14 DAY TRIAL // The Final Fantasy franchise will spawn a new game this autumn, according to Square Enix. This new installment is entitled Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light and the Japanese publisher says it is meant to take the series back to the basics. The release window announced is the autumn of this year and the game will be coming exclusively to the Nintendo DS.
In the tradition of the Final Fantasy series, the title will be a turn-based role playing game. The class system will be similar to that of Final Fantasy X-2, with classes being changed by means of putting on different hats. There will be 20 different jobs available that include black and white mages, rangers, fighters and other Final Fantasy favorites. Square Enix promised that ease of play was one of its targets, with users being able to customize the DS' touch screen to accommodate their favorite battle commands.
A new feature is the cooperative multiplayer, where up to four people will be able to engage various fantasy monsters in turn-based combat. Finishing dungeons in this mode will earn players points that can be traded for new items, like swords, armors or potions that can be used afterwards in the single-player campaign. The picture-book look that characterized the old Final Fantasy games is back as well, with Akihiko Yoshida taking the reigns as art director. In the past, he worked on Final Fantasy XII and the DS version of Final Fantasy III.
The game is being developed by Matrix, the studio responsible for the 3D remakes of Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy IV for the Nintendo DS. The Japanese version has been available for some time now and Western gamers that do understand Japanese weren't very happy with it, considering the traditional take-on was resulting in too much frustration with the very limited gameplay options. The restricted inventory was a particular gripe, with only 15 slots available for item storage.