Find out what games of 2011 best represented the current consoles on the market.
The year? 1991. Square released Final Fantasy IV, an early RPG for the SNES. At the time, Final Fantasy IV pioneered the path for virtually all future Eastern RPGs. A cast of strong characters including a group of cycling, relevant party members redefined the role of allies. Imagine a time where video game plots were basically one dimensional, with a simple enemy that needed to be defeated after a basic adventure. Final Fantasy IV re-engineered the RPG as it was known at the time, and became the first on a path that lead to the series becoming an international powerhouse of a franchise.
In 2008, Square Enix finally expands on Final Fantasy IV's story, recreating the world and delivering new characters to mix with the old. Released as Final Fantasy IV: The After Years on cell phones in Japan, the game extends the storyline of a Final Fantasy game in a way never done before, bringing the old favorites from IV in to bring in the next generation of heroes in The After Years. This game didn't completely alter the battle system, it didn't remove most of the characters, and it wasn't an almost entirely new adventure, no. Final Fantasy IV: The After Years just provided more of what Final Fantasy IV fans craved: more Final Fantasy IV.
Then in 2011, Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection is released. This marks the first release of the full Final Fantasy IV and The After Years in one game. With it are the improvements made in Final Fantasy IV Advance, a return to nostalgic, but remastered sprites, and a new chapter that bridges the gap between IV and The After Years. Without a doubt, this is the best release of a revolutionary game, and that is why Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection is PixlBit's PSP Game of the Year.
The PSP may be just about dead in the U.S., but that hasn’t stopped Square Enix from supporting it in a major way. Most of the noteworthy games released for the handheld came from the house that brought us Final Fantasy. It’s fitting that our top PSP games of the year happen to come from them. And, while the company is known for epic RPGs, our Runner Up is something very different. Yes, it’s time once again for the combined cast of the Final Fantasy franchise to get together and duke it out with all the flash and flair that they can muster.
Taking the formula from the first Dissidia game and running with it, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy makes some welcome improvements. The RPG elements have been fleshed out even more, and the game now has an overworld to explore, giving this a stronger tie to the Final Fantasy franchise than the first game had. You can bring in a partner for assist moves now, and the higher tier spells, special moves, and limit breaks have that special brand of over-the-top charm that is expected from Final Fantasy. While the story and the voice acting leave much to be desired, the gorgeous remixes of classic FF orchestrations more than make up for it. Dissidia 012 has a steep learning curve, but once you master it, you’ll find an immensely enjoyable fighter with hours of content beyond pummeling your opponent.
Wow. I completely agree with this one. That never happens with these things. Great job.
Also, and I think I've mentioned this before, I want to play Bastion on the 3DS very, very badly. I might take Jason up on his suggestion and email the devs about that.
Nice to see Outland mentioned. I loved that game. I need to play more handheld games. Only played Okamiden so far from this year on handhelds. I am still working on finishing it too.
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