Overall 9.6 Graphics 8.8 Sound 9.7 Addictive 9.2 Story 9.6 Depth 8.9 Difficulty 7.3
9.6
Final Fantasy's epic story of loss and hope endings
Final Fantasy 3 (or 6, depending on your chronology) was the last version of the game released for Super Nintendo, before moving on to Playstation. Its a role playing game that is heavy on social and political storytelling, and the themes of loss and hope. Also in a unusual turn since most former Final Fantasy (FF) games felt set in the middle ages, the game is set in a more modern time period like its during some Industrial revolution. Also magic is not regarded as a common thing, this is an age of science and the approach of technology. A renaissance. The magic spells common in past games here are considered rare, in fact, most of your characters have no natural ability in it - but you can teach them.
The magic in this game often comes from Espers, which are treated like fairies, make-believe creatures from an earlier time. What remains of Espers is often small crystals (also a recurring item in this series). The start of equipping a summoned monster and gaining abilities is (as far as I know) first evident in this game, and it carried on to FF7 and FF8. You can summon Ramuh, the lightning spirit, or simply have his materia stone present to raise your own stats, or learn the magic spells he will pass down (in this case, lightning).
I enjoyed how all the player characters in this game had a lot of personality and motivators for joining, and then usually a side mission or two you could do later for them. Nowadays that is fairly typical for rpgs, but not when this game was released.
Your party
This game has the largest cast in FF history, I believe. Some are optional recruits, but just the story characters puts it over an impressive threshold. This large roster I see as good and bad. With more cast, the story feels like it affects more people - a world of adventurers who want to stop the madness. The game also occasionally uses the entire party for group dungeon exploring or war sequences, and this is awesome. On the flip of the coin, having this many people means some story lines are diluted, and some of your forces feel redundant - we have three characters who use the enemy's abilities to attack (4 if you count a certain copycat).
Terra - When you first meet her, shes in service to the evil Gestahl Empire, and an amnesiac. As arguably the main character of the game (at least for the first half), she has the most dramatic revelations. She is able to wield weapons and use magic effectively. Her special abilityties into her past, thats all I will say about that.
Locke - He's not a thief, he's a treasure hunter! Romanticist Locke is a major character, and despite his insistence he isn't a looter- he certainly can steal items in battle. This light-fingered ability is used in the story early on, when he has to keep stealing enemy uniforms from the soldiers fighting him. He has some deep, emotional baggage that really comes into bloom the last half of the game.
Edgar - One of the two brothers of the kingdom of Figaro, and the current king. Edgar is a bit of a womanizer, but he also is quite a mechanic. His special ability is using his tools and inventions, which are often very effective. He is kind of a cheat, because you don't really need to give him weapons - as he can use his deadly tools constantly without penalty. He has a strong moral side to him, and is not afraid to stand up for the oppressed, no matter how daunting.
Sabin - The other Figaro brother, he lives a nomadic lifestyle after a familial incident, he is an expert in martial arts. His special attacks involve his physical training, called Blitzes, and to use them is like inputting Street Fighter moves. While his abilities are very fearsome, it requires some dexterity.
Celes - Another former Empire member, she is also skilled in both magic and fighting. Her special ability needs her to have a sword equipped, and involve blocking and absorbing the next spell cast. She is also our link to Cid, as every FF game features a story character with this name.
Cyan - The closest this game gets to medieval knights, Cyan lives and breathes his code of honor. He also uses "thee" and "thou" in his conversations, which are usually used to comic effect. Despite the lighthearted jabs at his speech, he is quite a tragic character. A physical fighter, his special ability is based on waiting for a bar to slowly charge up, then unleashing it.
Gau - The wild boy of the Veldt. He is quite uncivilized, and his past is a bit of a mystery. His ability is to turn into an enemy that he captured in the Veldt, which is a large region on the map. If Gau is there, he can leave your party and will later come back (in the Veldt), with the new moves. despite his innocent humor.
Setzer - A rake and a gambler. Setzer is actually one of my favorite characters in this game. He can attack with card and dice, and also has a roulette wheel of randomness and can throw money at the foes. Lots of options. He doesn't get a lot of story unfortunately, but his theme music is cool.
Mog - The moogle has become something of a mascot for the series, along with the chocobo. This is the first time you get to have one of the 'little teddy bear with wings' on your team. Mog uses spears to fight, reminding me of Ewoks. He specializes in dances during battle, something like a fairy I guess, he learns different ones based on the background of your fight stage.
Strago - A crotchety old wizard. He is, as expected, excellent in magic. His specialty, if you've played previous FF games before, is blue magic, or learning rare magic spells cast by certain enemies. He has to be in the party and survive the spell however!
Relm - the artsy grand-daughter of Strago. She's fairly feisty for such a young girl, and also skilled in magic. Her ability is to copy the enemies and use their skills against them.
Shadow - Shadow is in this for money. You can hire him, but he will leave when he wants, which makes him rather random. He dresses like an honest to goodness ninja, and has an attack dog named Interceptor. He can also throw items at baddies. And his theme music is Fistful of Dollars realness.
There are other characters too, from guest NPCs whom you only have in your party a short time, to hidden characters that don't have much story behind them, but can join you in the later half of the game. The hidden allies are quite unusual, but that makes them pretty fun.
Story: 9
You start as Terra, a seemingly mute girl inside a mechanical fighting robot. You are in the snowy town of Narshe, and its grim business. Its clear from the actions of your talkative cohorts, some officers of the Gestahl Empire - that they are up to no good. You overwhelm the feeble civilians in a brutal display of force on your way to collect what the Empire believes is an Esper. Whatever it is is frozen in ice, and shows its own terrifying power. Terra survives, without any knowledge why, but is sick in bed for days.
