In games, you’re often told you’re making a difference. You’ll hear how beating a boss has made life so much better for the people living in an area and their environment. But, you don’t really get to see it. 7th Dragon III Code: VFD is big on showing, not telling, you that Squad 13 is making Nodens and the world a better place.
A big part of this has to do with the various construction projects you can take on throughout the game. As you defeat dragons in 7th Dragon III Code: VFD, you’ll earn Dz. This unique form of currency can be applied to projects at Chika’s Department desk on the Conference floor. Nodens itself is rather barren when the game begins. The office has a Main Plaza, Entrance Lobby, Development Floor Conference Floor, 7th Encounter, a Medical Floor, and Portal Floor. Now, I know that sounds like a lot, but your efforts eventually also add a Rest Floor, Skylounge, Meowdens cat cafe, three evacuation wards, a Reference Room, a Warehouse, and a Research and Development floor. There’s a lot of extra stuff that can be added to your base in Tokyo, and much of it makes a big difference.
Some of these construction projects are required updates. You won’t be able to continue 7th Dragon III Code: VFD’s story without completing the Rest Floor, Meowdens, evac wards, and even the Reference Room. Some of these make sense. Your party’s Dormitories are on the Rest Floor. It’s there that you can rest and restore mana and support skill uses. People might leave bentos for you on your room’s table, and you can give ingredient sets you find to party members hanging around to get more meals from them. It’s also where you’ll find the Rooftop Terrace where some heart-to-hearts will be held. And of course the people you rescue are going to need somewhere to go. They’ll live in the evac wards.
A few places are there for quest convenience and story purposes. There are certain sidequests that may pop up during chapters or intermissions. To complete them, you may need to get books from the library or items from storage. Aside from the initial reward you get from building such places, they’ll largely remain unvisited throughout the game. I recommend going to every person in these places, as well as the evac wards, to talk to NPCs. Many of the support skills you’ll acquire come from these incidental talks, and you don’t want to miss one like Exp Bonus, a level of First Aid, or the life and mana restoring Repose.
But then, there are some special places where you’ll get to spend quite a bit of time. The Skylounge is one. At its most basic, you’re able to visit with party members or certain NPCs. At its best, these visits can become more intimate and allow for various gifts and expanded encounters. Meowdens is the other. Situated on the Medical Floor, you can pop in and offer Cat Food in exchange for restored health and skill points. Your Fortuner may even be able to earn a special skill here, should you collect every cat.
Improved shop stock comes from these same sorts of investments. These are often the wisest investment to make, once they appear. They’ll increase the range of products Rika can provide. While some weapons and armor can occasionally be found in chests in dungeons, you aren’t going to find them very often and you’ll never find enough for every member of your team. It’ll usually come out to one occasional weapon or piece of armor for one of your newest classes.
But, perhaps the greatest indicator of glory comes with Dragonsbane. If you manage to defeat every dragon in an area, the Dragonsbane flowers will banish. This is especially beneficial for the Eden areas, since the blue variant of the flowers can cause physical damage when wandering through patches of it. Once cleared, it’s gone for good and peace is restored. (Though, certain sidequests can temporarily bring a dragon to a region, and Dragonsbane with it.) While the bold and ethereal colors of such blossoms adds a dreamlike quality to your 7th Dragon III Code: VFD escapades, each location looks drastically different without it. Such a drastic change is appreciated and shows the kind of effect you’ve had on an area.
All of this makes 7th Dragon III Code: VFD feel like the sort of game that grows with you. You’re making advancements and improvements as you play. Dragons are being defeated across time. Instead of just saying that, you’re seeing Squad 13’s parent company’s home office expand. You’re earning new stock for shops. You see visual changes in environments as a result of your successful hunting runs. The world becomes a better place before your very eyes, and that’s a wonderful thing.
7th Dragon III Code: VFD is immediately available for the Nintendo 3DS in North America and Japan.
Published: Jul 14, 2016 01:30 pm