Theatrhythm Final Bar Line brings more Final Fantasy music than ever into this latest entry of the series. With nearly 400 songs across every mainline game and multiple spin-offs, it’s an ode to FF‘s legacy and also a celebration of everything the series has done so far. From the 35th Anniversary logo displayed in the opening to the (no spoilers) ending, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line feels like a victory lap for the Final Fantasy franchise – a celebration that’s been three decades in the making.
There’s a lot to love about Theatrhythm Final Bar Line: The iconic characters, the memorable locations and bosses, and the way certain pieces of music are sure to send listeners down memory lane. There’s also a ton of collectibles like CollectaCards, which feature things like Theatrhythm versions of Final Fantasy characters, CGI stills, and official artwork from the games. Each song has its own quest that ups the replay value, alongside difficulty options and monsters that may only be beaten on a subsequent playthrough.
The balance of which characters or songs are represented in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is at times a bit odd – for instance, Final Fantasy 9 gets 18 songs but only four characters (and Steiner isn’t one of them) while Cloud and Tifa from FF7 get what are essentially just reskins for the FF7 Series section. There’s an overwhelming amount of love for FF7 and its titles – understandable given all the attention FF7 gets, but it’s still disappointing that other games with great casts like FF9 and FF10 (only three characters) don’t get as much love. A bit more variety would have been nice.
There’s also a problem with gameplay repetition, although anyone familiar with Theatrhythm or rhythm games likely already know what they’re getting into. Theatrhythm titles have always been hard to put down, but perhaps because there’s so much offered here, Theatrhtyhm Final Bar Line sometimes overstays its welcome. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is a lot of fun, but aside from adding more content, it still feels fairly interchangeable with other Theatrhythm games. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially for anyone who loves the series already or who may be checking it out for the first time, but people who played the first two games (or the Dragon Quest spin-off) may find it all too familiar.
Quibbles aside, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is exactly what it’s selling – a celebration of 35 years’ worth of Final Fantasy music that’s packed with nostalgia and rhythm game mechanics. With songs from other Square Enix IPs available as bonus content, there’s still plenty to keep players busy even after the ending. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is an enjoyable, whimsical rhythm game that should appeal to Final Fantasy fans, no matter where they started with the series. As celebrations go, this one’s a winner.
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line releases February 16, 2023 on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. Screen Rant was provided with a code for Theatrhythm Final Bar Line on Nintendo Switch for the purpose of this review.
