SharpGhost
Reach for the Stars
VIP
Retired
Possibly being the only Final Fantasy fanatic on this entire site, I have decided to express some of my fandom and hopefully convert some of you unfortunate people that have yet to experience the unparalleled amazingness of Final Fantasy. If you are unable to bear the fandom or the simple fact that Final Fantasy is undoubtedly the best JRPG game available on the market then I kindly request you leave or convert.
This thread relates only to console Final Fantasy titles. This means no handheld, phone, or PC titles. Ask me anything if you would like. This thread will contain a lot of information concerning the console Final Fantasy titles.
If you would like to help signify that you are a Final Fantasy fan of any kind, insert
into your avatar to let others know! Be proud of your fandom!
Check out the Final Fantasy music thread at http://www.se7ensins.com/forums/threads/final-fantasy-music.1026395/
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FAQ
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What is Final Fantasy?
Simply put, Final Fantasy is the RPG/JRPG genre. Established on December 18th, 1987 with the debut of Final Fantasy I as a last ditch effort to save Square from bankruptcy, Final Fantasy has grown to become the leader in the RPG genre and effectively Square Enix's best selling franchise in the gaming industry. By continuously refreshing and innovating itself, the Final Fantasy franchise has grown from simplistic, turn by turn gameplay to something never seen before in the RPG genre. If you've never been introduced to the RPG genre, Final Fantasy would be the best choice in the genre for you to introduce yourself to.
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Are all Final Fantasy games the same? Are they sequels of one another?
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Each Final Fantasy game, unless otherwise noted, is not a direct sequel from the previous installment. For example the events that occur in Final Fantasy 6 are in no way relevant to Final Fantasy 7. The entire world, character cast, enemies, and the like change barring certain iconic Final Fantasy elements such as Gil, Chocobos, certain enemies and bosses, and varied weapons.
Each entry in the series has innovated the RPG genre by introducing new mechanics such as the ATB system, Conditional Turn Based System, and the Paradigm system along with complex and driving storylines. Each Final Fantasy packs a different package which is why some may like certain Final Fantasy installments and may dislike others.
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.
This thread relates only to console Final Fantasy titles. This means no handheld, phone, or PC titles. Ask me anything if you would like. This thread will contain a lot of information concerning the console Final Fantasy titles.
If you would like to help signify that you are a Final Fantasy fan of any kind, insert
Check out the Final Fantasy music thread at http://www.se7ensins.com/forums/threads/final-fantasy-music.1026395/
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.
FAQ
...
What is Final Fantasy?
Simply put, Final Fantasy is the RPG/JRPG genre. Established on December 18th, 1987 with the debut of Final Fantasy I as a last ditch effort to save Square from bankruptcy, Final Fantasy has grown to become the leader in the RPG genre and effectively Square Enix's best selling franchise in the gaming industry. By continuously refreshing and innovating itself, the Final Fantasy franchise has grown from simplistic, turn by turn gameplay to something never seen before in the RPG genre. If you've never been introduced to the RPG genre, Final Fantasy would be the best choice in the genre for you to introduce yourself to.
.
.
Are all Final Fantasy games the same? Are they sequels of one another?
...
Each Final Fantasy game, unless otherwise noted, is not a direct sequel from the previous installment. For example the events that occur in Final Fantasy 6 are in no way relevant to Final Fantasy 7. The entire world, character cast, enemies, and the like change barring certain iconic Final Fantasy elements such as Gil, Chocobos, certain enemies and bosses, and varied weapons.
Each entry in the series has innovated the RPG genre by introducing new mechanics such as the ATB system, Conditional Turn Based System, and the Paradigm system along with complex and driving storylines. Each Final Fantasy packs a different package which is why some may like certain Final Fantasy installments and may dislike others.
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Final Fantasy, also referred to as Final Fantasy I or "The Original Final Fantasy," is a role playing game developed and published by then Squaresoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Being released in 1987, it was the first title of what was to become the flagship Final Fantasy series.
Final Fantasy I is the franchise's most ported title. Having seen countless ports onto PC, mobile devices, handhelds, and consoles, Final Fantasy I has also seen development over the years.
Gameplay:
Final Fantasy begins by asking the player to select the character classes and names of each "Warrior of Light" (The player characters). Just like most computer role-playing games of that era, the player characters are passive participants in the story. Because of this, the player's choice of character class will only affect the Warrior of Light's abilities in battle.
Gameplay is similar to that of many other console role-playing games. The player wanders around a World map, randomly encountering enemies which must be either dispatched in battle or fled from. Emerging victorious in battle earns the player Gil (currency), which can be used to buy weapons, armor, items, and magic spells.Final Fantasy I is the franchise's most ported title. Having seen countless ports onto PC, mobile devices, handhelds, and consoles, Final Fantasy I has also seen development over the years.
Gameplay:
Final Fantasy begins by asking the player to select the character classes and names of each "Warrior of Light" (The player characters). Just like most computer role-playing games of that era, the player characters are passive participants in the story. Because of this, the player's choice of character class will only affect the Warrior of Light's abilities in battle.
Victory also grants Experience, which accumulate until players achieve certain milestones ("experience levels") at which characters gain greater capacity for strength, damage resistance (known as Hit Points, or HP), and spell casting. The player can enter towns on the world map to be safe from random attacks, restore HP and spell charges, acquire information by talking to villagers, and shop. Battle is turn-based, i.e. players select the desired actions for their PCs (Fight, Cast Spell, Run, etc.), and when finished the PCs execute their actions while monsters retaliate depending on their Agility.
Every version of Final Fantasy also has a secret minigame, 15 puzzle, that can be played out on the sea for various rewards.
Every version of Final Fantasy also has a secret minigame, 15 puzzle, that can be played out on the sea for various rewards.
Warrior (Fighter) — A specialist in heavy weapons and armor who can withstand tremendous amounts of punishment. Can be promoted to the Knight later in the game. The Knight is able to use the most powerful weapons and some White Magic.
Monk (Black Belt) — A martial arts expert who is best left fighting empty-handed, but may also wield nunchaku, and the most basic of staves. Does tremendous amounts of damage in combat, but cannot wear heavy armor. Can be promoted to the Master later in the game. In the original Famicom/NES version a high level, barehanded Master who is unencumbered by armor, can do more damage in a single attack than any other character type; a team of four Masters can defeat the final boss monster in less than two full rounds. A rather weak class in the beginning, but you never have to buy much weapons/armor for him boosting his usability late game.
Thief — A high evasion/accuracy finesse fighter with very limited weapon and armor selection, but greater agility and luck (ability to escape from combat). However, the ability to flee is bugged in versions before the Origins release. Later in the game, the Thief can be upgraded to the Ninja class. Ninja can use almost every weapon and most armor, and can use many Black Magic spells.
White Mage — A mage specializing in White Magic. Not a terrific fighter, but can use hammers for physical attacks. Can be upgraded into a White Wizard, which allows the character to use the most powerful White Magic spells in the game.
Black Mage — A specialist in Black Magic and a very weak fighter. Becomes the Black Wizard later on. Black Wizard is the only character who can cast the extremely destructive Flare (NUKE in the original North American localization), one of the two damaging spells that retain full effectiveness against the final boss.
Red Mage — A jack-of-all-trades character, able to use most but not all of both White and Black Magic, and possessing fighting abilities similar to but not quite as good as the Fighter. Becomes the Red Wizard later in the game.
Story (spoiler free):
Monk (Black Belt) — A martial arts expert who is best left fighting empty-handed, but may also wield nunchaku, and the most basic of staves. Does tremendous amounts of damage in combat, but cannot wear heavy armor. Can be promoted to the Master later in the game. In the original Famicom/NES version a high level, barehanded Master who is unencumbered by armor, can do more damage in a single attack than any other character type; a team of four Masters can defeat the final boss monster in less than two full rounds. A rather weak class in the beginning, but you never have to buy much weapons/armor for him boosting his usability late game.
Thief — A high evasion/accuracy finesse fighter with very limited weapon and armor selection, but greater agility and luck (ability to escape from combat). However, the ability to flee is bugged in versions before the Origins release. Later in the game, the Thief can be upgraded to the Ninja class. Ninja can use almost every weapon and most armor, and can use many Black Magic spells.
White Mage — A mage specializing in White Magic. Not a terrific fighter, but can use hammers for physical attacks. Can be upgraded into a White Wizard, which allows the character to use the most powerful White Magic spells in the game.
Black Mage — A specialist in Black Magic and a very weak fighter. Becomes the Black Wizard later on. Black Wizard is the only character who can cast the extremely destructive Flare (NUKE in the original North American localization), one of the two damaging spells that retain full effectiveness against the final boss.
Red Mage — A jack-of-all-trades character, able to use most but not all of both White and Black Magic, and possessing fighting abilities similar to but not quite as good as the Fighter. Becomes the Red Wizard later in the game.
Story (spoiler free):
—Final Fantasy opening scene
Final Fantasy takes place in an unnamed fantasy world with three large continents. The world's elemental powers are determined by the state of four glowing crystals, each governing one of the four classical elements: earth, fire, water, and wind.
About four centuries before the game starts, a group of people known as the Lufenian used the wind crystal's power to craft a giant aerial station and airships and watched their country decline as the wind crystal went dark. Tiamat the arch-fiend of wind, waged a battle against them, taking over their flying fortress and the Mirage Tower. A Lufenian called Cid hid an airship on the south continent.
About two centuries before the start of the game, Kraken the arch-fiend of water, used violent storms to sink the water shrine that served as the center of an ocean-based civilization to use it as his personal hideout and to darken the water crystal.
Shortly before the start of the game, Lich, the arch-fiend of earth, darkens the earth crystal and plagues Melmond as the plains and vegetation decay. At an unspecified point, a sage called Lukahn tells of a prophecy that four Warriors of Light will save the world in a time of darkness.
Marilith, the arch-fiend of fire, awakens two centuries early as a response to the Warriors of Light's appearance and darkens the crystal of fire.
The four Warriors of Light appear, each carrying a darkened crystal, one of each element. They arrive at Cornelia, a powerful kingdom that has witnessed the kidnapping of its princess, Sarah, by a rogue knight named Garland who wants to conquer the kingdom. And so does their story begin...
Music:
For more, check the Final Fantasy Music thread.
Final Fantasy takes place in an unnamed fantasy world with three large continents. The world's elemental powers are determined by the state of four glowing crystals, each governing one of the four classical elements: earth, fire, water, and wind.
About four centuries before the game starts, a group of people known as the Lufenian used the wind crystal's power to craft a giant aerial station and airships and watched their country decline as the wind crystal went dark. Tiamat the arch-fiend of wind, waged a battle against them, taking over their flying fortress and the Mirage Tower. A Lufenian called Cid hid an airship on the south continent.
About two centuries before the start of the game, Kraken the arch-fiend of water, used violent storms to sink the water shrine that served as the center of an ocean-based civilization to use it as his personal hideout and to darken the water crystal.
Shortly before the start of the game, Lich, the arch-fiend of earth, darkens the earth crystal and plagues Melmond as the plains and vegetation decay. At an unspecified point, a sage called Lukahn tells of a prophecy that four Warriors of Light will save the world in a time of darkness.
Marilith, the arch-fiend of fire, awakens two centuries early as a response to the Warriors of Light's appearance and darkens the crystal of fire.
