The intricate gameplay of the original Final Fantasy quickly humbled me in the late 80s, back when simply tying my shoes was a sufficient challenge. By 1994, I still found RPGs in general to be rather intimidating and inaccessible. Only after dozens of hours with the more approachable Earthbound and Super Mario RPG did I feel confident tackling RPGs with threatening worlds overflowing with tragic overtones.
Intrigued by the unprecedented anticipation for FFVII, I had to try its immediate predecessor to see what all the fuss was about. As the trio of soldiers from the empire invade an isolated mining town, setting off a bizarre chain of events, the dreary atmosphere and ancient mystery drew me in, never letting up until the world finally regained freedom.
Marking the transition to the grandiose theatrics heavily associated with Square, FFVI elevated the cutscene quality such that console games more than ever were legit storytelling mediums. Within the overarching theme of exploitation, FFVI explores overcoming grief and discovering new meaning with remarkable insight.
So disheartening that you'll wish to overcome all the more, the phantom train and solitary island sequences are particularly devastating. Starting as a comically petty jester, growing increasingly strong and sadistic until becoming a demi-God, the creators took a bold leap by allowing Kefka to largely succeed in his schemes.
The huge ensemble cast of 14 each specialize in a particular job. Some of the goofier characters aren't exactly integral, but provide some desperately needed comedic relief. While not nearly as engrossing and flexible as V's job system, equipping dozens of magicite to summon espers and learn their magic allows most characters to command the game's entire gamut of spells.
Dungeons are the best yet, feeling cohesive in relation to the overworld and integrating puzzle elements fairly seamlessly. There's an excellent balance between the first half of the game being linear and the second half thrown wide open with tons of quests and secrets. The plot device of ancient monsters being released from the fissures of a great earthquake melds challenging battles with further expansion to the world's compelling lore.
The graphics make their greatest leap yet, highly detailed, introducing a steam-punk setting and bittersweet gloominess which was unfortunately lightened up in the Pixel Remaster version. Unbelievably vast, VI arguably remains the series' greatest soundtrack, easily holding it's own with the sequels not limited by the cartridge format. Beyond Nobuo Uematsu delivering even greater melancholy and exhilaration, his sound evolved to something remarkably delicate and complex.
Aside from abandoning V's job system, VI is easily the culmination of everything Square learned while developing the previous five titles. Despite the Returners trying their best, this journey is overwhelmingly bleak, but enduring it makes the nuanced character development and triumphant ending even more glorious. More than just one of the greatest games ever, Final Fantasy VI is an artistic masterpiece that elevated the entire genre, and Square themselves into one of Japan's most prominent developers for the remainder of the 90s.
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