Overall 9.7 Graphics 8.5 Sound 7.5 Addictive 8.5 Story 9 Depth 8.5 Difficulty 7.5
9.6
Final Fantasy Anthology: a nice boost for classical games janus
Since I reviewed both Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI I will only focus on the major differences between the PSX and Super Nintendo versions.As the name implies, Final Fantasy VII wasn't the first of the series. It started over 10 years before that game, in a desperate attempt by Squaresoft to save its business on the verge of bankruptcy. It proved to be a good gamble since the series is now up to over 15 games and spinoffs.
Final Fantasy Anthology copied and pasted the two games that preceded FF VII: Final Fantasy VI (know as Final Fantasy III on the SNES) and Final Fantasy V, which had never been released in North America beforehand. Both were enhanced... but also "dehanced" in a way.
Graphics: 9/10
The game graphics are exactly the same as their SNES counterpart. While they look rather pale next to FF VII - the characters look like blobs of pixels - they were pretty good for their time with abundant use of 3D.
On the PSX both have been enhanced with introductory movies that were very nicely done. I say introductory because they are set right before the action in the game starts. For FF VI, you see Terra being put in her Magitek suite while Kefka - who looks even crazier with his clown makeup - overlooks. You also see some key scenes like Celes throwing her bouquet off the balcony and Edgar tossing his piped coin. They were much better-drawn than in Final Fantasy Chronicles - they actually moved fluidly rather than taking pauses as Cecil does before the Red Wings takes off.
The FF V one was much shorter and wasn't done as well. Butz almost looks like a woman and [spoiler] Square didn't even try to hide Faris' true sex[/spoiler]. However the dragon was well-animated and moved fluidly
Music: 7/10
That low score doesn't come from FF VI, don't worry. The music is exactly the same, in all its epicness.
The problem comes from FF V. For some reasons the PSX games had many tracks sounding different from the soundtrack, i.e. from the SNES game. It did improve tracks like the first overworld theme; the core of the track now has realistic trumpets rather than that, er, muffled sound. However, tracks like Search the Light (the last part of the last dungeon) sounded much less epic because the trumpet track got lost and the two last battle themes just didn't sound the same.
Addictiveness: 8/10
FF V pulls down the addictiveness score. Sure it has a lot to offer (finding summon monsters, getting the ultimate weapons), but it doesn't have the enhanced elements from FF VI.
That game lets you track how well you develop your character. Each time you finish you will see the progress of all of them - mostly which spells they acquired, but also skills like Rage and Blue Magic. You will see ALL characters, including the bonus ones you might not have found on the first try.
Story: 8/10
Once again, FF V pulls down the score.
This game is the typical "curse of the odd Final Fantasy" I discovered. Indeed, all odd FF game up to Final Fantasy IX (except FF VII) had very weak, if not inexistent, plots. In FF V, the character development is weak and the links between them isn't very subtle compared to Final Fantasy IV with Cecil. You only find out about Butz in sidequests. And Faris' pirate speak, while more realistic than the FF V translation of the SNES game, is downright annoying to read. It might have been another story if the game had been voiced.
FF VI, on the other hand, has a very rich cast of characters and all main ones play an important role in the story. The plot develops slowly and is very coherent. It kept me at the edge of my seat a few times.
Depth: 9/10
This time both games have good depth. The main storyline has plenty to keep you busy while the sidequests - what you don't strictly need to do in order to defeat the final boss - are numerous in proportion with the game's year of production. In other words FF V has less to offer than FF VI, but more than FF IV.
Difficulty: 7/10
Once again the score is skewed because of FF V.
When I first played the game I was just incapable of defeating that boss that concludes the first third of the game. It was the soundtrack that kept me motivated - the Decisive Battle is one of the best themes of its kind - and I finally overcame the game.
On its side, FF VI is moderately difficult. Like many RPGs, the key is grinding, grinding and some more grinding. You also need to read carefully what villagers have to say as they give you crucial clues to further your quest.
In short, Final Fantasy Anthology is only really worth it for Final Fantasy VI because of the "index of progression" you get. Even if you use a walkthrough, keeping note of the skills you acquired can be hard. For Final Fantasy V, you are better off with the hacked English translation for the SNES. The music is generally better and Faris speaks normal English.
Graphics 9 Sound 7 Addictive 8 Story 8 Depth 9 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 5/5
Submitted: 04-24-15
Review Replies: 2
9
Final Fantasy VI SacraRain
Final Fantasy VI (or also known as "Final Fantasy 6") is the first game in the Final Fantasy series to give you a total of 14 permanent playable characters... as well as several temporary characters that you can play for short periods of time.
Final Fantasy VI is set during the "Steampunk" era (also known as the latter half of 19th Century), which gives you a wide range of weaponry and upgrades at your disposal. Along side the enhanced equipment and productions available to you, your enemies are also "enhanced" on a new scale in order to match the games expectations.
Throughout this game you will discover three things... you will discover pain, compassion, and understanding (much like what you discover with every Final Fantasy game that has ever existed).
Graphics- 8/10After quite some time and some major modifications throughout the course of the Final Fantasy series, in its 6th game... the graphics begin to change drastically. Although you are still using the standard SNES technology, leaving you with bit style artwork... the animation as well as the artwork itself is much more "appealing" to the eye and very detailed on so many levels. For many, this still isn't good enough for them (as many people probably didn't bother playing the older games and went straight for the newer ones such as Final Fantasy XIII (also known as Final Fantasy 13)). But for me, these games are absolutely priceless and are worth playing no matter what.
