Beyond its surprising concept vis-à-vis its license, Final Fantasy VII: First Soldier is a classic mobile Battle Royale but effective in many aspects. Graphically simple but fluid, playable on the touchscreen as well as on the controller, Square Enix's title takes up different ideas from the competition for a BR experience that is both accessible and complete. Finally, despite all its qualities, the biggest stake of First Soldier is to know who it is really for, between the fans of Final Fantasy unaccustomed to this kind of game and the overloaded market of BR on mobile.
Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier won't shake-up the battle royale genre but features enough novelties to gather the curiosity of fans and newcomers. While its current shortcomings might be fixed with time and a proper launch on console and PC, the greed of Square Enix is here to stay and some priced content might turn off even the most faithful fan.
Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier is not the battle royale that will upset the equilibrium of the market or will surpass the industry champions such as COD Warzone and Fortnite Chapter 2, but it is a product that, without particular pretensions, offers a gameplay that is all in all enjoyable and immediate. If you are a fan of the seventh chapter of the Square Enix series and do not disdain the battle royale, The First Soldier would at least deserve a try to explore Midgard in a different context from what you are used to. And who knows, maybe you will also have fun picking up every single quote posted by the development team in the various corners of the map. On the other hand, those who are not a die-hard Final Fantasy fan might in any case find a product a little distant from the usual battle royale and which, compared to the competition, offers a lighter gaming experience and less devoted to unbridled competition. In short, a game that fulfills its duty for a few games in the name of lightheartedness.
A battle royale on Final Fantasy seems surely a strange and apparently venal operation, but there is some study and commitment in this project. It's a fairly engaging shooter that links perfectly with Final Fantasy 7 lore that fans of the original could enjoy, but others may struggle to find attractive in any way.
Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier is a proof that a Final Fantasy game can work in battle royale genre. However, it lacks its soul and it won't keep you entertained for very long.
Despite the captivating Midgar, the game lacks personality and the control system is frustrating. Unfortunately, there's no reason for all battle royale lovers to like The First Soldier better than the more refined games on the market in the same genre.
While Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier may appeal to battle royale fans for fast-paced combat, difficult maps, and PvP gameplay, those who enjoy RPG experiences like Final Fantasy 7 Remake may want to pass on downloading The First Soldier. The game would benefit from a port to PC and consoles, but the deviation from narrative RPG content to cash-grab combat may be frustrating to long-time fans of the FF7 games and other Square Enix RPGs. Hopefully, Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier will see some interface and in-game purchase overhauls, but that might not be enough to make it an enjoyable addition to the FF7 game series.
A very fun experience, for those who like BR games. Jobs/classes, summons, bosses... Everything you find in a normal RPG, but in a BR game, making it a very unique one.
Pros: A new and unique battle royale with lots of brilliant additions to the genre including NPCs, materia (spells/magic), and classes. Set in the FF7 universe which will appeal to fans of the genre.
Well supported by the Devs. Constant updates so far and information via dev letters and promise of new maps/classes.
Gorgeous graphics and well designed map.
Cons:
Constant crashing. Supposedly this will be fixed this Friday.
Locked to 30fps.
Uneven meta. Firaga and Lethal Gaze, that is all. Though matches start to get “sweaty” as you reach the top ranks, there is a general lack of players. Which I actually like oddly because the NPCs keep it interesting and you build a small nit community. All in all, I’m excited by this BR. I think it is a very good game with a a few good ideas. The cosmetics are off the hook too! See you in Midgar playing as Cloud and slaying monsters!
I played this game from a week after its release to the moment its servers shut down, and have made a year's worth of content and many friends through it. The gameplay itself was so fun (the weapons and magic set it apart from other BRs/shooters), especially when you played with friends. The graphics were also quite impressive for a mobile game. But everything else was underbaked and downright frustrating. From the get-go, as soon as it was announced, the near-universal feedback was to a) release it on PC and console, b) incorporate more story and depth so that the game contributed to worldbuilding and c) NOT use the gacha/lootbox/live service system because none of us enjoy it or can afford it in the middle **** pandemic and economic crisis.
They simply steamrolled ahead, ignoring feedback from fans, ambassadors and reviewers alike and kept pumping out (mostly) mediocre, repetitive events and content as well as predatory microtransactions. The Bahamut raids were a notable exception, allowing players to put aside their differences and take down the dragon together. These raids were where I met many of the gaming friends I have now, and focusing more on this community aspect could've set a whole new standard for BRs. Fast-paced, action-packed and also community-focused, Variant and Blitz Mode were both welcome additions and had they kept diversifying the gameplay like this, along with applying the feedback mentioned above, FS could've been amazing. Instead of forcing people to pay real money for skins, they should've made the use of in-game tickets and currency more accessible so the game didn't feel like such a shameless cashgrab.
The abrupt announcement that FS would shut down in a few months left so many people, myself included, devastated and furious. The phrasing of their EOS statement felt like they were framing themselves as victims, as if they hadn't ignored feedback for months and pushed us to fork out hundreds and even thousands of dollars for in-game skins and monotonous gameplay. We didn't give enough of ourselves to keep this game afloat, that's how it read to many of us. For me personally, it was insulting and so manipulative. The resentment was so bad many players swore off SE and mobile games entirely; with all their questionable practices beyond this game, I don't blame them.
How about we make a game based on another game that have an incredible story, an intresting open world, well made characters, cool backstories.... AND SCREW EVERYTHING MAKING A GODDAMN BATTLE ROYALE?!
SummaryCan you become history's first SOLDIER?
FINAL FANTASY VII THE FIRST SOLDIER is a battle royal action game set in Midgar before the events of FINAL FANTASY VII. As a SOLDIER candidate, the player will make full use of their magic and abilities in a battle for their survival.