Final Fantasy Brave Exvius

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is a free-to-play mobile MMORPG that blends classic Final Fantasy flair with gacha party-building, letting you assemble a squad of heroes and battle across a globe-spanning adventure centered on protecting the crystals that keep the world stable from the threat of the Dark Lord Veritas.

Publisher: Square Enix
Playerbase: High
Type: Mobile MMORPG
Release Date: June 29, 2016
Pros: +A crossover-style mix of Final Fantasy flavor and Brave Frontier DNA. +Turn-based battles that reward timing and chaining. +Plenty of locations, towns, and dungeons to work through.
Cons: -Touch inputs can feel awkward at times. -Narrative progression can drag between major beats. -Energy limits can slow longer play sessions.

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Overview

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Overview

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is a free-to-play mobile MMORPG co-developed by Square Enix and A-Lim (the studio known for Brave Frontier). Structurally, it borrows heavily from the stage-based flow popularized by mobile JRPGs: you select a mission, move through encounters, and eventually face a boss fight, all while managing a party that grows through leveling, gear, and new unit pulls.

Combat is turn-based at its core, but the interface is built around quick taps and swipes, encouraging you to trigger actions in rhythm to create chains and maximize damage. Over time you unlock flashier tools that feel distinctly Final Fantasy, including character abilities, Limit Break-style attacks, and a roster of summons tied to the series’ long-running tradition of espers.

The narrative begins with Rain, a young knight of Grandshelt, and his companion Lasswell as they travel by airship and become entangled with a mysterious girl sealed within a crystal. From there, the plot moves forward through JRPG-styled dialogue scenes and cutscenes, positioning you against Veritas and the looming destruction of the world’s crystals.

Progression is strongly party-driven, and the gacha recruitment system is a major pillar of long-term play. It pulls in recognizable characters from across the franchise, with familiar names such as Terra, Lightning, and Kefka among the many appearances. Outside of combat missions, the game leans into classic RPG touches with towns to wander, NPC interactions, dungeon runs, crafting, side quests, and a PvP coliseum. Visually, it uses a nostalgic pixel aesthetic that aims to evoke older Final Fantasy entries while still supporting modern mobile pacing.

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Key Features:

  • Tactical Turn-Based Battles – build a five-unit party, time your taps for chains, and combine physical and magical options to handle varied enemy patterns.
  • Final Fantasy Meets Brave Frontier – a hybrid design that pairs Brave Frontier-inspired mobile combat flow with Final Fantasy staples like crystals, espers, and iconic characters.
  • Deep Roster Collection – expand your lineup through gacha recruitment, pulling recognizable heroes and villains such as Cecil, Terra, Vivi, Exdeath, Vaan, and many others.
  • Towns, Quests, and Dungeons – step off the mission path to explore settlements, talk to NPCs, pick up objectives, and descend into dungeons for rewards and materials.
  • Esper Summoning – challenge legendary summons like Shiva and Ifrit, then call on their power during fights once you have earned access.

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Screenshots

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Featured Video

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius – Out Now!

Full Review

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Review

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius sits in an interesting spot between a traditional JRPG and a modern mobile collection game. Moment to moment, it is about assembling a flexible team, learning how to chain actions for better results, and steadily improving your units through leveling and equipment. If you come in expecting a console-style Final Fantasy with uninterrupted exploration and long dungeons, the mobile structure can feel segmented, but if you enjoy optimizing parties in short sessions, it fits the format well.

A familiar crystal-driven journey, delivered in mobile-sized chapters

The story setup leans into classic series themes, kingdoms, crystals, airships, and a looming villain, then delivers them in bite-sized scenes. Rain and Lasswell are easy to understand as protagonists, and the “girl in the crystal” hook gives the opening a clear direction. The downside is pacing: narrative beats are separated by frequent combat stages, and the momentum can slow when the game asks you to grind materials or clear multiple missions before the next meaningful plot moment.

Combat is simple to learn, but chaining adds a layer of skill

Battles are straightforward on the surface, choose abilities, tap to execute, watch the results, but the game encourages more active engagement than many turn-based mobile RPGs. Timing attacks to create chains and coordinating abilities across party members can make routine encounters go faster and make bosses more manageable. Limit Breaks and summons also help fights feel more “Final Fantasy,” giving you occasional spikes of spectacle and power.

That said, the touch interface is not always as smooth as you might want, especially when you are trying to execute precise timing during longer sessions. It is functional, but it can feel slightly finicky compared to a controller-based RPG.

Party building and gacha pulls define the long game

Like many free-to-play RPGs, Brave Exvius is designed around collecting units and gradually developing a roster that can handle different content types. The appeal is obvious for series fans: seeing familiar characters show up in your party is a strong motivator, and it is fun to experiment with different compositions. The trade-off is that progress and variety are tied heavily to the gacha system, and players who prefer a fixed cast may find the recruitment loop less satisfying.

Classic RPG extras help, but the energy system limits marathon play

The inclusion of towns, NPCs, crafting, and dungeons adds texture beyond the battle screen. It helps the game feel closer to a traditional RPG, even when you are playing in short bursts. The energy system, however, is a constant reminder that this is a mobile-first design. When you want to push story or farm resources for a new build, the stamina gate can interrupt that flow.

PvP coliseum and side activities

The PvP coliseum offers another place to test your roster, and it can be a useful alternative goal once story missions slow down. As with most games in this category, it tends to favor players with deeper rosters and stronger builds, so it works best as an optional mode rather than the main reason to play.

Who it is best for

Brave Exvius is a good match for players who like turn-based party optimization, collecting units, and dipping into content in short sessions. It is also an easy recommendation for Final Fantasy fans who want a pixel-styled spin-off that uses familiar series staples, even if the structure is clearly built around free-to-play progression.

System Requirements

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: Android 4.0.3 and later, iOS 6.0 and later.

Music

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Music & Soundtrack

Coming soon…

Additional Info

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Additional Information

Developer: A-Lim
Publisher: Square Enix, Gumi

Platforms: iOS, Android

Announcement Date: November 2014
Open Beta Date (Android): August 26, 2015

Release Date (JP): October 22, 2015
Release Date: June 29, 2016

Shutdown date (JP): October 31, 2025

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius was created by A-Lim with Square Enix as publisher, positioning it as a Final Fantasy spin-off that also carries clear design influences from Brave Frontier. For the global release, ongoing operations were handled by Gumi, which is tied to A-Lim through its parent company.

The title was first revealed in November 2014 during the Final Fantasy Live Event in Tokyo, with key staff and contributors referenced at the time including Eiji Takahashi, Hisatoshi Hayakashi, Noriyasu Agematsu, and Yoshitaka Amano. An Android open beta followed on August 26, 2015 for a limited pool of users who registered ahead of time through Square Enix. The Japanese release arrived on October 22, 2015, and the worldwide launch came later on June 29, 2016.

The global version of the game shut down in 2024. The Japanese version shut down on October 31, 2025.