Final Fantasy All the Bravest
A mobile Final Fantasy title criticized for shallow gameplay and high costs.
Final Fantasy All the Bravest was a mobile game in the Final Fantasy series, developed by BitGroove and published by Square Enix for iOS and Android. It assembled characters, locations, and art from across the franchise, allowing parties of up to forty characters. The title was widely criticized for its lack of depth, costly in-app purchases, and absence of story, though some praised its nostalgic elements and humorous flavor text.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- BitGroove
- Publisher
- Square Enix
- Producer
- Ichiro Hazama, Tetsuya Nomura
- Director
- Tatsuya Kando
- Designer
- Kyohei Suzuki
- Artist
- Naomi Sanada
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
Facts from the source article.
Development
Square Enix trademarked the name All the Bravest in December 2012, sparking speculation about a connection to Bravely Default: Flying Fairy. A teaser page with silhouettes of Final Fantasy heroes and enemies and a date of 1.17 led to theories of a re-release of Final Fantasy V or VI, which critics dismissed. The title was officially unveiled on January 16, 2013, a day earlier than planned, and released on the Google Play Store on September 13, 2013. The original concept came from Tetsuya Nomura, who also served as creative producer. Producer Ichiro Hazama later stated the title was a fun app, not a game, and acknowledged that fans were disappointed because it was not a full game, emphasizing that apps must be marketed appropriately.
Reception
Final Fantasy All the Bravest received negative reviews from most critics, earning a weighted score of 25/100 on Metacritic, indicating generally unfavorable reviews. Reviewers focused criticism on the high number and cost of in-app purchases, lack of story, simplistic gameplay, and a perceived lack of respect for players by Square Enix. Despite this, the game charted at number 25 on the iTunes App Store's Top Paid Apps chart on January 18, 2013. IGN called the in-game purchase prices insulting and the gameplay repetitive and boring, concluding it was a black mark on the franchise and issuing a public service announcement not to buy it. Pocket Gamer described the app as like a shady casino with hardly any game. Slide to Play stated it had no gameplay or strategy and existed to take people's money. Digital Spy felt it was a parody of free-to-play games that existed to make loyal fans waste their money. 1Up.com attacked the lack of real gameplay, noting the ATB system allowed attacks with no thought to skills or characters. Pocket Tactics also issued a public service announcement not to buy it, saying the title showed disdain for fans. Kotaku stated the game was emblematic of Square Enix's lack of respect for fans and a desire to milk the franchise. GamesRadar+ ranked it the 44th worst game ever made, accusing developers of cashing in on the brand. USgamer cited it as the most notable misstep under CEO Yosuke Matsuda, though the project began under previous CEO Yoichi Wada.
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