The four Warriors of Light appear, each carrying a darkened crystal, one of each element. They arrive at Cornelia, a powerful kingdom that has witnessed the kidnapping of its princess, Sarah, by a rogue knight named Garland who wants to conquer the kingdom. And so does their story begin...
Music:
For more, check the Final Fantasy Music thread.
Final Fantasy II is the second installment in the Final Fantasy series. It is notable for being one of the first story-intensive RPGs released for a console system, and for being the first game in the series to feature many elements that would later become staples of the Final Fantasy franchise, including chocobos and a character by the name of Cid. Final Fantasy II is also unique for eliminating the traditional experience-based advancement system, instead favoring a system wherein the playable characters' statistics increase according either to how much they are required, or how much they are used. In other words, a character who frequently casts magic spells would have their proficiency at casting increase faster than a character who specializes in physical attacks. This is called the skill-based advancement system, which would later return in Final Fantasy XI.
Although abandoned by subsequent installments in the series, a similar system was adopted by the SaGa series, also produced by Square. As a side-note, Final Fantasy II was actually designed by Akitoshi Kawazu, who later designed the SaGa series, rather than Hironobu Sakaguchi, the series' creator. Because of the series' popularity in America during the '90s, Final Fantasy II was one of the first games to undergo fan translation, in this case by NeoDemiforce. Final Fantasy II was originally scored by Nobuo Uematsu, and it was Uematsu's seventeenth work of video game music. The game's music was arranged by Tsuyoshi Sekito for the WonderSwan Color, PlayStation, Game Boy Advance and PlayStation Portable remakes.
Gameplay:
Final Fantasy II is unique in the Final Fantasy series for not utilizing experience-based levels. Instead of earning experience points at the end of every battle, each character participating in battle develops depending on what actions the character takes during the battle. For example, characters who frequently use a particular type of weapon (sword, Bow, axe, etc.) will become more adept at wielding a weapon of that type, as well as increasing their physical strength. Similarly, characters who frequently cast a particular magic spell will learn to cast more powerful versions of that spell, as well as increasing their magical power. HP and MP, will similarly increase depending on need: a character who ends a battle with only a small amount of health remaining may earn an increase in their maximum amount of hit points, and a character who expends the majority of their magic points during a single battle may increase their maximum amount of magic points.
Battle parties can consist of up to four characters at a time. Three of these characters are present throughout the entire game, but the fourth position rotates amongst a variety of characters. Final Fantasy II was the first game in the series to allow a friendly character to be placed in the "back row" during battles. Characters placed in the back row are immune to most physical attacks, but can be harmed with bows and magical attacks. In a similar way, enemies can be arranged in up to four rows of two creatures each (for a maximum of eight hostile opponents on screen at any one time). Only the two rows closest to the player's party could be damaged with physical attacks. By eliminating the two closest rows the player can then physically damage the other rows of enemies.
Throughout the course of the game, when in conversation with Non-Player Characters (NPCs), the player has the ability to "learn" special words or phrases, which can later be repeated to other NPCs to gain more information or unlock new actions. Similarly, there exist a handful of special items that can be shown to NPCs during conversation, which have the same effect.
Storyline (spoiler free):
The story begins when Emperor Mateus of Palamecia summons forth monsters from Hell in his quest to dominate the world. Firion, Maria, Guy, and Leon are orphaned when the Empire attacks Fynn and they are cut down by imperial soldiers as they flee. Firion, Maria, and Guy are rescued by forces belonging to the Wild Rose Rebellion led by Princess Hilda and taken to Altair to be revived, but Leon has gone missing. Though they ask to join the rebellion, Hilda refuses due to their youth and inexperience.
Despite this, Firion, Guy, and Maria return to Fynn and find Prince Scott on his deathbed. He tells the party of Count Borghen's betrayal and asks them to encourage his brother Gordon, who is afraid to join the rebels. Scott asks them not to tell Hilda his feelings for her and gives them a ring to take back just before he dies. Returning Scott's ring convinces Hilda that Firion's group is strong enough to join the fight...
Character Cast -
Final Fantasy II was the first game in the series to have an actual main cast of characters with names and histories. The first three characters can never be changed, whilst the fourth character is always changing.
Although abandoned by subsequent installments in the series, a similar system was adopted by the SaGa series, also produced by Square. As a side-note, Final Fantasy II was actually designed by Akitoshi Kawazu, who later designed the SaGa series, rather than Hironobu Sakaguchi, the series' creator. Because of the series' popularity in America during the '90s, Final Fantasy II was one of the first games to undergo fan translation, in this case by NeoDemiforce. Final Fantasy II was originally scored by Nobuo Uematsu, and it was Uematsu's seventeenth work of video game music. The game's music was arranged by Tsuyoshi Sekito for the WonderSwan Color, PlayStation, Game Boy Advance and PlayStation Portable remakes.
Gameplay:
Final Fantasy II is unique in the Final Fantasy series for not utilizing experience-based levels. Instead of earning experience points at the end of every battle, each character participating in battle develops depending on what actions the character takes during the battle. For example, characters who frequently use a particular type of weapon (sword, Bow, axe, etc.) will become more adept at wielding a weapon of that type, as well as increasing their physical strength. Similarly, characters who frequently cast a particular magic spell will learn to cast more powerful versions of that spell, as well as increasing their magical power. HP and MP, will similarly increase depending on need: a character who ends a battle with only a small amount of health remaining may earn an increase in their maximum amount of hit points, and a character who expends the majority of their magic points during a single battle may increase their maximum amount of magic points.
Battle parties can consist of up to four characters at a time. Three of these characters are present throughout the entire game, but the fourth position rotates amongst a variety of characters. Final Fantasy II was the first game in the series to allow a friendly character to be placed in the "back row" during battles. Characters placed in the back row are immune to most physical attacks, but can be harmed with bows and magical attacks. In a similar way, enemies can be arranged in up to four rows of two creatures each (for a maximum of eight hostile opponents on screen at any one time). Only the two rows closest to the player's party could be damaged with physical attacks. By eliminating the two closest rows the player can then physically damage the other rows of enemies.
Throughout the course of the game, when in conversation with Non-Player Characters (NPCs), the player has the ability to "learn" special words or phrases, which can later be repeated to other NPCs to gain more information or unlock new actions. Similarly, there exist a handful of special items that can be shown to NPCs during conversation, which have the same effect.
Storyline (spoiler free):
The story begins when Emperor Mateus of Palamecia summons forth monsters from Hell in his quest to dominate the world. Firion, Maria, Guy, and Leon are orphaned when the Empire attacks Fynn and they are cut down by imperial soldiers as they flee. Firion, Maria, and Guy are rescued by forces belonging to the Wild Rose Rebellion led by Princess Hilda and taken to Altair to be revived, but Leon has gone missing. Though they ask to join the rebellion, Hilda refuses due to their youth and inexperience.
Despite this, Firion, Guy, and Maria return to Fynn and find Prince Scott on his deathbed. He tells the party of Count Borghen's betrayal and asks them to encourage his brother Gordon, who is afraid to join the rebels. Scott asks them not to tell Hilda his feelings for her and gives them a ring to take back just before he dies. Returning Scott's ring convinces Hilda that Firion's group is strong enough to join the fight...
Character Cast -
Final Fantasy II was the first game in the series to have an actual main cast of characters with names and histories. The first three characters can never be changed, whilst the fourth character is always changing.
- Firion is the main character. The adopted friend of Maria and Leon, and childhood friend of Guy, he seeks to destroy the empire in hopes of avenging his fallen family.
- Maria is Firion and Guy's childhood friend, and the female lead. She quests in the hopes of finding her brother Leon, who disappeared after being attacked by the Empire.
- Guy is a friend of Firion and Maria. He speaks in a stunted manner, and has the ability to speak to animals. However, this is a unique ability and it is only used once in the entire game.
- Leon is Maria's older brother, and the new Dark Knight of Palamecia. He went missing during the attack on Fynn, and has since grown to be the emperor's most faithful follower. Late in the game, he joins the trio and helps them defeat the final boss.
- Minwu is a White Mage and Hilda's personal adviser. He joins the party during their first adventures, and is learned in the arts of magic.
- Josef is a miner, and helps the resistance gain mythril. He joins the party for only a short time, but his small contribution matters greatly in the end.
- Gordon is the prince of Kashuan, and fled from battle after his brother, Scott, died in the battle for Fynn. He believes himself to be a coward, and to prove himself fit for the throne, he journeys with Firion and his allies to aid in the defeat of the empire.
- Leila is a pirate who attempts to rob the party, but her crew is weak and Firion, Maria, and Guy easily defeat them. She repents, and decides only to attack the Empire instead.
- Ricard Highwind is the last Dragoon of Deist. Having been stuck in Leviathan for some time, he is quite eager to return to action and stop the Empire in order to avenge his fallen allies.
- Scott is a prince of Kashuan and the older brother of Gordon.
Information concerning title confusion outside of Japan:
Following the successful release of the original Final Fantasy by Nintendo in 1990, Square Soft, Square's North American subsidiary, began work on an English language localization of Final Fantasy II. Assigned to the project was Kaoru Moriyama, whose later work included script translations for Final Fantasy IV and Secret of Mana. Although a beta version was produced, and the game was advertised in several Square Soft trade publications, the age of the original Japanese game and the arrival of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the NES's successor console, led Square Soft to cancel work on the Final Fantasy II localization in favor of the recently released Final Fantasy IV (which, to avoid confusing North American gamers, was retitled Final Fantasy II to reflect the jump in releases).
Music:
For more, check the Final Fantasy music thread.
Following the successful release of the original Final Fantasy by Nintendo in 1990, Square Soft, Square's North American subsidiary, began work on an English language localization of Final Fantasy II. Assigned to the project was Kaoru Moriyama, whose later work included script translations for Final Fantasy IV and Secret of Mana. Although a beta version was produced, and the game was advertised in several Square Soft trade publications, the age of the original Japanese game and the arrival of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the NES's successor console, led Square Soft to cancel work on the Final Fantasy II localization in favor of the recently released Final Fantasy IV (which, to avoid confusing North American gamers, was retitled Final Fantasy II to reflect the jump in releases).
Music:
For more, check the Final Fantasy music thread.
Final Fantasy III is the third installment in the Final Fantasy series, developed by Square Co., Ltd., and released on the Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom). It was officially released outside of Japan for the first time when it was remade for the Nintendo DS.
Up until 2006, Final Fantasy III was the only installment in the series to have never seen official English localization, and the only one of the early numbered Final Fantasy games to not see a port or remake. There had been an earlier plan to remake the game for Bandai's WonderSwan Color handheld, but the developers faced difficulties converting the original Famicom Version's cartridge size to the WonderSwan Color, leading to several delays and eventually cancellation after the platform's premature death. An enhanced remake for the Nintendo DS handheld system was released in 2006 in Japan and the U.S., and subsequently released in other parts of the world in 2007. In 2011, the DS Version was ported on iOS with improved graphics. In 2012, the DS Version was ported to the PSP with several new features. Also in 2012, the iOS Version was ported to Android and a version was a launch title for the Ouya console.
Gameplay:
The gameplay contains elements of the first two Final Fantasy games, along with some new features. The Experience point system featured in the original Final Fantasy makes a return following its absence from Final Fantasy II. Final Fantasy III has a new class system; unlike the original Final Fantasy, where the player chooses each character's class at the start of the game, and Final Fantasy II, that has no specific classes, Final Fantasy III introduces the Job System the series would later become famous for.