Enter Locke, a thief (he denies that) - a member of a ragtag rebel force against the Empire, he agrees to help Terra escape Narshe when the Imperial forces come looking for the valuable woman. The journey with Locke starts leading up to many other characters and adventures, and we see how the Empire affects them personally - and why they would join with Terra and eventually, the rebellion. You eventually seek to infiltrate the Empire, and find out how they are making these super soldiers and magic robots. The answer is chilling, and learn that the Emperor's limits for power are not quenched. He wants to do something so drastic, it almost spelled the end of the world a thousand years ago.
The second half of the game is one of my favorite parts. It is a bit of a bummer though, and can understand why some people don't like it. For one, its bleak nature. Second, that its actual plot missions are slight, and focuses VERY heavy on side missions and recruitment. This side of the story is quite bleak at first, but i found it just as interesting as the more scripted first half.
The main bad guy
The evil Gestahl empire is the 'bad guy'of course, but this game also features one of the most memorable villians in the franchise. I found it hard to describe him beyond being a homicidal nihilist, but now with advances in pop culture - I can tell non- FF players the main bad guy for this game is basically Heath Ledger's Joker. A painted public persona, he cracks himself up and does the most vile things, along with fractured ideas on how the world should treat each other. He is utterly without a soul or concience, and is truly insane.
Graphics: 8
The characters are still a bit blocky, still keeping with RPG tradition that graphics take second priority (little did we expect what FF7 would bring). The environments are quite detailed in the towns though, with hanging signs and flower boxes, Narshe with its puffing heaters and snowy streets, an airship casino with a built in felt tables. One noteworthy example is the opera house scene, which is full of graphical delights.
Traveling the overworld (a scaled down version of a map you walk on), mode 7 graphics have come a long way since demo'ed in Super Mario World, are used to give perspective on horizon and when flying about in your airship. by foot or by chocobo (a bird). The overworld graphics are heavily stretched, and are not a highlight. However, once you enter the world of ruin, the strange, sickly skyline and grey beaches lend a nice otherworldly feel. The enemies on the battle screen are more detailed, sometimes showing a sharp contrast. Take Ultros, a mini-boss. From the overworld he looks rather small and silly, when you fight him he is large and positively demented with that row of teeth. Spell effects look good, however most summons look compressed and detail is lost. While these are not the best looking graphics on SNES, they are nothing to sneeze at.
Sound: 10
FF6 continues the tradition of excellent music from this series. I honestly love ever piece of it, over 30 tracks. Each hero gets their own theme music to suit them, and in general, the overall feeling is just epic and grand. I have heard this music applied to a real symphony orchestra, and it works so well. The last bosses music is actually a series of suites, and to see it play out is wonderful. The title music also borrows from this last boss music. There are several styles included in this game, and many are applied to the location. Let me use an example, and discuss one of the most highlighted parts of this game - the opera house.
The Opera
Its a graphical and musical tour-de-force. You are there to meet the rich owner of the fastest airship in the world. One of you, Celes, has to go undercover and learn the lyrics to a song she must sing. The entire music is set to motion, the actors moving and fighting to the music, just as a true musical would be. You have to learn her lines and say them before the melody gets too far and she blows her cover!
Uh-oh, theres more. While shes's singing to keep the airship guy's attention, you discover a murder plot. The music changes tempo and now you must race to stop Celes from being flattened. You are being timed the whole time, racing against the map and the enemies. Its definitely one of the more dynamic points of the game, and memorable to a lot of people.
Addictiveness: 9
Its strange, as rpgs don't normally have lots of replay value after being them (its an investment), and this one features only one fixed ending - but I had no trouble replaying this game. 6 times I think. Even thinking about it gets me a little giddy to play it. I love the story of tech eclipsing magic and the long cast of characters and side missions were very interesting to me.
Since there are hidden elements such as characters to acquire, espers to get, and moves to discover, this could keep you busy for quite awhile. I had beaten the entire game before I found out about Edgar the toolman's secret chainsaw weapon. Or perhaps the hidden Odin familiar, or the coliseum. There is a lot to do here, but story scenes are unskippable- they might be tough to go through all that again.
Depth: 10
The most party characters of any Final Fantasy, and two whole worlds to explore - each with items, spells and people that you could not get again. The game is massive in scale, I m very impressed all this fit on a SNES cartridge. From ariship battles to undersea exploring, white-water rafting, mastering skills from enemies in the Veldt or with your blue mage - there is much to do here.
I also like this game has the seldom seen final attacks (desperation attacks) - the early precursor to limit breaks which dominated FF games later on. Despite playing the game to completion 6 times, I have only had about half of the characters perform a limit attack on screen.
I think this is also one of the last FF games to use perspective tricks with the camera and have areas that look closed off that you can actually go through (invisible entrances). And of course, what old school rpg worth its salt would not have a host of items in a house to loot and plunder.
Difficulty: 7
I found the difficulty perfect.I cannot recall any terribly hard part - the group battles involving your entire party can be easy or hard depending on the matchmaking you do - but thats the players responsibility, and a good reason to not keep characters underplayed, sitting on the bleachers.In typical role playing fashion, if you cannot pass something, you can level up enough until you can.
Final Score: 9.6
I enjoyed so much of this game. It is like hugs, it just gives and gives and gives. While at times the story might drag a bit, and the world of ruin might just be seen as fluff, I would never sell my copy of this game for SNES. I also bought the DS version, with includes an extra group dungeon. This game is one of the pinnacles of Square's talent. Money well spent!
Graphics 8 Sound 10 Addictive 9 Story 9 Depth 10 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 5/5
Submitted: 10-22-14
Review Replies: 0
10
Final Fantasy III- A Review FlowerPrincess
Deep in the snowy mountains near the city of Narshe, a strange being called an Esper has just been discovered frozen in ice. Two soldiers of the lately hostile Gestahlian Empire are sent to investigate the matter, while also accompanying a young woman who seems to be under their control. Upon finding the strange creature, it uses magic to kill the soldiers and free the woman, making her realize she was being mind controlled the whole time as a test subject for the Empire's new technology, though her memory is fuzzy and she has trouble remembering anything else other than her name, Terra. Around her a group of unconventional people begins to form: freedom fighters, monarchs, warriors, magic users and even eccentric strangers are drawn together for different reasons, as the Emperor's right hand man Kefka begins to make his move and the world reveals the secret of magic to this curious band...
