Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Nintendo Switch Preview

The Final Fantasy franchise has an extensive amount of spinoffs, outside of the main games. Not many of those deviations reach the same kind of audience, so it's surprising to see Theatrhythm Final Bar Line get another iteration. After the very good, but very niche, Nintendo 3DS releases kind of came and went, this latest version gets to show off what it can do on a console. That added power results in much, much more video game for your buck, in both good and bad ways.

A Theatrhythm demo is available now on Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4 that features 30 tracks, from across the Final Fantasy timeline. A little under 400 pieces will ship in the full release. All in all, this is still one of the most robust demos out there and, regardless of how you feel, you should probably download the trial, as you can play it for hours.

 

The main chunk of Theatrhythm is playing a song. These compositions are divided by certain categories, mostly from the game they appear in. From there, you'll unlock some characters from that game, which can be slotted into a party. Heroes range from brawlers to healers; all that standard role-playing stuff. There's a fully fleshed out system in here that isn't just the rhythm section.

After selecting a track from a growing timeline, the track will start playing. On screen, a series of prompts will appear on a line that moves from left to right. All that's necessary is pressing a button as it passes the circle on the beat. As there are also only two possible prompts at a time, this method seems pretty simple at first. Tap the buttons, easy peasy. The logic behind that is true, but Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is far from a cake walk.

Almost immediately, the tracks are diversified with as many combinations of prompts as possible. Hit one button, hit two buttons at once;, hold a button, then release it at the same time as pressing another. Those who never understood how drummers alternate beats will really struggle here. On top of that, it's also possible to have to hit a certain direction or two. In its execution, the gameplay of Theatrhythm is elegant and evident. Two buttons and directions; that's all it is. The depth of it is in just how much the game does with these few elements.

 

Got all that? Good, because there's more to take into account. Certain prompts have to be hit at the exact right time, to activate hero abilities. There's no penalty for not being precise, that's only for misses, but doing big damage is vital to high scores and even completing the missions that songs hold.

Missing a beat, however, is bad news. As the song plays, heroes are fighting monsters that are not there just for show, even if the cute visuals make it seem so. A miss will trigger an amount of damage, which is where healer characters will have to come in. Mess up enough and the song will come to an abrupt end. There's no just going through it; do it correctly or not at all.

After a successful completion, the active party will receive a bunch of experience, which contributes to unlocking additional spells and skills. Sometimes, a summon will join your forces. Missions and certain conditions will also yield auxiliary items, both for in-game and for the collection part of Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. On some occasions, these collected cards will enhance party members. There's a lot of video game to be had; it's pretty impressive.

 

The only foreseeable issue with the game will be its elevated challenge. As if the polyrhythms weren't enough, the game also has four difficulty levels. Even just the second tier increases the beat frequency significantly. The highest level makes a round of osu! look like child's play. At its hardest, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line seems all but impossible, which is going to be tough for completionists.

Well, there's also the monetization issue, as Theatrhythm Final Bar Line has multiple editions. Some of the deluxe versions will gate off music from other Square Enix properties, as the game also has music from things like Octopath Traveler and Nier. Don't get me wrong; 400 tracks will take dozens of hours to hear even once, but it seems tacky to have fans of certain games pay more. That's modern video games; I'm pretty sure I can't convince anyone this model is sketchy, considering how far we've slipped.

 

This package seems to take full advantage of its console release, which is something to be optimistic about. The visuals are pretty, the selection is huge and there's a good amount of progression to keep people busy. If the full game can add a few ways to make it a little easier, perhaps through the unlock system, then Theatrhythm Final Bar Line could be a slam dunk. Let's hope publisher Square Enix decides to actually push this one, unlike half a dozen of games they have released last year. I don't think this will include Various Daylife music.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line will be out on Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4 on February 16, 2023.
 

Daav Valentaten (@DaavPuke)
Editor-In-Chief, NoobFeed