Yesterday Square Enix and their social network partner GREE announced that the next Final Fantasy title to be released will be Final Fantasy Artniks for iOS and Android devices. While the Japanese version is due to be released later this summer there has so far been no comment on a Western release. However, speculation is high that this main series spin-off will make its way over to this end of the world.
The title is actually the second in a series. The original Final Fantasy Artniks was released in 2012 for the GREE social network format, an app for mobile phones. The original title attempted to match up the fad of card collecting with the rich lore and battle systems of the traditional RPGs. To that end the player found themselves in an unwritten world and charged by mythic beast Bahamut to explore and interact.
Players could engage in random battles for prizes, fight each other for spots on the leader board or take on quests which updated week on week. The developers stated that they wanted to build a strong sense of nostalgia for the series. So for that reason a host of characters from nearly every Final Fantasy title previous is available in card form. Part of the weekly updates included a new enemy from the series that had to be defeated and constant references were made to other Final Fantasy games.
Final Fantasy Artniks Dive seems to be pushing the series further into a traditional 2D RPG and limiting the emphasis of card collecting. Though there is no doubt that this element will still be prevalent, early reports hint at a game closer to titles like Final Fantasy III through to VI. While details may well be scanty we do know that the title is being released as completely free to play with the assumption that players will spend cash in game. No doubt the popularity of Final Fantasy Artniks Dive in Japan will determine whether it makes it to our pockets but we’re certainly excited for a free dungeon crawler from the legends of the genre.
