19.2.2016

Final fantasy explorers, a fantasy RPG that combines elements of the standard final fantasy formula to that of monster hunter. Developed by Square Enix and Racjin for the 3DS it takes its main inspiration from the earlier final fantasies with the job classes however also contains characters from the much later games in the series.The story is not great, as the game seems to focus more on its gameplay rather than the story itself with very little characters being interacted with other then in a pure functional sense. However there is story and the story is as follows you are an explorer searching for crystals that are the source and life of the civilisation but,these are guarded by fearsome monsters which are not particularly fond of tourists. This may be an issue if you are looking for a story driven final fantasy game which is more of what the final fantasy series is known for but, honestly it did not seem to matter too much for me personally. This may be due to the fact that although it wears the final fantasy series like a cunning mask. It is in-fact more appropriate to compare the game to monster hunter especially in the games gameplay and generally to how the game feels.The combat is action based with the ability to assign skills to one of four slots. These abilities can be anything from magic like the good old fira or combat skills like moonlight slash – depending on the job you choose. The jobs range from the basic classical classes common to the final fantasy franchise at the start like thief, black mage, and knight. As you progress more diverse and interesting classes are unlocked like the dark knight and blue mage. Since levelling up is actually done on skills by transmuting them (using a resonance to add an effect onto the ability and then learning that ability permanently and then repeating the process) jobs can be changed pretty regularly without too much of a grind to get back to the position you were in. This was great as when playing as a knight got boring I could change to a mage and when that wasn’t as cool as the dark knight I could change again and not have to be too concerned about the sudden power drop. The other way the game allows you to empower your character is through the creation and upgrading of weapons just like in monster hunter, however they do not feel as unique and spending an hour to upgrade a couple of stats by ten points can be a little draining even if it does make some of the harder fights easier. There are other ways to bolster your fighting strength that do not depend on your characters such as the eidolon/ famous FF characters system and the monsters you can obtain to help you out. The combat itself I felt was limited by the 3DS as having to heavily rely on the camera to track the monster in combat making the combat still feel a little clunky which I guess is not a problem if you are playing on the new 3DS. But, the game still manages to feel like an action based RPG then turn based with your general battle awareness being a pretty big contribution to whether you fail or succeed.Obtaining items is pretty simple as you can get them while on quests from monsters or various locations in the game or from finishing the actual quest itself. Honestly, I found the drops to be pretty fair and as long as you go to the right area to get what you want you should be fine. I mean having to take the Shiva edilion down over ten times just so I could have Sephiroth’s coat was a pain but really was not too difficult and time consuming. You can also obtain more gil and CP (crystal points used to gain abilities) by making each quest tougher by setting rules such as no item usage or having the enemies fought have twice the amount of health and strength. This helps with the game substantially since the difficulty is default it can sometimes feel a little too easy and with this ability to suddenly make the quest harder for better rewards makes some of the quests you have to do again feel like a new challenge. If some of these challenges are too much to tackle on your own you can always team up with other people just like monster hunter giving more replay ability to some of the boss fights encountered throughout the game. But, other than making fights more challenging there really is not much else to do activity wise which turns a lot of the grinding into a chore rather than a fun experience.The game may feel like monster hunter sometimes however it definitely looks like a final fantasy game giving the game more of a monster hunt feeling final fantasy game rather than a monster hunter game wearing the final fantasy franchise like some kind of horrible meat suit. The game is on the DS so it is what you graphically expect – so not the greatest quality however lending the style to older final fantasy games in the series works for it. I mean the pretty fireballs and lightning I made as a mage satisfied me as I was harvesting the poor wildlife for materials to kill them faster. The sound track is pretty awesome too with the high tempo tracks kicking in when encountering those powerful eidolons and the softer relaxing music giving an atmosphere. This works against the game in some respects slightly. This is due to the fact that you can become powerful enough to one hit enemies making that amazing track instantly fade in and fade out at an incredibly anti-climactic moment and ruining the moment.Overall final fantasy explores is a great edition to the already popular final fantasy franchise. If you are a fan of both the monster hunter series and the final fantasy series then this game will be great for you. In some regards it can feel a little like a watered down experience compared to monster hunter games maybe due to it adhering to the final fantasy universe making weapons and such not feel as unique as that in the monster universe. But, it makes up for this by the addition of other features such as the crystal surges, your team of monsters and use of eidilons and past final fantasy characters. The multiplayer also gives an extra layer of replay ability and motivation to grind for just that little bit longer to make that impressive sword or set of armour, which it needs since there really is not a lot of motivation to continue with the game let alone replay it. Now I guess it is back to the grind.

