses all dapper and wears a flower in her red hair. Her voice says "Welcome back!", even though it's our first meeting. She's to give me the Basic Certification Exam. I have to beat 10 monsters for this first tutorial quest.
The exclamation mark appears over Ludio's head now. He has various basic instructions on offer.
I finally find the options menu! Just had to press RIGHT on the D-Pad twice on the start menu to find it. I turn on the Circle Pad Pro from here. The town here has a fixed camera, so I head outside on the quest, so I can test it out. I press A to Embark when I have a quest going on.
A little tutorial appears and says I can spend time to revive myself from being KO'd. Since I have limited time I have to use it wisely. Sounds nice.
I find the camera control is the opposite of what I'm used to from the N64 era, so I head into the options and set the X and Y axes to "Inverted". While I'm doing this, another little tutorial appears about using abilities and cooldown periods. I'm not usually a fan of this — I like the quick and constant Zelda style of action usually!
After this, another tutorial appears about Resonance. I better find a way of applying some of this stuff before I forget it all...
Another tutorial appears about combat items i.e. potions, etc. very important stuff.
Looks like I can indeed change text speed and volume of music and SFX. Must check those out thoroughly.
Now to take on some enemies! I start with Leech Bats and Goblins, making quick work of them. That "Follow Small" icon on the touch screen is handy for targeting them.
One sound I must say I absolutely love is the pickup of spoils! It makes this powerful purring noise that's so moreish and pleasant to hear. "BVVVVVV" it goes.
I beat up the 10 monsters and complete the quest. When I do this, the Final Fantasy victory theme starts playing and I get a message that tells me I'll be transported back promptly, just like in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.
There's a nice results screen with my totals and it's back to Cid after a loading screen. He tells me about the next tutorial, which is about Crystal Surge.
First, I play around with the text message speed in the dialogue boxes with people. Oh my goodness! It is so much better when it's set to Very Fast. I recommend everyone do this!
Second, I play around with audio settings. I can adjust music and SFX separately in the options and turn one of them off completely if I want to. This'll be nice in case things get repetitive. SFX only can be a nice ambient experience, listening to rivers flowing nearby etc.
I head back to Marie at the counter and take on the Crystal Surge Exam. Getting this to trigger is a little strange. I have to keep hitting baddies by holding L and pressing a corresponding face button until the Resonance builds up to at least 100 and to keep it up there by continually hitting baddies until the Crystal Surge can be triggered with L and R. A lot of shoulder button usage there and cooldown periods after each attack.
The ZL and ZR buttons are extra dash buttons. Wish I could use that L button for attacking instead of the first one.
Next is the Ability Mutation Exam. This has even more shoulder button usage. After doing the above, you can use the L + Attack again to mutate that ability with that Crystal Surge's element. At least I'm applying that stuff I learned in the pop up tutorials earlier.
Now I can take on more quests and change my job to either: Knight, Monk, Ranger, White Mage or Black Mage. At last!
I think I'll start with Monk since I do martial arts in real life. I equip the Novice Tunic and Boots and take on another quest, "Defeat the Goblin Gang!"
This quest took ages. L & X does a boost move that makes attacks stronger among other things temporarily. Resonance builds really slowly as well. I did manage to beat it alright, but next time I should probably equip some kind of weapon!
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