Nobody does rhythm games quite like indieszero. Over the years, it’s produced bangers likeKingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, Electroplankton, Theatrhythm games forFinal FantasyandDragon Quest, and even that one3DSgame you could once play in The Louvre. I have been a fan of this small yet compelling Japanese studio for years, and for the past two, one of their games has become a regular part of my daily life.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Final Bar Linelaunched for thePS4andNintendo Switchback in February 2023 and might be the most comprehensive licensed rhythm game ever made. It’s laughably detailed in the hundreds of tracks, dozens of unlockable characters, alongside an utterly exhaustive vault of collectables to unlock across its incredibly lengthy campaign. I played the original 3DS versions for hundreds of hours combined, but this takes things way further with dedicated campaign tracks for not just the mainline entries, but even things like Dissidia, Type-0, Crystal Chronicles, and more.
There Is No Rhythm Game Quite Like Theatrhythm
But, as you’ll know if you’re a fan of the series,everyone has a favourite Final Fantasy. So, in a rhythm game like this, you’re going to gravitate towards the songs you love first, while the others are left behind to be tackled later down the (final bar) line. For me, that meant I made a beeline for games like 7, 9, 10, 13, and 15 before briefly dipping into others when there was no other choice. Final Bar Line rewards you with keys after completing a couple of songs in each path, which can then be used to unlock new games, meaning you should be free to tackle the series in whichever order you like.
Whether you intend it to creep up on you or not, there is inevitable fatigue when playing Final Bar Line after you’ve cleared your favourite games and realise just how much is left to conquer. Each title comes with at least ten tracks, while big boys like Final Fantasy 14 offer over 40. That’s not even mentioning the songs with multiple versions - there are like five different Battle On The Big Bridges! Getting through all of these, clearing their quests, and levelling up characters takes a long time, and not everyone has that sort of endurance.
There Is No Such Thing As Finishing A Rhythm Game
I didn’t either, deliberately avoiding early entries or deeper dives like the Dissidia series, where I knew an intimate familiarity wouldn’t carry me through. But after I picked up a PlayStation Portal, Final Bar Line gained a second lease of life, and I’ve never looked back. Now, after two years, I’ve cleared every single campaign track, every piece of downloadable content, and I’m starting to get used to higher difficulties that once felt impossible.
I’m back on the grind and ready to hoover up collectables, and I’ve also found Final Bar Line to be an oddly comfortable game to sink into when I’m not feeling up to much else. Titles like this are built on a foundation of musical nostalgia, so being able to dip into that and feel real satisfaction and reward from pushing onward is quite incredible. And it only took two years.