Final Fantasy VI was released in the USA as Final Fantasy III, causing quite a bit of confusion because of its unconventional numbering: the previous entry to be released stateside was Final Fantasy IV, renamed Final Fantasy II. (The matter is headache-inducing. Thankfully the next game of the series, Final Fantasy VII, did not have its title changed. For the purposes of this review, we will refer to game in its original title from now on.) From a game history standpoint, it is an important title: it is the last game of the franchise to be released for the SNES before its jump to the PlayStation, it marks the directorial debut of Yoshinori Kitase and Hiroyuki Itou, two people who would shape the series in a completely different direction from the last games, and it is the first game to explore science fiction elements, in contrast with the medieval fantasies of previous games. But the most important part of its legacy is its fame as one of the best RPGs of all time, if not the genre’s outright masterpiece. This is certainly a bold statement, and having to compete with such titles as Chrono Trigger, the Fallout series and the Pokemon games is by no means an easy feat. Is this 23-year-old game up to the task?
Judging solely by the visuals, one would recommend the game without a second thought. Simply put, it looks gorgeous for its time, and even nowadays. The series had long surpassed its humble 8-bit origins and employed far more sophisticated visual tricks, but the sheer amount of detail found in the backgrounds, the buildings and the machinery in the game is astounding. Movement had never been this fluid, and the color pallet, though not as bright and eye-catching as that of the previous games, is just as pleasing and sophisticated, going mostly for natural colors for the backgrounds and poppy, eye-catching tones for the clothing of the characters. Another important departure was the 3D design of the world map, which made the local topography grow bigger or smaller in comparison to where the player was in relation to it as they wander around. It also offers ample opportunity for sheer spectacle: the opening cinematic, with the soldiers guiding Terra through a blizzard to the city of Narshe, is one of the most awe-inspiring openings for a video game ever made. But probably the most memorable part about the game’s visuals is its character sprites. Not only are they bigger than average, allowing for more complex models and a wider range of body language, but they are also really expressive. They act like an actual human being would, but at the same time function like cartoon characters: they burst into laughter, they stoop their heads in disappointment, they sing, they dance, they move around like crazy, they get excited, scared, tired, and you can see this range of emotion reflected on them without a single doubt. Some of the most heart-breaking moments of the story don’t really need dialogue to work, as the visuals do all the work: a group hug to encourage a sad comrade, a dog moving around a grave and barking, two people sitting in the same room, reminiscing of past events but not brave enough to look at each other’s eyes…
All this talk about character moments gives this reviewer an ideal pass for the next high point of the game: its wonderful cast. According to interviews with Yoshinori Kitase, he and his fellow crew wanted to create an expansive cast of characters so that there wouldn't’t be a single protagonist and everyone on the team contributed material and ideas for them, and the story certainly reflects that. From the fourteen playable characters (the biggest roster in any Final Fantasy game before or since), twelve have a separate dramatic arc on their own, alongside the main story line. The story might begin with Terra’s search for purpose, but quickly expands and branches out to many subplots, but without feeling convoluted or overloaded, thanks to the game’s excellent pacing. Add to this an extremely memorable villain in the face of Kefka Palazzo, a psychopath that you can’t help but be both terrified and amazed by and who has even been compared to the Batman franchise’s Joker, and one can tell why the initial response to the game’s story was so positive all over the world. What really helps is that all the separate arcs are united under one theme: how can one pick up their pieces and find the courage to keep moving forward, after everything has gone wrong? The vast majority of the character’s back stories shares this component, be it a lost loved one, a destroyed kingdom, parental abandonment, regret over an incident from long ago or the search for redemption, and so does the main story, using a surprising twist somewhere at the middle of the main campaign. Thankfully, things are never too depressing, thanks the clever writing (even the not-that-up-to-par English translation manages to communicate it) and a wacky sense of humor that manages to make the game feel both like a true epic drama and a simple fairy tale, striking a very delicate balance. Many times the player will find themselves trying to hold back tears while at the same time having a wide, silly grin on their faces.
But when things do indeed get dramatic, the dialogue makes sure not to get too soapy and instead leaves the atmosphere and the music to handle it. And what a fine soundtrack that is. Nobuo Uematsu was no newbie when the time came to compose the music for the game, as this was his sixth collaboration with the producers of the franchise and he had already built a reputation as a skilled professional and a specialist of video game music. But it was this collection of themes that made his name well-known and recognized and finally put him in the hall of fame of great video game composers. All of the themes in the game are instantly recognizable, catchy and addictive, but it is a sense of unity that really brings the whole package together. The clever use of leitmotifs, simple music phrases that have a specific connection to each character, greatly helps in that regard. Not to mention the more ambitious moments of the score, like the mini-opera that the heroes attend at some point in the story. Uematsu is only limited by the SNES’s memory cartridge to include voice acting in the songs such as Aria di Mezzo Carattere (an instant fan-favorite), but even the cheeky use of sound effects can’t distract from what are some of the finest pieces of music in a video game. It can aid any atmosphere, be playful as it is creepy (Devil Lab, Zozo), triumphant (Edgar and Sabin) or anxious (Under Martial Law), be inspired by foreign music traditions (The Veldt), or even awe-inspiring and epic (the sixteen-minute-long Dancing Mad, the final boss theme, might be the crowning jewel of the collection and one of the finest boss themes ever. The fact that this song was written by the same person who penned the Carmina Burana-inspired One Winged Angel makes it even more amazing). Fans of the composer’s music should absolutely seek the album “Final Fantasy VI: Grand Finale”, to listen to the tracks performed by the Milan Symphony Orchestra, giving the music the scope and grandeur it always deserved.
