So I'm going to tell another story, since I know you all love them so much. Unlike others, though, this took place rather recently.
Wanting to get caught up in the whole Final Fantasy phenomena that was building during the release of "Final Fantasy XIII", I asked a friend, who was a FF fanatic, what would be a good starting point in the series. I already knew a bit about the series, like how each installment was a separate story from the other games, etc. So my friend recommended that I just walk into Gamestop and pick up the first Final Fantasy game I see, so I walked in, and boom: "Final Fantasy III" for the DS. I picked it up, payed for it, and after I got home to play it, the game proceeded to kick my ass relentlessly. It definitely wasn't a good experience, so I decided to say "F*** it" to the series and move on.
Many months pass, and the friend tells me that there's a new Final Fantasy on the Virtual Console that I just have to try, just to give the series another chance. Feeling forgiving, I hopped on the Wii Shop Channel to see none other than... "Final Fantasy III". Confused, I talked to my friend later to ask why he had recommended the very same game that I disliked a couple years ago. He explained the whole 16-bit renaming fiasco that had went on in the early 90's, and told me that it was in fact, "Final Fantasy VI". So I sucked it up and spent the 800 Wii Points, and guess what?
I loved every single minute of it.
It was almost like a cross between Pokemon, Lord of the Rings, Mass Effect, and Miyazaki's "Howl's Moving Castle". I don't think I need to explain the story or premise at all, and if you don't know, well, that's what Google is for. The story, without spoiling it, is grand, epic, twisting, sad, funny, and very dramatic. I really found myself attached to these small sprites of characters. Kefka, in particular, steals the show as the villainous Imperial general, and he may well be one of the greatest villains in all of gaming, if not any medium.
The gameplay was good too, but it did have a few flaws. The Active Time Battle system is a genius concept that certainly felt fresh in the eyes of a guy who was only used to the simple turn based systems of games like "Paper Mario" and the Pokemon series. But if there was one thing that was a constant thorn in my side, it was the random encounters. It's like every single square inch on the map (with the exception of towns) is filled with Zubats. Granted, the monsters looked really cool, but seeing them over and over was kind of a pain.
Not a huge complaint by any means, but the second half of the game felt very open compared to the first. The change felt kind of sudden, almost as if I had switched from a simple, laid-down path to a Metroid game. The circumstances behind the change are understandable, but it was just a bit sudden.
Still, this is one of the best RPGs ever. I really enjoyed it, and I can't wait to try some of the rest of the series.
"Final Fantasy IV" is next, if you're wondering.
Rating: **** 1/2
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