From Japan’s Global Systems comes Fantasy Hunter Story (ファンタジーハンターストーリー), a new mobile block removal RPG in which players can build a team of 3 heroes, choosing from a array of different classes including Archer, Marksmen, Healer, Mage, Swordsmen, and Knight. Each hero features a different active skill that is activated by removing their relative block, after removing enough blocks, a special block will be available which will activate a special skill unique to that hero. If the game doesn’t already sound familiar, the game also feature Prophets who after using enough blocks will be able to unleash different effects by tapping the screen, exactly like NHN Entertainment Corp’s Crusader Quest.
For those who haven’t played Crusaders Quest, Crusaders Quest is a block removal RPG released by NHN Entertainment Corp for the mobile platform. Players can develop heroes and evolve them into stronger heroes to use them for main story stages, daily/special dungeons and raids.
Side by Side Comparison
From a side-by-side comparison, its clear as day that Fantasy Hunter Story bears an uncanny resemblance to Crusaders Quest. From the block removal combat system to the three-man team composition to the Prophecy (Fantasy Hunter Story)/Goddess (Crusaders Quest) system Fantasy Hunter Story almost seems like a re-visualized version of Crusaders Quest. So whats the difference? Performance and overall feel.
When you compare how smoothly the game runs, Crusaders Quest has an significantly smoother gameplay. the overall pace of the game is faster as players can quite easily spam blocks and see the immediate effects. However on Fantasy Hunter Story, the effects of each block has a delay before it shows on screen. Sure, the visual effects are better made, with more detailed skill and attack animations, but it comes with the cost of performance loss.
Heroes are also harder to come by in Fantasy Hunter Story. Whilst players can potentially gain allies from stage/dungeon drops in Crusaders Quest, Fantasy Hunter Story’s heroes seem to come exclusively from the Gacha system which is usually an indication to being pay to win…
Additionally, Fantasy Squad Hunter features a more intricate equipment system which comes from a separate gacha system which uses Gold instead of orbs. So good luck with that.
Thoughts
To be perfectly honest, Fantasy Hero Story is not a game for everyone. Although the system is pretty much the same as Crusaders Quest, which was quite well received at launch, Fantasy Hunter Story has an almost unbearably slow gameplay which can put you off playing from time to time.
Crusaders Quest also does a better job at creating team combo’s that fully utilizes heroes’ skills and passives. Heroes are already hard to get in Fantasy Hunter Squad, together with the fact that only A rank heroes (rare heroes) have passives, you pretty much just need to put the strongest units you have in a team.
The game simply has too many Gachas, but i’m sure there are people out there who will appreciate it.
