A classic RPG reborn and remade on a handheld system, which really stands as a strong title on the Gameboy Advance.
For years Square Enix have developed high quality role playing games, some more popular than others. The franchise they are most known for is none other than Final Fantasy.
So, after such a large time gap between the earlier Final Fantasy games, Square Enix took on the long job of releasing every single one of the older games again for the Gameboy Advance and the Nintendo DS. Of course, for a company as highly acclaimed as Square Enix, this couldn't be just an ordinary port. Instead, they made sure they revamped each of the older games. Final Fantasy V (that's 5 if you don't know your roman numerals) being no different - this game has undergone a drastic (and if not pleasant) change.
--GAMEPLAY--
If anyone has ever played a Final Fantasy game before, they will know what to expect when they play this game. Square Enix has made a winning formula over the years by mixing a largely customisable role playing experience with a fast paced, enjoyable battle system. Throw in some great character development and voila: you have yourself a Final Fantasy game. More specifcally - Final Fantasy V.
The characters in this game are all well scripted, right down to the villagers in even the smallest of towns. All of your primary characters will have a great, distinguished personality that you'll grow to like over the course of the game. Although, this isn't the only reason you'll grow attached to your team. The thing that makes this game really shine is it's flawless character customisation. This game takes a different route to some of the more modern Final Fantasy games where every character is given a set job. for example, in Final Fantasy IX, one character will be given healing and support spells, whilst another will be your main physical attacker. in Final Fantasy V however, you select from a list of jobs which each character, which can be changed at any point in the game. At the end of battle, you will almost always recieve a certain amount of points that contribute to your jobs, which will potentially level them up AND bestow your character with a new ability. There are loads of abilites to choose from too, especially if you change jobs and learn even more form a different job. As time will go on, you will feel like you've built every one of the characters youself from scratch, which is a really rewarding feeling.
Enough about the characters. Anyone enjoys a role playing game will know, there has to be a good story at least to keep you playing. Overall, Final Fantasy V has a strong story with the odd comedic moments. The game starts off at the top of a castle, where the king of a town called Tycoon sets off to stop forecoming danger. The princess of this town becomes uneasy about her father leaving and immediately follows after the he leaves. Meanwhile, the main hero in the tale is relaxing with his chocobo (it's a giant yellow bird...). At that moment, the main hero and the princess meet unexpectedly. Unbeknownst to them, they are dragged into a grand plot which sees them travelling over the whole world. Go and buy the game to find out the rest!
For people who have never touched an RPG before, let me give you a quick example of what this game plays like:
You have a team of 4. They have health, represented as a number. There will be monsters or some form of opposition, which also has health points. The aim is to get the opposition to zero health before they do to you. You will also have magical powers if you want to, which consume magic points, also represented as a value. Magic often consumes those magic points. You can give your characters different equipment or weapons to wear to improve your defense or attacking capabilities. Characters will also increase their health and magic points once they gain a certain amount of experience given at the end of a batlle. This is a description at it's most basic.
Overall, this game plays fantastically. This is exactly what I have come to expect from a Final Fantasy game.
--GRAPHICS--
Don't expect anything astonishing, but also don't expect anything awful. After all, this is a gameboy advance game, which uses 2D environments and character sprites. By all means, I'm not putting the graphics down at all. There are some colourful and vibrant areas in this game. There is a huge list of different enemies and boss monsters, giving the game a unique and unpredicatble feeling as far as monsters and environments go. The graphics on Golden Sun have really set the Gameboy Advance standards high, so these graphics are almost a slight bit disappointing. Only SLIGHTLY, however.
--SOUND--
Classic Final Fantasy tunes and sounds - is there much more to be said? There will be some sounds in the game that set the mood for the story too, which some people may see as an important factor in a role playing game. I don't, however.
--VALUE--
There's no point in saying this, but I'll say it anyway. This game will last you longer than most Gameboy games. Role playing games usually take up a lot more time than other genres. There are hours and hours of gaming in this cartridge, even after you complete the main quest. There really is no reason why you shouldn't get this game. Unless you don't have a way to play GBA games, then I GUESS it's acceptable... If you're into RPGs or just Final Fantasy in general, this is the game for you. Forget ground-breaking visuals and audio. All a game needs is heart and entertainment - something Final Fantasy V definitely has.
Pros
-Diverse character customisation
-Lasts a healthy amount of time
Cons
-High random encounter rate will sometimes become tiring