Out of all four party members and all 23 Jobs in the game, there are 8,855 different party configurations. The Jobs are interchangeable classes: all four characters, the Light Warriors, start out as either "Onion Knights" (in the Famicom Version) or "Freelancers" (in the DS/PSP/iOS/Android remake), and are given the option to switch to a variety of other classes as more crystals are found and sidequests are completed. The classes featured in Final Fantasy III are:
Onion Knight
Freelancer
Warrior
Monk
Ranger
Knight
Thief
Dragoon
Viking
Dark Knight
Black Belt
Ninja
White Mage
Black Mage
Red Mage
Scholar
Geomancer
Evoker
Bard
Devout
Magus
Summoner
Sage
Characters:
In the game's original Famicom Version the player controls four generic Light Warriors, four children without distinct identities, who, upon finding the Wind Crystal, are granted its power to save the world. Though their genders are never made note of, it is assumed all the children are male. Over the course of their journey, the Light Warriors are joined by several support characters who join the party, but do not actually fight; instead, they offer help on the World Map.
The remake gives the four protagonists different personalities and names than the ones featured in the official manga. They are given different back-stories, which are used in several places to accelerate the plot. The main character is Luneth, who, after being tasked with saving the world's crystals, heads forth with his best friend Arc in pursuit of his quest. Shortly after setting out, they meet a blacksmith's daughter, Refia, and a Knight of Sasune, Ingus. Supporting characters, such as Cid and Sara, still join the party, but now randomly help the party in battle, either by attacking monsters according to their specialization, or by healing the party.
Story:
“The Gulgan thus prophesied: "The earthquake was only the beginning. The great tremors that swallowed the crystals, the light of our world, only to spawn monsters from the depths of the scarred land, are nothing but harbingers of what has yet to come. Something is coming...fathomless, ominous, and full of sorrow... But hope is not yet lost. Four souls will be blessed with light, and so it shall begin..."
Centuries before the game, the Ancients used the Crystals of light to build an advanced civilization, accidentally causing a catastrophic flood of light across the world. Four Warriors of Darkness were selected to restore the balance, but the Ancients' civilization fell into ruins. The Gulgans predicted that history would repeat itself from the other direction, and that four Warriors of the Light would be appointed to stop a flood of darkness.
One day, an earthquake opens up an entrance to Altar Cave near the village of Ur. Four orphaned youths under the care of Topapa, the village elder, go exploring and find the Crystal of Wind. The crystal grants them a portion of its power and their first set of Jobs, instructing them to go forth and restore balance to the world...
Music:
Up until 2006, Final Fantasy III was the only installment in the series to have never seen official English localization, and the only one of the early numbered Final Fantasy games to not see a port or remake. There had been an earlier plan to remake the game for Bandai's WonderSwan Color handheld, but the developers faced difficulties converting the original Famicom Version's cartridge size to the WonderSwan Color, leading to several delays and eventually cancellation after the platform's premature death. An enhanced remake for the Nintendo DS handheld system was released in 2006 in Japan and the U.S., and subsequently released in other parts of the world in 2007. In 2011, the DS Version was ported on iOS with improved graphics. In 2012, the DS Version was ported to the PSP with several new features. Also in 2012, the iOS Version was ported to Android and a version was a launch title for the Ouya console.
Gameplay:
The gameplay contains elements of the first two Final Fantasy games, along with some new features. The Experience point system featured in the original Final Fantasy makes a return following its absence from Final Fantasy II. Final Fantasy III has a new class system; unlike the original Final Fantasy, where the player chooses each character's class at the start of the game, and Final Fantasy II, that has no specific classes, Final Fantasy III introduces the Job System the series would later become famous for.
Out of all four party members and all 23 Jobs in the game, there are 8,855 different party configurations. The Jobs are interchangeable classes: all four characters, the Light Warriors, start out as either "Onion Knights" (in the Famicom Version) or "Freelancers" (in the DS/PSP/iOS/Android remake), and are given the option to switch to a variety of other classes as more crystals are found and sidequests are completed. The classes featured in Final Fantasy III are:
Onion Knight
Freelancer
Warrior
Monk
Ranger
Knight
Thief
Dragoon
Viking
Dark Knight
Black Belt
Ninja
White Mage
Black Mage
Red Mage
Scholar
Geomancer
Evoker
Bard
Devout
Magus
Summoner
Sage
Characters:
In the game's original Famicom Version the player controls four generic Light Warriors, four children without distinct identities, who, upon finding the Wind Crystal, are granted its power to save the world. Though their genders are never made note of, it is assumed all the children are male. Over the course of their journey, the Light Warriors are joined by several support characters who join the party, but do not actually fight; instead, they offer help on the World Map.
The remake gives the four protagonists different personalities and names than the ones featured in the official manga. They are given different back-stories, which are used in several places to accelerate the plot. The main character is Luneth, who, after being tasked with saving the world's crystals, heads forth with his best friend Arc in pursuit of his quest. Shortly after setting out, they meet a blacksmith's daughter, Refia, and a Knight of Sasune, Ingus. Supporting characters, such as Cid and Sara, still join the party, but now randomly help the party in battle, either by attacking monsters according to their specialization, or by healing the party.
Story:
“The Gulgan thus prophesied: "The earthquake was only the beginning. The great tremors that swallowed the crystals, the light of our world, only to spawn monsters from the depths of the scarred land, are nothing but harbingers of what has yet to come. Something is coming...fathomless, ominous, and full of sorrow... But hope is not yet lost. Four souls will be blessed with light, and so it shall begin..."
Centuries before the game, the Ancients used the Crystals of light to build an advanced civilization, accidentally causing a catastrophic flood of light across the world. Four Warriors of Darkness were selected to restore the balance, but the Ancients' civilization fell into ruins. The Gulgans predicted that history would repeat itself from the other direction, and that four Warriors of the Light would be appointed to stop a flood of darkness.
One day, an earthquake opens up an entrance to Altar Cave near the village of Ur. Four orphaned youths under the care of Topapa, the village elder, go exploring and find the Crystal of Wind. The crystal grants them a portion of its power and their first set of Jobs, instructing them to go forth and restore balance to the world...
Music:
For more, check the Final Fantasy Music thread.
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Final Fantasy IV is the fourth game in the Final Fantasy series. Originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the game has been subsequently re-released for the PlayStation, the WonderSwan Color, the Game Boy Advance, the Nintendo DS, the PlayStation Portable, iOS and Android.
It was originally released in North America as Final Fantasy II. This altered numbering system caused the game Final Fantasy VI to be numbered Final Fantasy III, leading to quite a bit of confusion when the PlayStation game Final Fantasy VII (which retained the number VII outside Japan) came out. A sequel, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, was released for Japanese mobile phones in February 2008. The sequel was released via WiiWare in the US on June 1, 2009, and is included in Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection for the PlayStation Portable.
Gameplay:
Characters traverse an overworld to fulfill requirements of various quests, using towns to replenish strength, buy new equipment, and discover clues, all the while fighting monsters at random intervals. The game introduces the Active Time Battle (ATB) system to the series, which differs from previous Final Fantasy games in that players must give orders to their characters in real-time. The ATB system would reappear in the next five games in the series, as well as making appearances in other games produced by Square Co., Ltd., including Chrono Trigger.
In battle, the player controls a party with up to five characters, making Final Fantasy IV the first and the only Final Fantasy in the main series where four party members is not the maximum capacity. Each character has certain strengths and weaknesses, including either spellcasting powers or other special abilities, based on their job. Like other Final Fantasy games, characters gain in abilities as they gain experience from battles. Magic is divided into four categories, which include White Magic, Black Magic, Rydia's Summon Magic ("Call" in the SNES version), and a special type of offensive and support magic used exclusively by Edge known as Ninjutsu.
Of note is the extensive use of "retort" attacks the enemies use; many enemies will immediately counterattack when attacked under certain conditions. Examples include the Behemoth, the Antlion, and the final boss. Dealing with these enemies requires a variety of strategies, including avoiding using attacks that trigger a counter, using disabling status effects to prevent counters, or using attacks that can kill the enemy in a single hit. This feature was not used as extensively in later Final Fantasy games.
Spell casters, which account for eight of the twelve playable characters (Kain, Edward, Yang and Cid cannot use magic), gain magic spells at pre-programmed experience levels or fixed events in the story; for this reason Final Fantasy IV's ability development system is considered the simplest in the series. This makes it similar to the way spell casters gain spells in Dungeons & Dragons, as opposed to the purchasing of spells in the original Final Fantasy.
Unlike the original Final Fantasy, almost no time is needed to gain enough levels or experience to advance to the game's next area; the game is more evenly paced out so that the player can simply go to the next area as long as the party does not escape from the majority of random encounters. Another new addition to the series is save points, which has become a staple feature since.
Characters:
Final Fantasy IV features twelve playable characters, with Cecil as the main protagonist and the only permanent party member. The characters join and leave the party as dictated by the story.It was originally released in North America as Final Fantasy II. This altered numbering system caused the game Final Fantasy VI to be numbered Final Fantasy III, leading to quite a bit of confusion when the PlayStation game Final Fantasy VII (which retained the number VII outside Japan) came out. A sequel, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, was released for Japanese mobile phones in February 2008. The sequel was released via WiiWare in the US on June 1, 2009, and is included in Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection for the PlayStation Portable.
Gameplay:
Characters traverse an overworld to fulfill requirements of various quests, using towns to replenish strength, buy new equipment, and discover clues, all the while fighting monsters at random intervals. The game introduces the Active Time Battle (ATB) system to the series, which differs from previous Final Fantasy games in that players must give orders to their characters in real-time. The ATB system would reappear in the next five games in the series, as well as making appearances in other games produced by Square Co., Ltd., including Chrono Trigger.
In battle, the player controls a party with up to five characters, making Final Fantasy IV the first and the only Final Fantasy in the main series where four party members is not the maximum capacity. Each character has certain strengths and weaknesses, including either spellcasting powers or other special abilities, based on their job. Like other Final Fantasy games, characters gain in abilities as they gain experience from battles. Magic is divided into four categories, which include White Magic, Black Magic, Rydia's Summon Magic ("Call" in the SNES version), and a special type of offensive and support magic used exclusively by Edge known as Ninjutsu.
Of note is the extensive use of "retort" attacks the enemies use; many enemies will immediately counterattack when attacked under certain conditions. Examples include the Behemoth, the Antlion, and the final boss. Dealing with these enemies requires a variety of strategies, including avoiding using attacks that trigger a counter, using disabling status effects to prevent counters, or using attacks that can kill the enemy in a single hit. This feature was not used as extensively in later Final Fantasy games.
Spell casters, which account for eight of the twelve playable characters (Kain, Edward, Yang and Cid cannot use magic), gain magic spells at pre-programmed experience levels or fixed events in the story; for this reason Final Fantasy IV's ability development system is considered the simplest in the series. This makes it similar to the way spell casters gain spells in Dungeons & Dragons, as opposed to the purchasing of spells in the original Final Fantasy.
Unlike the original Final Fantasy, almost no time is needed to gain enough levels or experience to advance to the game's next area; the game is more evenly paced out so that the player can simply go to the next area as long as the party does not escape from the majority of random encounters. Another new addition to the series is save points, which has become a staple feature since.
