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When the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia in the mid-70s, the term 'Year Zero' was coined to describe the idea of revolutionary change. Existing traditions would be thrown away, and a new culture would be established. Type-0 similarly alludes to a fresh start: the idea behind the original PSP game, released four years ago in Japan, was to hit the reset button on the Final Fantasy series and begin anew.Opening with a grimly protracted death scene is certainly one way to prove your determination to do away with the old order, not least because the ailing soldier in question is gasping his last while leaning against his blood-soaked Chocobo steed. It's startling to see such an icon of the series - a sacred cow, even - so cruelly slain, and it makes for an arresting start. We've all seen our fair share of gritty reboots before, but for Final Fantasy this is unusually bleak.
And yet what seems like a strong, surprising start all too soon succumbs to type. The cutscenes drag on until you're wishing the poor chap would just die already, while you're bombarded with unfamiliar terminology, such that series newcomers could be forgiven for having no idea what's going on. In short, the four nations of Orience are at war, and you play as Class Zero, an elite group of 14 cadets from a magic academy tasked with driving back the aggressors.
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