Reaction to the Brave Exvius x Ariana Grande Collaboration

DISCLAIMER: By the time of writing this, I am pretty sure that the Ariana Grande event is almost over, and I don't think that there really is any more need for us to punch around on this topic any further. Nevertheless, I can't help but comment on the matter because I find a lot of players to be simply ridiculous... in a mean way, that is.

So, without any further ado, allow me to start.

January 19, 2017.

The day where Ariana Grande, multi-awarded singer and songwriter, makes her stunning debut in the world of Lapis. That's right! Square Enix and Gumi made a collaboration with this pop-star sensation in order to create an experience that her fans will never forget; her inclusion to Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.

This move by SE is very significant as the company has to pull in new players from time to time. Additionally, there are a LOT of Ariana Grande fans out there that will ended up being fascinated by the fact that she, an already popular person of all personalities, will be included in an already very popular game.

This is actually a nice move... that comes with a cost; the dissatisfaction of certain players in the community that is the Final Fantasy fan-base.

I have visited the official Facebook page of Brave Exvius, as well as the Brave Exvius Reddit page, and I saw that a lot of people are complaining and ridiculing the collaboration itself. Here are some examples of the complaints I have encountered in the forums;

"Ariana Grande is not even a Final Fantasy character! She doesn't deserve to be in the game or we'll quit in playing this stupid game."

"Stupid decision on Square Enix's end! Why bother making such a ridiculous decision?!"

"What the heck is this?! What kind of stupidity are you doing Square?! Only young girls will appeal to this piece of s***!!!"

"This is ridiculous! I've lost my respect to you because you make garbage such as this."

"We quit! Go f**k yourself Square! Arrrrggghhhble!!!"

And the list goes on, and on, and on... Seriously, just because that she isn't a Final Fantasy character to just be included in the game, doesn't mean it deserves to be bashed too much. In fact, many people hated this collaboration just because they wanted to, and that's pretty unreasonable. To add insult to injury, people who despised the event and still want to play the game regardless go on to great lengths of getting rid of their Ariana units (e.g. such as fusing said unit to a "weak" unit) the moment they get her.

First of all, as what I have mentioned, this is to cater new players and to attract Ariana Grande fans in playing the game. This means that old players are not "a priority" at the moment, and I am not saying this out of neglect.

Just try to understand that Square Enix needs to get more people to play the game from time to time. This is not just to accommodate new players, but this is to ensure that the developers will be able to deliver fresh new experiences to the game in the unforeseen future; which kinda makes it a win-win deal for me.

Another complaint that I have seen so far is the sprite used for her in-game appearance. Many players think that the unit reminds them of some hooker in a bar or something, but that's not actually the case. The sprite art was accurately based on the costume she wore in the "Dangerous Woman" music video, which kinda fits her "dangerous" appeal in the game. Also, if you are going to make something familiar for fans to enjoy, then I say take everything that you can and make the most of it.

And since the song Dangerous Woman is very popular, well, I really see no reason to object, despite my displeasure...

Also, you gotta take credit for her being one of the few people to be featured in a video game that is not a politician. Besides, how come most people don't complain when their hated politician was included in a game but when some pop sensation that everybody gives a crap on about added to a game everybody joins in the flaming?! Isn't that a bit hypocritical? Such a treatment is a bit unfair.

While I don't really like her music in the long run, I must say that the music that she lend her voice for during the Dangerous Woman Tour quest grabs my attention at the very least.

In short, don't be jerks.

It's her moment. Let her have it. I mean, we do post the pics of the awesome units that you get, and it has that 'awesome' feeling of being... you know, awesome!

Instead, let's just celebrate that Square Enix have even bothered to continue in showering us with Global-exclusive contents. And if you don't like it, just clam up. You are not making the community any better with that kind of attitude.

Anyways, that's all I can say about this issue. Again, this does not mean that I like Ariana Grande or anything of the sort, but please, if you have something that you don't want, say it in a manner that people will understand rather than getting offended and call you 'fools' for it.

Enjoy the world of Lapis and have a nice day! :)

Character Ideas for Phantom of the Kill - Part 5

Well, I can't help but be fascinated by Phantom of the Kill once more, now that Tyrfing enters the Global Version of the game. I must say that despite that the Global Version is lagging far behind the Japanese Version in terms of playable units and story, there are a ton of goodies that we English-speaking players get nonetheless.