Sound- 8/10Along with a change in the graphics as well, the audio has also upgraded on a whole new scale as well. The music has changed to become a little more "defined" and the tones has extended out to match almost as close as the Playstation (PSX/PS1) technology. Not much can be said about the audio for this game, much like its older brothers and sisters (as well as its younger brothers and sisters), this game comes with a unique and amazing soundtrack.. both captivating to the mind as well as to the heart.
Addictiveness- 9/10Depending on how much you have played the older Final Fantasy games will ultimately determine whether or not you would enjoy playing Final Fantasy VI. For a person such as myself, these games have been an influential part of my life... teaching me about being compassionate and respectful of others, but at the same time... being strong and cautious to the world around you. For millions upon millions of gamers, these games are something that you should NOT miss playing... and should be attempted at least once in your lifetime, and then for some... these older games aren't even worth your breath. Whether or not you choose to play this game, the level of addiction is pretty much the same throughout the entire series... this game is generally a "once-in-a-lifetime" kind of deal, and should be taken slowly. You should experience the game gracefully and with care, becoming curious of your surroundings, becoming curious of the sounds, becoming curious of the story.
Story- 10/10Along with EVERY single Final Fantasy game, their stories all revolve around the same concept... stop the darkness from prevailing over the light or in other words... stop the bad people from winning, and save the world along with saving humanity itself.
Final Fantasy VI takes place on a large, unnamed world. During the course of the game, its geography and landscape change due to various developments in the game's plot. During the first half of the game, the world is divided into three major continents and referred to as the World of Balance. The northern continent is punctuated by a series of mountain ranges and contains many of the locations accessible to the player. Most of the southern continent has been taken over by the Empire, while the eastern continent is home to a large patch of land called the Veldt where monsters from all over the world can be found. Halfway through the game, the world's geographical layout is altered, resulting in its three large continents splitting into several islands of various size situated around a larger continent at their center. This altered layout of the game's locations is referred to as the World of Ruin.
In contrast to the medieval settings featured in previous Final Fantasy titles, Final Fantasy VI is set in a steampunk environment. The structure of society parallels that of the latter half of the 19th century, with opera and the fine arts serving as recurring motifs throughout the game, and a level of technology comparable to that of the Second Industrial Revolution. Railroads are in place and a coal mining operation is run in the northern town of Narshe. Additionally, several examples of modern engineering and weaponry (such as a chainsaw, drill, and automatic crossbow) have been developed in the Kingdom of Figaro. However, communication systems have not reached significant levels of development, with letters sent by way of carrier pigeon serving as the most common means of long-distance communication.
A thousand years before the events of the game, three entities known as the Warring Triad initiated a conflict that would come to be called the War of the Magi. This quarrel grew to catastrophic proportions, unleashing magical energy into the world which transformed afflicted humans into espers—magical beings who themselves were used as soldiers in the war. Eventually realizing the horrific calamity wrought by their hands, the Triad returned free will to the espers and sealed their own powers, becoming stone statues. Their only request was that the espers ensure their power remain locked away so it might never be used again. The espers carried their stone gods to a hidden land, sealing both they and themselves off from the realm of humans. The concept of magic gradually faded to legend and myth as mankind built a society extolling science and technology. At the game's opening, the most advanced nation is the Empire, a cruel and expanding dictatorship led by Emperor Gestahl and his clownish general Kefka. Approximately eighteen years before the events of the game begin, the barrier between the espers' land and the rest of the world weakened. Soon after, Gestahl takes advantage of this and attacks the espers' land, capturing several of them.
Using the espers as a power source, Gestahl initiated a research program to combine magic with machinery and infuse humans with magical powers, the result being a craft known as Magitek. Kefka became the first experimental prototype of a line of magically empowered soldiers called Magitek Knights, drastically impairing his sanity. At the opening of the game, the Empire is on the verge of rediscovering the full potential of magic by reopening the gateway to the world of the espers. However, Gestahl's military dominion is opposed by the Returners, a rebel organization seeking to overthrow the Empire and free its territories.
(Only the story part has been copied from wikipedia, the rest is based off of what I actually know from a small "testing" of the game... I don't exactly have time to get into the game at the moment, but once I do... you can be sure that I will, until then... sorry for using wikipedia)
Depth- 8/10Throughout the entire Final Fantasy franchise, many of these games give you at least 3 to 4 options of change when playing the game. Although most of them are not "directly" known, they are proven to be a change in the course of history for the game itself. Much like its older and younger generations, everything you do in the game will change the course of history... be sure of what you are doing, what you think you should do and how you should do it. Although the older games did come with only one or two preset outcomes, the course of history all depended on what you did and how you did.
Difficulty- 8/10As I have said before time and time again, most (if not all) of the Final Fantasy games share so much in comparison with one another... regardless of how "upgraded" they are. Even if you were to play Final Fantasy XIII (also known as Final Fantasy 13) and then play Final Fantasy II (also known as Final Fantasy 2)... besides the graphics, there isn't really all that much different. Sure, everything in the newer game is more detailed and there is more you can do... but the concepts are all the same... complete the impossible and save the world or at least save something (or someone) important. No matter which game you have played, you do have to admin... this has been one hell of a series, its come so far since the very first Final Fantasy game... and we can only expect more to come as our own future proceeds. All of these games come with a high level of difficulty, often requiring you to "grind" (also known as "train") for hours and hours upon end just to become strong enough for the next true competitor.
Everything you do in these games will somehow change the outcome of the game, but one thing is certain... none of these games should be taken for granted nor should they be "frowned" upon. I may not know every game, but I do know this... they are worth my time, and when I have the time to spare... I will play EVERY single Final Fantasy game that I can get my hands on.
Graphics 8 Sound 8 Addictive 9 Story 10 Depth 8 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 4.5/5
Submitted: 05-27-13
Updated: 05-27-13
Review Replies: 2
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