Final Fantasy Explorers
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Final Fantasy Explorers
For a few hours at least, Final Fantasy Explorers is a charming little adventure that's fun to play alone with your monster buddies or with real-life friends. But repetitive quests, the lack of a serious challenge until late in the story and a poor travel system eventually broke the charm spell that Explorers had cast upon me.
Final Fantasy Explorers is a great entry point for those interested in the co-op monster-hunting genre. The combat is its strongest asset, but expect to have to do some grinding along the way.
From gear to popular monsters, fans will enjoy the fun upgrade system combined with all the content emblematic to the series, but the overall journey isn't exciting
Final Fantasy Explorers is a mashup of fanservice and Monster Hunter-like quests packed with deep character customization and genuinely fun multiplayer.
Enjoyment of Final Fantasy Explorers is defined by two things: nostalgia for Final Fantasy and the amount of immediate challenge desired.
It's easy to dismiss Final Fantasy Explorers as little more than a shameless copy of Monster Hunter, and while it's true that the game is short on original ideas and lacks the devilish complexity of Capcom's million-selling series, it would be grossly unfair to ignore the game entirely. While the Job system isn't as deep and involving as Monster Hunter's weapon-based classes and the short quests quickly descend into repetition, the online side of the game is solid and the allure of forging new items ensures that the desire to find the best loot is always at the front of your mind.Then there's the setting and the generous helpings of fan-service; while the Final Fantasy brand has arguably been abused by its owner with some distinctly lackluster outings in recent years, it still offers an incredibly appealing universe to inhabit, and hardcore fans left cold by Monster Hunter's locales might find this familiar fantasy realm a little more appealing - especially when it's possible to invoke the spirits of Cloud, Tidus, Yuna and Tifa, as well as many other famous Final Fantasy characters. Ultimately though, Final Fantasy Explorers feels like an entry point for the genre rather than a true rival to Capcom's crown - it's accessible and enjoyable, but the shallow nature of the gameplay might leave seasoned players feeling a little cold after extended play.
Final Fantasy Explorers is a kinder, gentler take on Monster Hunter, and it's going to appeal to those who want to like that series — but don't care for its opaqueness or its hardcore gamer leanings. Final Fantasy fans are going to love the fan service, too.
