To anyone who doesn't know about this game, I can tell you I've played it to about what seems like about 60% completion, and I'm enjoying the heck out of it.
I was pretty much burnt out on JRPG's after having played some mediocre ones like Infinite Undiscovery, Blue Dragon, and Lost Odyssey. But RoF is like a breath of fresh air, and it reminds me of why I always liked Tri-Ace games back in the 32bit days.
You can read about the battle system if you check around online, and yes, it can be really confusing at first. But that's it's greatest strength, because it's SO completely different from anything else.
Since the characters all use guns, every battle is like a Hong Kong action movie scene, over the top. The characters run, flip, slide, and dodge through "Hero Actions", which is the primary means of attack in the game. During Hero Actions, characters can traverse the entire battlefield, and even use a jump button for aerial attacks and to jump over obstacles.
It's fun. But it can be very confusing at first, and until you get the hang of it, the game is somewhat frustrating. Even afterwards, the enemy types are diverse and have various weaknesses that MUST be exploited, so the difficulty is fairly consistent.
Some say the story is nonsense, and in a way they might be right. There isn't (so far: 60%) a huge overriding mission that the characters are trying to accomplish. That's part of what's so refreshing. The game essentially puts the player directly into the world, and leaves you alone to discover it as you play, without forcing you into some grand melodrama right from the start. In the beginning, and for much of the game, your team of characters are just mercenaries for hire trying to make ends meet, and enjoying the ride.
That's really where RoF shines. The translation from the original Japanese was handled very well, giving all the leads interesting and distinct personalities through not only cut scenes, but during battles as they comment (sometimes extensively) on what's going on. The dialog is humorous and charming, without much of the awkwardness usually found in JRPG's.
The voice over work is well directed, as the actors seem to have actually been given direction and motivation, as opposed to being handed a script and reading from it like the grocery list, as in most translated games.
Like I said, I'm only a little more than halfway through, so I don't know how things will end, but I know the battles are addictive and fun, and I really like the characters. For less than $20, I'd say it's well worth it.