24.3.2016

I like it. I only got my 3DS at the beginning of the year and haven't owned a hand-held console since the Gameboy color, but after playing a little bit of Monster Hunter 4 I thought I'd give this a shot. It's certainly comparable to MH4U, and I'd certainly say it also separates itself adequately, but most of the interest comes from the fact that in the Monster Hunter universe, it can be quite overwhelming as you're bombarded with a lot of information when you first start and if you don't get to play too often, going back can be frustrating when you can't remember where things were and what you needed to be doing in between quests etc.I realise this is a personal preference,

2.2.2016

This game isn't Monster Hunter. But it's extremely fun. Reminds me of Crystal Chronicles back in the day, one of my favourite games. It's like Crystal Chronicles, Fantasy Life and Monster Hunter had an awesome baby. Not the same as any of those games, but has similar elements from each.Pros:- Graphics are vibrant and colourful. Spell effects look great.- Like any Final Fantasy game, the music is atmospheric and charming.- Combat. Very fun, quite hack 'n' slashy. Lots of abilities to choose from.- Classes/Jobs. Great variety, I'd be surprised if you didn't find a Job to suit your playstyle.- Companions - you can create Monster allies to fight with. It's quite fun,

31.3.2016

A good game for Final Fantasy fans.There's a lot of Square Enix fan service here and if you've played multiple games in the series then you're sure to appreciate it.The gameplay is fun but quote repetitive. You find yourself doing the same thing over and over and there's not a lot of variety in the missions available here.The graphics are quite weak. Not bad looking but not good either. As for the 3D effect... THERE IS NONE! I find this pretty weak as much bigger games have supported it.Loading times are a bit iffy considering the visuals and size of the game. Bigger games load in less time than this. It's not a deal breaker though.Gameplay is doable solo but a lot of fun comes from playing with up to three others.

29.1.2016

*Bought on eshop*Being a player of JRPGs, I have to admit that this game is a very strong start for the FF series on the 3DS. While the game hasn't yet fully captivated me after more than 8 hours of play, I think it needs to keep investing on it (even if some things are a bit repetitive).Final Fantasy Explorers for the 3DS is a simple adventure game. It’s like the mini version of Final Fantasy XIV, with touchesof Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, sprinkled with a bit of FF flavor. Mixed in there is also some simple gameplay control and an easy-to-understand system to get the youngest of adventurers out on the trail with their trusty sword and shield and have fun. Even with all that,

29.1.2016

I've only played a few hours but what I have seen so far is brilliant. If you're a fan of the Final Fantasy series and have every played the other DS titles such as Crystal Chronicles, then you'll enjoy this game.I play on a New 3DS and the additional shoulder buttons and c-stick make this game much more enjoyable as controlling the camera feels more natural and fluid. If you are familiar with the button control scheme of Monster Hunter 3DS titles then that is what you can expect.One thing to note however is that the images shown on Amazon are not for this game (as the graphics suggest), those are images from the PS4 title "World of Final Fantasy".

30.1.2016

This game is like a cross between Monster Hunter and Fantasy Life and have been playing it for a couple of hours and am liking, don't believe what others are saying about this is a fun and enjoyable game, it may not be as good as monster hunter but don't let that stop youThe graphics are similar to monster hunterThe combat fighting is greatThere's a lot of classes to unlock and weapons and armor as well, you can even upgrade your weapon or armor.There multiplayer but havent played online yetAll in all and I am liking this game and anyone thinking of getting this should get it a go if they like monster hunter but found it a bit hard

21.4.2016

You don't need to be a final fantasy fan to jump into this game. It's game play mechanics are an improved version of the monster hunter series and all fans of that series will love this game as it's set at a faster pace. While it's a good game the only downside is the monster companion mechanics - they get in the way of the camera and can obscure your character or your target. Is worth buying as it's an unfinishable game and you can continuously go back to it.

6.2.2016

Thanks to this gem I'm back on my 3ds. At first it does feel like a monster hunter clone but after sinking the hours in you soon realize it's it's definitely not just a copy. Single player is great but match making is where it really shows its cards. Had some frame rate issues but 4 people all blasting spells and swinging monster swords around with 7 massive dragons on screen it can be forgiven! Great for bite size hits or all day sessons!

2.3.2016

Got this for my partner as she likes the Final Fantasy series and after watching her play it for a bit I ended up downloading a copy for myself as well. Great game to play with lots of customization. A good mix of Monster Hunter style game play and Final Fantasy background/characters. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a game you can pick up play for 10 minutes then put down as well as easily spend a good 2 or 3 hours a time on.

31.1.2016

A superb FF game - which is being unfairly compared against Monster Hunter.This game has the Monster Hunter Skeleton, but that's where it ends.A robust job and ability system, with online multiplayer makes for hours upon hours of fun.A must have for any FF fan, Monster Hunter Fans, you may want to give it a miss, as it is not nearly as hard or punishing as MH!

5.2.2016

Fun little game. Can play with friends or by yourself! If you like monster hunter you'll enjoy this game :) Bit disappointed I can't trade things with other players I think they could have added better interaction. Also It isn't 3D which is disappointed as think that would have looked good!

1.3.2016

It's not too bad but gets a little repetitive - I'm not a huge Monster Hunter fan (I can't explain why as I love RPGs), but this feels exactly like it, maybe a bit easier?

20.7.2016

This is my first monster hunter-style game and I am very impressed. It is indeed slightly repetitive but it's a nice care free game to play while commuting on when bored.

30.1.2016

decent game, good for killing time. before buying you should kow the images listed for this game on the page are of world of final fantasy not explorers

Final Fantasy: Explorers (3DS) - Reviews

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