Final Fantasy III delivers a well-rounded game that delivers a fun experience for awhile, but quickly grows tiring.
The game throws you down into some cave in the beginning of the game, and gives you the same ol' lecture of 'the darkness', pronouncing you 'Warrior of the Light'. You set out, and quickly gather three more to aid you. Suddenly, the Warriors of the Light move to fight off vile fiends in different dungeons around the continents.
I'm not normally so harsh on a game, but it's appalling me that this is being rated a 9.2 by the users at Gamespot. Obviously, there's a few too many Final Fantasy fans around here that don't look at the merits of the game itself. Therefore, I begin with my critiques.
The game itself is fun. But the dungeons quickly drag it down to a level of ugliness. In certain dungeons, the developers apparently felt rather cruel. They force you to change into toad or mini form for what seems to be no apparent reason, just to get further in the dungeon. Due to a rather frustrating MP system (which will be explained upon in a bit), this is a trying task.
The MP system is the worst part of the game. It gives more MP in rings, almost like a target for darts. The outer ring is the largest, and thus holds the most MP, while the center has nearly none at all. This causes frustration in the game, as you curse the heavens while you have absolutely no MP to use moves that can actually finish your enemies. You end up being relegated to attack enemies using worthless spells, while your enemies use the spells you believe you should be using.
Then, the job system. While fun to watch the character's outfits change, there's a sort of... 'down-period' where one cannot gain experience in a new job. This is the most frustrating part of the game, and it pains me to believe that they thought it'd be fun to NOT change jobs on a whim.
Also, ignore the "Wi-Fi" marking on the package. If you want, you can stalk friends by sending them letters across the internet. How thrilling.
The last point: where's the top screen? All the action takes place on the bottom screen, but it amazes me sometimes to find my top screen black for sometimes hours at a time. Maps are only there... sometimes. Unsatisfactory - I expected better.
However, this is still a great game. If you're looking for the true port of the original Final Fantasy III, this game has it. The action stays true to the series too, with turn based attacks.
The graphics are actually rather nice. Sure, it's a bit rough, but it's almost funny to see your 3-D characters walk around and talk. There's a certain indescribable charm to it all. And the music is incredible. Fabulous. It sticks to true Final Fantasy form. I disagree with Gamespot with my whole self on this point, and praise the soundtrack.
The story, though sometimes a bit loose, does bind itself together. Slowly, you gain more jobs as you continue - with enough play, you'll enjoy it.
This game is for the true Final Fantasy fan. With all it's criticisms I can name, it's hard to say exactly why I like this game. Perhaps because it's still enjoyable through it all? In the end, it's a great overall game - enjoy it!