I’ve had a very mixed experience with the Final Fantasy games in the eight years since I decided to give the titular series a go, and I’ve often wondered if maybe I should’ve blown off the earlier titles in favor of playing its more modern entries.
It was a relief, then, to play Six when I did. While its age does show through from time to time, what with an extremely high random encounter rate and a rather grindy second half, the game still remains excellent even today, and I’m glad I gave it the chance. Even more surprising, one of the game’s biggest twists towards the middle is something I have yet to see replicated to this day, a shocking moment in what I thought would be a title that led me deeper through RPG roots rather than breaking new ground in storytelling.
But first, the basics. The combat is what many will already recognize from older RPGs, working on a pseudo real-time battle system that has each character attacking based on a personal timer. Almost every character can choose to either Fight or use Magic, but what makes combat here pleasing is the unique subset of abilities every single character gains over time. Unlike previous Final Fantasy titles where it felt like you were working each character into a template, FF VI does a great job of lending the characters personality even through their movesets. King obsessed with new technologies? Can use various tools he picks up throughout the world in battle. Gambling sky captain? His special literally has you playing slots. They can be a little silly, but it’s surprising how far in-built moves like this attach a sense of uniqueness to the characters. In a way, it feels very modern. Unfortunately, the high encounter rate does diminish the sense of fun some of these techniques might bring you as you get further along, but it never stops being enjoyable to unlock a new technique or ability with each character you add to your massive party.
Speaking of feeling modern, perhaps even more unexpected was just how cinematic FF VI felt. We could learn a few things from 1994, apparently, as many of the cutscenes were more engaging and heartfelt than some I’ve seen from games released in the past year. Skeptics might find it hard to believe in such an old game, but FF VI made great use of the resources available to it at the time, and even without 3-dimensional environments and highly detailed characters we’re comfortable with today, it paints a clear picture of what’s happening at any given time. Characters in the cutscenes are active, frequently jumping and moving about the screen, and while not always clearly visible, their facial expressions often make exaggerated changes to fit the mood.
All of this comes together under the umbrella of an absolutely spectacular soundtrack that runs throughout the game. Truth be told, this was my favorite part of FF VI, and it holds up well to plenty of orchestrated soundtracks of today. I’d even say it’s better than most of them, and is strongly reminiscent of another favorite of mine: Chrono Trigger. In particular, the second half of the game features several haunting tracks that are likely to stick in your mind after you play, even the overworld theme. Good thing, considering how much you’ll hear it, but if you’re anything like me, you might even wander aimlessly in the overworld for awhile just so you can listen to it. Several other tracks leave their mark, too, and I found myself wishing I could pick up a physical copy of the soundtrack if given the chance. Make sure you play this one with the volume up, folks!
Barring some of my issues with combat and a personally less enjoyable second half, FF VI is great. I would even say it’s the first title in the series I believe every JRPG fan should consider if they’re interested in seeing where many notable traits of the Final Fantasy came from, as this title gives a clear indication of the direction the series had begun to move in later installments. And even if you’re not interested and only want to play another good RPG, give it a go! I’m living proof that newer generations of fans can love this game, and at only 8 dollars on the Virtual Console, there’s no reason not to give it a try.
Also, there’s that hysterical opera scene. Seriously, just play it for that.