Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is a fresh new release from Square Enix famed and beloved long lived franchise. While it is the strangest and different FF, it offers a fun experience all the while and keeps FF tradition by allowing old FF traditions and creatures/chocobos a return. It MUST be warned that if you are only a fan of ATB (Active Time Based) combat systems that this will be a shock and may not be for you at all. There are many changes, some good some bad, to the Type-O.
The plot is a deep heartfelt struggle of a world at constant relentless war, one that is constantly throwing the youngest of upcomers into battle only to be met with a bloody and violent death. The Crystals are these sort of mysterious "protectors and relics" of the individual regions of the world of Orience. Each region is very dependent and protective of its respective crystal, which hold great power. The Militesa Empire, who make their home in the northern lands of Orience are waging an all out war against any potential threats to their goal of world dominance and are seemingly unstoppable. They have unleashed a powerful weapon, a Crystal jammer and it disables its targets from being able to cast any magic spells, which is the main threat to Militesa powerful machine weaponry. Only one force has yet to be able to render the Crystal jammer ineffective. Class Zero- which make their home in Arkhademia in the region of Rubrum, who can wield powerful magic and the only hope of stopping Militesa evil corruption. You control Class Zero, a group of young fighters all unique and useful in their own way, and you can control and use any of the 14 characters in battle as you wish. This concerns the Empire greatly and they seek to seize of Oriences Crystals to insure that Class Zero's abilities may be stopped and prevented in the future. It is a story full of loss, sorrow & violence. It is a heart felt experience and is a strong reminder of how brutal and unforgiving war is. The story has many twists and unusual turns which all reveal in time. Their are far to many unknowns however, as Type O does a poor job of explaining a lot in the game. Half the time, players will be watching cutscenes and hearing terms that has yet to be explained and never really fully gets around to it. The story is weird, and is definitely not the best. However, there are some good sides to it and the battles will help to overlook. There is a tragic appeal to Type O, all the characters and people you meet all speak of never being remembered when they die. It would seem that the ability to remember a loved one who has passed has vanished, and its a sad tale when all the young and loved are killed every day. The war is a brutal one, and your party will speak of their wish to not be forgotten. the Crystals are said to be the cause of this. As you try to thwart the Empires attempts, you will need to regain control of your the regions of Thedas and seek new ones out to stop their growing numbers. A deeply confusing and rarely explained story.
The battle system is a different story. It is lightning fast and fluent as can be, and is a huge plus for Type O. Never before has FF seen quicker and reactant combat. It is exhilarating and will require button mashing galore. It is nothing even close to the slow ATB systems of old, more closely comparable with FF XIII stlye. You control one of 14 members at a time with 2 present with you in battle at all times but have the ability to swap any of the 3 for the remaining 11 not in battle at all. The switch is surprisingly so rapid and fluent that it becomes fun to land a hit with a owerhouse and in a mere second switch and continue with a combo from a more agile member. The system is great and is fresh and feels wonderful to play. It is new to the series and may be perceived as more of an action type of system. It is, but there are many normal RPG elements as well to the battle. At the cost of having access to any of the 14 players, the battle system is by no means easy. In fact, at times one of your characters can die in a matter of seconds and you will lose members of the party quite frequently. Later enemy encounters can be especially frustrating and you will need to rely on each of the party's individual strengths and unique abilities to succeed. Eidolons (summons) are also available but require you to sacrifice a members life in order to cast. You do not lose them for good and these powerful beings are quite effective in battle. The leveling system is the usual norm, you will gain EXP from battles and will have to swap all your characters to keep them at the same experience levels. 14 is a lot of members so you will need time and effort to get them all at a higher level. You also level up Eidolons the same way, you must use them or they will remain the same level. Magic is also here of course, but there are far less spells from previous FF's and the battles are so quick and require such rapid responses that quite often I relied on my attacks and abilities and used Magics far less. It is a great rendition of the traditional combat system and is nice fresh system to keep it new. I quite enjoyed it.
Perhaps the best feature is the surprising ability to be able to roam the lands and explore the world immediately. Normally FF will have you wait till your almost 3/4 done with the main story until you are able. Airships are attained early on and you have only have access to lands you have regained. Towns have distraught people who will have side quests and shops are available as well. There are also many caves and other dungeons where vicious enemies lay in wait of prey, and will devour any who are not well prepared. The towns all look the same and the areas all start to look redundant and none are very sizable locations. It kinda all feels the same, still it is fun to roam as you please. Orience is full of hidden treasures and secret weapons for those brave and strong enough to retain and this makes it all worth the while.
Also, the replayabilty is quite impressive. It will not take you long to beat Type O for the 1st time, which may at first be upsetting, but it is welcoming to all the same cuz for the first time more is unlocked as yu beat it each time. Some quests can be played much differently with new strategies and will unlock new cutscenes and insight on how things changed from the routes you take. Some quests cannot be beaten on 1st time, and some quests become available only after you have beat it. This can cause one to spend many hours in Orience, and is a nice addition to Type O. More of your questions will be answered and more will be revealed about each of the members of your class, and each quest from before that you couldn't complete will be reachable.
Overall, FF Type-O is a decent entry but does not deliver the epic story and appeal as its brethren. It does a lot of things right and is a fresh addition but the confusing dialogue and plot leave it hard to understand and grow attached to. Still, the characetrs are lovable, the world is fair sized and the battles are marvelous, so any true FF fan has to get this. If you don't like the sound of the new system, you may want to stay away fro it. I enjoyed my time with Type O and am glad I purchased it.