The most famous of the three lost Final Fantasy games from the NES and SNES era, Final Fantasy V was once previewed in American gaming magazines and slated for release under the title Final Fantasy Extreme. Targeting more established fans with tricky dungeons, reduced theatrics and deep customization, Square felt that perhaps the unproven western audience wasn't up to the job of supporting V. Flashier, more approachable RPGs were already tough sells.
The game as a whole practically takes a back seat to the job system. It's easy to forget about saving the world when you're engrossed in the satisfaction of developing your classes and earning money for gear. Improving on III's foundation, V allows you to mix attributes from 2 jobs at once by equipping earned commands and abilities. The Samurai, possessing one of the most devastating physical attacks available, may utilize commands to cast various magic types. The already aggressive Ninjas are enhanced by the Ranger's rapid fire ability, allowing for a whopping 8 attacks per turn. While the thousands of possible combinations are captivating to tinker with, the majority are unremarkable or even serve as a handicap. A select few are absolutely devasting. Even the final boss can quickly be chopped down, if you have enough money to throw around.
Dungeons are based more on trial and error style puzzles than previous games, which makes turning off random battles all the more handy in the Pixel Remaster version. The ship engine dungeon, heavy on obtuse switch and door riddles, is the standout low point of the game. Dreadful when I completed the Super Famicom version a decade ago, and not much better without battles. Further developing the multiple overworld structure of III and IV, the concept of traversing through interconnected dimensions wasn't put together with the care it deserved, with the final third act feeling tacked on for length. Following the beloved story and cast of the previous game, V excels at lighthearted dialogue and adventuring, however all but one party member feels detached from the disasters afflicting their worlds. Even the unintriguing main antagonist is stunted and easily upstaged by his underling.
The graphics serve as an unremarkable transition from the colorful, basic sprites of IV to the gloomy, highly detailed art of VI. Amongst the more detailed, monstrous and grotesque enemies, the 'steel fist' stands out for unabashedly ripping off SFII's Vega. Lenna's theme, town theme and Battle on the Big Bridge highlight a beautiful soundtrack that's more relaxed and broad, with Nobuo Uematsu allowing the music time to simmer and bathe in the moonlight.
Although the game unquestionably improves upon the model established by III, V still mainly caters to battling and sub-system enthusiasts. Many veterans consider this one of the most satisfying titles of the series, while newcomers beginning here may possibly be soured on RPGs entirely. After five Final Fantasies experimented and excelled in different areas, Square would brilliantly compile their experiences and unleash all they learned in the masterpiece to follow.
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