The game at first does not appear to be that groundbreaking when it comes to its mechanics, as it follows on what the previous games of the series established, but not only did it introduce influential points, but also allowed for both amateur and seasoned players to enjoy, presenting them in an appealing way. The characters might not be clearly divided in Classes, as was the case with Final Fantasy IV, but, like the aforementioned game, each has unique commands to employ in battle: the Monk-like character Sabin has very high Attack stats and can use powerful moves to defeat his opponents, while Magic-user Celes can bounce back any magic attack that hits her and has exceptional Magic stats. The party size is reduced to four instead of five from the previous games, the Active Time Battle system is still used with a few tweaks and improvements (mainly to help the battle move more quickly and efficiently) and the (dreaded by quite a few gamers) random encounters are in full swing.
It is thanks to the addition of the Magicites that the game play is really elevated. Magicite is what is left behind after an Esper, a powerful magical being, passes away. It can be used to either teach magic spells to even characters who would otherwise never even touch a spell book and influence their stat growth, or summon the Esper who produced the stone to perform a task (a powerful magic attack, healing, boost stats, change the status of the party to a more favorable one) once a battle. In a way, they function similarly to the Job-teaching crystals in the previous game. This can be used to terrific effect and can be subject to the wildest experimentation imaginable: one can think of various combos to strengthen a particular player, make sure everyone on their team can heal, or create a party of immensely powerful wizards. The feature has proved to be rather divisive, as the more experienced players complain that it has made the game too easy, but the mechanic has a lot of staying power, as it has been used in a few games after the sixth (both Final Fantasy XI and XII use them) and has influenced other mechanics (the Materia System in Final Fantasy VII is certainly a different version of it).
This does not mean that the more experienced gamers can’t enjoy the game. The addition of more idiosyncratic characters, such the feral boy Gau who learns attacks can changes his stats by copying monsters, the dance-performing Mog, Umaro the Berserker, the wizard Strago who learns magic spells after watching his enemies, the mysterious figure Gogo who mimics whatever the other characters are doing makes the game play more interesting. An expanded bestiary, the ability to swap party members almost whenever the player wishes to in the story, a whole bunch of optional bosses and the Limit Break system from the next game in its infancy (in this case, it is an extremely powerful attack, initiated if the character has low HP, named “Desperation Attack” informally) add more flavor to an already intriguing package.
By reading this far into this review, one could suppose it would be an understatement to say that my feelings for Final Fantasy VI are fond. This might as well be my favorite RPG of all time. It functions terrifically well as a story, offers a lot of memorable set pieces and character moments, boasts a lovely score, has mechanics that are both easy to understand but really make you put more thought into them, it looks great. But is it really better than so many other classic titles? To be honest, I don’t really care about the answer, nor do I want to think about it. Video games have evolved beyond anyone’s craziest dreams in just a few decades, to the point that even detailed lists that surpass the two digits can’t do justice to entire genres. It is best to enjoy the vast variety of stories, modes and experiences we can access, instead of ranking the games so thoroughly. And maybe this is why I adore this game so much: it was the first that really showed me that games can go from cute pastime to treasured memory. And for that, I shall be forever grateful to it.
Graphics 10 Sound 9 Addictive 10 Story 10 Depth 8 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 4.9/5
Submitted: 12-08-13
Review Replies: 3
9.8
My Final Fantasy 6 review. Frodlex
Welcome to my review on Final Fantasy 6, I'm not going to spend too long blabbering on about it before I get to the actual review but this game is truly one of my favorites of all time. Not only did I grow up on this game but my mother did too. This game features the SNES at it's finest when it comes to RPG style games. Well... That's just about enough senseless prattle, Time to move on to the review. I hope you enjoy it.
Graphics: This games graphics are outstanding for the time it's used in given the fact it was supposed to be like the previous Final Fantasies, If you think about it for just a moment you might think there might be others that have better graphics... While this is true this game was made to be modeled after the previous games with better graphics, and you know what? It shows. Even though there are some with arguably better graphics; Not many were weighed down in the same way this game was when it game to visuals, Not to mention some of the spell animations really are pretty impressive and the game has a really beautiful scenery (kinda) that truly helps you feel like you have delved into the game if you allow yourself to that is. My score... 9.
This is because there are still games that some could say there are better graphics since they aren't sequels, Such as Mega Man X or Chrono Trigger which are both the first in the series opening up new graphic options that sequel can necessarily provide.
Sound: Oh my where to start.... The sound effects of this game aren't exactly the best ever... Especially compared to today's games such as the Halo series or the Battlefield series. Or even the Blazblue series which is also a favorite of mine. But back on track. So the sound effects are still really good for it's time, But the music... As a musician myself I have an interesting taste in music, It's not your average kids taste either; Nobuo Uemastu is my favorite composer of all-time, And in my opinion this is him at his finest. I love this soundtrack, every last bit of it, I mean that. There isn't a song I hate from this game. A select few of them I can't help but to listen to on a regular basis while I'm alone. While usually keeping you upbeat the music may also become kinda sad while the game does as well; It matches up perfectly with the game play. I can go on for hours and hours about the music alone, But for the sake of my time and your willing-ness to read this as a reader, I'm going to move on now. My score...10. (What did you expect?)
Addictiveness: This game is really easy to play multiple times, There are things that make you want to go back and experience it all again or to do something a different way or in a different order than you did on your first play through. As for how addictive it is in the terms of "I can not put down this game!" Well, I pretty much spelled it out for you just now, This game is awesome and You'll want to play it from begging to end in one sitting if you can. (and trust me, You won't 100% in a day if you played for 24 hours.) My score...10.