Characters:
- Cecil Harvey - The story's main protagonist. Initially a Dark Knight and captain of the Red Wings of Baron, Cecil begins to question his King's motives, which gradually sets off a chain of events that leads him on the path to righteousness.
- Kain Highwind - The commander of the Baron Dragoons, and Cecil and Rosa's childhood friend. With a rivalry with Cecil and unrequited feelings for Rosa, Kain succumbs to the forces of Golbez's side, making his comrades' trust in him waver.
- Rydia - A young Summoner whose village, Mist, is unintentionally destroyed by Cecil and Kain under their King's orders. Cecil's need to protect her and gain her forgiveness earns him a formidable ally on his quest.
- Tellah - An elderly Sage driven to exact revenge against Golbez following the death of his daughter, Anna.
- Edward Chris von Muir - The Prince of Damcyan, who lost his family and his beloved Anna to Golbez's attack on his kingdom. A cowardly Bard, he wants to help Cecil in whatever ways he can and is gradually inspired to become more courageous.
- Rosa Joanna Farrell - A White Mage and Archer from Baron, her feelings towards Cecil have grown beyond friendship.
- Yang Fang Leiden - The Grandmaster of the Monks of Fabul. He aids Cecil on behalf of his kingdom.
- Palom - A young Black Mage in training from Mysidia. He and his twin sister Porom join Cecil on his journey after being sent to accompany him up Mount Ordeals.
- Porom - A young White Mage in training from Mysidia. She and her twin brother Palom join Cecil on his journey after being sent to accompany him up Mount Ordeals.
- Cid Pollendina - A master engineer who designed various airships for the Red Wings, and is a father figure to Cecil, Kain and Rosa. His airship, the Enterprise, is one airship used by the party to travel around the world.
- Edge Geraldine - The Prince of Eblan and a skilled Ninja. He is quick to act on his emotions, but his strong sense of justice still prevails.
- Fusoya - A Lunarian from the Red Moon, he sheds some light on Cecil and Golbez's true origins and the conflict that has threatened the Blue Planet's peace.
Storyline:
“And so, the dark knight Cecil was stripped of his command as the captain of the Red Wings. He and the master dragoon Kain head toward the dark valley for the village of Mist. The advent of the airship marked the realization of Baron's dreams, but also the birth of its militarism. With its Royal Air Force Rod Wings, Baron soon reigned supreme. Now, as monsters multiply and stir unrest, Baron only exploits its power to collect the world's Crystals. Why? The Crystals silently shed their light...”
The Kingdom of Baron has begun an unprovoked military campaign against other countries. Lord Captain Cecil Harvey and the Red Wings air force attacks the wizards' town, Mysidia, and seize the Water Crystal. Deeply disturbed by his actions, Cecil asks the King why he is being given such orders. The king strips Cecil of his rank immediately; when Cecil's friend Kain Highwind speaks up for him, the king orders them both to Mist to kill its Eidolon and deliver a Carnelian Signet. Cecil's love Rosa Joanna Farrell and old friend Cid Pollendina try to assuage his self-loathing before he departs, although they too are disturbed by Baron's actions.
Cecil and Kain fight their way through the Mist Cave and defeat the dragon eidolon that guards the exit. When they arrive in the village, the Carnelian Signet releases Bombs which raze the buildings and kill most of the inhabitants. They find a young girl named Rydia mourning her mother, the dragon's summoner, who was killed by the death of the Eidolon. The two men are horrified that they were sent to slaughter a town and resolve to oppose Baron. When Cecil apologizes to the girl and tries to take her to safety, Rydia is enraged and summons Titan. When the earthquake stops, Kain is gone and Rydia is unconscious...
Music:
For more, check the Final Fantasy Music Thread.
“And so, the dark knight Cecil was stripped of his command as the captain of the Red Wings. He and the master dragoon Kain head toward the dark valley for the village of Mist. The advent of the airship marked the realization of Baron's dreams, but also the birth of its militarism. With its Royal Air Force Rod Wings, Baron soon reigned supreme. Now, as monsters multiply and stir unrest, Baron only exploits its power to collect the world's Crystals. Why? The Crystals silently shed their light...”
The Kingdom of Baron has begun an unprovoked military campaign against other countries. Lord Captain Cecil Harvey and the Red Wings air force attacks the wizards' town, Mysidia, and seize the Water Crystal. Deeply disturbed by his actions, Cecil asks the King why he is being given such orders. The king strips Cecil of his rank immediately; when Cecil's friend Kain Highwind speaks up for him, the king orders them both to Mist to kill its Eidolon and deliver a Carnelian Signet. Cecil's love Rosa Joanna Farrell and old friend Cid Pollendina try to assuage his self-loathing before he departs, although they too are disturbed by Baron's actions.
Cecil and Kain fight their way through the Mist Cave and defeat the dragon eidolon that guards the exit. When they arrive in the village, the Carnelian Signet releases Bombs which raze the buildings and kill most of the inhabitants. They find a young girl named Rydia mourning her mother, the dragon's summoner, who was killed by the death of the Eidolon. The two men are horrified that they were sent to slaughter a town and resolve to oppose Baron. When Cecil apologizes to the girl and tries to take her to safety, Rydia is enraged and summons Titan. When the earthquake stops, Kain is gone and Rydia is unconscious...
Music:
For more, check the Final Fantasy Music Thread.
Final Fantasy V is the fifth installment in the Final Fantasy series by Square Co., Ltd., originally released for the Super Family Computer (Super Famicom). The game was ported to the Sony PlayStation, and this version was translated and marketed in North America and Europe as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology collection. The game's SFC version is notable for being one of the earliest fan translations to reach completion, by RPGe in 1997. Final Fantasy V was later released for the Game Boy Advance, as part of the Finest Fantasy for Advance compilation.
The game centers around a group of four strangers brought together by circumstance to save the Crystals that have mysteriously begun shattering one by one. The one behind the phenomenon is the villain Exdeath, as part of a plan to release himself from imprisonment and to gain the power of the Void, a realm of nothingness, which could bestow absolute power on one able to resist being absorbed by it. The four Warriors of Light turn their attentions to defeating Exdeath and stopping the Void's energies from consuming their world.
Final Fantasy V was the first Super Famicom Final Fantasy to incorporate the use of kanji in the Japanese text; previous Final Fantasy titles had originally only used hiragana and katakana script due to character-space limitations. Final Fantasy IV was the last to do this (despite kanji script having been possible at the time), and is the most visibly connected to its predecessors in style.
In 2013 Final Fantasy V was released for mobile platforms. This version was developed by Matrix Software, and has new graphical style but otherwise remains the same as previous versions.
Gameplay:
The main gameplay feature is the revamped job system allowing all characters to potentially master up to twenty-two jobs. The player starts out as "Freelancer", and as they travel to new Crystal locations, the party acquire new jobs.
A separate form of Experience, ABP, is introduced for the advancement of the characters' job levels, while they continue to earn regular Experience Points. The system introduces a streamlined method of "multi-classing", allowing each character to learn job-specific abilities and carry one or two over when they change their class. After Final Fantasy V the job system was absent in the series until the Final Fantasy Tactics series, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy X-2, and Final Fantasy 12: International Zodiac Job System.
Battle innovations include reworking the Active Time Battle system, so that the player could, for the first time in the Final Fantasy series, see whose turn would come next. Other Final Fantasy conventions, such as the Blue Mage, are introduced, adding new elements to battle.
Final Fantasy V features the series' first recurring mini-boss, Gilgamesh. Bartz and his friends fight him several times during the game, a concept the series continues to use.
Characters:
The game stars a crew of five unique characters. The initial four remain together for much of the game, until one is permanently replaced by the fifth character.The game centers around a group of four strangers brought together by circumstance to save the Crystals that have mysteriously begun shattering one by one. The one behind the phenomenon is the villain Exdeath, as part of a plan to release himself from imprisonment and to gain the power of the Void, a realm of nothingness, which could bestow absolute power on one able to resist being absorbed by it. The four Warriors of Light turn their attentions to defeating Exdeath and stopping the Void's energies from consuming their world.
Final Fantasy V was the first Super Famicom Final Fantasy to incorporate the use of kanji in the Japanese text; previous Final Fantasy titles had originally only used hiragana and katakana script due to character-space limitations. Final Fantasy IV was the last to do this (despite kanji script having been possible at the time), and is the most visibly connected to its predecessors in style.
In 2013 Final Fantasy V was released for mobile platforms. This version was developed by Matrix Software, and has new graphical style but otherwise remains the same as previous versions.
Gameplay:
The main gameplay feature is the revamped job system allowing all characters to potentially master up to twenty-two jobs. The player starts out as "Freelancer", and as they travel to new Crystal locations, the party acquire new jobs.
A separate form of Experience, ABP, is introduced for the advancement of the characters' job levels, while they continue to earn regular Experience Points. The system introduces a streamlined method of "multi-classing", allowing each character to learn job-specific abilities and carry one or two over when they change their class. After Final Fantasy V the job system was absent in the series until the Final Fantasy Tactics series, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy X-2, and Final Fantasy 12: International Zodiac Job System.
Battle innovations include reworking the Active Time Battle system, so that the player could, for the first time in the Final Fantasy series, see whose turn would come next. Other Final Fantasy conventions, such as the Blue Mage, are introduced, adding new elements to battle.
Final Fantasy V features the series' first recurring mini-boss, Gilgamesh. Bartz and his friends fight him several times during the game, a concept the series continues to use.
Characters:
- Bartz Klauser is an adventurer and the "main character" (he is the first person the player controls, and is often representative of the party). He becomes embroiled in the adventure at the very beginning, when he comes upon the crash site of a meteor with Boko, his chocobo, and meets Lenna. Bartz's name is Butz in both the original Japanese and the fan-translated versions.
- Lenna Charlotte Tycoon meets Bartz at the meteor. She is the daughter of King Tycoon. Her name was transliterated as Reina in the Western PlayStation versions.
- Galuf Halm Baldesion is a mysterious old man with amnesia discovered unconscious at the meteorite. His past is initially unknown, but is revealed as the story progresses.
- Faris Scherwiz is a pirate whom the party meets when they try to sneak aboard her ship. During the game's first portion Faris disguises herself as a man. She has a connection with Lenna that is later revealed.
- Krile Mayer Baldesion is Galuf's granddaughter and aids the party several times. Later in the game, she takes Galuf's place in the party. Her name is Cara in the fan-translated version.
Storyline:
The story opens in Tycoon Castle, where King Tycoon prepares to depart for the Wind Shrine. The wind is behaving strangely, and he orders his daughter, Lenna, to watch over the kingdom while he investigates. As soon as he arrives, the Wind Crystal shatters, halting the wind across the world. Lenna rushes off to search for her father, while a pirate at sea notices the change, and an old man in a meteor hurries to the scene.
The meteor crashes near Tycoon Castle, where it is seen by Bartz Klauser, a lone wanderer who travels the world with his chocobo Boko. He finds Lenna under attack by goblins and rescues her. They search the Tycoon Meteor crash site and find the old man, who gives his name as Galuf but has no other memory. When Lenna mentions the Wind Shrine he says he has to go with her, though he has no idea why the Wind Shrine seems important. Bartz declines to travel with them, but Boko changes his mind and they return in time to rescue the pair from more goblins. Feeling that "the wind is calling," Bartz decides to join them on their quest.
