Class Zero's student soldiers live through a war that erases the dead, and the melancholy hits hard. Real-time combat across fourteen leads, magic and summons, and Ishimoto's sublime score; an unsung narrative peak on PSP.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player16+
Description
Student-soldiers of Class Zero from Rubrum fighting to survive a continental war that erases memories of the dead. Published by Square Enix, released in Japan in October 2011. Fourteen real-time switchable students, dynamic combat, magic and summons, mature storyline spanning two discs, soundtrack by Takeharu Ishimoto.
Final Fantasy Reishiki review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Warlike science-fantasy of dark hues, uniformed cadets and devastated battlefields: the game blends elegance and gravity in a twilight military universe. The polished design and the cinematic cutscenes compose a mature fresco. This art direction, sleek and polished, stands apart from the lightness of the genre.
Signed by Takeharu Ishimoto, the music blends electric rock, orchestra and Bump of Chicken's overwhelming "Zero" to carry a tragic war story. Each battle and each mourning pulse with a raw emotion, between fury and melancholy. This sonic richness, intense and heartbreaking, leaves a lasting mark on the adventure.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Leading Class Zero through a continental war unfolds a dense action-RPG, rich in playable characters, missions and secrets. Mastering every cadet, combing the optional content and replaying to unlock it all fills long hours. That generosity, paired with marked replay value, offers a lifespan RPG fans cultivate.
Final Fantasy Reishiki, the Japanese title of Final Fantasy Type-0, an ambitious Square Enix action RPG spread across two UMDs, kept exclusive to Japan on PSP despite strong Western anticipation. This exclusivity, combined with its scope and reputation, makes it one of the console's most sought import pieces. Its desirability rests on this lack of a Western release and this cult-entry status rather than a mere run.
Is Final Fantasy Reishiki still worth playing in 2026?
Final Fantasy Reishiki, also known as Final Fantasy Type-0, stages Class Zero student-soldiers in a war where the dead are erased from memory, with rare melancholy. Real-time combat with fourteen playable characters, magic and summons, Ishimoto's sublime soundtrack, Square Enix's title is an overlooked PSP narrative peak. Long Japan-only before the HD remaster. An absolute peak to discover today.