Story: This game has an amazing story, You will become attached to the characters you play as and grow to hate your enemies, And that's before you even make it half way through the game. I'm not going to spoil anything if I can help it but trust me, Half way through the game you will want to hunt down a or a few certain individuals or individual... I'm trying really hard not to spoil anything and I'm wasting my time on those who will look at half the screen shots or watch the videos already so I'm going to put it this way; This games story is outstanding, There are so many things I could yet again spend hours explaining but due to mostly spoilers this time... I can't and won't. My score... 10.
Depth: This game has a lot of things to do even if you're not progressing down the main story of it there is still a lot you can do which will still benefit game-play and story at the same time, There are side-quests, Hidden characters, And dungeons you can clear out that will reap nice rewards if you can make it through them that is. I'm going to keep things short in this section of my review, But trust me, This game is amazing when it comes to depth. My score...10.
Difficulty: This game isn't necessarilyas tough as it is tedious to me anyway, On your first play through you may die here and there but there are save spots so you don't really lose to much. It does take a while though especially if you want to reach LVL. 99 without using cheats you're in for some effort put into this game. My score...8.
Overall: Time to wrap this up, Let me make this point first, This is my Overall not my combined rating on this game. This game has a lot of really awesome features that makes it what it is, I love it for that and don't have too much more to say on it overall having just picked it apart in a sense. My score... 9.8.
Well, That wraps this up up for now, I hope you enjoyed reading my review, Please rate it and tell me what you think. I put a good amount of effort into this review and I hope it shows. Enjoy your time on this planet. Nothing is immortal so you only have so long to enjoy your self here, Good bye and have a good day. ~Frodlex.
Graphics 9 Sound 10 Addictive 10 Story 10 Depth 10 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 4.8/5
Submitted: 07-18-13
Updated: 07-18-13
Review Replies: 7
8.6
An Example of SNES RPG Greatness Crazy Li
Most gamers have heard of the Final Fantasy series, I'm sure. However most people only know about the more modern games. Final Fantasy VII was the first game to really become known worldwide and the largest commercial success for Squaresoft. As a result, most people know it and the games that came after it... but what about the games that built the foundation for that series? Just because they weren't as widely known doesn't mean they weren't good in their own rights.
In this review, I'll cover the game that came before FF7, Final Fantasy VI. It was only the third Final Fantasy game released in North America, and as such, the original North American Super Nintendo release was entitled "Final Fantasy III". Squaresoft of America later corrected this by correctly naming it FFVI in every English re-release.
At any rate, I find Final Fantasy VI to be one of the best games in the series. It had a large cast of interesting characters, each with their own complex personalities and character development. It's also unique in not having a clear main character. Most consider Terra to be the protagonist of the game (which would make her the first Final Fantasy heroine) as the most significant parts of the story are related to her... however the primary character you control changes several times over the course of the story. Sometimes you follow Terra, other times Locke, Sabin, Edgar, or Celes. This was really an innovate story-telling approach, as it breaks away from the "generic protagonist" concept that games have continued to do afterwards and some still do to this day. It also provides more story and character depth.
Another interesting aspect of the game is its Esper system for learning skills. Once you obtain an Esper, you can attach it to a character and as you gain EXP, unlock spells that can be used. FF7 provided a modified take on this with its Materia system, but unlike Materia, Espers can teach you skills permanently once you gain enough experience with them on. They don't just go way when you un-equip them.
Due to the large cast of the game, you're sometimes required to split your characters up into multiple parties. This is best executed at the final dungeon when you form three separate parties to explore the dungeon. You can switch between them and use each party cooperatively to solve puzzles and help each other advance. I've always loved this idea in RPGs that do them. It makes dungeons so much more interesting.
Now for the ratings...
Graphics: For SNES, these were very good. The sprite work was top-notch with upgraded battle sprites from Final Fantasy V. The game really shows off the system's graphical capabilities when you're doing things like riding Chocobos.
Sound: As standard from Nobuo Uematsu, the soundtrack is excellent. There are so many great themes in this game. Just about every area has catchy background music, the battle theme is great, and so is the boss battle theme. Sound effects are on par with the best games for SNES.
Addictiveness: RPGs for me are once-through games. They're so long that replaying them doesn't seem to have much purpose. Plus, it's not like the story changes any. That said, I still want to play the game again. I wouldn't replay the original, but perhaps the GBA port to compare the differences. I'm also really hoping for a 3DS remake in the vain of FF4DS, as that would be a great gaming experience for certain.
Story: The story is stellar... one of the best I've seen in a SNES game. Each character has their own stories and most intertwine with the over-arcing plot in a beautiful way. It also has a pretty good villain, which is actually kind of rare. Most RPG villains are kind of boring and just some "evil force" to take down with nothing really else to them. I also love all the transitions that the story goes through. You start as Terra under Kefka's command, then you end up playing Locke to rescue her. You end up meeting all these interesting characters along the way and seeing their contributions to the plot as things twist and turn and you learn more about what's going on with everyone and the world.
Depth: The game is very expansive with two halves of its story... one part where you meet every character and have the story set up for you... then after that, you go on a recruitment drive to re-gather your friends. There's a lot of things you can go out and obtain at this point... you can hunt down every single playable character in the game... get an airship, find all the Espers... there's a lot to do in this game if you're a completionist and want it all.
Difficulty: I'd say the game has average difficulty for a RPG of its time period... it's not all that hard if you're used to playing ATB RPGs... but at the same time, it's not like you can just breeze through it if you don't know what you're doing. It does get fairly challenging at some points, but overall, isn't too tough. I've seen harder games in the series.
All-in-all, it's a great game and if you've never tried it, I recommend playing some version. If you like Final Fantasy or SNES RPGs, this is definitely an above average game in both categories.
