No. 3 – Final Fantasy VI

Of all the Final Fantasy titles I’ve played, which is most of them given an international release on some platform, I enjoyed VI a lot. It has to be said that my top 3 were very close together and I’ve had to really pick at things I really found annoying to differentiate them.

One thing that really stood out to me from this title was the story/narrative/plot – whatever you want to call it. As a writer, I choose story and FFVI has the best story out of all the games in the series. The characters are diverse, and this title features the most playable characters in any of the numbered titles – and quite possibly any Final Fantasy game, but I am open to information showing otherwise – with fourteen characters that are available throughout most, if not all, of the game and several secondary characters that make regular appearances.

The inclusion of so many characters gives the player a chance to experience a deep, thoughtful and complex story that will take you from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other – and it really doesn’t disappoint. I enjoy the replay factor of this game almost purely for the story, which is expertly crafted. Some characters could be left out or replaced with large parts for others but the balance is very good and if you haven’t played FFVI, I’d recommend it just for this.

However, that’s not all!

Compared to modern games, the graphics are outdated – how I prefer the term ‘classic,’ ‘retro’ or ‘vintage.’ Different people use their own terms but whatever you call it, this is a blast from the past – and it doesn’t look half bad. Every so often, it’s nice to see where our games have come from. The artwork is still popular online today and that makes it an enjoyable experience.

Most importantly, as with many older games, I found this one of the most challenging titles to complete. It was a much longer and more expansive world and story, with a number of things to do and explore. I’m generally the kind of person who likes to explore first and complete the story later, and it has annoyed me about some games, especially more recent Final Fantasy titles (naming no names).

If I could see more, I’d love some even more challenging dungeons and boss fights. As with any game, you can find ways to make yourself almost unbeatable with the right team and abilities. Options to fight more powerful bosses that rely on you being at this level would be quite fun…or maybe I’m just asking for trouble? Both are equally possible.

Having seen the poor voiceovers as well as the “good” ones, I’d always pick the original version over any remake – don’t get me wrong, I’d buy and play a remake if it came around – purely because I have a lot of memories. What I enjoy about it is also what VI rank only number three. It’s a bit confusing at first, the tutorials aren’t that great and the world is very overwhelming at first. On replays, this is actually quite nice because I already know but it makes it more daunting to get to grips with on the first try. It’s also something that subsequent titles learnt straight away.

The fact that I still own a PlayStation copy of FFVI is a testament to how much I love this game. I am working on actually getting a PlayStation again at some point too, or at least a PS2.