I really enjoyed playing Final Fantasy 12 when it rereleased on the PS4 several years ago. Compared to my first experience from its original run, during which I felt that it was the worst entry in the series, coming back to it felt like a big improvement. In replaying the game, I realized that the story was far more mature and complex than I originally thought.
And yet I have to admit, without rewatching the opening scenes, I couldn’t tell you what is happening politically in Rabanastre. As a result, I always wanted to be able to keep track of the state of the game world without having to read paragraphs upon paragraphs of in-game text.
Well, my dreams finally became a reality with the Active Time Lore feature in Final Fantasy 16.
Active Time Lore, also called ATL, is a helpful little gimmick that gives detailed information about the different characters and places you come across during your adventure, acting as a handy reference for those who find it hard to keep up with the game’s lore. Inside Final Fantasy 16, the ATL window displays icons that represent characters, locations, and events. When you click on an icon, you can read a short description that relates to what that icon represents.
Final Fantasy 16 allowed me to pause at any time and read about the characters and events taking the spotlight during the story. I especially needed this in the beginning, as there was a lot going on. A lot of different characters and events will shape Clive’s character growth in the first part of the game. Some characters who were a part of his childhood, and who I thought had died, came back later on in the narrative.
When a game begins, especially one I’ve been anticipating for a while, I have a hard time keeping track of everything that’s happening. New games tend to bring a sense of anxiety, strange as it may sound. I’m trying to absorb everything happening so that I can store it in my memory, but at the same time, I’m trying to learn how to play the game.
I needed to soak in as much information as possible given the pedigree behind Final Fantasy 16 (many key people from Final Fantasy 14, one of my favorite games of all time). So each time someone new popped up, I would pause the game and read the description. This was especially important when the story began, to change its scope. Later on, the focus goes from Clive to many other key characters. We see the other kingdom’s leaders, the people involved in their affairs, and the growing betrayals, doubts, and fears that come with their individual developments.
I fell in love with Dion specifically because of the Active Time Lore. The prince could easily have fallen behind in the story. The previous scenes focused more on his father and the queen, but Dion played a much larger role in the overall plot, and I fear that without having the chance to brush up on his role, I would have been blindsided by his presence and lost some of his dynamic.
Ny the time I’d finished my first playthrough of Final Fantasy 16, I thought: I hope this becomes a staple in future Final Fantasy games. Active Time Lore could add an important element to new games and even to remasters.
An ATL for Final Fantasy 13 would provide much-needed context for the story. In my opinion, this game was too dependent on the terminology of its in-game world. As we were limited to the point of view of our heroes, it was hard to keep track of all the different terms. Imagine the difference between Falcie and LaCie being able to be understood in real time if we were able to pause the scene, bring up the ATL, and understand what sets them apart from each other. I’d love to see this in a remaster.
Regarding my example of Final Fantasy 12, I can’t help but think that game would be even better with an ATL too. The story quickly gets bogged down by the convoluted plot that unravels near the end. In fairness, many of the stories in the Final Fantasy series involve gods, ancient races, and metaphysical reasons for saving the world in the end.
Speaking of endings, I found myself pausing a lot near the end of Final Fantasy 16. The big revelations involved ancient races and an interesting twist in which the fantasy elements of Clive’s world become more of a legend. Without the ATL, many of the clever nuances would have been lost to me.
In future releases and remasters of Square Enix games, I am begging the developers to include Active Time Lore. A clever feature like this shouldn’t be left on the cutting room floor in the next Final Fantasy.
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