Graphics 9 Sound 10 Addictive 8 Story 9 Depth 8 Difficulty 5
Review Rating: 4.8/5
Submitted: 10-04-12
Review Replies: 1
9.7
Final Fantasy III Review Bintsy
Where to begin with this review. Final Fantasy III (later known as Final Fantasy VI), is easily the most alluring RPG of its era. What makes this particular game stand out from the pack is its well thought out character development, and captivating story line. The game can be beaten in as little as 20 hours, but could easily spend an additional twenty hours uncovering all of its secrets. This game sparked my interest in RPG's and inspired me to seek out other RPG's that would draw me in with their captivating stories and characters. It seems that everything just fits perfectly together with this gameI would say as someone who's played every version of this game released state-side, that this particular version still holds the dearest place in my heart. The Game Released in 1994, the backgrounds, battle engine, and overworld effects are gorgeous, considering it's birthdate. But the gameplay, the foundation of Final Fantasy III, is one of the two main elements that make it the gem of all the industry. Graphics: The graphics in all are a bit sketchy if you look at the game in 2 person view I guess you would say but most people who like older styled retro games never complain as much as they would as someone that only likes newer types of games. This game is quite beautiful in my opinion. I didn't expect such nice graphics. Traveling most of the world is very beautiful when it comes to it's graphics especially for it's generation. Sound: Final Fantasy continues to have interesting yet enjoyable music in this game. I love most of the music. There are several styles included in this game, and many are applied to the location in which you are in. Each hero gets their own theme music to suit them. The last bosses music is actually a series of suites, and to see it play out is nice and fitting for my style of gaming music. They also have The Opera!Oh, the beautiful music! Again, none of the other titles can match up against this score, though VII and IX give it a good shot. You can't really beat this even if you tried. We have an opera. We have a well-thought theme designed for each character, made specifically to convey to you their love, fears, hopes and pain. We have music that compliments whatever environment you may venture through. You'll be hard-pressed to find any other game that attempts this, and you will NEVER find one that does it this well in my opinion.Addictiveness: I was quite surprised as most rpgs I play don't have much of a replay value and I found myself having no problem coming back and replaying this game. I would say it's one of the more addictive RPGS that is out there. If you pick up a hand full of rpgs and put them against this game .. this game would end up winning. At least against most of them. It's quite a creative game and it just keeps me coming back for more every month or two at least.Depth: This game is very in depth with over 2 worlds to explore and there are a ton of items, 255 to be exact, from swords to paint brushes, from plumed hats to paladin shields. You name it.. it has many of them. I was actually quite surprised because most FF games that I play don't seem to have as much depth as this version did which is always a good thing(Just my opinion). One of the best things about FFIII is that most characters are not limited to one type of weapon, as we see in FF VII, VIII, IX, etc. Difficulty: I found the difficulty not to hard at any given part. Possibly because I have played several different RPG's. Now I'm not saying you can just breeze through the game like it's nothing.. there are a couple of parts that most would find a bit challenging. I know I found a few parts that were challenging but overall they weren't hard to accomplish that part of the level. Anything I set my mind to, I pretty much always accomplish.Final Score: I enjoyed so much of this game. One of my all time favorite classic games. This was one of the peak games for Final Fantasy, A must have for your SNES collection. I would recommend it to all of my friends and even though the newer FF's are unique this one is still quite a catch. If you like Final Fantasy or SNES RPGs, this is definitely an above average game in both categories. I find it hard to find many RPG's that I really like but there is a few I can name and this is in the top few that I really enjoy.This review took me a lot longer to create and edit. The last review I made I had quite a few mistakes but I tried my best at least. Let me know if this review is any improvement from my last one or if it's worse :S I hope not at least! :3 I plan on making a couple of reviews a month. It's just something I can do in my spare time and also something that can help me improve in my writing.. grammar.. and spelling as well.SUX2BU :
Sword legion :
Eirinn :
A user of this :
ZeroTails :
Laian :
Gamin'Gal:
sonicmcmuffin :
gamerforlifeforever2 :
Eniitan :
I summoned a couple of new people to this one because I figured you guys would be interested in checking it out. Let me know how I did or what your opinion is on the game. It would mean a lot thanks! :)
Graphics 10 Sound 10 Addictive 9 Story 8 Depth 9 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 4.8/5
Submitted: 05-11-15
Review Replies: 6
9.7
Final Fantasy VI (III): The Peak of 16 bits technology janus
Long ago, the War of Magi reduced the world to scorched wastelands, and magic simply ceased to exist. 1000 years have passed... Iron, gunpowder and steam engines have been rediscovered, and high technology reigns. But there are some who would enslave the world by reviving the dreaded destructive force known as "magic". Can it be that those in power are on the verge of repeating a senseless and deadly mistake?It would unfortunately seem so... Two imperial soldiers, accompanied by a woman with the gift of magic, are on their way to Narshe, a mining town that fiercely defends its independence. They are exploring the town in order to confirm reports that an Esper, a creature of magic, has been spotted for the first time in 1000 years. When they find it, the witch strangely reacts to it...
When she wakes up, a man takes out her slave crown, which robbed her of any conscious action. She remembers nothing but her name, Terra. Narshe soldiers quickly find her and she escapes to the time. When she is trapped, she falls into a pit, where she is rescued by Locke the treasure hunter (he hates the word thief) and Moogles. Since Narshe is hostile, they flee south to Figaro, a castle in the desert. King Edgar thinks Terra's magical talent could be the key to win over the Empire. Speaking of which, Kefka, one of their top "representative", arrives at the castle to claim Terra. Since Edgar doesn't comply, he puts the castle on fire! Fortunately, Figaro is a high-tech castle that can plunge under the sand and escape threats.
