An awesome RPG that is dated, but still feels somewhat fresh.
I don't know if Final Fantasy VII would have better or worse, the only thing that I know is that Final Fantasy VI is absolutely amazing and deserves an applause. How do I start? Oh yes, the engaging story. Words can not describe how engaging the story is. From the sorrowful moments like Cyan's family's death, and the horrible story of how Locke lost his love, to the dynamic moments, like when you're on a mining cart fighting off monsters and the dreadfully difficult boss Number 123. The game draws you in, it just does. If I had to choose the best story I'd ever heard, Final Fantasy VI ranks one of the highest.
The graphics are mediocre for modern days, but beautiful for the GBA. I never thought the GBA could handle 3D effects so beautiful. From the 3D over-world to some of the more dynamic cut-scenes, the graphics really do stand out. And not to mention the beautifully detailed 2D graphics. So maybe the graphics aren't as good as a game like Uncharted 2 or Lost Planet, but for the GBA it's gosh darn beautiful.
The sound effects are smooth sounding and clean, but the thing that really shines in sound is the music. From the opera scene's amazing music, to the town song, which actually can tear you up if you listen to it enough. The music is epic, all the compositions are instant classics.
The gameplay follows Square's classic real-time battle system, like the one in Chrono Trigger. It is easy to get used to, and not boring and adrenaline pumping like the turn-based battle systems. Some bosses are so adrenaline pumping, that you start sweating, and no I'm not exaggerating. The over-world gameplay is a simple, up, down, left right, movement system. You're able to manage your party and options by a click of a button. I do have one minor complaint though, when you're in a town or a dungeons, you can't save unless there is a little glowing light around. These are the save points of Final Fantasy VI, but they're hard to find, and if you're about to face a boss and you want to save, you can't unless there's a glowing light or you're in the world map. But other than that extremely minor complaint, the gameplay is very simple, yet good.
One of Final Fantasy VI's downsides is that the re-playability level is at an all-time low. After completing the extremely long campaign, you will not want to go through the game again, epic or not. Overall, Final Fantasy VI is a beautifully crafted game that is absolutely essential to your game collection. I promise you will waste away your life on this RPG as well.
Presentation: 10, the story is perfect, and so is the setting.
Graphics: 8.5, for the GBA it's epic, but for modern day, it's just not that revolutionary.
Sound: 10, the music is freaking amazing.
Gameplay: 9, hurray for real-time battle systems squished into a GBA.
Presentation: 8.5, the story will carry you for a few weeks, but after that you won't play it again.