Theatrhythm Final Bar Line

Genre: Music-Rhythm

Players: 1-2 Competitive (Local), 2-8 Competitive (Online)

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Review:

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, released in 2023 on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, is the latest in a long-running series of family-friendly Music-Rhythm games from Square Enix that celebrates the publisher’s long history of amazing soundtracks. Where all prior games were released on Nintendo 3DS (save for the arcade-only Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: All-Star Carnival), Final Bar Line finds itself being the first home release in the series to come to platforms without a touchscreen, an element that was integral to the 3DS games.

Here’s the thing, though. The Nintendo Switch does have a touchscreen, and I have to admit that the fact that this game does not use it even as an optional control method is pretty disappointing for me. However, going with more traditional controls is not entirely new for this series – as it happens, that is because Final Bar Line actually takes after All-Star Carnival, where players used dual buttons and two odd-shaped joysticks as their inputs. Players do much the same to control the gameplay of Final Bar Line on Nintendo Switch, using the two analog sticks to control sliding motions indicated by yellow arrows and green pathways, and any of the face or shoulder buttons for symbols meant to either be tapped for red circles or pressed and held for a period of time for the aforementioned green pathways.

Much as with prior games in the series, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is pretty forgiving in these controls too, and while your timing has to be spot-on to get the best score, there’s a pretty large window to hit each note, and “sliding” sections don’t require you to match the same motions as the path shown on-screen, you just need to be pushing the analog stick in the right direction. However, the game is even more forgiving than this, as you can use any button for any button input, and either analog stick for analog stick inputs. This gives players a lot more freedom to play the game in a way they find most comfortable.

However, don’t expect to be playing with only one button and one analog stick – one other element this game carries over from All-Star Carnival is that some parts of songs require multiple inputs at the same time – two button presses, or two analog stick inputs. While this may initially seem a bit overwhelming, it actually makes for some pretty enjoyable gameplay, where the most dramatic parts of songs can be punctuated by this double-input scheme.

This game does retain the RPG-like elements of earlier games, and while they are much better-explained here, they still seem largely superfluous. Some levels will require you to accomplish certain goals that will depend on which characters you’ve chosen for your four-person party and what abilities you’ve equipped them with, which will determine how they act as they automatically fight monsters while you try to hit all the songs’ notes on-time. But you’ll never be playing through a song and feel like “I was only able to beat the song because I had Cloud in my party!”

The presentation here is overall quite good, but may not appeal to everyone. Yes, the chibi-ified 2D characters are once again back, and while some may find them endearing, I expect many players might’ve preferred something like Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius’s pixel art versions of these characters. These characters fight in relatively simple 3D environments, with some being generic and others clearly based on the specific scenes in the game the music you’re currently playing is from. As an example, the Final Fantasy VII opening Bombing Run theme takes place in a generic factory setting that looks identical to the location shown while playing Final Fantasy VI’s Kefka’s Tower and Chrono Trigger’s Robo’s Theme, but Final Fantasy VII’s One-Winged Angel is played with a backdrop straight out of that game’s final battle, and the main Chrono Trigger theme is played in front of that game’s End of Time locale (complete with shiny bucket). And then there are some levels that don’t display any of this, instead having the gameplay arranged vertically like a Guitar Hero-style game, with the only other visuals being footage of the game in question in the background.

However, this is a Music-Rhythm game, so of course it’s all going to come down to the music, and as always, Square Enix’s long history includes some of the best game music ever made. Where the previous game on Nintendo 3DS, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call, featured 321 songs (if you include paid DLC), Final Bar Line’s tracklist includes 385 songs right out of the gate (though most must be unlocked in-game), with paid DLC bringing the final track number up to a whopping 502 songs.

Many of the newly-added songs in this game’s tracklist come from Final Fantasy games that have released since the last game came out – you’ll find songs from numbered games in the series up through Final Fantasy XV, as well as songs from games like Final Fantasy VII Remake. The DLC also includes music from other Square Enix games that weren’t featured in the previous Theatrhythm games, such as Chrono Cross, Octopath Traveler, and the Live A Live remake. Suffice it to say, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line has an absolute ton of truly great game music. I will make one complaint, though – it’s frustrating that some great songs cut off well before they end, while others seem to loop repeatedly.

While the lack of touchscreen support is disappointing, and the RPG elements still seem superfluous, it’s hard to complain too much about Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, as the combination of great Music-Rhythm gameplay and an absolutely epic soundtrack makes this a truly must-have fan for any Music-Rhythm lover on Nintendo Switch. And even if you’re not normally a big fan of this genre, the game still may be worth a look if you’re a long-time fan of Square Enix games (and Final Fantasy in particular), as this will be like a wonderful trip down memory lane.

tl;dr – Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is the latest game in Square Enix’s self-celebratory family-friendly Music-Rhythm series, and it outdoes itself with an absolutely enormous list of great songs from throughout its history, with excellent gameplay that’s pretty accessible (though it sadly doesn’t have touchscreen support). The RPG elements here still seem unnecessary and superfluous, and there are a few other minor complaints, but overall this game should be considered an absolute must-have for Music-Rhythm fans.

Grade: A-

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2023 Game Awards:

Winner:

Best Music-Rhythm Game – While I had some concerns about this series’ transition to a platform without a touchscreen, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line actually plays exceptionally well using a gamepad, with some delightful gameplay that has players trying to multitask different actions with each hand. However, what truly puts this game over-the-top in its genre is the absolutely massive selection of legendary Square Enix songs, some of the best videogame music of all time. With such an absolute wealth of sublime music to play through and such a fun way to play it, this game should be considered an absolute must for anyone who calls themselves a Music-Rhythm fan.

Runner-Up: Best Sequel

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