Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius

 iOS
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
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  1. Digitally Downloaded
    Jul 26, 2016
    70
    It combines the nostalgia of Record Keeper with a typical storyline and free-to-play features that makes it irresistible despite a lack je-ne-sais-quoi/oomph.
  2. TouchArcade
    Jul 6, 2016
    70
    It's worth a shot if you're a fan of Square's classic RPG series, but in trying to stretch out to two different camps, I fear it may not entirely please either.
  3. Gamezebo
    Jul 5, 2016
    70
    This is a solid, enjoyable mobile game that’ll keep you entertained for a good few hours if you’re willing to put the work in and stick with it.
  5. CD-Action
    Nov 18, 2016
    50
    Square tried to give us a modern game heavily inspired by classic Final Fantasy titles, but lost its orientation somewhere on the way. The only advantage of Brave Exvius is the wonderful music during battles. [11/2016, p. 75]
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Most Discussed iOS Game of 2016
14
#14 Most Shared iOS Game of 2016

User Reviews

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User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 123 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 104 out of 123
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 123
  3. Negative: 8 out of 123
  1. MaffLaff
    Dec 4, 2016
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. I was enjoying this game for about a month. The units and abilities are fun, the crafting system doesn't feel like a terrible time sink. The NRG amount which limits gameplay can be quickly increased so that sessions last longer than a few minutes. It has a lot going for it despite mostly being a rehash and cash-in of much more enjoyable games, I eventually got some decent high ranking unit drops and was slowly building up their experience and star-rating by neglecting the storyline and spending my NRG on the special gathering levels in the Vortex.

    Unfortunately after maxing several characters at level 80 I realised I'd need many elusive materials to upgrade them further. I won't go into the maths but the projected time (weeks) it would take just to get those few units to level 6, and then the subsequent time to level them to 100 just wasn't worth it. Especially considering how quickly the meta changes and how quickly good units can be devalued by the improvement of others.

    It also doesn't help that I came to the game several months after launch and everyone in the arena is far above me, maybe that's supposed to be aspirational, but for me it always highlights the unindividuality of my experience, and makes me feel like just another cog in the machine, breaking down the gameplay illusion of being "The Hero". My best week of Arena runs left me around the 55,000th position on the leaderboard, and all the opponents it was giving me were full teams of unbeatable 6* units, making the experience become frustrating very quickly.

    I haven't and will not ever pay money to these in-app purchasing games, especially where RNG is concerned or my play time / experience is being deliberately limited. So a quick uninstall, and thanks for the brief enjoyment, wish I could have my 40+ hours back but I'll take it as experience and just find some non-in-app-purchases games to refill my faith in gaming. Where a storyline can actually be completed, or I don't have to spend weeks of levelling to get past a single boss (arena s5).

    I'll be very glad to see the end of this era of gaming and hope we can eventually go back to paying a one off payment for a finished product.    … Full Review »
  2. Exavier
    Jul 18, 2016
    7
    It's fun, character development is fairly deep, and it has *something* of a story. The game's RNG seems fairly generous, and pretty much everyIt's fun, character development is fairly deep, and it has *something* of a story. The game's RNG seems fairly generous, and pretty much every enemy will drop an item (outside of arena). I find it hard to rate it higher than a 7, though, because it always seems to leave me wanting more. Energy replenishment is pricey compared to how much "Lapis" (in-game currency) you'll gain, and you'll probably want to save up either to try for characters or get a bundle of metal cactuars to juice up your favorite character's level. At rank 20 (your overall level which determines your energy and gives you 100 Lapis/level-up), and having beat all the content currently in the game, I'm left with some mild disappointment.

    Compared to Final Fantasy Record Keeper, this game is in a nascent state, and I fear the content updates will be too few and far between. I'd recommend FFRK over this--much more content, the game lets you *do* more before you run out of energy, and of course, way more characters. But I enjoyed playing this all the same, and you can't diss a free game. (Protip: don't spend any cash on this. If you get crappy starting characters, there's a way to reroll.)    … Full Review »
  3. Renzokuken
    May 22, 2018
    2
    What can I say about Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, it's a Gatcha scam and it's a very solid and in depth JRPG, it's just a crying shame thatWhat can I say about Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, it's a Gatcha scam and it's a very solid and in depth JRPG, it's just a crying shame that those two elements exist within the same game.

    Brave Exvius will lure players in via the story and keep them playing by drip feeding them a cast of increasingly powerful new characters, stuff to grind for and bosses to kill. But it all comes to a head during the endgame. If you want to make any headway against anything that's not in the main story, be prepared to spend. With rates for good characters as low as 2% prices being incredibly expensive compared to alternative gatcha games and a constant slew of new opponents that require the newest and best characters, you'll never manage to keep up without dropping serious cash into the game. This system of constantly invalidating your investments makes Brave Exvius a dangerous trap to fall into, particularly if you have issues with addiction. One month you can spend hundreds to pull the newest flavour of the month amazing character only to have them be outclassed a month or two later.

    If you want a good turn based JRPG just pick up a $60 title, this game is designed from the ground up to get you addicted so you'll spend spend spend.    … Full Review »
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