Theatrhythm Final Bar Line

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is a rhythm game developed by indieszero and published by Square Enix for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. It is the fifth entry in the Theatrhythm sub-series, following Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (2012), Curtain Call (2014), Theatrhythm Dragon Quest (2015) and the arcade-exclusive Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: All-Star Carnival (2016). Its gameplay is mechanically similar to prior entries in the series, involving players timing inputs to various pieces of themed music. However, the assortment of music has been expanded to encompass various Square Enix franchises outside the flagship Final Fantasy series. It was released on February 16, 2023.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
Developer(s)indieszero
Publisher(s)Square Enix
Director(s)Tetsuya Nomura
Masanobu Suzui
Tsukasa Okayasu
Producer(s)Ichiro Hazama
Artist(s)Mika Okauchi
Composer(s)
Featured composers
SeriesFinal Fantasy
Theatrhythm
Platform(s)
ReleaseFebruary 16, 2023
Genre(s)Rhythm
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay
See also: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy § Gameplay

As with prior entries, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is a rhythm video game incorporating RPG elements.[1][2] Players assume control of a party of characters from the Final Fantasy series.

Compared to the original and Curtain Call, note charts in Final Bar Line are the ones from All-Star Carnival and introduce multiple simultaneous inputs, sometimes calling for four inputs at once from any of the buttons (including shoulder buttons) or for two simultaneous Slide inputs moving both the left and right sticks in certain directions. Pair Mode, where two players can play together, also returns from All-Star Carnival, as does the added Supreme difficulty on some songs.

In addition, the multiplayer mode, Multi Battle, can now accommodate up to 4 players per room instead of just 2.

Event Music Sequences, which return from Curtain Call, have been drastically reworked for button inputs, now being played from a top-down view similar to Theatrhythm Dragon Quest. Additionally, all Event Music Sequences scenes have been reshot, with "Opening" from Final Fantasy Tactics now having its footage from the original PlayStation release, rather than the pre-rendered cutscenes from The War of the Lions rerelease.

Music has been added since All Star Carnival from Final Fantasy XIV, XVI and the VII Remake in addition to the mobile Mobius Final Fantasy and Record Keeper.[3] In addition, music from other Square Enix games is available as paid downloadable content. Specifically, music from SaGa Frontier was available on release day, with packs to be released including music from Live A Live, The World Ends with You, Octopath Traveler, Nier, Xenogears, the Chrono series and the Mana series.[4]

Development

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is developed by indieszero. As with previous titles in the Theatrhythm series, Ichirō Hamuza, a staff of Square Enix, serves as a producer, while Masanobu Suzui, president of indieszero, assumed the role of director.[5][6] The project was commenced in early 2021, which was around the finishing of the Windows version of Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, and followed indieszero's typical development cycle of approximately two years.[6] The title Final Bar Line was determined in consultation with Tetsuya Nomura, a producer of Final Fantasy. The name was named after the musical term end barline, and was confirmed in early development, symbolizing the conclusion of the Theatrhythm series. Aimed to create a culmination with this final installment, developers hoping it would endure as "a title that can be enjoyed for a decade years."[5] Following Nomura's suggestion, "Final Fantasy" was omitted to keep the title from verbose. Furthermore, despite predominantly featuring songs from Final Fantasy, they believed that it was time to establish Theatrhythm itself as a brand.[6]

The developers noticed that there is a players engagement with the 2014 Nintendo 3DS title, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, particularly in its versus mode, also the team received petitions from players who requested a home console version of Theatrhythm. Recognizing that an arcade has benefit in showcasing rhythm elements but is weak at support role-playing experiences, the team drew from their experience with the 2016 arcade game Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: All-Star Carnival and their achieve on Melody of Memory. They had also gained proficiency in developing rhythm games using the Unity engine during the creation of Melody of Memory. Consequently, the developers concluded that it was time to develop a home console title of Theatrhythm.[6] While positioned as a sequel to Curtain Call, the new game also designed to appeal hard-cored players of the arcade title. To ensure enjoyment for both novices and enthusiasts of rhythm games, the difficulty of the musical scores were designed to span a wide range. Initially, the charts created by the team tended towards challenging due to their familiarity with rhythm games. However, during the later stages of development, team members less experienced in rhythm games highlighted this problem. Consequently, the developers reviewed and revised the charts accordingly.[7] The developers aimed to enrich the role-playing elements of the game. This enhancement allows players who is less skilled in rhythm games to progress by strengthening their character party and pairing the skills of their characters. [6]