The team then heads south. After crossing a mountain, Sabin, Edgar's younger brother, joins the team and head to the Returners' hideout, where people plot to overthrown the evil Empire. As Terra tries to decide if she will join the Returners, dire news come: South Figaro has been conquered by the Empire! Locke decides to sneak it in order to slow the Empire's progression. The others flee through Lete River in order to regain Narshe; that's the next step for the Empire. There they meet Ultros, a very annoying octopus. After disposing of it, Sabin doubts it's gone for good and plunges to destroy it.
Will Locke succeed in slowing the Empire in South Figaro? Will Terra and Edgar bring Banon, the Returner leader, safely to Narshe? And will Sabin be able to find his way?
Graphics: 9/10
This game has by far the best graphs of the 16 bits era. Characters have distinguishable features (although Crono Trigger did draw their characters better), they have facial/hand expressions and magic is done nicely. The game uses (and sometimes abuses) 3D effects to their fullest extent, which makes the overworld map look very pretty. And unfortunately, enemies are still static. Nevertheless, battle movement is much more fluid, and enemies instantly dissolve rather than slowly fading away
Music: 10/10
Uematsu does it again. He used the full capacity of the Super Nintendo cartridge and produce some of the most memorable musics of the 16 bits era, even surpassing Final Fantasy VII in many aspects - 6 was much more realistic. The battle theme is the best of the series (and the fanfare too), the three overworld themes each represent the mood of the moment and the final dungeon sounds very epic. And how can one forget the most memorable sound of the 16 bits era: Kefka's laughter. And finally, there's even an opera in the game, which (midi) voices and all!
Addictiveness: 10/10
Like other Square games, Final Fantasy VI has a lot to offer. Espers (those who make you learn magic) are dispersed everywhere on the planet, and some of them hold very strong magic. Characters like Gau and Strago can learn skills from enemies; can you learn them all?
Finally, there are so many sidequests that you will likely spend 40-50 hours completing the game
Story: 10/10
Square apparently spent more time thinking about a good scenario for Final Fantasy VI than Final Fantasy V. The scenario is very complex; Terra's gift of magic, in a world where it ceased to exist 1000 years ago, is such a mystery. Why is it? And even though we know the Empire is evil, the Emperor is NOT the top evil... Finally, every main-plot character plays an important role somewhere in the story. They each have their moment, and having characters at key moment even yields more information on them
Depth: 10/10
As a result of thorough thinking about the scenario, Square was able to develop it like no other game before it - it was only surpassed by Crono Trigger. I remember thinking for myself, [spoiler] He's not going to move the statues?![/spoiler] Hence the 40-50 hours of playing to get through the game with such sidequests as the Coloseum, finding the dragons and the secret characters. There are also recurring running gags like Ultros, who pops up once in a while. Many other situations can generate laughter, although the translation sometimes make it... weird.
Difficulty: 7/10
Despite the depth of the game, the difficulty level is reasonable. Edgar's tools and Sabin's blitz can all help wipeout enemies in no time, even when you discover magic. However, [spoiler] in the world of ruins, Celes is by herself for quite a bit and enemies are quite strong. Be ready to escape[/spoiler]. And at one point, there is a way to completely avoid fighting!
In conclusion, if you love RPGs, you will love Final Fantasy VI. The graphics will impress you, the music will stick in your head, the story will make you a total addict and the reasonable difficulty level will make you skip meals and
sleep!
Graphics 9 Sound 10 Addictive 10 Story 10 Depth 10 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 4.7/5
Submitted: 04-12-14
Review Replies: 4
10
Final Fantasy III (VI) Review dazzsheil
The Final Fantasy series, probably the most popular RPG gaming series of all time! When it comes down to the series most popular games, most people either say Final Fantasy VII Or VI, and I can see why. These two are two of the best games ever made. They play so well and sound and look fantastic. I'm going to focus on Final Fantasy VI for this review. And without further ado, here is dazzsheils Final Fantasy VI Review. Final Fantasy VI was released on the Super Famicom in 1994 and later that year in the EU and North America for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was produced and developed by SQUARESOFT's A-team. Overseas, it was renumbered Final Fantasy III so that it would not confuse players as the Final Fantasy series overseas was missing some sequels (Final Fantasy II, III, and V). (REVIEWERS NOTE: This a Review of the Wii Virtual Console game, which is practically identical to the SNES Version)
The GraphicsThis game looks amazing even by 1994 standards. The characters somehow can exude so much emotion out of their small 30 pixels and for the Super Nintendo, that is amazing. The animations are top notch and the environment's vary from typical medieval towns to a rustling, modernised castle in the City of Vector. Mode 7 is used quite a bit in this game from the view when you're on a chocobo to when you're in Stezers airship.
The SoundOne of the greatest soundtracks on the Super Nintendo. Nabou Uematsu is a master of composing music and never lets down and this is quite possibly his best score yet. Here is a link to the best song in the game: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7RPY-oiDAQ[/url] You'll be amazed at how well he uses the Super NES sound chip!
AddictivenessThis game is an RPG, so expect a lot of things to do, but not too many things. You'll mostly be attracted to the 40-60 hour story, which while it is long, it's just the only real thing to do in FF VI.
The StoryFinal Fantasy VI Has the greatest story of any video game ever made. I cried during some of the most heart warming scenes like the one in the opera house or where Locke and Celes' confess their love for each other. It is the master of character and plot development. I'm not going to spoil it for you, just go play it yourself!
DifficultyI'm only gonna write one word for this: hard. Maybe it's because I'm bad at RPGS but, nevertheless, it's VERY hard.
Play this game now! Download it off the Wii Shop! It's only 900 points!!!!!!!!!!!!
