Although the battle system is one of the best of its kind, it's not very newcomer-friendly here. Players are thrown into their first two battles immediately with no explanation or tutorials, and if you're new to the system it may be a bit confusing at first. Don't fear though, as you'll quickly gain access to the world map as you begin your journey proper, and extensive tutorials become available then. If you're new to the game you'll need them - your options run deep and because of this menus and status screens will seem like a jumble of incomprehensible numbers if you don't know what you're doing.
Set in the world of Ivalice, the original story features the brave Ramza Beoulve as the protagonist. The story here is the same as the original, but more fleshed-out in some areas. There's more backstory and characterization this time around, and more attention paid to supporting characters and their subplots. As you progress, you'll gain access to larger parts of the Ivalice world map to explore and battle in, and different angles of the story will unfold naturally as you tread into new areas.
Another addition to the original, War of the Lions features wireless multiplayer battles, either versus or co-op. Besides being able to battle against your friends, a major draw here is that special items will be awarded to winners of multiplayer battles that aren't available elsewhere in the game. We're looking forward to delving into the multiplayer more ourselves, so look for more details in our review when the game is released in October.