Curtain Call featured a dual-control-method as utilizing either touchscreen or button to play, while the arcade version and Melody of Memory supported button control exclusively. There was an initial consideration for Final Bar Line that retain to feature touchscreen, though the idea was dropped: unlike the pressure-sensitive touchscreen of the 3DS, it is a challenge to distinguish between touch and swipes in Nintendo Switch's capacitive touchscreen.[6] In its predecessor on the Nintendo 3DS, the circular in EGM mode follows variable-speed movement like conductor's wand, which received criticism. For Final Bar Line, developers drew inspiration from gameplay elements in Theatrhythm Dragon Quest and Melody of Memory. This led to a design where notes flow outward from the bottom to top, synchronized with video game clips.[8]

Final Bar Line featured a collection of 502 tracks, which includes 385 tracks for all version, 27 exclusive tracks in the Deleux edition, and an additional 90 tracks available for download. Compared to Curtain Call, Final Bar Line introduces 167 new tracks.[9] The compilation predominantly features music from the main Final Fantasy series, alongside tracks from spin-offs like mobile games and other Square Enix titles such as Nier and Chrono.[10][5][11] The team compiled an extensive list of tracks and subsequently deliberated on selecting the track library. Factors such as popularity, singability, and inclusion in concert programme lists were taken into account during the selection process. Compatibility with the music itself and its suitability for rhythm gameplay was also an important consideration.[7] Additionally, the team referenced survey data from the arcade title.[8] Final Fantasy XIV, an MMORPG with a decade of operation featured a bunch of tracks, significantly contributed 33 tracks to the song library.[12] Due to the worldwide release of Final Bar Line, copyright concerns were considered. Negotiations for the copyright of "Eyes on Me", the Final Fantasy VIII theme song by Faye Wong, spanned a year,[7] while some other tracks had to be excluded due to unresolved copyright issues.[8]

Final Bar Line was revealled in Nintendo Direct in 13 September 2022, and was scheduled to be released for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in 16 February 2023,[13] while the date is the anniversary of the original Theatrhythm.[5]

Reception

Critical reception

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic, while got a 95% critics recommend by a statistic from OpenCritic.[14][15][16]

Reviewers praised the track libaray in Final Bar Line, noting its extensive collection of over 500 tracks from Final Fantasy spin-offs to other Square Enix games, make it the "culmination" of the Theatrhythm series.[26][27][28] Critics also found that remixes and adaptations of Final Fantasy songs are worth playing.[1] However, there are criticism regarding the commercial means that including notable tracks like "To Zanarkand" are Deluxe edition exclusive.[28][29]

Reviewers also praised the game's control mechanics and chart design. They believe that the transition from touchscreen to button was handled successfully. The new gameplay elements, such as simultaneous two-key operations along with combinations of tapping, holding, and sliding, was utilized the features of the new platforms.[26][1][28] While some players liked the touchscreen control,[27][30] critics appreciated the innovative gameplay experiences brought by the integration of button and joystick controls, and the overall gameplay experience was enjoyable though some challenging tracks are somehow crappy.[26][1][28] Reviewers also highlighted the game is for both newcomers and hardcore players: beginners could easily clear songs in "Simple Style", while dedicated players could take on the newly introduced "Ultimate" difficulty level.[26][1][28]

Nintendo World Report enjoyed the large amount of content present in the game: "The massive track list, fun gameplay, and cute aesthetic help keep me absorbed and have proven to be a dangerous catalyst to me, saying "one more song" over and over late into the night".[21] Destructoid wrote that it made them appreciate each song more: "Everything in Final Bar Line feels so good because it's apparent that the game wants you to experience the music through a new lens, not to play it on an instrument, but simply to understand the finer intricacies of the piece".[17] While praising the title's new difficulty, IGN criticized the lack of a wider narrative: "The only letdown of the Series Quest mode is that besides unlocking songs and characters for other modes, there isn't a story or anything beyond the music itself to keep you hooked".[1]