FINAL SCORE: 10/10
Graphics 10 Sound 10 Addictive 10 Story 10 Depth 7 Difficulty 10
Review Rating: 4.2/5
Submitted: 04-05-12
Review Replies: 2
10
Nostalgia dumptruck
As a 28 year old man being able to play games I grew up to is captivating. FF3 raised me. With out being dramatic I will say as an impressionable young boy who was a year round athlete and student I still had to set time aside (too much according to my mother) to purchase a case of mountain dew and spend an evening leveling my characters. I think this is ubiquitous for most avid gamers but what I believe this game gave me that is unique is my own character. I was in love with the story line to start, passionate heroes and menacing antagonists, plots and counter plots forks in the road and remote challenges as we all know is common now but back then..........lol I used to sleep with a plastic ax and dream I was an esper. I digress and so what I meant by character was I took a little from most all of the ones in FF3. Assertiveness and passion from Sabin, loyalty and devotion from Cyan, Arrogance and ingenuity from Edgar, street smarts and savvy from Locke, Duty and rational from Celes etc..... I even assimilated trouble and sadism from Kefka. Even through my teens you could compare my isolating habits or mood swings too shadow. I know to embellish natural human development making it comprehensible to a video may seem immature but ill say as we model ourselves in society I personally see nothing wrong with learning human qualities from a make believe world. After all those of us who can say we've fallen in love with a game seem to capture a games essence with what its creators are trying to model about our real world. FF3 I believe won awards for its soundtracks and any gamer who says they didn't water up when Cyan's family says for well on the ghost train is bs'in. There was a lot of drama in this game as well as creative plot twists which as a ten year old boy kept me a FF fan forever.
Thanks,
Dumptruck
Graphics 7 Sound 10 Addictive 10 Story 9 Depth 9 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 3.6/5
Submitted: 07-21-11
Review Replies: 0
8
Final Fantasy 6 review....meow deggle
Final Fantasy 6 my second one i have played also one of my favorites well please don't look at this is you haven't beaten the game this will contain mild SPOILERS so don't do it well here i go
Graphics 7 the graphics in this one really stepped up. like when your character hits the air with their weapon the actauly hurt the enemy even the esper's get their ow unique design which really impressed me like the battle graphics even though sometimes it would glitch in the old version when sabin attacks that weird squid boss his head gets cut off in the bottom half of the screen which made me think i broke the game so i kept restarting untill i found out that that happens. so that was one problem with graphics or i would have rated an 8 but that just made not do it.
Sound/Music yes 9 well this is rated high mostly because of the music well the sound effects were pretty dope i think the cure bio blaster everything sounded really good untill the volume was high and then this kefka laugh fills up the room making your ears bleed. the music just made me feel this alright not going to this battle am i nope. and the other songs were awesome and the boss theme made me feel so alive
Addictiveness 7 i would play this game a few more times to usaully make sure i got everything like making sure cid can survive in the world of ruin instead of letting him die or just to play it because it was fun.
Story 10 well of course this is right the story starts with the girl with green hair who has the ability of using magic unlike others because she is half esper and has been brainwashed by the empire but is saved by an esper named Tritoch then we later see the girl in this bed saved by a rebel and then he helps her escape but shes in trouble so he sends the tresure hunter Locke to find her and you find out her name is Terra but when he tries the empire stops him then a clan of moogles comes to the rescue and you start fighting with the teams of moogles that joined the team temporary. after he saves terra he knows they need to leave Narshe and go to Figaro castle where a man named Edgar will aid you in your fight after that has cleared up the castle is attacked by the leader of the Empire Kefka probably the most annoying enemy you could hope for because he laugh is hooorid and he does it like 6 times in the whole game. then he sets the castle on fire the three rebels go out into battle with two bad guys in Magitek armor which provides you with temporary powers and then Edgar and Locke have a freak attack if you use magic during the battle which you should. that's probably enough detail for now.
Depth 7 the depth of the overall game was pretty deep the malishous man who is a power freak and girl who is half esper and her best friends she made and and few good npcs that help with hidden espers locke sidequest the normal things a great game usually has
Difficulty 8 yes the game get's harder as you level but is even harder if you don't level. so the difficulty is high because of all the boss fights in it are hard like the one in Narshe when you have to protect Baron the worst mission/boss fight there was but no complaining. well i hope you guys liked this game as much as i did so the overall score time! 7+9+7+10+7+8=48/6=the overall number is! 8 out of 10 yay
Graphics 7 Sound 9 Addictive 7 Story 10 Depth 7 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 3.5/5
Submitted: 01-07-14
Review Replies: 0
10
Final Fantasy VI hyperflareman12
Hey you guys! I'm back for another review. Its been a while since I did one. Its been like 3 to 4 months, I think. This time its another FF game. My 2nd favorite game in the series.This time there are no crystals and It doesn't take place in a medieval era. Its more steam punk era. There is an evil empire(like always). You play as many different characters, but I'll tell you who they are. There is a Mage warrior, Thief, Magus warrior, General, Ninja, Samurai, Dragon-type character, Fighter, and many more.....I think. Everyone can use magic but I won't spoil how you get it. It is very buggy. The evasion is bugged. So are some spells and weapons. But its still a overall great game. So why not go play it. Ive played thorough it as far as I can. The enemies are very creative. So I'll be be back again soon (if I can think of another game to review). Until then!
Graphics 8 Sound 9 Addictive 8 Story 10 Depth 9 Difficulty 6
Review Rating: 2.9/5
Submitted: 09-22-12
Review Replies: 3
10
OH for the love of Final Fantasy VI ivardds
Oh I love this game! This game pushed the graphics of the SNES. This is evident right at the beginning as the mechs make there way towards the village. I like the introduction of the summoning ability. Linking different summons will change the benefits you receive when you level up. The story in this game is fantastic you fall in love with the characters. This game also has the greatest Final Fantasy villain in all the series, Kefka. I mean seriously you can't wait to get to the end of the game just to beat this guy up. This is my second favorite FF game and would highly recommend it to any RPG fan.
Graphics 10 Sound 9 Addictive 10 Story 10 Depth 10 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 1/5
Submitted: 08-17-15
Updated: 08-18-15
Review Replies: 2
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