In need of a way to sail without wind, they watch a pirate ship enter a secluded harbor seemingly on its own power. Although Lenna suggests asking the pirates for a ride, Galuf and Bartz rationalize that since these are pirates, simply stealing the ship is the safer option. The pirates and their captain, Faris, catch them in the act and briefly imprison them, but Faris decides to join them to find out why he and Lenna share a pendant. He reveals the ship moves thanks to a tame sea dragon named Syldra and they sail on to the Wind Shrine...
Music:
For more, visit the Final Fantasy Music Thread
The story opens in Tycoon Castle, where King Tycoon prepares to depart for the Wind Shrine. The wind is behaving strangely, and he orders his daughter, Lenna, to watch over the kingdom while he investigates. As soon as he arrives, the Wind Crystal shatters, halting the wind across the world. Lenna rushes off to search for her father, while a pirate at sea notices the change, and an old man in a meteor hurries to the scene.
The meteor crashes near Tycoon Castle, where it is seen by Bartz Klauser, a lone wanderer who travels the world with his chocobo Boko. He finds Lenna under attack by goblins and rescues her. They search the Tycoon Meteor crash site and find the old man, who gives his name as Galuf but has no other memory. When Lenna mentions the Wind Shrine he says he has to go with her, though he has no idea why the Wind Shrine seems important. Bartz declines to travel with them, but Boko changes his mind and they return in time to rescue the pair from more goblins. Feeling that "the wind is calling," Bartz decides to join them on their quest.
In need of a way to sail without wind, they watch a pirate ship enter a secluded harbor seemingly on its own power. Although Lenna suggests asking the pirates for a ride, Galuf and Bartz rationalize that since these are pirates, simply stealing the ship is the safer option. The pirates and their captain, Faris, catch them in the act and briefly imprison them, but Faris decides to join them to find out why he and Lenna share a pendant. He reveals the ship moves thanks to a tame sea dragon named Syldra and they sail on to the Wind Shrine...
Music:
For more, visit the Final Fantasy Music Thread
Final Fantasy VI is the sixth installment in the Final Fantasy series, first released in 1994 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was directed by Yoshinori Kitase and Hiroyuki Itou, who took over from the series creator and producer Hironobu Sakaguchi, director of the five previous installments of the franchise. Long-time series contributor Nobuo Uematsu composed the musical score, while Yoshitaka Amano contributed to the image design.
Final Fantasy VI was the third installment in the Final Fantasy series to be released in North America (after the original Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy IV) and was first released in North America as Final Fantasy III to maintain the naming continuity. Due to various content guidelines imposed by Nintendo of America at the time, several other changes were made to the original North American version, including restrictions against nudity and profanity.
The game's story focuses on a conflict between the Empire, a dictatorship conquering the world, and the Returners, a rebel faction opposed to them. The Empire has acquired a great army through experiments with espers, magical demi-gods thought to be only myths. The Returners seek magical power to fight the Empire on equal terms, and an amnesiac former imperial soldier, Terra Branford, proves key to both sides for understanding magic and espers.
Final Fantasy VI features fourteen playable characters, the largest cast of any main series game in the Final Fantasy series. The game is set in a fantasy steampunk-style world, at a technological level roughly corresponding to Earth during the Second Industrial Revolution. It is the last title in the series to be released for the Super Nintendo console and the last title to be renamed; the next installment was called Final Fantasy VII on all regions.
Final Fantasy VI was ported to the PlayStation and released in Japan in 1999, both individually and as part of the Final Fantasy Collection. In North America, this port is available as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology. In 2002, the PlayStation port was released individually in Europe and Australia. A new port of the game was released with additional content on the Game Boy Advance as Final Fantasy VI Advance on November 30th, 2006, in Japan, and February 5th, 2007, in North America.
In October 2013 it was revealed Final Fantasy VI will be ported to smartphones with updated graphics and adjustments to the battle system so that less grinding is required than before.
Gameplay:
The gameplay of Final Fantasy VI is similar to that of Final Fantasy V. Players can equip espers that teach spells and give stat boosts, similar to the jobs from Final Fantasy V. What abilities cannot be taught by espers can usually be learned by equipping relics, which give abilities like Jump and Two Hands. The characters can also each equip a weapon, a shield, a helmet and a piece of clothing, each equipment piece often with its unique properties, such as stat boosts or elemental immunities.
Unlike previous entries, such as Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy IV, (though later made possible on the remakes), where party members come and go as the story dictates, Final Fantasy VI introduces the ability to change the party at almost any given time. Fairly early into the game - in a feature that would be repeated in later installments - players are allowed to form their own party from whatever allies the resistance has gathered. Each of these allies has a specific talent; for example, Locke is a Thief, Cyan is a Samurai, and so on.
At times, such as the infiltration of the Southern Continent, the storyline demands that specific party members be taken along, but for the most part, the player can use whichever party they like. A total of fourteen playable characters were created for the game, each representing a different aspect of the Job System and possessing their own fighting style. Because of the vast number of characters, several dungeons in the game require the player to form multiple parties, using two or three groups to open paths for each other and work together to progress.
Though some characters have special abilities similar to magic, the only characters to learn regular spells naturally are Celes and Terra, although they have a limited spell pool. Most characters can learn magic by equipping magicite, or a few select pieces of equipment. Magicite is the crystallized remains of an esper, mystical creatures with intense magical power. Each character can equip a single piece of magicite at a time, and each magicite shard can be used only by a single character at any given time. Once equipped, magicite teaches magic by way of Ability Points.
Each esper teaches a spell according to a certain percentage rate, and winning Ability Points increases the equipped character's aptitude with that spell by the specified amount - once enough Ability Points have been won to put the percentage rate at 100%, the spell is learned and can be cast. Some espers, such as Lakshmi, teach several basic spells quickly, while others, like Valigarmanda, teach a small handful of powerful spells slowly. This system means that with patience, any character, bar Umaro and Gogo, can learn any spell.
In addition to teaching normal magic, the espers give access to Summon Magic. A character can summon their equipped esper once per battle, even if they know no magic themselves. At times, these summons are merely more powerful versions of the spells they teach, like Ramuh; at other times they are entirely different, such as Quetzalli. Some espers give permanent stat boosts when the equipped character levels up with the magicite equipped. For example, Gilgamesh gives +2 Strength, Fenrir gives an additional 30% boost to maximum MP, and so forth.
This means characters can modify their stats to suit whatever task the player wishes them to fulfill - even physical fighters like Edgar can be powerful mages with enough leveling to increase their Magic Power. This system gives Summoned Monsters a larger role in the party's strength than previous installments, something on which later installments, like Final Fantasy VIII, would expand.
Characters:
Final Fantasy VI was the third installment in the Final Fantasy series to be released in North America (after the original Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy IV) and was first released in North America as Final Fantasy III to maintain the naming continuity. Due to various content guidelines imposed by Nintendo of America at the time, several other changes were made to the original North American version, including restrictions against nudity and profanity.
The game's story focuses on a conflict between the Empire, a dictatorship conquering the world, and the Returners, a rebel faction opposed to them. The Empire has acquired a great army through experiments with espers, magical demi-gods thought to be only myths. The Returners seek magical power to fight the Empire on equal terms, and an amnesiac former imperial soldier, Terra Branford, proves key to both sides for understanding magic and espers.
Final Fantasy VI features fourteen playable characters, the largest cast of any main series game in the Final Fantasy series. The game is set in a fantasy steampunk-style world, at a technological level roughly corresponding to Earth during the Second Industrial Revolution. It is the last title in the series to be released for the Super Nintendo console and the last title to be renamed; the next installment was called Final Fantasy VII on all regions.
Final Fantasy VI was ported to the PlayStation and released in Japan in 1999, both individually and as part of the Final Fantasy Collection. In North America, this port is available as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology. In 2002, the PlayStation port was released individually in Europe and Australia. A new port of the game was released with additional content on the Game Boy Advance as Final Fantasy VI Advance on November 30th, 2006, in Japan, and February 5th, 2007, in North America.
In October 2013 it was revealed Final Fantasy VI will be ported to smartphones with updated graphics and adjustments to the battle system so that less grinding is required than before.
Gameplay:
The gameplay of Final Fantasy VI is similar to that of Final Fantasy V. Players can equip espers that teach spells and give stat boosts, similar to the jobs from Final Fantasy V. What abilities cannot be taught by espers can usually be learned by equipping relics, which give abilities like Jump and Two Hands. The characters can also each equip a weapon, a shield, a helmet and a piece of clothing, each equipment piece often with its unique properties, such as stat boosts or elemental immunities.
Unlike previous entries, such as Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy IV, (though later made possible on the remakes), where party members come and go as the story dictates, Final Fantasy VI introduces the ability to change the party at almost any given time. Fairly early into the game - in a feature that would be repeated in later installments - players are allowed to form their own party from whatever allies the resistance has gathered. Each of these allies has a specific talent; for example, Locke is a Thief, Cyan is a Samurai, and so on.
At times, such as the infiltration of the Southern Continent, the storyline demands that specific party members be taken along, but for the most part, the player can use whichever party they like. A total of fourteen playable characters were created for the game, each representing a different aspect of the Job System and possessing their own fighting style. Because of the vast number of characters, several dungeons in the game require the player to form multiple parties, using two or three groups to open paths for each other and work together to progress.
Though some characters have special abilities similar to magic, the only characters to learn regular spells naturally are Celes and Terra, although they have a limited spell pool. Most characters can learn magic by equipping magicite, or a few select pieces of equipment. Magicite is the crystallized remains of an esper, mystical creatures with intense magical power. Each character can equip a single piece of magicite at a time, and each magicite shard can be used only by a single character at any given time. Once equipped, magicite teaches magic by way of Ability Points.
Each esper teaches a spell according to a certain percentage rate, and winning Ability Points increases the equipped character's aptitude with that spell by the specified amount - once enough Ability Points have been won to put the percentage rate at 100%, the spell is learned and can be cast. Some espers, such as Lakshmi, teach several basic spells quickly, while others, like Valigarmanda, teach a small handful of powerful spells slowly. This system means that with patience, any character, bar Umaro and Gogo, can learn any spell.
In addition to teaching normal magic, the espers give access to Summon Magic. A character can summon their equipped esper once per battle, even if they know no magic themselves. At times, these summons are merely more powerful versions of the spells they teach, like Ramuh; at other times they are entirely different, such as Quetzalli. Some espers give permanent stat boosts when the equipped character levels up with the magicite equipped. For example, Gilgamesh gives +2 Strength, Fenrir gives an additional 30% boost to maximum MP, and so forth.
This means characters can modify their stats to suit whatever task the player wishes them to fulfill - even physical fighters like Edgar can be powerful mages with enough leveling to increase their Magic Power. This system gives Summoned Monsters a larger role in the party's strength than previous installments, something on which later installments, like Final Fantasy VIII, would expand.
Characters:
- Terra Branford, a half-human, half-esper girl who spent most of her young life being bred as a weapon for the Empire.
- Locke Cole, a treasure hunter (at various points of the game, he demands people refer to him as treasure hunter instead of "thief") and rebel sympathizer.
- Edgar Roni Figaro is the king of Figaro and Locke's friend. He claims allegiance to the Empire while secretly supplying aid to the Returners.
- Sabin Rene Figaro, Edgar's brother. He fled the royal court to hone his martial arts skills.
- Cyan Garamonde, a loyal knight of the kingdom of Doma whose family and friends die in the Siege of Doma.
- Gau, a feral child surviving since infancy in the harsh wilderness known as the Veldt, coaxed into the party with offerings of food.
