Final Fantasy Reviews

Strangely enough, most of my favorite games come from the same genre, namely, Final Fantasy. Why Final Fantasy, you ask? Well, it’s partly to do with the fact that I love RPG’s. It’s mainly on the games’ own merits, though. These are the superb paragons of video game design. I only hope that one day I have the chance to work on games like these.

Final Fantasy VII

There simply isn’t enough to be said about the greatest Final Fantasy of them all. This game is, without a doubt, my favorite game of all time. I once played it for 40 hours over a span of four days. Ah, those were good times…

Anyway, this game is superb for a number of reasons. The plot line is rivetting; far more so than any subsequent Final Fantasy game. Combine this with a villain beyond compare, namely Sephiroth, and you’ve got a game that keeps you on the edge of your seat for hours. Perhaps more important, however, is the music. I am not ashamed to admit it, but I cried the first time Aeris died. I suppose it could’ve been the pain of my blood-shot eyes or the emotional arousal of being charged with caffeine in the wee hours of the morning, but I remember how well the music moved me.

It’s difficult to choose a favorite character in this game, since there are many good ones. Being the psychology major that I am, I’m inclined to prefer Cloud over the others because of his mental drama throughout the story. However, I find myself liking Aeris better. I don’t know; maybe there’s something about her that reminds me of Jennifer.

Final Fantasy IV & VI

Sure, the newer games have fancy graphics, but they’ve lost much of the essence of Final Fantasy. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you obviously haven’t played the two greatest games ever to come out for the Super Nintendo. Yes, I’m talking about Final Fantasies IV & VI (released as II & III in the United States). Both games are paragons of video game design. So much so, in fact, that I cannot draw a favorite from between them.

Why are they so great? Well, in a time when gaming technology wasn’t so great, the designers of Final Fantasy had to work harder to keep their audience entertained. These games do just that. From the start of each, you’re thrown into a world, a culture, a conflict that comes alive in the imagination more effectively than any game that followed (except of course for Final Fantasy VII). The main characters are some of the most compelling video game characters out there, with their own motives, feelings, and subplots. The worlds are vast, well-detailed, and full of secrets for the starving gamer. In essence, they’re exactly what a video game should be.

As for my favorite characters, it’s still a difficult choice. Both games have several core characters that are extremely well-developed and some periphereal characters that are moderately interesting. For Final Fantasy IV, I’d say Kain Ocelot takes the title; his role as the hero-turned-villain appeals to the writer in me. Of course, for Final Fantasy VI, there can be no doubt. Locke Cole, although he’s a pretty crappy character to play, is the most compelling by far. His doomed romance with a dying lover and his new one with Celes makes him seem more heroic than any other Final Fantasy character I can think of.

Final Fantasy X

Okay, I’ll admit it’s worth an honorable mention at the very least. Final Fantasy X was the primary reason that I bought a PlayStation 2 and I won’t say that it let me down. The graphics are sheer majesty and the revisions to the game system are very welcome. However, the story just isn’t as gripping its predecessors. Perhaps if the makers of this game had spent a little more time devising the plot, it wouldn’t have turned out quite so mediocre.

As for my favorite character of this game, I definitely like Auron the best. He’s a seasoned warrior with a stalwart attitude and a crazy fighting style (can someone please tell me why he keeps one of his arms slung in his coat?), but deep down he’s a man full of regret. Oh yeah, not to mention the fact that he’s a walking corpse. All in all, a pretty interesting character, although still not as good as those that have come before.

Final Fantasy VIII & IX?

Okay, so why aren’t these games on the list? Quite frankly, they don’t deserve to be. Final Fantasy VIII & IX were decent at best, with two-dimensional characters, predictable plots, and inscrutable villains. I doubt I’ll ever pick them up and play them again, so I cannot claim them as favorites.

Final Fantasy XI

Admittedly, this was my first introduction into the world of MMORPG, and at the time I really enjoyed it. However, after playing World of Warcraft, I understand how many shortcomings it actually had. In my opinion, the good people who make Final Fantasy should stick to what they do best and make some more console games.

[…] Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus | Home | Family | Web Design | Gaming | Entertainment | Thoughts | Boredom | | World of Warcraft | LARP | Console | Tabletop | October 17, 2006I love Final Fantasy. I have ever since the bygone days of Final Fantasy II, which is to say I’ve been playing the genre for the better part of my life. Naturally, I was excited when they started remaking my all-time favorite installment, Final Fantasy VII, into a movie, Advent Children, and a spin-off game for the PS2. […]