Killing other players or monsters, opening chests and surviving through the rounds will level up your character through the match itself. But hey, getting that sniper headshot kill is a thrill.
This means that, in a rather un-Final Fantasy way, you’ll come to depend on your guns for most of your kills. Hopefully, the devs are able to finesse melee attacks as the game progresses. Those melee attacks, which all job classes have, are really hard to land on your enemies, regardless of whether you’re using a gamepad or touch controls. Magic casting controls are a bit messy - you’ll need to hold down an L-trigger while pressing another collar button to unleash one of three spells you may have picked up. Fortunately, I’m testing out Backbone, a third-party connected controller for iPhone that means I was already in a good place to aim my guns and spells. Let me say this outright you should play First Soldier with a gamepad. Sorcerers come with a special ability that supercharges MP recovery for more regular offensive (and healing spells), while the ranger reloads guns faster than the others - and has a very convenient Assess skill that will mark threats around you even when they’re out of sight.Įach feels slightly different to play with, but there’s a pleasant balance to the different roles, though both soldier and monk suffer from having to rely on their melee attack for their advantages. Monks have the ability to heal themselves when they mete out damage, while Ninjas get an extra jump and the ability to hide in stealth mode for a few seconds. Warrior is a straight-shooting class with a sword and a rush special that closes distance so you can wallop your rivals before they can get a shot in. This mostly affects your special ability, your melee weapon and how you attack with it. Differentiating itself from Fortnite - if not all BR games we see you Apex and Warzone - you can also choose a job role, a la most RPGs. These are the baseline weapons and items. There are also potions to pick up and help extend your chances of survival. The grounds are littered with guns, from handguns to sniper rifles, as well as materia (magic orbs that offer both offensive and support capabilities) and even pretty rare summoning spells. The battle theme of FF7 kicks in as helicopters swarm into the area, dropping off recruits. Aerith’s church and childhood home is there to be shot at, as is the arena, Sector 7’s markets, the abandoned trainyard and more. The battleground is a surprisingly expansive map on the outskirts of Midgar - while also featuring many of the major landmarks of Midgar’s sectors.
The setting, then, is a battle royale to see how augmented soldiers fare against each other (and whatever beasts come their way in the process). Cloud, from FFVII, is introduced in the original as “Soldier, First Class” and this game takes everything back 30 years to the early formation of Shinra Corp’s military finest. In First Soldier, you play as, well, recruits looking to become the first Soldier - a specific top-class army member.