Final Fantasy Record Keeper

Last updated
Final Fantasy Record Keeper
Final Fantasy Record Keeper.jpeg
Poster art for Final Fantasy Record Keeper
Developer(s) DeNA
Publisher(s) DeNA
Producer(s) Ichiro Hazama [1] [2]
Designer(s) Tetsuya Nomura [3] [4] [1] [2]
Artist(s) Naomi Sanada [5] [3]
Series Final Fantasy
Platform(s) iOS, Android
Release
  • JP: September 24, 2014
  • WW: March 26, 2015
Genre(s) Role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Final Fantasy Record Keeper [a] is a free-to-play role-playing gacha game developed and published by DeNA for iOS and Android. The game features original characters and stories interacting with characters, scenarios, and battles from other games in the Final Fantasy series. [6] It was released in Japan on September 24, 2014, and worldwide on March 26, 2015. [7] The gameplay primarily consists of Active Time Battles with 2D sprite graphics. It has reached over 10 million downloads worldwide and was available in Japanese, English, French and Spanish. [8] [9] In 2020 all languages other than English were permanently removed. The game's service for the global version ended on September 29, 2022, leaving only the Japanese service up as of 2024.

Contents

Gameplay

Players enter each Final Fantasy titles world and fight to clear dungeons. [6] After finishing it, they unlock new characters from those games. [6] Players are able to combine parties of characters from different Final Fantasy titles. [6] However, though using a game mechanic called "Synergy System", playing the characters that are initially from the world gives the characters a "stat bonus", [10] which is also applied to weapons and gear. [10] The game has players to reenact many climatic moments from the Final Fantasy series, such as the Battle on the Big Bridge against Gilgamesh. [6] Characters are given weapons or abilities that are collected along the way. [6] The game is free-to-play and does not have microtransactions. [6]

In 2018, a new kind of dungeon, Record Dungeons was launched, featuring full pixel-art remakes of classic Final Fantasy scenes and dungeons, and an all-new adventure and records to explore alongside heroes of past games in the series. [11]

Plot

Tyro is a researcher who works in the history department for Dr. Mog. [6] Being his best student, Dr. Mog shares his magic so that Tyro can enter paintings and see memories of different worlds, which are previous Final Fantasy titles. [6] Tyro is also occasionally joined by original characters such as Elarra and Shadowsmith as they relive and restore the records of the great tales. [12]

Development

Developer DeNA proposed doing a social role-playing game to Square Enix that would center around the Final Fantasy series, similar to a title the developer had worked on previously called Defender of Texel. [13] [10] That game used pixel graphics and characters battling in formation. [13] Square Enix producer Ichiro Hazama decided that DeNA had the experience to build a successful mobile game for western markets and gave the game approval to be developed. [13] Square Enix oversaw the game and the story, setting, and characters, but DeNA completed the backend publishing. [13] DeNa producer Yu Sasaki stated that international release was expected to happen upon initial launch of the game but was delayed and released after modifications were made to please western audiences. [13] [10]

For the international release of the game, artwork from any remakes that had been done of earlier Final Fantasy games were used, as developers felt that American audiences were connected more to later Final Fantasy games than earlier ones. [13] [10] Cutscenes were looked at again and polished for the same reason. [10] The game was designed not to be difficult, and character profiles were also added for international release so new players could easily start enjoying the game. [14] Tetsuya Nomura designed player character Tyro and supporting cast members Dr. Mog, Cid, and Elarra. [13] [15] To draw in American audiences, the first world entered in the game is from Final Fantasy VII , and the next two are fan favorites in Japan: Final Fantasy IV and VI . [10] When the game runs events, characters are chosen based on player popularity. [10] Characters are not added from games if there are not enough worlds or events from those same games. [10] The game's producers felt that characters should be winnable through battle, and the game's currency of mithril given generously to encourage players to keep playing. [10] Enemy bosses are animated, in a departure from the style of the older titles that are being referenced. [14] Activities such as logging in to the game earn players in-game currency, and more opportunities to obtain free game currency were added for the international release. [10] Western and Japanese versions of the game are on different servers, so no player communication is possible between the two versions. [13] Producer Ichiro Hazama stated that the core of the experience of the game is "reliving the past". [13] Hazama also felt there was room for original story expansion in the game's plot and the new main character Tyro. [13] A teaser site appeared in July 2014 with a timer counting time for the game's actual reveal. [16]

The game was shut down for the global versions on September 29, 2022 but Japanese service has continued.

