And so the epic sage of Final Fantasy continues...
Needless to say, the journey has had plenty of ups and downs thus far. Having come into the jrpg genre a bit later than others perhaps, it seems safe to say that my expectations going into a series of such pedigree as Final Fantasy were rather high. Too high, even, as I forgot in doing so that many of them were released before many of the common tropes we see today in jrpg's were considered normal, or the convenience of save points scattered throughout dungeons was considered commonplace. Nevertheless, of all the games I've played thus far, Final Fantasy V Advance is probably the most modern in terms of the mechanics that appear throughout, and while I found myself appreciating it less overall than number four, it still made for a very solid game in its own right.
Final Fantasy V Advance is a bit of an oddity as far as these games go, in that it serves as a much more light-hearted stop-gap between numbers IV and (from what I've read) VI, which both present fairly dark and complex tales. Whether or not you prefer one style of storytelling versus the other is based completely upon user preference, but those expecting a more serious or complicated tale may find themselves a bit disappointed by what Final Fantasy V has to offer. While it's certainly a fun ride, there are few surprises to be had throughout. The entire game is spent attempting to keep the laughingly named villain 'Exdeath' sealed away, and later on defeat him after his inevitable escape using the destruction of the ever-present crystals of the Final Fantasy series. Somewhat like Final Fantasy III, players will unlock various jobs after collecting each crystal for their party, and each job allows the characters within the game to unlock new abilities and fighting styles. To the game's credit, there are quite a large number of classes available, and while every character has nearly identical stats when using the same job, it can still be enjoyable to experiment with each new class as it is unlocked thanks to the large number of them provided to the player.
Battle structure is somewhat similar to a previous Final Fantasy game as well, with the setup being pulled almost directly from Final Fantasy IV. Your characters are set up in two rows, with the front row generally being more vulnerable to enemies' physical attacks. Each battle is conducted in semi-real time, with all characters having a meter showing how much time is passing between each attack or spell they're able to use. As such, this often leads to more tense, and sometimes chaotic boss fights, though it also tends to cause normal encounters to drag on longer than they sometimes should as you're stuck waiting for the bar to reload against enemies you're much stronger than. Regardless, the game deserves credit for having a much more in-depth battle system when all the parts come together than even some games we find today, and for the most part, I enjoyed myself with it quite a bit.
The music was enjoyable enough, with many classic Final Fantasy tunes coming into play throughout, though aside from a few pieces, little of the soundtrack really stuck with me. I doubt I'll ever forget the Final Fantasy medley, but aside from that, I had trouble finding any one song that really resonated with me as the game went on. Perhaps part of it could be attributed to the game's overall age, but I feel that the sound in this particular game was a bit more lackluster in comparison to some of Square's other attempts.
This feeling also carried into much of the game's dialogue for me. While there were some genuinely funny and interesting moments, there were several instances scattered throughout the game where the humor felt very forced, and only served to disrupt my experience rather than really draw me into the game. Being lighthearted is fine, but some of the lines felt out of place in the world created, even if they were used in order to lighten the more serious mood that pervaded much of the game, such as an exchange about pizza between the evil Exdeath and an ancient sage that did battle with him within the game. It attempted to be funny, but instead the humor mostly felt contrived and fell flat.
That said, when the battle was over, the world saved and the evil vanquished, I still found that I enjoyed the adventure provided this time around. It wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but the game had plenty of fun moments, and the world was always a joy to explore. For that alone, I must compliment Square on this fantasy they managed to create for us. It may not go down as the best Final Fantasy in many books, but it was still a solid jrpg that people should give a chance if they have the time.