Sales

The Nintendo Switch version of Theatrhythm Final Bar Line was the sixth bestselling retail game during its first week of release in Japan, with 11,565 physical copies being sold across the country. The PlayStation 4 version sold 3,610 physical copies across Japan throughout the same week, making it the sixteenth bestselling retail game of the week in the country.[31]

References
  1. Griffin, Jada (February 14, 2023). "Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Review". IGN. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  2. Hagues, Alana (February 14, 2023). "Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Review (Switch)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  3. Heaney, Duncan (8 December 2022). "Theatrhythm Thursday: The Theatrhythm Final Bar Line track list". Square Enix Blog. Square Enix North America. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  4. Lee, Julia (16 February 2023). "Theatrhythm Final Bar Line complete track list". Polygon. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  5. "『シアトリズム ファイナルバーライン』インタビュー。今度こそシリーズの集大成!? 10年間遊んでもらえる作品になるようすべてを詰め込んだ". ファミ通.com (in Japanese). 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  6. "『シアトリズム ファイナルバーライン』でなぜタッチ操作がなくなったのか聞きに行ったら…その理由が深すぎた". 電撃オンライン (in Japanese). 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  7. "［インタビュー］「シアトリズム ファイナルバーライン」はシリーズ最後を飾る集大成だからこその大ボリューム。収録まで1年かかった楽曲も？". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  8. "最強の敵や最凶の曲も聞いてきた。『シアトリズム ファイナルバーライン』はRPG要素も対戦も進化して…これぞ集大成！". 電撃オンライン (in Japanese). 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  9. "《Theatrhythm Final Bar Line》亞洲繁中版將與日本同步推出，遊戲玩法最新內容公開". news.gamebase.com.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  10. "《THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE》開發團隊訪問：以系列最後一作的心情來製作". 4Gamers (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  11. "THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE SQUARE ENIX". ASIA NEWS PORTAL (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  12. "《Theatrhythm Final Bar Line》製作團隊分享開發心得，抱持最後一作心情全力做到最好". news.gamebase.com.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  13. "『シアトリズム ファイナルバーライン』2023年2月16日発売決定。『FF』楽曲に加え、DLCで『サガ』『ニーア』『ライブアライブ』などの曲も【Nintendo Direct】". ファミ通.com (in Japanese). 2022-09-13. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  14. "Theatrhythm Final Bar Line for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  15. "Theatrhythm Final Bar Line for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  16. "Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Reviews". OpenCritic. 2023-02-14. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  17. Kerr-Jung, Sorrel (February 14, 2023). "Review: Theatrhythm Final Bar Line". Destructoid. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  18. LeBlanc, Wesley (February 21, 2023). "Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Review - Refined Harmony". Game Informer. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  19. Fanelli, Jason (February 15, 2023). "Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Review - Greatest Hits". GameSpot. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  20. Dunsmore, Kevin (February 14, 2023). "Review: Theatrhythm Final Bar Line". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  21. DeVader, Joe (February 14, 2023). "Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  22. McCrae, Scott (February 17, 2023). "Theatrythm: Final Bar Line Review (PS4)". Push Square. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  23. Shaver, Morgan (February 14, 2023). "Theatrhythm Final Bar Line review: A Perfect Chain". Shacknews. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  24. Musgrave, Shaun (February 20, 2023). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring 'Theatrhythm Final Bar Line', Plus Today's New Releases and Sales". TouchArcade. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  25. Peppiatt, Dom (February 14, 2023). "Final Fantasy Theatrhythm Final Bar Line review: Long-awaited Switch and PS4 ensemble strikes a chord". VG247. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  26. "《最终幻想：节奏剧场 Final Bar Line》评测：最高潮与终止线". www.3dmgame.com (in Chinese).
  27. "シアトリズム ファイナルバーライン (PS4)のレビュー・評価・感想". ファミ通.com (in Japanese). 2023-03-15. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  28. "《节奏剧场 Final Bar Line》篝火评测：献给 SE 粉丝的豪华盛宴". gouhuo.qq.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  29. "Review: Theatrhythm Final Bar Line". Destructoid. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  30. Dom Peppiatt (2023-02-14). "Final Fantasy Theatrhythm Final Bar Line review: Long-awaited Switch and PS4 ensemble strikes a chord". VG247. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  31. Romano, Sal (February 23, 2023). "Famitsu Sales: 2/13/23 – 2/19/23 [Update]". Gematsu. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.