Reception

Final Fantasy Record Keeper received positive reviews overall. IGN praised the game's use of nostalgia for previous Final Fantasy games and fun combat and customization, but they criticized its lack of character interaction and shallow story, making it hard for the game to hold players' interest. [18] Kotaku voiced a similar sentiment, calling the game a "fun time waster" but noting the presence of the "much loathed stamina scheme" used to entice players to pay for more play time. [20] VentureBeat said that the crafting and combining of items and weapons was "actually fun" and felt like a real Final Fantasy game, but condemned the gameplay as being boring because it is primarily a "hands-off" experience. [21]

Within ten days of release, the game was downloaded over one million times. [22] After a month, the game recorded three million downloads and one billion yen. [23] The game reached five million downloads in six months in Japan and was in the top five highest-grossing games in the Apple App Store. [13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ファイナルファンタジーレコードキーパー, Hepburn: Fainaru Fantajī Rekōdo Kīpā

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terra Branford</span> Protagonist in Final Fantasy VI

Terra Branford, known as Tina Branford in Japanese media, is a character in the Final Fantasy series and one of the main protagonists of Final Fantasy VI. Yoshitaka Amano and Tetsuya Nomura designed her for the main series installment, with Kazuko Shibuya designing her in-game sprites alongside the rest of the characters. She also appears in the spin-off fighting game series Dissidia Final Fantasy and the rhythm series Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. She has made small appearances in several other games in and outside the Final Fantasy series.

<i>Final Fantasy XV</i> 2016 video game

Final Fantasy XV is a 2016 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. The fifteenth main installment of the Final Fantasy series, it was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2016, Windows in March 2018, and as a launch title for Stadia in November 2019. The game features an open world environment and action-based battle system, incorporating quick-switching weapons, elemental magic, and other features such as vehicle travel and camping. The base campaign was later expanded with downloadable content (DLC), adding further gameplay options such as additional playable characters and multiplayer.

<i>Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobos Dungeon</i> 2007 video game

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon is a 2007 role-playing video game published by Square Enix for the Wii. It is an installment in the Chocobo series that focuses on Chocobo and his quest to free a town lost in time from eternal forgetfulness. It is a loose sequel to Chocobo's Dungeon 2 on the PlayStation.

<i>Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade</i> 2012 video game

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade, known in Japan as Final Fantasy Brigade and later Final Fantasy Brigade Break the Seal, was a Final Fantasy video game developed and published by Square Enix for Mobage compatible mobile phones. The game was similar to other traditional Final Fantasy games with an overworld and dungeons, but was socially oriented. There were over 2.5 million players just in Japan, though reviews have commented on the game's lack of polish and sound.

<i>Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII</i> 2013 video game

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is a 2013 action role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. A sequel to Final Fantasy XIII-2, it concludes the storyline of Final Fantasy XIII and forms part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries. It was released in 2013 in Japan and 2014 in North America and the PAL regions. It was ported to Windows in 2015 and Android and iOS via cloud gaming in 2016 in Japan. Lightning Returns employs a highly revamped version of the gameplay system from the previous two games, with an action-oriented battle system, the ability to customize the player character's outfits, and a time limit the player must extend by completing story missions and side quests.