This, however, ignites my imagination once again to create another set of character ideas for Phantom of the Kill. This time, the characters from Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.

For the uninitiated, Brave Exvius was released on June 29, 2016 and a year before in Japan. The game is said to be inspired from another Alim game, Brave Frontier, using the game mechanics of the latter as the driving force in creating Brave Exvius. It has been downloaded more than 5 million times and it has become one of the most successful Final Fantasy mobile titles to date.

The format is same as before:
1. Potential background (based on gender) and Element
2. Weapon Type
3. Preferred Trait
4. How many stars does this unit evolve into?
5. Duel Skill
6. Leader Skill

1. Lasswell (M)

Element: Ice

Potential Background: A young knight hailing from the world of Lapis, serving as a knight of a kingdom known as the Grandshelt Empire. Serious and steadfast, Lasswell never wavers in fulfilling his sworn duty. Upon entering this world, he receives Killium from Purple Lightning, a magical blade that serves as his remaining memento of his mentor, Sir Raegan. After being transported to Terra under mysterious circumstances, Lasswell cannot helped but be alarmed regarding his own predicament. However, after hearing the plight of Terra's people, he is then compelled to protect them as he reminded him of their own mission to save their world from imminent destruction...

Weapon Type: Sword

Preferred Trait: Dexterity, Force

Star Levels: This unit is an automatic 3-star unit, capable of evolving to a 5-star unit.

Duel Skill: Azure Sky - unleashes an instant critical strike against an enemy.

Leader Skill: Azure Blade's Mind - -5/-10/-15 damage taken by allies and Lasswell from all elements (except Thunder)


2. Rain (M)

Element: Fire

Potential Background: A young knight hailing from the world of Lapis, serving as a prestigious knight of the Grandshelt Empire. Strong, courageous, and a bit flirtatious, Rain has the charisma and guts while also having a strong sense of duty. Rain's Killium comes from a strange weapon component, similar to Laevateinn; the same sword that once burned the entire world into ruins. Together with Lasswell, Rain was transported to Terra under mysterious circumstances. Despite their "suspicious" looks, the Ragnarok Institute became interested in both of them; in terms of their fighting abilities and pleasing personalities. Rain, being a flirt and all, tries his best to sway the Killer Princesses in going out with him and describes them as "roses over a bed of thorns". However, his attempts are futile as Lasswell will pull him away from them before he mutters a word or two.

Weapon Type: Sword

Preferred Trait: Dexterity, Guard, Balanced

Star Levels: This unit is an automatic 3-star unit, which can be evolved into a 5-star unit.

Duel Skill: Shining Nova - deals a powerful Fire attack to an enemy. A very low chance of instantly killing an enemy.

Leader Skill: Crimson Knight's Will - +10/+12/+14 Critical Chance of all Fire units


3. Dark Fina (F)


Element: Dark

Potential Background: A mysterious woman who aids Rain and Lasswell at some point during their travels throughout Lapis. It is said to be the true embodiment of a young maiden who managed to unearth her memories. Dark Fina's Killium comes from Empress' Birch, a mysterious whip that is enveloped by a malevolent force. Oddly enough, however, it was transformed into a staff upon her arrival to Terra. Little is known about her intentions upon arriving at Terra, but whenever she encounters Rain and Lasswell, she can't help but feel at ease. Despite her seductive appearance, she has a sharp tongue; catching any flirts off guard with both her speech... and magical prowess.

Weapon Type: Staff

Preferred Trait: Magic, Dexterity, Guard

Star Levels: An automatic 4-star unit, which can be evolved into a 5-star unit.

Duel Skill: Chaotic Touch - unleashes a barrage of dark magic; dealing 5 full hits to an enemy! Deals fixed 20 damage each hit instead in Coliseum battles.

Leader Skill: Dark Witch's Beauty - x1.2/x1.3 PAtk, Mag, and Lck to all Dark allies on whole stage


And yeah, that's all I can think of right now. If you ever felt that a Brave Exvius character deserves a chance to come out in Phantom of the Kill, feel free to comment and to share your thoughts.

P.S. The pictures used in this blog does not belong to me. They belong to Square Enix.

P.S.S Also, I find it weird that Dark Fina's footwear in game is red, while in her official artwork it is colored black. xD