Gamer's Month - Final Fantasy III

Developer: SquareSoft
Published: SquareSoft
Released: 1994
Genre: RPG
Platforms: SNES, re-released as Final Fantasy VI on GBA and PSX.

---------------------

While there are newer, [arguably] better, and more revolutionary console-style RPGs out there, I have to say that Final Fantasy III [which I will refer to as III, and not VI, as I'm talking about the SNES] has got to be one of my favourites. I can't really say that it's stood the test of time, and definitely cannot stand up to some newer stuff that's around, I still love going back to this and playing through it every once in a while.

---------------------

Some mood music, if you will...:

War of the Magi

Beings of pure magic once ruled the world with power and command. But power rarely leads to contentment... A dispute amongst these beings turned into an all-out war. Beasts of doom, known as Espers, were unleashed to do the bidding of their masters. This "War of the Magi" reduced the world to smoldering rubble. When it ended, the Espers were gone, as were most of the citizens of the world.

Many centuries have passed since the war. Civilizations have been rebuilt with iron, machines and technology. For years the Espers have existed only in ancient legends. Now, an Esper has been discovered and the forces of magic are beginning to return. The risk of another, more devastating war is growing.

-- From the SNES Final Fantasy III instruction manual

The game starts you off as a young woman named Terra--who among the world of technology, machines, and artificial magic--is able to use magic naturally. The Empire kidnaps her to use her for their own fiendish purposes, but as the game starts [after the short intro scenes, that is] you realize that she'd been enslaved, and not doing so by her own will.

Cue stage left--Locke the thief Treasure Hunter swoops in to save the day, and the real adventure begins. As you travel the world trying to find answers, you meet several new people with varying objectives: Edgar, Celes, Sabin, even Mog the Moogle.

Speaking of Mog, I believe FF3 marks the first appearance of the Moogle. Arguably one of the better series 'mascots'. They've been around in pretty much every Final Fantasy since then, along with the Chocobo. [Though Chocobo was introduced in a previous game.]

Ahem. There's SAND on my boot. -- Kefka

Each character has a 'job class', essentially, and is able to use a special ability. Some are interesting, like Relm's 'Sketch/Paint' ability: a successful attack allows you to take control of the enemy. Others, however, were fairly underwhelming: Celes, for example, can use the 'Runic' sword ability, which nullifies magic attacks used against her. While it sounds great in theory, I never actually used it... With the exception of the one battle that you have to use it to survive.

Then there's the Espers. The magical beings that were thought to have disappeared. Of course, they're still around--only most were held captive by the empire. You do get some back, ]and sidequest for others] through a chain of events, and they enable the rest of your party to learn magic, or summon them to attack your foes or buff your party.

Don’t misunderstand me. I just came for my dog. -- Shadow

Unfortunately, FF3 suffers from a common malady among console RPGs: the generic battle system. Enemy encounters are random, and also quite common. Yet if you realistically want to get far in the game, battles must be consistently fought, which is an incredibly insipid chore. By fighting in battles you gain points that allow you to learn the magic of the Esper you have equipped. Something very useful later in the game. Granted, there are people out there who would argue that you can always do things like 'No EXP/low-level' runs, and other such challenges, but I'm talking about actually playing the game. Going places. Helping people. Finding your lost party members.

Wait, what? Lost party members? Yeah--FF3 has a total of 15 playable characters, [from what I can remember] two of which are 'secret' and have no effect on the storyline. Of the thirteen that remain... Well, character development is key. There's quite a bit of it, and it's done quite well.

H-hold on here! I'm a former general, not some opera floozy! -- Celes

And then there's the enemies. Not the random battle type, but the true evil behind the scenes. The Returners are a rebel group that you join to fight the empire. It doesn't last long though--one of the greatest villains of all time makes short work of... well, everything. If it weren't for Kefka, the Empire probably would have backed down.

I remember the first time playing through this, and arriving to the Floating Continent to face off against Kefka. By the time you get to him, however... you technically lose the game. Game over. I was expecting that to be the end of the game, but no! Kefka tears the World of Balance down with him, forcing you to run away. Earthquakes, natural disasters, and general destruction sweep the world.

Mr. Thou! Mr. Thou! -- Gau

You wake up as Celes on a small island. Everyone else is gone, except for Cid. You eventually leave, and discover that the World of Ruin is a dark, twisted version of the planet you once knew. You find a couple of your party members and rejoin with them--and I think this is one of the best parts. At this point, you have so many options, so many things you can do, and the game almost turns into a 'sandbox RPG', so to speak. The path is no longer linear. Sure, you have the option of heading to the final dungeon and beating the game with your small party of three or four, but...

Sidequests! From scouring the land for newer and better weapons, seeking out Espers and learning their skills, or simply just traveling around the world and marveling over how it's changed... there's quite a bit to do. Seeking out your party members that have gone missing is also great, as it develops the characters' backgrounds quite a bit. If you just head to the final boss, you're actually missing out on quite a lot of 'meat', so to speak. Unfortunately... Most of that meat isn't the good part. The second half of the game seems to be the fat on the steak.

Thou art a royal pain in the --- Confound it all! He's got me talking like him! -- Sabin

Yes, even though the game is fun, and even though the graphics were good, and even though the sound track is a legend in its own right, the story is just such a disappointment. In a way, this game is practically perfect if you quit before you finish the game. I have no complaints about most anything else but that drop off at the end. Indeed, this game was once my favorite games; and I would defend it to death... but then I played through it again. While the game is really great at first, that premature death of the story leaves you slightly bored, waiting for something good to happen. Final Fantasy may have set the standards on lots of different things, but the standard that they set more than anything else is a great game with a great storyline to keep you interested, and Final Fantasy III... just didn't quite cut it.

And don't get me wrong, I still love the game. I still have a copy of it, along with all of the manuals and inserts in pretty good condition--one of my 'geekiest' possessions.

Jam it back in, in the dark.