<i>Final Fantasy XIV</i> 2013 video game

Final Fantasy XIV is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix. Directed and produced by Naoki Yoshida and released worldwide for PlayStation 3 and Windows in August 2013, it replaced the failed 2010 version, with subsequent support for PlayStation 4, macOS, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Final Fantasy XIV is set in the fantasy region of Eorzea, five years after the devastating Seventh Umbral Calamity which ended the original version. In the Calamity, the elder primal Bahamut escaped from his prison, an ancient space station called Dalamud, unleashing an apocalypse across Eorzea. Through temporal magic, the player character of the original version escaped, reappearing at the start of A Realm Reborn. As Eorzea cements its recovery, the player must fend off a reignited invasion from the Garlean Empire.

<i>Final Fantasy All the Bravest</i> 2013 video game

Final Fantasy All the Bravest was a video game in the Final Fantasy series developed by BitGroove and published by Square Enix. The game was released for iOS and Android mobile devices.

<i>Final Fantasy Artniks</i> 2012 video game

Final Fantasy Artniks was a Japanese video game developed by Square Enix and the GREE social network. It is the second Final Fantasy social game and the second game developed with GREE.

<i>Final Fantasy Agito</i> 2014 mobile game

Final Fantasy Agito was a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for mobile devices. The game's story was set in the universe of Final Fantasy Type-0, and was an entry in the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries. A downloadable episodic game similar to Final Fantasy Dimensions, it featured a turn-based combat system encouraging both single-player exploration and multiplayer combat. There was a day-night cycle tied to the real-world time of day, and it featured a social element whereby talking with and befriending certain characters advanced the player's ranking in the game.

<i>Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call</i> 2014 video game

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is a 2014 rhythm video game developed by indieszero and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo 3DS. As a sequel to the Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (2012) and the second title in the Theatrhythm series, Curtain Call retains the core gameplay, where players hit notes in time with music from the Final Fantasy series. Also similar to its predecessor, the game features role-playing elements, allowing players to develop their characters, arrange parties with four-person, and defeat bosses to clear quests.

<i>Mobius Final Fantasy</i> 2015 video game

Mobius Final Fantasy was an episodic role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for iOS, Android, and Microsoft Windows. It was released in Japan in June 2015, and internationally in August 2016. The players could control Warrior of Light (Wol), a man who wakes with amnesia in the world of Palamecia, and must help conquer the dark forces attacking its people. The game featured gameplay elements from previous Final Fantasy titles, including leveling, exploration via standard navigation and fast-travel systems, and turn-based combat tied to a job system. Common themes were also drawn from the original Final Fantasy title, such as "warriors of light" and their fight against chaos and darkness.

<i>Final Fantasy Awakening</i> 2016 role-playing video game

Final Fantasy Awakening was an action role-playing game developed by Perfect World Games and Square Enix for iOS and Android. It was first released in China by Perfect World in December 2016, with releases in other languages, including English, over the following two years from other publishers; its English release was the first Final Fantasy title to be licensed by Square Enix to another company. The English version closed in 2019 due to service changes, and all other versions shut down in May 2020 with the end of the licensing deal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hajime Tabata</span> Japanese video game director (born 1971)

Hajime Tabata is a Japanese game director, the previous Luminous Productions COO and Head of Studio who formerly worked for Square Enix and currently the CEO of JP Games.

<i>Adventures of Mana</i> 2016 video game

Adventures of Mana is a 2016 action role-playing game developed by MCF and Square Enix, and published by Square Enix. It is a 3D remake of the 1991 Game Boy game Final Fantasy Adventure, the first game in the Mana series. It was released worldwide for Android and iOS on February 4, 2016; a PlayStation Vita version was also released on the same date in Japan, and in June 2016 in North America, South America and Europe. In addition to these releases, Square Enix has said that they are considering developing versions for PlayStation 4 and personal computers.