- Celes Chere, a former general of the Empire and a Magitek Knight, she joins the Returners following her imprisonment for questioning imperial policies.
- Setzer Gabbiani, the inveterate gambler and womanizer who joins forces with the Returners after being tricked by Celes, offering the use of his airship to transport the heroes around the world.
- Shadow, a high-priced ninja mercenary, he offers his services to both Empire and Returners at various stages throughout the game.
- Relm Arrowny, a young girl living in the town of Thamasa with a passion for painting and a mysterious connection to Shadow.
- Strago Magus, an elderly Blue Mage, Relm's adoptive grandfather and one of the few remaining Magi.
- Mog, a talking moogle from the mines of Narshe.
- Umaro, a savage but loyal yeti living in Narshe, who answers only to Mog.
- Gogo, a mysterious, fully shrouded master of the art of mimicry who agrees to lend support only when the party finds their way to the lair in the stomach of a giant monster.
Story:
A thousand years ago, three gods known as the Warring Triad descended to the world, and warred for dominance. The conflict became known as the War of the Magi, during which the gods transformed humans and animals into creatures called espers, giving them immense magical power. Eventually the gods realized the war was destroying the world and turned themselves to stone, their final wish being that the espers prevent their power from being abused. The espers took the gods' petrified remains and fashioned a new dimension where they could live peacefully, away from humans, and to hide away the gods.
In the present, the world has experienced a technological revolution, while magic has faded into legend. To the south, the Gestahlian Empire led by Emperor Gestahl discovered the entrance to the Land of Espers and kidnapped several of the creatures. The Empire found a way to drain the espers of their magical energy and imbue humans and machines with this power. This technology is known as Magitek. Using Magitek to overpower the armies of other nations, the Gestahlian Empire conquered the southern continent and began to push into the north with the ultimate aim of world conquest...
Music:
For more, visit the Final Fantasy Music thread.
A thousand years ago, three gods known as the Warring Triad descended to the world, and warred for dominance. The conflict became known as the War of the Magi, during which the gods transformed humans and animals into creatures called espers, giving them immense magical power. Eventually the gods realized the war was destroying the world and turned themselves to stone, their final wish being that the espers prevent their power from being abused. The espers took the gods' petrified remains and fashioned a new dimension where they could live peacefully, away from humans, and to hide away the gods.
In the present, the world has experienced a technological revolution, while magic has faded into legend. To the south, the Gestahlian Empire led by Emperor Gestahl discovered the entrance to the Land of Espers and kidnapped several of the creatures. The Empire found a way to drain the espers of their magical energy and imbue humans and machines with this power. This technology is known as Magitek. Using Magitek to overpower the armies of other nations, the Gestahlian Empire conquered the southern continent and began to push into the north with the ultimate aim of world conquest...
Music:
For more, visit the Final Fantasy Music thread.
Final Fantasy VII is the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series, released in 1997 by Square Co., Ltd., and continues to be one of the most popular games in the series. It was directed by Yoshinori Kitase, written by Kitase and Kazushige Nojima, and produced by Hironobu Sakaguchi. It was the first game of the Final Fantasy series to be developed for the PlayStation rather than a Nintendo system, and the first game in the series to be ported to Windows. Final Fantasy VII was the first Final Fantasy title with entirely 3D (polygonal) character models, although the majority of environments were two-dimensional pre-rendered maps (except the world map and battle screens, which were rendered in full 3D).
Moving more towards a cyber-punk setting as opposed to the steam-punk setting its predecessor had (as well as slightly more away from high-fantasy elements that were present in previous installments), Final Fantasy VII is the first incarnation of the series to have a modern/futuristic setting, although other games in the series prior to it made sparse uses of advanced technology here and there, such as traveling underground and to the moon in Final Fantasy IV, traveling underwater in Final Fantasy V, or utilizing steampower, coal, gunpowder, and Magitek in Final Fantasy VI.
Final Fantasy VII is one of the best-selling games of all time, with the highest sales (10.5 million copies) of any game in the Final Fantasy series, and the second highest sales for a game on the PlayStation platform. It received GameSpot's Editor's Choice, scoring a 9.5/10 and a 9.6/10 user score. Since its debut on the Sony PlayStation, Final Fantasy VII has been released on the PC and later the PlayStation Network. It is widely considered one of the most influential RPGs to-date.
Unlike Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI, which in North America were renamed II and III (II, III, and V were not yet released internationally at that time), Final Fantasy VII retained the number seven for its westernized release. The game has spawned an entire sub-series of sequels, prequels, and even "midquels" called the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.
Gameplay:
Final Fantasy VII is a largely menu-driven role-playing game. Initially, the player is restricted to the city of Midgar, but as the game progresses, more and more of the world becomes accessible and the scripted adventure sequences gradually give way to greater freedom and opportunities to explore. At several points in the story, the game is interrupted by scripted dramatic sequences, some of which are lengthy.
During its turn-based battle sequences, the game uses the same Active Time Battle (ATB) system utilized in the three Final Fantasy games preceding it. Unlike previous games in the series, which traditionally allowed for a maximum of four to five party members to participate in battle, Final Fantasy VII allows for only three characters at any one time.
Final Fantasy VII's skill system utilizes Materia, magic orbs which can be placed in special slots on weapons and armor. Materia allows characters to access magic spells, special commands, and a variety of other abilities. Materia can be combined in a fixed number of ways, and strategic use of the Materia combinations allow the player to use various tactics suiting their personal style of play.
A feature introduced in Final Fantasy VI, the "desperation attack" reappears in Final Fantasy VII in a new, modified form now known as the Limit Break. Every playable character has a special "limit bar" which fills up proportionally to the damage received by the character in battle. When the limit bar is completely filled, the character has access to his or her Limit Break, a special ability which generally inflicts much more damage on an enemy than normal physical attacks; also, some Limit Breaks target all the enemies instead of just one and other Limit Breaks support the party such as healing HP or providing status buffs.
Final Fantasy VII popularized the inclusion of very difficult optional bosses not required to complete the game, but to offer reward and challenge the player. Later in the game, a series of strong monsters called Weapons appear; the player must confront several of them through the plot, but two of them - Ruby Weapon and Emerald Weapon - can only be encountered if the player goes out of their way. These two bosses were not included in the game's original Japanese version, but were later added to the European and American ports.
Characters:
Moving more towards a cyber-punk setting as opposed to the steam-punk setting its predecessor had (as well as slightly more away from high-fantasy elements that were present in previous installments), Final Fantasy VII is the first incarnation of the series to have a modern/futuristic setting, although other games in the series prior to it made sparse uses of advanced technology here and there, such as traveling underground and to the moon in Final Fantasy IV, traveling underwater in Final Fantasy V, or utilizing steampower, coal, gunpowder, and Magitek in Final Fantasy VI.
Final Fantasy VII is one of the best-selling games of all time, with the highest sales (10.5 million copies) of any game in the Final Fantasy series, and the second highest sales for a game on the PlayStation platform. It received GameSpot's Editor's Choice, scoring a 9.5/10 and a 9.6/10 user score. Since its debut on the Sony PlayStation, Final Fantasy VII has been released on the PC and later the PlayStation Network. It is widely considered one of the most influential RPGs to-date.
Unlike Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI, which in North America were renamed II and III (II, III, and V were not yet released internationally at that time), Final Fantasy VII retained the number seven for its westernized release. The game has spawned an entire sub-series of sequels, prequels, and even "midquels" called the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.
Gameplay:
Final Fantasy VII is a largely menu-driven role-playing game. Initially, the player is restricted to the city of Midgar, but as the game progresses, more and more of the world becomes accessible and the scripted adventure sequences gradually give way to greater freedom and opportunities to explore. At several points in the story, the game is interrupted by scripted dramatic sequences, some of which are lengthy.
During its turn-based battle sequences, the game uses the same Active Time Battle (ATB) system utilized in the three Final Fantasy games preceding it. Unlike previous games in the series, which traditionally allowed for a maximum of four to five party members to participate in battle, Final Fantasy VII allows for only three characters at any one time.
Final Fantasy VII's skill system utilizes Materia, magic orbs which can be placed in special slots on weapons and armor. Materia allows characters to access magic spells, special commands, and a variety of other abilities. Materia can be combined in a fixed number of ways, and strategic use of the Materia combinations allow the player to use various tactics suiting their personal style of play.
A feature introduced in Final Fantasy VI, the "desperation attack" reappears in Final Fantasy VII in a new, modified form now known as the Limit Break. Every playable character has a special "limit bar" which fills up proportionally to the damage received by the character in battle. When the limit bar is completely filled, the character has access to his or her Limit Break, a special ability which generally inflicts much more damage on an enemy than normal physical attacks; also, some Limit Breaks target all the enemies instead of just one and other Limit Breaks support the party such as healing HP or providing status buffs.
Final Fantasy VII popularized the inclusion of very difficult optional bosses not required to complete the game, but to offer reward and challenge the player. Later in the game, a series of strong monsters called Weapons appear; the player must confront several of them through the plot, but two of them - Ruby Weapon and Emerald Weapon - can only be encountered if the player goes out of their way. These two bosses were not included in the game's original Japanese version, but were later added to the European and American ports.
Characters:
- Cloud Strife is the main protagonist who poses as a former member of SOLDIER now operating as a mercenary caught up in the actions of eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE. Uncaring and cold at first, he begins to change, eventually caring about his friends and the fate of the Planet.
- Barret Wallace, the leader of AVALANCHE, wields a gun on his right arm in place of his injured hand. Despite his brash and loud-mouthed personality he is a caring person and loves his daughter Marlene.
- Tifa Lockhart, Cloud's childhood friend and member of AVALANCHE, runs the bar 7th Heaven in the Sector 7 slums, which serves as the group's hideout. Her sympathetic exterior hides fearsome fighting skills.
- Aeris Gainsborough, a flower girl from Sector 5 and the last of the Cetra, was captured by Shinra at a young age but escaped with her mother Ifalna, who died, leaving Aeris orphaned. Aeris was found and raised by Elmyra Gainsborough.
- Red XIII is a quadrupedal, flame red beast capable of speech. The party rescues him from capture and attempted breeding at Shinra Headquarters. He speaks little, but when he does, his words are often important.
- Cait Sith, a robotic cat atop a stuffed Mog, operates as a fortune teller when the party meets him at the Gold Saucer. He shouts commands to his Mog in battle using a big megaphone. His friendly attitude belies a deceitful side; but he is eventually used for good.
- Cid Highwind, the foul-mouthed, chain-smoking pilot of Rocket Town dreams to be the first man in space. He was forced to abort the mission after his assistant, Shera, was running a safety check on the rocket and would have burned to death had it taken off. Despite his bitter attitude, Cid has a good heart and cares about his friends.
- Yuffie Kisaragi, known first as the Mystery Ninja, can be encountered in any forest after the events at the Mythril Mine. A self-professed Materia hunter, she is sneaky and playful, but later it is revealed she only 'hunts' Materia to restore her home of Wutai to its former glory.
- Vincent Valentine, discovered sleeping in a coffin by the party at Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim, is a former Turk with a traumatic past. After being subject to numerous experiments, Vincent became able to change into monstrous forms, but sealed himself in the coffin out of shame. Like Red XIII, he speaks little but offers helpful advice when he does.
