WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY® Catch, stack and battle adorable monsters

The battle system's one big idea is stacking. You collect hundreds of Mirages, then pile them on top of each other, and on top of your own heroes, to build a single fighting tower. Sizes and elements matter: a large beast with a small one balanced on its head hits differently than the other way round, and enemies stack too, so you are constantly weighing your own balance against theirs. Weaken a foe's stack and you can capture what tumbles out. It is turn-based at heart, and if you prefer pressure you can switch to a mode where enemies keep attacking while you pick your moves. Simple to learn, with more tactical depth than the cute faces suggest.

Capturing is only the start. Mirages evolve into mightier forms, learn new abilities as they grow, and unlock mirajewels that grant your main characters extra powers. Some of them also earn their keep outside battle: certain Mirages join you in the field and carry you across Grymoire's vast landscapes, and the dungeons themselves are built vertically, so getting past obstacles is part of the puzzle. The world looks like a toy box, bright and rounded, and the creature designs run from adorable to genuinely imposing. Fair warning from long playthroughs: filling out your collection fully takes some grinding, so come for the journey as much as the completion.