<i>Final Fantasy VII G-Bike</i> 2014 mobile racing game

Final Fantasy VII G-Bike was a free-to-play video game for Android and iOS platforms. Available between October 2014 and December 2015, the title was a racing game with role-playing elements. Based on Square Enix's role-playing game Final Fantasy VII, the player controlled the protagonist of that game, Cloud Strife. While riding on a motorcycle, Cloud battled enemies with melee weapons and magic with help from other Final Fantasy VII characters. Players could modify Cloud's weapons, clothing and motorcycle, and perform powerful attacks known as limit breaks.

The Chocobo series is part of the Final Fantasy franchise owned by Square Enix. A spin-off series meant to have more child and casual gamer appeal than the main games, it spans multiple genres, beginning with Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon in 1997. It features a recurring cast of characters designed by Toshiyuki Itahana and rendered in a more chibi style than traditional Final Fantasy games. They include Chocobo, the protagonist and a member of the fictional chocobo species of flightless birds; Mog, a moogle who is Chocobo's friend, Shirma, a white mage, and Croma, a black mage, among other recurring series characters. One of the most major genres within the series are Mystery Dungeon games, while it has also branched off into tabletop games. Its most recent entry is Chocobo GP, a kart racing game released in 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.

References

  1. 1 2 "'Final Fantasy Record Keeper' 2nd Anniversary: Celebrate With Free 11x Rare Relic Draw, Free In-Game Rewards And Special Dev Messages". idigitaltimes.com. March 25, 2017. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "2nd Anniversary Presented by FINAL FANTASY Record Keeper". finalfantasyrecordkeeper.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "In-App Announcement – New Year's Messages". ffrkcentral.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Upcoming In-App Announcement – New Year's Greetings from the Developers". ffrkcentral.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  5. ↑ "FINAL FANTASY Record Keeper". facebook.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Spencer (July 17, 2014). "Final Fantasy's Greatest Battles Remixed In Final Fantasy Record Keeper". Siliconera. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  7. ↑ DeNA Corp. "FINAL FANTASY Record Keeper – Android Apps on Google Play". google.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015.
  8. ↑ "iOS page". DeNA. Archived from the original on March 25, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Android page". DeNA. Archived from the original on January 10, 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Shaun Musgrave (March 25, 2015). "An Interview With The Producers Of 'Final Fantasy: Record Keeper', Part One". TouchArcade . Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  11. ↑ DeNA. "FINAL FANTASY Record Keeper Launches 'Record Dungeons' in Biggest Update Since Game's Debut". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  12. ↑ "FINAL FANTASY Record Keeper 7.4.0 - Descargar para Android APK Gratis". Malavida (in Spanish). Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 North, Dale (March 25, 2015). "Square Enix taps DeNA for its free-to-play expertise for Final Fantasy: Record Keeper". Venture Beat. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  14. 1 2 Musgrave, Shaun (March 26, 2015). "An Interview With The Producers Of 'Final Fantasy: Record Keeper', Part Two". Touch Arcade. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  15. ↑ FINAL FANTASY Record Keeper Official Channel (March 17, 2019). "FFRK Producer Letter #4". YouTube . Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  16. ↑ Sato (July 14, 2014). "Final Fantasy Record Keeper Teased By Square Enix And DeNA". Siliconera. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Final Fantasy Record Keeper for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 24, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  18. 1 2 Meghan Sullivan (March 26, 2015). "Final Fantasy: Record Keeper Review". IGN . Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  19. ↑ Ford, Eric (March 27, 2015). "'Final Fantasy: Record Keeper' Review – My Freemium Fantasy Love Letter". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on April 27, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  20. ↑ Jason Schreier (March 26, 2015). "Final Fantasy: Record Keeper Is Surprisingly Fun". Kotaku . Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  21. ↑ Minnotti, Mike (April 1, 2015). "Final Fantasy: Record Keeper is a mediocre grind that's easy on your wallet". Venture Beat. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  22. ↑ Spencer (October 7, 2014). "Final Fantasy Record Keeper Surpasses One Million Downloads". Siliconera. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  23. ↑ Spencer (November 7, 2014). "Final Fantasy Record Keeper Raked In Over A Billion Yen". Siliconera. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2016.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.