- Sephiroth, is an un-controllable temporary party member during a single sequence. After resurfacing years after being deemed dead, pursuing Sephiroth becomes the party's main motivation.
Storyline:
“An energy manufacturing mega-company known as Shinra, Inc. is harvesting the sheer life energy of the Planet (known as the Lifestream) as a simple fossil fuel. The Lifestream is processed and made into products ranging from electricity and heat to Mako and Materia. The latter two materials can work miracles, granting the wisdom of the Ancients to the user. However, the Lifestream, like most other fuels, is finite in supply, and the Planet's lifeforce is being malevolently drained by the constant exploitation of Mako by Shinra. Though aware of the harmful effects, they function without remorse.
However, the real battle lies not with a corporation, but a force much more competent from the distant past. A long-thought dead warrior bent on becoming a god by draining all of the Lifestream from the Planet has risen again and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.
Now a small rebel group emanating from the slums must quell the various dangers toward the innocent, and one mercenary for hire must look amidst the lies and deception and find the man he is within.”
Gaia, referred to as the Planet in the game, is the world of Final Fantasy VII. It is technologically advanced, with many of real-world modern inventions, such as cars, television, firearms, and cellphones. Their world is dominated by humans, who are the only major race other than a few nearly extinct species. The world is economically, militarily, and politically dominated by a powerful conglomerate called the Shinra Electric Power Company, which profits from the use of machines known as Mako Reactors.
The reactors siphon a special type of energy - called "Mako" - out of the Planet and convert it into electricity. One of the byproducts of the extraction and refinement of Mako energy is Materia, a concentrated form of Mako which allows the wielder to use its magical properties. President Shinra leads his eponymous organization, and is the world's de facto ruler. Shinra is involved with many horrible genetic experiments, which have created many of the monsters that roam the Planet.
Mako energy is drawn from the Lifestream, a flow of life-force beneath the Planet's surface. All life originates from the Lifestream, and returns to it upon death and the Lifestream is the sum of all the life that has ever and will ever walk upon the Planet. The process of extracting Mako energy drains the life of the Planet to generate electricity. This can be seen in the Shinra's capital city of Midgar, where the eight Mako Reactors have sucked out so much of the Planet's life-force the area is covered in perpetual darkness and no plants can grow.
Shinra's management is concerned with the limited repositories of Mako energy available for harvesting, and fascinated with the legend of the Promised Land; a place where the land is fertile and where Mako flows abundantly. Only a race called the Cetra, or the Ancients, are, according to legend, able to find it. The Cetra were all but driven to extinction by the "Calamity From the Skies", the alien creature Jenova. All are lost except for one, Aeris Gainsborough, whom Shinra has been trying to capture for years...
Music:
For more, visit the Final Fantasy Music thread.
“An energy manufacturing mega-company known as Shinra, Inc. is harvesting the sheer life energy of the Planet (known as the Lifestream) as a simple fossil fuel. The Lifestream is processed and made into products ranging from electricity and heat to Mako and Materia. The latter two materials can work miracles, granting the wisdom of the Ancients to the user. However, the Lifestream, like most other fuels, is finite in supply, and the Planet's lifeforce is being malevolently drained by the constant exploitation of Mako by Shinra. Though aware of the harmful effects, they function without remorse.
However, the real battle lies not with a corporation, but a force much more competent from the distant past. A long-thought dead warrior bent on becoming a god by draining all of the Lifestream from the Planet has risen again and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.
Now a small rebel group emanating from the slums must quell the various dangers toward the innocent, and one mercenary for hire must look amidst the lies and deception and find the man he is within.”
Gaia, referred to as the Planet in the game, is the world of Final Fantasy VII. It is technologically advanced, with many of real-world modern inventions, such as cars, television, firearms, and cellphones. Their world is dominated by humans, who are the only major race other than a few nearly extinct species. The world is economically, militarily, and politically dominated by a powerful conglomerate called the Shinra Electric Power Company, which profits from the use of machines known as Mako Reactors.
The reactors siphon a special type of energy - called "Mako" - out of the Planet and convert it into electricity. One of the byproducts of the extraction and refinement of Mako energy is Materia, a concentrated form of Mako which allows the wielder to use its magical properties. President Shinra leads his eponymous organization, and is the world's de facto ruler. Shinra is involved with many horrible genetic experiments, which have created many of the monsters that roam the Planet.
Mako energy is drawn from the Lifestream, a flow of life-force beneath the Planet's surface. All life originates from the Lifestream, and returns to it upon death and the Lifestream is the sum of all the life that has ever and will ever walk upon the Planet. The process of extracting Mako energy drains the life of the Planet to generate electricity. This can be seen in the Shinra's capital city of Midgar, where the eight Mako Reactors have sucked out so much of the Planet's life-force the area is covered in perpetual darkness and no plants can grow.
Shinra's management is concerned with the limited repositories of Mako energy available for harvesting, and fascinated with the legend of the Promised Land; a place where the land is fertile and where Mako flows abundantly. Only a race called the Cetra, or the Ancients, are, according to legend, able to find it. The Cetra were all but driven to extinction by the "Calamity From the Skies", the alien creature Jenova. All are lost except for one, Aeris Gainsborough, whom Shinra has been trying to capture for years...
Music:
For more, visit the Final Fantasy Music thread.
Final Fantasy VIII is the eighth installment in the Final Fantasy series. The game is the second Final Fantasy developed for both PlayStation and PC. It was made available as a PSOne Classic over the PlayStation Network in Japan on September 24, 2009, in North America on December 18, 2009 and in Europe on February 4, 2010.
Thirteen weeks after its release, Final Fantasy VIII earned more than $50 million from sales in the United States, making it the fastest selling Final Fantasy title at the time. Additionally, Final Fantasy VIII was voted the 22nd-best game of all time by readers of the Japanese magazine Famitsu. Final Fantasy VIII went on to become one of the best-selling games in the series; the game had shipped 8.15 million copies worldwide as of March 31, 2003.
Final Fantasy VIII is a departure from many traditional series standards. It is the first Final Fantasy game to consistently use realistically proportioned characters, the first to feature a vocal piece as its theme music, and one of the only titles to deviate from the series' traditional means of increasing a character's power via leveling (although levels are not completely abandoned as they were in Final Fantasy II). In addition, it does not have a Magic Point-based system for spell-casting. Instead, magic is collected, drawn, and created from monsters and objects encountered throughout the game, and is used to power up the characters via the Junction System.
Gameplay:
The gameplay in Final Fantasy VIII is vastly different from previous titles. The Draw and Junction Systems are the most notable changes. Instead of leveling up in order to learn new spells and abilities via weapons or a job class, the player must Draw the spells from enemies and Draw Points, hotspots scattered throughout the game containing random numbers of a specific spell.
This eliminates the convention of magic/mana points, but encourages players to hoard and conserve spells both for direct use and for junctioning them to different stats associated with Guardian Forces, who also hold the learning of new abilities.
Summoned monsters in Final Fantasy VIII are known as Guardian Forces, often abbreviated to GFs. They require junctioning to characters in order to be used, as well as to utilize their inherent abilities. Unlike previous games, GFs take time to be summoned, and the time taken depends on the character/GF combination. When selected, the ATB gauge begins to run backwards and the character's name and HP are replaced by the GF's name and HP.
Similar to the Aeons used later in Final Fantasy X, the GF have HP and can take damage, shielding party members while being summoned. During the summon charge time, if the GF's HP reaches 0, they get KOed and the summon is canceled. They also can't be summoned until revived. When the GF's ATB gauge reaches zero, the GF is summoned and attacks in a similar fashion to Final Fantasy VII. If the summoned GF has learned the Boost ability, the player can attempt to boost the GF's attack power by up to 250%, but if the player fails to adequately boost the GF its attack power may actually be reduced rather than enhanced.
Guardian Forces gain Ability Points from battles to learn abilities. Each GF has unique abilities, though rare items allow the player to customize each GF's skillsets. Most abilities at least require junctioning the GF to a character, but some abilities also require junctioning to the character to take effect. Each GF has an ability that, once learned, can be junctioned as a battle command. The first two Guardian Forces are acquired at the beginning of the game. Other Guardian Forces can be acquired through sidequests, or by drawing them from a boss. Only three Guardian Forces are given automatically, the others are optional.
The Junction System is the system used for boosting character stats and to give elemental/Status Effect effects to weapons and armor. The player must junction a Guardian Force to enable the use of battle commands other than Attack. Boosting stats requires characters to obtain magic, by drawing spells from enemies and draw points and by refining from items with GF abilities.
The player can junction the spells to stats such as Strength, Vitality, Evasion and Hit-Rate. Which attributes can be customized depends on the junctioned Guardian Force(s). The Guardian Force can learn to unlock more statistics to junction magic to by earning AP in battle, and by the use of GF items.
As with most games of the RPG genre, Experience Points are awarded following defeat of randomly encountered enemies. The system of leveling in Final Fantasy VIII is unique for two reasons: each playable character only requires 1,000 Experience Points to advance to the next level, whereas other games require progressively more points as levels are gained. The statistic increases granted by a level-up are minuscule, as major stat growth is relegated to the Junction System.
The other feature is that enemies and bosses have no set level (although bosses have level caps); they increase in hit points, statistics, and abilities alongside the player party. Higher-level enemies are capable of inflicting and withstanding significantly more damage, and may have additional special attacks. They also possess better magic to draw and items to steal as their level rises. The benefit of this system is no matter where the player is in the storyline, there is a level of difficulty.
Furthermore, due to most locations being visited several times during the storyline and for sidequests, enemies encountered early will grow with the party and can still pose a threat later in the game. There are certain locations that are the exempt to this style of creature leveling, notably the Island Closest to Heaven and the Island Closest to Hell, where all creatures are at level 100 regardless of character level, and the Lunatic Pandora, where all creatures are at level 1 regardless of character level with Squall as party leader (more info here).
The Limit Break system in Final Fantasy VIII is a more advanced version of the Desperation Attack system from Final Fantasy VI. Each character has a unique Limit Break based on their preferred fighting style. As a rule of thumb, while a character's HP remains below a certain point, Limit Breaks will become available.
One notable difference between this system and the Desperation Attack feature in Final Fantasy VI is that the player can opt to Attack normally even if a Limit Break is currently available. Another is that the chance of a Limit Break becoming available will increase the lower his/her HP becomes, among other factors. Also, while Desperation Attacks could only be used once per battle, there are no limits to how often Limit Breaks can be performed, so long as the character remains in critical condition.
Several characters' Limit Break sequences are also interactive, requiring the player's skill to reach its full damage potential; if performed correctly, these interactive Limit Breaks can be far more powerful than the non-interactive ones.
Final Fantasy VIII introduced a minigame that can be played whenever there are NPCs around; a trading card game, known as Triple Triad. Triple Triad varies from a simple easy-to-play game to a complicated one. More rules and variations of other rules come into play depending on what area the player is playing in. And to complicate things further, rules played with in one area are carried to other areas, so the player will want to be careful what rules to pick up while playing.
Cards won from monsters or by playing NPCs can be turned into various items using Quezacotl's Card Mod ability, ranging from screws to items capable of being refined into the most powerful magics in the game. Cards can also be obtained by using Quezacotl's Card command to turn targeted monsters into cards.
Characters:
Overall, Final Fantasy VIII has eleven playable characters, six of them used for the majority of the game, three used at certain interludes, and two temporary characters.
