Final Fantasy Brave Exvius

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is a free-to-play role-playing game developed by A-Lim, creator of Brave Frontier and published by Square Enix for iOS and Android devices. It features characters that have appeared in previous games, such as Cecil Harvey, Shadow and Exdeath. The game was in closed beta testing for the Japanese audience until September 2, 2015. It is very popular in Japan, with over 6 million downloads as of March 28, 2016.

The English version was soft-launched on Swedish app stores for iOS & Android on May 11, 2016. It was released to all mobile device app stores on June 29, 2016. As of March 1, 2017, the global version has surpassed 20 million unique installs.

On May 16, 2016, Square Enix launched a massive registration drive for the global game, offering in-game rewards to players who participated. With over 10 million Crystal Points earned during the campaign, the first five rewards tiers and one bonus rewards tier were available to all players until July 17, 2016.

On September 8, 2017, Square Enix released a spin-off game named Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Tap! for Facebook.

World
The world map is presented as a series of fixed contact points, with a fixed set of dungeons (battles) located in each area. The player must fight through all of the battles in a given dungeon, expending associated energy per round, to unlock and advance to the next dungeon. Clearing all required dungeons (indicated by their crimson banners) will advance the story to the next waypoint.

Towns and dungeons that are already cleared, may be freely explored (as indicated by green banners) or replayed if desired. In free exploration mode, the player can traverse a given area for treasure and other items, but will also encounter random monsters. Entrances and exit points are marked on each area map: yellow for individual rooms and stairs, green for the entrance, and red for the exit.

Battle system
Brave Exvius uses a turn-based combat chain system that is thus far unique among series titles. This is attributed to the A-lim company's involvement, as a similar chaining system is implemented in their game, Brave Frontier. The player may select a party of up to five units and a guest unit to deploy in battle, each with his or her own unique skill sets. When in battle, the player can select actions for the units to perform by swiping the units' panels in different directions. With an action selected, tapping a unit's panel will immediately execute the chosen action. If the player taps panels in succession, the action creates a chain. The player is also allowed to strike multiple targets in the same turn, with actions against each also creating a chain. Enemies can do the same during their turns, so preparing a strategy turn-to-turn is critical to success. It is also important to note that since every character's attack animation speed is different as well as the number of hits involved, timing when each unit should strike is crucial to chaining accurately.

Winning a battle does not have immediate rewards as in typical Final Fantasy games. Instead, all items collected and all EXP gained are tallied at the end of a story battle round, or at the end of a free expedition.

The Vortex
An entire second realm known as the Vortex appears, with three different modes of play:
 * The Vortex of Desires is a side area containing four different Chambers, which the player can battle through to obtain large amounts of Gil, character EXP, crafting materials or awakening materials. Every day, one Chamber of the player's choice can be opened at no cost, while unlocking others during the same day requires 100 Lapis per dungeon.
 * The Vortex of Trials is a series of single-level dungeons containing very powerful bosses, which can be challenged at the player's discretion. Rewards such as high-end equipment can be obtained for defeating these bosses the first time.
 * Free events are periodically announced that may improve the player's chances of receiving rare items that help improve unit development. To date, these events include the Gil Snapper's Cave, Cactuar Dunes, and the Chamber of Crystals. These events are open for a predetermined period of time, but offer greater rewards than standard Vortex play offers.

The Arena
Also available is the Arena, a mode of play where players can test their skills against other players, or against enemies previously fought. Players may fight in single combat against a group of foes up to five times in succession before needing to regenerate at hourly intervals.

In Colosseum combat, each contest has a point value, and when a round reaches its point limit, players will encounter a boss. Defeating the boss allows the player to win prizes and advance to the next round. Winning all rounds will move the player up one Colosseum rank.
 * Colosseum

Characters

 * Rain – A knight of the Kingdom of Grandshelt. A precocious pilot who was entrusted with command of an airship at the tender age of thirteen, he maintains a carefree—some might say lackadaisical—demeanor. He has the unwavering trust of the king and his nation's people, in large part due to his father's reputation as a stalwart knight of the kingdom.
 * Lasswell – A knight of the Kingdom of Grandshelt, he shares command of an airship with his childhood friend Rain. His skills are on par with Rain's, and his no-nonsense attitude has earned him the trust of his superiors and subordinates alike. However, he has a tendency to get dragged along by Rain against his own better judgment.
 * Fina - A young girl who emerged from an earth crystal with no recollection of her past save for her name. Fina's lack of general knowledge prompts her to act with the innocence and curiosity of a child. She is proficient with white magic and the bow and arrow, though where she acquired such impressive skills, she cannot say.
 * Dark Fina - Fina's alternate form. This, it seems, is the true Fina, before she lost her memories. She possesses powerful magic and a quick tongue—both mainly offensive. Yet behind her jibes and patronizing tone, one clearly senses a firm determination.
 * Lid - An airship engineer from Dirnado, who grew from a kid toying with machines in her parents' workshop to the finest engineer in the Industrial City. Lid is determined to inherit the name Cid, an honor granted only to the greatest in her trade. Her only serious flaw seems to be her love of money.
 * Nichol - A military tactician for the Olderion Federation, and one of the Wardens of the Waters, who have protected the Water Shrine for generations. His dedication to his role means that he disregards his own feelings, always choosing the greatest good for the greatest number. Never one to mince words, he is often misunderstood as a cynic.
 * Jake - The leader of the rebel army opposing the Zoldaad Empire. A lighthearted man by nature, Jake is even more easily swayed by women than Rain. However, he hides a fierce resolution within to protect those who suffer from oppression. When Jake first met Rain and his comrades, he made use of his guile and cunning to manipulate them into doing his bidding. These resourceful qualities, among others, are what make him such an efficient leader.
 * Sakura - A mage Rain and his companions met in Zoldaad. Sakura's childlike appearance hides the fact that she is well over 700 years old, as well as the main leader behind the founding of Mysidia. Her age shows in her dignified manner of speaking, and she has earned the respect of all the mages in the nation for her incredible magical prowess. Curiously, her true identity remains a mystery to those around her.
 * Veritas of the Dark - A mysterious man who laid siege to Grandshelt Castle. Dressed in pitch-black armor, he introduced himself as one of the Sworn Six of Paladia, who seek the destruction of the crystals scattered across the world.

Trivia

 * Pop star Ariana Grande has two guest appearances. The first is as the character, Dangerous Ariana; and the second as Chic Ariana. Dangerous Ariana's appearance is based off Grande's alter ego, Dangerous Woman. Her song "Touch It" was featured in the game and arranged as a Final Fantasy Brave Exvius remix. Chic Ariana, meanwhile, is based on her real-world persona.


 * After the 22 May 2017 attack at Ariana Grande's concert in Manchester, England, the Final Fantasy Brave Exvius global team sent a message through the game extending their condolences. To date, this is the first response to a current event by a game in the series. Final Fantasy XII was reworked in Japan following events of similar gravity, but no statement was issued outside of Japan.