▁a ▁game ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁different ▁from ▁his ▁previous ▁work ▁and ▁most ▁other ▁role - play ing ▁games . ▁Development ▁took ▁between ▁three ▁and ▁four ▁years ▁according ▁to ▁different ▁sources . ▁Its ▁story ▁was ▁originally ▁based ▁in ▁science ▁fiction , ▁but ▁at ▁N intendo ' s ▁ins istence ▁it ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁be ▁primarily ▁based ▁around ▁fant asy . ▁Among ▁the ▁staff ▁were ▁regular ▁Final ▁Fant asy ▁composer ▁Nob uo ▁U em ats u , ▁and ▁illustr ator ▁Kim ih iko ▁F uj is aka . ▁It ▁was ▁originally ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁exclusive ▁to ▁Japan , ▁and ▁later ▁its ▁North ▁American ▁release ▁was ▁in ▁doubt ▁after ▁being ▁announced ▁for ▁release ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁Australia . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁a ▁fan ▁campaign ▁called ▁Operation ▁Rain fall ▁drew ▁considerable ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁title . ▁The ▁title ▁was ▁a ▁commercial ▁success , ▁and ▁received ▁generally ▁positive ▁reviews ▁world wide : ▁while ▁the ▁game play ▁generally ▁met ▁with ▁pra ise , ▁opinions ▁varied ▁on ▁the ▁story ▁and ▁graphics . ▁ ▁Game play ▁▁ ▁The ▁Last ▁Story ▁is ▁an ▁action ▁role - play ing ▁game ▁( AR PG ) ▁incorpor ating ▁elements ▁of ▁tact ical ▁and ▁ste alth ▁game play . ▁The ▁player ▁controls ▁main ▁protagon ist ▁Z ael ▁for ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁game . ▁Z ael ▁is ▁primarily ▁controlled ▁using ▁the ▁W ii ▁Rem ote ▁from ▁a ▁fixed ▁third - person ▁view . ▁The ▁game ▁can ▁be ▁controlled ▁using ▁the ▁W ii ▁Rem ote ▁and ▁N unch uk , ▁or ▁the ▁Classic ▁Controller . ▁The