Final Fantasy VI (SNES. Super Famicom) Review

 (Originally posted on December, 2016)

(1994, Super Famicom)

(Though I own the cart, the game was played on an emulator.)

Whether they sweep you away or bore you to tears, a great Japanese role playing game is an impressive feat just for being a huge labor of so many important elements.  It can't just nail the parts that go into making almost any good game: Engaging action, unique and addictive progression mechanics, thoughtful level design. etc. If you're going to spend dozens of hours in a repetitive, menu based system, that means the characters, music, story and world have to be equally great to make the long journey into time well spent. Put all the mainline Final Fantasy games in a bag and grab a random cartridge or disc... more often than not it would excel in at least one important component, but may leave plenty to be desired overall. What makes Final Fantasy VI unique is that it arguably took almost everything good that it's predecessors laid out, then successfully built upon those foundations inside of an unprecedentedly illustrated world and sense of atmosphere. VI is grandiose, yet struck a timeless balance by not getting too carried away with itself. The cinematics are rich, but don't come off as being above the gameplay, which manages to be inclusive for both intermediate players and experts. Such compliments can't easily be said about the series after it moved to the Playstation, even if you like those newer games more. We're now up to XV, but many are proud to claim Final Fantasy peaked at this very game...

My first experience with Final Fantasy VI came by pirating the SNES rom to see why the upcoming Final Fantasy VII had people in such a frenzy. Only playing a couple RPGs prior, I clumsily followed a walkthrough during most of the journey, marveling how a game's world could be so hopeless, depressing, yet still sickeningly-sweet in its cries to be repaired. Lacking the tenacity required for the final dungeon, I tapped out before completing it, but was convinced to brazenly ask for a Playstation just months after receiving my N64. FFVII ended up being all that I hoped for, but as the years passed, I felt increasingly bothered that my experience with Final Fantasy VI amounted to little more than a wolfed down appetizer for another game. Giving the universe a vig by buying not just one, but eventually two copies, I felt I could finally experience the game properly: fighting until the very last battle was won. Actually improving with age in some ways, it was even better this time around...

After one of the classiest opening credits sequences of the 16-bit era, you take control of the first character, raised and put under mind control by a corrupt empire, but soon given the chance to decide her own fate. Beginning in an isolated and cold mining village, the attempts at moody lighting may no longer impress much on a technical level, but the subtle touches are even more noticeable as they age, such as how the tiny sprites of the town's guards show a moment of hesitancy before engaging you. Not generally a fan of games darker in tone, it's a testament to FFVI's quality that the immediate gloominess of the dark mountains, mines and a dreary, overcast map don't repel but intrigue. The overworld theme music confirms your initial confusion and loneliness, but something about that flute makes you want to fight to the end, even before the incoming horns light up that feeling of hope already beginning to spark inside. Despite facing great odds and sorrow, the characters are almost always introduced from a place of strength. Terra, showing no independent thought while imprisoned by the "slave crown," has far better command of magic than the soldiers accompanying her and shows signs of a mysterious potential. Locke is always well-connected and daring to the point that this journey seems easy thanks to him, or maybe he's just compelled to overcompensate. Edgar and Setzer's best days seem to be behind them, but they're still amazingly resourceful while waiting for their fortunes to change. Other characters may be full of even greater torment and confusion, but manage to keep it together as they bring the fight to an enemy rapidly growing in potential to end the world as you know it. The cast isn't presented like a flawless assemblage of super heros. They're just a group of (well, mostly) people with ghosts of the past and a bleak future to deal with. Some are more carefree, even oblivious to the state of the world and are just coming along to flex their powers and do something about all that annoying infrastructure and road work that keeps raining down. The frequent breaks of comic relief occurring from not just your party but also townspeople and even enemies are genuinely funny and much needed during the 40-60 hour descent into destruction.

The atmosphere can immediately be felt upon playing, but what sticks longer is how the game is full of emotionally devastating moments. The "haunted train" section seems like a ridiculous comedy skit at the beginning, until it sweeps the rug out from under your feet. You'll laugh at the goofiness and absurdity of being trapped in some low budget horror film, then out of nowhere you're hit with a heartbreaking tie in to an earlier tragedy that will leave your jaw on the floor. The recurring themes of exploitation and disregard for life in exchange for power can make one consider their own role in the reality outside this game and what can be done about it. Finally, despite already experiencing it almost 20 years prior, I was surprised at how the beginning of the 'second act' is still the most depressing sequence of events I've ever seen in a game. One bad thing after another happens to a character, finally capping off with something relatively minor but feeling like the hardest kick to the gut yet, as their one last source of comfort is taken away. If a game is capable of making you cry, it will happen right here. I've tried most of the Final Fantasy games and beaten a handful...VI is not just the hardest hitting, but the most thought provoking.

