Final Fantasy V Review 1

	Final Fantasy V Review 1 by Rubicant
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	Member Since: Monday 1st January 2001

Scores	Plot	Graphics	Sound	Game Mechanics	Replay Value	Overall Score
	4	4	5	5	5	8/10

Note: All scores on a five-point scale, with five being highest, except for the overall score, which is out of ten.

Let me start off this review by saying one thing to Square: “What the hell took you so long?”

Final Fantasy V was one of the games in the series that US gamers weren’t able to enjoy until the later part of the 20th century, when Square released Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI on the PlayStation, in a two-game set titled Final Fantasy Anthology. Released back in 1993 for the Super Famicom (SNES here in the States), Final Fantasy V was the first game in the series to really develop the now-famous “Job System” that debuted in Final Fantasy III (another Final Fantasy game that we here in the States have never been able to play), which was also used later in Final Fantasy Tactics.

Final Fantasy V (hereafter FFV) follows the stories of four very different people, each with their own purpose. After the introduction, which introduces three of the game’s main characters, you’re off on a quest to save the crystals (a theme that’s been used in almost every Final Fantasy game before FFV).

The plot of the game takes off really slowly, but blossoms into a well-planned out quest later on. Princess Reina of Tycoon sets out of her homeland to find her father, who has gone missing after leaving to check up on the Wind Crystal after a meteor crashes into the earth nearby. In FFV’s world, the four Crystals carry the balance of all life. Without them, wind doesn’t blow, fire doesn’t burn, water doesn’t flow, and the earth will only rot. You get the idea. After the King of Tycoon witnesses the shattering of the Wind Crystal, the story switches over to Bartz, a lone wanderer setting out to see the world with his trusty Chocobo sidekick, Boco. Almost immediately, he crosses paths with Reina, saving her from a monster attack at the site of the meteor crash. Oddly enough, there’s a person lying unconscious next to the meteor. This is the third and final character introduced in the game’s intro sequence. His name is Galuf, and he’s got a bad case of amnesia. From there, the three are off to the Wind Shrine to find the King of Tycoon.

Like I said, it starts off pretty slow with some fetch-quests, but it gets good real quick. After all of the initial boring quests are done, you’re finally introduced to the game’s villain: an evil wizard named X-Death (OK, he’s got the lamest name EVER, but he’s a great character). All of the characters in the game get substantial development, even supporting characters that are never playable. FFV truly does a great job with its plot.

FFV features one of the best battle systems of the series, too. FFV’s Job System is incredibly innovative. As you progress through the game, you’ll unlock several new Job Classes, which can be built up using AP, otherwise known as Ability Points. As your jobs gain levels, your characters will naturally become stronger, able to use special commands such as Aim, Summon, Build Up and Black Magic. Other bonuses go along with certain jobs as well. For instance, the Monk class can fight barehanded and deal as much damage as Knight wielding a sword. The Geomancer can detect trap doors, and won’t take damage when stepping on damaging terrain like lava. New abilities and skills can be obtained in different ways, opening up vast side-quests. You’ll have to learn to play the piano to learn new songs for the Bard class. You’ll have to seek out the game’s best summons (and then defeat them in battle to gain their helping hand…or claw) in the hearts of the well-designed dungeons.

The battle system can get tedious at points, because the monsters in FFV rarely give out large AP or experience bonuses following battles. Therefore, it’s very hard to “master” a job class. However, once a Job class is mastered, any natural abilities gained from it are automatically transferred to the “Bare” class. If you master the Ninja, Black Wizard and White Wizard classes, you’ll have a character capable of wielding two swords, the ability to cast both white and black magic, and a very high evade rate. That’s the secret to victory in FFV: mastering the job classes. Once you’ve got a good mix of jobs mastered, you can literally stomp a hole right through any enemy.

FFV also features the best graphics seen in the series to date. Although still utilizing the small, 16 x 16 pixel character sprites in towns and the overworld map, houses, trees, bridges and mountains are all incredibly detailed for an SNES game. Each town has its own look and feel, and each dungeon of the game has an environment all its own. Among my favorite areas are the Ship Graveyard and Ancient Library. They really give off a certain feel to them. The locations in the game are actually believable.

Spell animations and monster sprites are also vastly improved over Final Fantasy IV. Much more detail has been put into the monsters, especially big monsters like the Twin Tania and Leviathan. Map effects have also been pumped up, with the characters animation much more, sometimes accompanied by emotion bubbles to show off a certain state-of-mind. One scene where you’re sure to appreciate this is when Bartz sneaks into Faris’ room to wake her up. For its time, FFV has some of the nicest looking effects seen on the SNES. Accompanied by some of the best music in the Final Fantasy series, you’ll really feel like you’re being taken into FFV’s world.

Some may say that Final Fantasy IV has the best soundtrack of the Final Fantasy series. Others will swear up and down that Final Fantasy VI featured the best score. It’s all a matter of opinion, really. But to anyone who’s played FFV, his or her former standpoint will be put to the test. FFV has some of the most fitting tracks of any FF game. Each theme fits perfectly with the situation.

For example, the eerie theme of the Catapult really expresses the situation you’re in when you enter it. You’re in a strange new place, with no idea how to get in or out, and it’s full of highly technological stuff you’ve never seen before in your life. They don’t make music like that anymore, people. Not with such passion, anyways. If I had to choose a favorite track in FFV, my head would explode, because there’s just no way to do it. The music is so well composed that I can’t put my finger on any one track that’s better than the rest.

Let’s remember one thing here. Although this is a review of Final Fantasy V on the PlayStation, this game came out on a much more primitive system. Forget your eight-directional movement and complicated button combinations. FFV has none of that. You simply move in four directions, talk with one button, cancel with another, and open a menu with the last one. The controls couldn’t be any easier.

Sure, a few extra button commands could have really added to the game, but it’s entirely unnecessary. FFV does a great job of making you, the gamer, happy as it is. While the game doesn’t have very complex puzzles or particularly groundbreaking gameplay aspects (aside from the aforementioned “Job System,” which kicks all kinds of ass), Final Fantasy V is one of the most solid 16-bit RPGs you’ll ever find.

It’s damn shame that FFV was never released in the States in its heyday. For such a great game to be overlooked is a crime. Pick up Final Fantasy Anthology as soon as possible. Despite some loading issues, the game is near-perfect, and a great gaming experience.