‘Final Fantasy VI’ still a classic
Reviewer’s Rating: ★★★★
One of the most beloved video games of all time is back yet again. “Final Fantasy VI” is being re-released on the Playstation Network for the low price of 12.99, but does this Super Nintendo classic hold its own against its high-tech descendants? The answer is a resounding, “Yes!” If you’re a younger gamer who has never played this game, it’s time to sit down and get some education.
“Final Fantasy VI” is an epic story of magic, science, an evil empire, and a motley band of heroes who must save the world. This is the game that defined the role-playing game (RPG) archetypes that we still see today, but it also features a few twists that keep it from feeling cliché.
The villain isn’t a stone-cold tough guy or evil mastermind. He’s just a cowardly psychopath who happened to be in the right place at the right time. The main cast aren’t your typical knights and mages either. They lose hope, feel despair, and blindly seek revenge with more gravitas and realism than most game stories provide to this day. For instance, the scene where one character stands at the edge of a cliff contemplating suicide will dampen the eyes of even the most hardened gamers. The lack of voice acting and facial expression doesn’t hinder the storytelling as much as you might think, either. Just like reading a book, you’ll find yourself filling in the drama blanks with your mind.
Unlike most RPGs, “VI” features no main character and a large cast of fourteen playable party members. There’s Terra, the girl on the run from the evil Gestahlian Empire, Sabin, the goofy monk, Edgar, his skirt-chasing brother, a feral child named Gau, a mysterious mime, a yeti, and many more. Each character has their own motivations and side quests to delve into-some humorous, some heartbreaking. The way these stories are woven together into the main quest is one of the things that makes “VI” stand out. For instance, the ninja on your team never reveals his past. However, if he’s in your party while sleeping at an inn, there’s a chance you’ll witness one of his dreams, in which his entire history is revealed piecemeal. You could play through the whole game without ever seeing it, but it enriches the experience if you do.
The battle system is the random-encounter-based, four-party-members-versus-monsters affair “Final Fantasy” vets are used to, but the complexity comes from the unique abilities each of your party members wields. Some can mimic the attacks of wild animals, while others can use kung fu or even paint a monster to assist you in battle. By pairing up your party members with an Esper, or a magically-summoned creature, they can learn new skills and gain stat bonuses they never would have otherwise. This creates a degree of customization that rivals some of the latest RPGs. While the frequent random encounters with monsters may frustrate newer gamers at first, as the incentive for leveling up and finding new equipment becomes clear, you’ll find yourself looking forward to stomping all the critters of the land.
The end-game side quests are all incredibly rewarding, featuring hidden plotlines, powerful weapons, and devious glitches that can turn your characters into unstoppable slaying machines. The only tarnish on “VI’s” gameplay is that the game is simply too easy; all of the cool loot you acquire at the end is overkill for the final boss. There are also no ridiculously powerful hidden bosses like those featured in later “Final Fantasy” games to test your powered-up party on.
The PSN rerelease is the same version that Playstation One owners got from “Final Fantasy Anthology” in 1999. While it lacks the additional dungeons and summons of the Game Boy Advance version, it features a higher sound quality. For a game with a beloved soundtrack, this could almost be an even swap for some fans. Also, the Game Boy version is expensive and tough to track down, so for those just looking to see what all the old school gamers have been raving about for the last fifteen years, the PSN version will suffice.
Ask yourself this question. Have you played this game before? If the answer is no, then buy this game immediately. It may not have the polygon count of modern RPGs like “Mass Effect,” but it’s just as deep and rewarding. This is one old timer that can still keep up with his grandkids.