Main characters:
Thirteen weeks after its release, Final Fantasy VIII earned more than $50 million from sales in the United States, making it the fastest selling Final Fantasy title at the time. Additionally, Final Fantasy VIII was voted the 22nd-best game of all time by readers of the Japanese magazine Famitsu. Final Fantasy VIII went on to become one of the best-selling games in the series; the game had shipped 8.15 million copies worldwide as of March 31, 2003.
Final Fantasy VIII is a departure from many traditional series standards. It is the first Final Fantasy game to consistently use realistically proportioned characters, the first to feature a vocal piece as its theme music, and one of the only titles to deviate from the series' traditional means of increasing a character's power via leveling (although levels are not completely abandoned as they were in Final Fantasy II). In addition, it does not have a Magic Point-based system for spell-casting. Instead, magic is collected, drawn, and created from monsters and objects encountered throughout the game, and is used to power up the characters via the Junction System.
Gameplay:
The gameplay in Final Fantasy VIII is vastly different from previous titles. The Draw and Junction Systems are the most notable changes. Instead of leveling up in order to learn new spells and abilities via weapons or a job class, the player must Draw the spells from enemies and Draw Points, hotspots scattered throughout the game containing random numbers of a specific spell.
This eliminates the convention of magic/mana points, but encourages players to hoard and conserve spells both for direct use and for junctioning them to different stats associated with Guardian Forces, who also hold the learning of new abilities.
Summoned monsters in Final Fantasy VIII are known as Guardian Forces, often abbreviated to GFs. They require junctioning to characters in order to be used, as well as to utilize their inherent abilities. Unlike previous games, GFs take time to be summoned, and the time taken depends on the character/GF combination. When selected, the ATB gauge begins to run backwards and the character's name and HP are replaced by the GF's name and HP.
Similar to the Aeons used later in Final Fantasy X, the GF have HP and can take damage, shielding party members while being summoned. During the summon charge time, if the GF's HP reaches 0, they get KOed and the summon is canceled. They also can't be summoned until revived. When the GF's ATB gauge reaches zero, the GF is summoned and attacks in a similar fashion to Final Fantasy VII. If the summoned GF has learned the Boost ability, the player can attempt to boost the GF's attack power by up to 250%, but if the player fails to adequately boost the GF its attack power may actually be reduced rather than enhanced.
Guardian Forces gain Ability Points from battles to learn abilities. Each GF has unique abilities, though rare items allow the player to customize each GF's skillsets. Most abilities at least require junctioning the GF to a character, but some abilities also require junctioning to the character to take effect. Each GF has an ability that, once learned, can be junctioned as a battle command. The first two Guardian Forces are acquired at the beginning of the game. Other Guardian Forces can be acquired through sidequests, or by drawing them from a boss. Only three Guardian Forces are given automatically, the others are optional.
The Junction System is the system used for boosting character stats and to give elemental/Status Effect effects to weapons and armor. The player must junction a Guardian Force to enable the use of battle commands other than Attack. Boosting stats requires characters to obtain magic, by drawing spells from enemies and draw points and by refining from items with GF abilities.
The player can junction the spells to stats such as Strength, Vitality, Evasion and Hit-Rate. Which attributes can be customized depends on the junctioned Guardian Force(s). The Guardian Force can learn to unlock more statistics to junction magic to by earning AP in battle, and by the use of GF items.
As with most games of the RPG genre, Experience Points are awarded following defeat of randomly encountered enemies. The system of leveling in Final Fantasy VIII is unique for two reasons: each playable character only requires 1,000 Experience Points to advance to the next level, whereas other games require progressively more points as levels are gained. The statistic increases granted by a level-up are minuscule, as major stat growth is relegated to the Junction System.
The other feature is that enemies and bosses have no set level (although bosses have level caps); they increase in hit points, statistics, and abilities alongside the player party. Higher-level enemies are capable of inflicting and withstanding significantly more damage, and may have additional special attacks. They also possess better magic to draw and items to steal as their level rises. The benefit of this system is no matter where the player is in the storyline, there is a level of difficulty.
Furthermore, due to most locations being visited several times during the storyline and for sidequests, enemies encountered early will grow with the party and can still pose a threat later in the game. There are certain locations that are the exempt to this style of creature leveling, notably the Island Closest to Heaven and the Island Closest to Hell, where all creatures are at level 100 regardless of character level, and the Lunatic Pandora, where all creatures are at level 1 regardless of character level with Squall as party leader (more info here).
The Limit Break system in Final Fantasy VIII is a more advanced version of the Desperation Attack system from Final Fantasy VI. Each character has a unique Limit Break based on their preferred fighting style. As a rule of thumb, while a character's HP remains below a certain point, Limit Breaks will become available.
One notable difference between this system and the Desperation Attack feature in Final Fantasy VI is that the player can opt to Attack normally even if a Limit Break is currently available. Another is that the chance of a Limit Break becoming available will increase the lower his/her HP becomes, among other factors. Also, while Desperation Attacks could only be used once per battle, there are no limits to how often Limit Breaks can be performed, so long as the character remains in critical condition.
Several characters' Limit Break sequences are also interactive, requiring the player's skill to reach its full damage potential; if performed correctly, these interactive Limit Breaks can be far more powerful than the non-interactive ones.
Final Fantasy VIII introduced a minigame that can be played whenever there are NPCs around; a trading card game, known as Triple Triad. Triple Triad varies from a simple easy-to-play game to a complicated one. More rules and variations of other rules come into play depending on what area the player is playing in. And to complicate things further, rules played with in one area are carried to other areas, so the player will want to be careful what rules to pick up while playing.
Cards won from monsters or by playing NPCs can be turned into various items using Quezacotl's Card Mod ability, ranging from screws to items capable of being refined into the most powerful magics in the game. Cards can also be obtained by using Quezacotl's Card command to turn targeted monsters into cards.
Characters:
Overall, Final Fantasy VIII has eleven playable characters, six of them used for the majority of the game, three used at certain interludes, and two temporary characters.
Main characters:
- Squall Leonhart - The taciturn and reluctant hero. A lone wolf, he is known as a fearsome warrior in training, specializing in the rare gunblade. Though aloof and seemingly detached, he grows to appreciate his friends and love Rinoa, evolving into a model leader for his peers. His tagline is "...Whatever".
- Rinoa Heartilly - A beautiful and spirited young woman who abandoned a privileged lifestyle to join a resistance movement. Owns a faithful pet dog, Angelo.
- Quistis Trepe - A top-notch member of SeeD who serves as Squall's instructor. Though beautiful and popular, she is insecure about herself and her capabilities. She overcomes this through her deep caring for Squall and her friends.
- Zell Dincht - A Garden student with unsurpassed martial arts skill who has a passion for hot dogs. In spite of his loud-mouthed attitude, Zell strives to be a model cadet.
- Selphie Tilmitt - A spunky young woman with a carefree spirit. Transferred from Trabia Garden. She tends to overcompensate her sad past with a happy disposition.
- Irvine Kinneas - An expert gunman and consummate ladies' man. Despite his shallow façade, Irvine is determined, caring and sensitive man, and is the only one who knows the hidden connection between all the members of the group.
- Ultimecia - A powerful sorceress from the future who desires to become omnipotent. A manipulative woman filled with hatred and resentment, her past is shrouded in mystery.
Other major characters:
- Seifer Almasy - Squall's rival who wreaks havoc within Balamb Garden. An accomplished warrior and gunblade specialist, he considers Squall his equal and dreams of becoming an hero, but his mind becomes warped by the sorceress's influence.
- Laguna Loire - A passionate man whose "pen is truly mightier than the sword". Despite disliking violence, he bravely takes up arms in the face of injustice or when his loved ones are in peril.
- Kiros Seagill - A Galbadian soldier who wields katals in battle. An intellectual and cool person, he is Laguna's best friend and the voice of reason within the group of friends.
- Ward Zabac - A Galbadian soldier who wields a harpoon. Though intimidating at first glance, he is a caring individual and a most loyal friend to Laguna.
- Edea Kramer - A mysterious sorceress and estranged wife of Cid Kramer, whose connection to the main cast is more than just antagonism.
- Cid Kramer - Headmaster of Balamb Garden. A nurturing man and a true dreamer, he guides the main cast through several points in the game.
- Ellone - A mysterious young woman with the ability to send people's consciousness back in time.
- Adel - Sorceress and (former) ruler of Esthar. Brutal and cruel, she is said to be pure evil.
Storyline:
“At the forefront of a rising tide of violence brought on by Galbadia's war declaration is a SeeD cadet named Squall Leonhart. Serious to a fault, Squall has earned himself the reputation of being a lone wolf.
A chance encounter with the free-spirited Rinoa Heartilly, however, turns his universe upside down. Having thrived on discipline, Squall finds Rinoa's carefree attitude fascinating. Yet there is no time to ponder these thoughts, for the job of dealing with the sorceress behind Galbadia's irrational hostility has fallen to SeeD and Squall.”
The game opens with a duel between the two arch-rivals Squall Leonhart and Seifer Almasy. Squall and Seifer are both students at Balamb Garden, a military academy training SeeDs. SeeDs are an elite mercenary force contracted to help people all around the world. The duel ends in a tie, when both men end up with scars across their faces. Squall wakes up a few hours later, on the day of his SeeD field exam. He goes with his instructor Quistis Trepe to retrieve a Guardian Force (GF), a creature that enables people to use magic to enhance one's physical capabilities.
The final test Squall must pass to become a SeeD is to go the the occupied city of Dollet, together with his squad members Zell Dincht and Seifer. They quickly uncover the reason for the Galbadian Army's occupation; to reactivate an old radio tower. Seifer leaves his teammates behind, and disobeys Garden's orders. A spunky young girl, Selphie Tilmitt, joins the party at this time, and after defeating a monster at the top of the tower, the tower is reactivated, and they are chased back to the beach by a spider-like war machine...
Music:
For more, visit the Final Fantasy Music Thread
“At the forefront of a rising tide of violence brought on by Galbadia's war declaration is a SeeD cadet named Squall Leonhart. Serious to a fault, Squall has earned himself the reputation of being a lone wolf.
A chance encounter with the free-spirited Rinoa Heartilly, however, turns his universe upside down. Having thrived on discipline, Squall finds Rinoa's carefree attitude fascinating. Yet there is no time to ponder these thoughts, for the job of dealing with the sorceress behind Galbadia's irrational hostility has fallen to SeeD and Squall.”
The game opens with a duel between the two arch-rivals Squall Leonhart and Seifer Almasy. Squall and Seifer are both students at Balamb Garden, a military academy training SeeDs. SeeDs are an elite mercenary force contracted to help people all around the world. The duel ends in a tie, when both men end up with scars across their faces. Squall wakes up a few hours later, on the day of his SeeD field exam. He goes with his instructor Quistis Trepe to retrieve a Guardian Force (GF), a creature that enables people to use magic to enhance one's physical capabilities.
The final test Squall must pass to become a SeeD is to go the the occupied city of Dollet, together with his squad members Zell Dincht and Seifer. They quickly uncover the reason for the Galbadian Army's occupation; to reactivate an old radio tower. Seifer leaves his teammates behind, and disobeys Garden's orders. A spunky young girl, Selphie Tilmitt, joins the party at this time, and after defeating a monster at the top of the tower, the tower is reactivated, and they are chased back to the beach by a spider-like war machine...
Music:
For more, visit the Final Fantasy Music Thread
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