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  • Square Enix certainly have rhythm game’s on their mind of late, but for a company that

  • boasts so many classic songs, very few (if any) were exploited to drive droves of gamers

  • to their welcoming bosom. Other titles may have featured composers that are now famous

  • amongst the gaming community, but Theatrhythm features the songs that brought them to our

  • attention - notably the large anthology of songs theyve written for the Final Fantasy

  • series.

  • The core premise and execution is simple - youll play songs either of a ‘FieldorBattle

  • type, tapping, swiping and holding down on the screen to match the patterns thrown at

  • you in time with the music. Field songs only utilize one track, though holds can swing

  • up and down in a wavy line to catch you off guard. Alternatively, Battle songs pit your

  • crew of four heroes up against multiple enemies, with each character getting its own track

  • that needs to be managedless you take damage and possibly end your run.

  • The heroes you use are drawn from the entire gamut of mainline Final Fantasy titles, and

  • the same can be said of the list of songs available.

  • If you can afford them.

  • This is where I derail the fun-train and note that Square Enix has fallen in love with In-App

  • Purchasing to an almost unhealthy degree. Everything from individual songs, packages

  • of songs separate to those in the first lot, and characters from said Final Fantasy games

  • are all locked behind a pay wall. Most will only cost you a measly $0.99 a pop, but that

  • quickly adds up considering the amount of content on offer.

  • That said, no one is holding you up at gunpoint to buy everything - indeed you could buy content

  • from your favorite game (or at least the score you enjoy the most) and be content.

  • Spend enough time in the game and youll level up characters, gaining new abilities

  • and more health to make it easier to barrel through thequestmode, potentially

  • unlocking collectable cards and alternatescoresto songs you already own.

  • If there’s any real downside it’s that the iOS version feels woefully thin in gameplay

  • options compared to the 3DS version - limited initial content is further limited by IAP,

  • which in turn serves a game that lacks all the modes and interactive options of its bigger

  • brother. Custom scoring may make for a fun distraction, but that’s all it really is.

  • If you absolutely, positively can’t get enough of the Final Fantasy series and its

  • beautiful music, you may love the ability to play out the scores in a stylish way. For

  • everyone else youll be hard pressed to know where to spend your money, making it

  • all but a minor distraction from other rhythm games you may own.

Square Enix certainly have rhythm game’s on their mind of late, but for a company that

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