The Final Fantasy series is one of the longest-running and most famous
series in the videogame industry. It started out with Final Fantasy for
the Nintendo Entertainment System as a last-ditch effort by Squaresoft
(now Square-Enix) to save the company from bankruptcy; it ended up
becoming one of the most profitable and loved franchises known today.
Final Fantasy VI debuted on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in
1994 (the successor to the Nintendo Entertainment System), the last in
the franchise to be released on the system. Although it is now a
14-year old game, it still holds up and is considered one of the best,
if not, the best in the entire Final Fantasy series. Final Fantasy VI
boasts a compelling story, incredible gameplay, top-notch graphics (for its time), and a
memorable soundtrack; making this an absolutely unforgettable
experience.
The game starts out with a young, green-haired soldier named Terra, who
is under control by the fast growing Gestahlian Empire. Terra possesses
a power that is thought to be extinct called magic, which the Empire is
using to gain even more power and take over more territories. Within
the first fifteen minutes of the game, Terra is saved by a group
opposing the Empire, called the Returners; her slave crown (which
without her knowledge was controlling her) is removed, and the truth
about the Empire is revealed to her. Terra must now decide what she
will do; help the Returners bring peace back to the world or run away
back to the Empire. From hereon, the story unfolds, a vast cast of
characters will be introduced, and the adventure begins.
The plot from Terra's point of view is only one of the many interlaced
storylines that are told throughout the game. Final Fantasy VI doesn't
have a single main protagonist – with a cast of 14 playable characters,
the story is able to add subplots and underlining storylines concerning
the entire cast – both main and minor characters. This makes the game's
plot rich, complex and gripping – allowing the gamer to feel
sympathetic to the characters, and making the experience overall more
believable; to this extent, this was something that had not been done
before in the series. On top of that, a number of serious topics and
themes are discussed in the game including love, hate, betrayal,
interracial relationships, children out of wedlock, and torture, to
name a few. This was a huge achievement for a game back in the '90s;
and makes Final Fantasy VI one of the most mature games at the time.
Of course, a good game must also have great gameplay, and Final Fantasy
VI doesn't fail to deliver. A handful of new features are introduced in
this installment of the series, first being a mini map. When in the
overworld, a small map of the world will be displayed on the bottom
right hand corner; the red dot being you, and the white dots
representing cities, towns, caves, etc. This is a huge help as the
overworld is quite large and navigating without a map can get very
annoying and wastes time. Monsters are still fought in random battles
and are still handled through the Active-Time Battle System (ATB) first
featured in Final Fantasy IV. That's not to say that there aren't new
battle elements in this game either. A new limit break-type action is
available to any character who is in critical status; this allows them
to do a powerful attack to the enemy. Also – a special ability that
matches their job is assigned to each character. For instance, Locke,
the thief, has the ability to steal items from enemies; or Edgar, the
engineer, can use tools as weapons.
Customization is also heavily implemented in Final Fantasy VI. Mid-way
throughout the game you find Espers – who are magical monsters being
extracted by the Empire for their powers. These nice little guys are
willing to help you on your quest by infusing their magic to you. The
Esper system is simple, and easy to learn. Every Esper is able to pass
on magic spells to the character that equips them; this can range
anywhere from one spell, to as many as five. Spells are learned through
Ability Points (AP) which the player can earn by fighting random
battles. After enough AP is earned, the spell is permanently learned
and the Esper can be switched out for another, if one so chooses.
Besides armor and weapons, characters can now equip something called
Relics. Relics are accessories that can be equipped for added bonuses;
such as Sunglasses to protect against blindness or Dragoon Boots, which
change your Attack command to Jump. One last fun but small addition is
the inclusion of multiplayer, a first for the series. However, this is
limited to only battles, since walking in the overworld is done by the
first player. This feature was only seen Final Fantasy VI, and Final
Fantasy IX.
The graphics in Final Fantasy VI are some of the best on the system and
really push the SNES's hardware. Before Final Fantasy VI, character
sprites were less-detailed on the map than in battle; this time around,
the same sprite is used for either screen. This allowed the characters
to have more animations and facial expressions. Another addition was
the way Chocobo riding and airship flights were handled; whenever the
player hops onto any transportation device, the view switches from an
over-the-top 2D view to a somewhat 3D perspective, giving it a more
realistic feel. The game also features beautifully rendered
backgrounds, and some very unique levels, for example – a massive
floating continent.
Everything is tied together with a perfect soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu.
The series' long-time composer for almost all of the games in the
series creates what would be considered for most his best score ever.
Every character's theme song reflects their personality flawlessly and
every level's song fits the mood and atmosphere impeccably. Even though
the SNES provided limitations, the soundtrack still sounds fantastic
and is rich and complex.
Overall, Final Fantasy VI still stands as one of the best in the
series. The game boasts break-through graphics and sound achievement
for its time, an absolutely remarkable story and cast of characters,
great gameplay, and still manages to stick to the conventions of its
predecessors; delivering yet another compelling experience for the
series.