Like the previous (American) releases, each member of your small army is stuck with a single job. I preferred FFV's job changing system, but nonetheless an impressive effort was made to utilize and innovate with each character's unique capabilities. Your monk character can perform special attacks with 2D fighter style inputs. Your thief not only steals items during battle, but is even assigned a surprisingly well executed stealth/spy segment. I don't miss the addictive goodness of FFV too much, as the accessory and esper leveling system leaves a lot of room for character alteration and scaleable micromanagement. Besides the espers (summonable beasts) being able to teach spells to most party members, just having them 'equipped' alters how your stats increase when gaining a level.  This sounds like a lot to consider, but you don't have to obsess over getting things perfect. With proper inventory, magic, experience levels and a bit of strategy and note taking, you'll still be able to beat the game. The kind of effort that goes into analyzing statistics, experimenting with all your variables and writing down plans and clues is lots of fun for those who want to go down that moogle hole, but is for the most part optional. For everyone else, just make sure someone in your party can teleport out of dungeons and you can play pretty much however you'd like. The dungeons are more intense than other Final Fantasies, as they get heavy enough in puzzle solving that you'll be switching between multiple units of your party to progress through them. At least the bosses aren't too tough. Equipping the auto regeneration/haste accessories and learning some key spells almost makes it hard not to win.

The graphics were some of the best available on the SNES in 1994. There was no other RPG with such detail, subtle usage of color and well-crafted concealment of sprite tiling. Not just impressive from a 16-bit era technical standpoint, from your first visit to the world map, the land is drenched is an overcast, persistent sadness of dark blues, browns and greens that create not just a reaction, but a deep impression. All the previous Final Fantasies tended to have similar mountains, fields, forests, caves and towns that weren't immediately recognizable from each other or even other RPGs. Get a good look at Final Fantasy VI and whenever you see it again, there will be no doubt which game it is. Since the original NES game, the large, detailed static enemy sprites sure looked interesting but really ruined my suspension of disbelief. They're static yet again, but now more than ever are also highly detailed, legit pieces of art to lose yourself in. Even with it's faults and limitations, Final Fantasy VI is the high point of the series in 2D.

Having one the best soundtracks ever, I could easily go overboard writing about dozens of songs. In general the music is sad, but wonderfully effective at pulling you in with long synthesizers, deliberate pacing and a vast sense of room. It's not all tolling bells and acoustics, as plenty of jazz and rock shows up at the appropriate times, whether you're navigating dreary caves, sneaking around towns under the control of the Empire or battling giant steam-punk weapons or millennium old dragons... Some of the best tracks:

Phantom Forest - It starts out sounding exactly like how a spooky forest condemned to eternal loneliness and sadness should, but after awhile the music rather beautifully resolves to find a sense of gentleness and tranquility within itself.

New Continent - Venturing to a place you know you're not supposed to be, the song is a celebration of the buzzing energy within the floating island. A land literally containing the power of Gods, the music shows it's more interested in admiring it's own reflection than trying to intimidate explorers.

Serpent Trench - Sounding the most "movie like" of anything in the game...on screen you view the bottom of the sea, meanwhile the restrained, yet wonderfully stirring sounds encourages the listener to consider the entire universe...

Tower of the Final Boss - The opening 18 seconds are incredibly tense, before turning refreshingly proud and regal. It eventually sinks back to a strong element of danger, as this final location is still a hellish ruin that no one who is sane would dare call their home...

I was fortunate enough to experience other classics such as Earthbound and Final Fantasy VII upon release at the absolute perfect ages to play them (11 and 14 respectively), but was a bit too immature in both gaming skill and life experience to fully appreciate Final Fantasy VI. The good news: as my entire review alluded to, the game is timeless and still a hell of a ride, even if you feel like you might be getting up there in age. I still prefer this game's simpler, flashier and more mainstream sequel...but with a huge soundtrack that's capable of further challenging and rewarding those who listen carefully, both a fast-paced, varied adventure as well as a long period to explore dozens of areas in the order of your choice, all wrapped up in well balanced gameplay to accommodate both casual and hardcore fans, plus so many heart wrenching moments, VI is objectively the greatest Final Fantasy I've played, at least so far...