A pair of SNES FF classics redone for the PS, including America's first look at FFV, makes this a must-have title.
The two games both revolve around plots similar to fans of Final Fantasy. Threats to the safety of the world bring it to near destruction, only to be saved by the heroes you control. But the actual stories of the game aren't so important as the fun you'll have and the characters you'll meet while playing them. Whether it's trying to save the elemental crystals of V, or dealing with the war to gain a hold of long-lost magical arts in VI, the gameplay will suck you in and not want to let go.
The games mesh well as a team, as the characters you meet in each game always have corresponding characters in the other, so whichever game you play second, you'll very much at ease from the start. The assigning of jobs to characters in V (similar to Final Fantasy Tactics) lets you tailor your characters to a high degree, while the esper system of VI allows all magic to be learned by all characters in a manner you dictate. Both are a fun spin on typical, rote class RPGs. VI also implements very well a few stages where you switch control multiple parties, either in effort to reach a common goal or stop a common enemy. Still, the biggest positive for both games is the interesting stories, and a few rambling cut scenes aside, you'll enjoy them.
The biggest negatives comes in the menus and navigating to switch things. Being able to wear two relics in VI (as opposed to only one in V) is great, but now having to go to a separate screen from your weapons/armor to so? Not so great. To a lesser degree, that was true of changing jobs in V. Also, characters that disappear for a while in VI have an irritatingly inconsistent habit of coming back unequipped, not that you'd know unless you check their inventory. The combined manual is also a bit lacking, with information on what the various character stats specifically do not present. Deciding between enhancing vigor or stamina is tough when you're not exactly sure how either affects the game. VI also has a lot more 'Engrish' and flip-flopping of names, but if you can view it as charming, so much the better.
The gameplay is pretty solid, though perhaps finding a way to use some more of the PS's extra controller buttons, compared to SNES controller buttons, would've been a nice touch. Occasionally the game will skip a beat when you're entering commands for one character while another casts a spell, but that's usually not a huge issue. The graphics aren't going to blow anyone away, and the fact that the sounds (and especially fanfares) remains the same as in previous FF offerings is a tad disappointing, and grating to the ears. They did notably add some beautiful new video footage to take advantage of the PS' capabilities, but that is mostly relagated to the preludes and prologues, and not seen during the course of play. You should easily get 35+ hours from each title. In an era when a $50 game often only offers 15 hours of play, that's a pretty sweet deal for the $20 or less you should be able to find this title for. Either way, for the Final Fantasy completist, or someone just looking for a simple RPG diversion, this is a title you'll want to add to your collection.