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By:
wsim
Introduction
Final Fantasy IV (FFII in the U.S.) was considered to be a favourite
among most RPG gamers and it proved to be a decent hit in the U.S. and many
gamers were pleased about how that game turned out and it boasted the best storyline
in any FF game to date prior to FFVI. In the time between FFIV and FFVI however,
all was not quite well as Square never released FFV in the U.S. until the release
of Final Fantasy Anthology recently and FFV proved to be a shallow game in the
minds of many RPG gamers. Many gamers weren't happy since Square only decided
to release FFV in Japan only until the release of FF Anthology a couple of years
ago and many gamers were puzzled about why Square decided to only release FFV
in Japan since FFIV proved to be quite popular among the RPG gaming crowd in
the U.S. But after the release of FFVI in 1994, Square not only redeemed themselves
to gamers, they also showed their expertise and skill at making RPGs and FFVI
is still considered to be one of the best RPGs of all time, even in today's
standards. With one of the best storylines found in any RPG game and with loads
of great characters plus a solid battle system, FFVI is probably the best FF
game of all-time and it made a big impact when it came to the U.S. Final Fantasy
VI may not exactly wow you with it's graphics, yeah, they are still really good
for it's time but it's storyline and excellent music will really win gamers
over and it's quite a ground-breaking game in terms of the RPG genre. This is
one of Square's most critically-acclaimed efforts and it is even comparable
to Chrono Trigger, another one of Square's best efforts and one of the best
RPGs ever as well. Final Fantasy VI will make you embark on an adventure of
epic proportions and it's one of the most memorable games of all-time and the
music will always be considered great and the music in FFVI is no doubt, Nobuo
Uematsu's finest hour and during the time between FFVI and Chrono Trigger, Square
has reached is peak and was experiencing their golden age, a time in which RPGs
were excellent in quality and some of Square's best efforts of all-time came
from that time period. After the release of FF Anthology which included FFV
and FFVI with some new FMVs, they pleased many gamers, even though the graphics
were outdated, their storylines and music captivated many gamers across the
US and FFVI become one of the best RPG games ever made, without a doubt. While
FFVII and FFVIII may have much better graphics and great FMVs, the storyline
and gameplay is what keeps FFVI among the elite ranks of the RPG market.

Full Story
(Spoilers)
The game starts off with Terra, Vicks and Wedge attacking the town of
Narshe, riding on Magitek Armor and then later on, they meet up with an Esper,
who are mystical summon monsters and then the Esper, Tritoch, blows Vicks and
Wedge away and then a strange reaction occurs between Terra and Tritoch. Afterwards,
a man named Arvis takes care of Terra since she can't remember anything and
removes a "slave crown" from her head, which is responsible for her reasons
for attacking Narshe. Some soldiers of the Empire then come knocking on Arvis'
door and then Arvis tells Terra to use a secret passageway, leading to the mines
to escape the Empire. Terra goes through the passageway and then later on, Locke
Cole, a "treasure hunter", learns about Terra from Arvis and then he agrees
to protect her from the Empire and when Locke finds Terra in the mines, they
are surrounded by Imperial Soldiers but then a bunch of moogles come to the
rescue! After helping Locke defeat the soldiers, the moogles then go away and
Locke thanks the moogles for their help and then he and Terra use a secret passage
to escape the mines and then Locke decides to take Terra to see King Edgar of
Figaro.
After going south through
the desert and entering Figaro Castle, Locke and Terra see King Edgar and they
discuss that Terra's secret abilities that might come in handy as Locke and
King Edgar are really revealed to be members of "The Returners", a resistance
faction against the evil Empire, headed by Emperor Gestahl. After talking with
Edgar for a little while, Terra and Locke then explore the castle for a little
bit and they learn about Sabin, Edgar's brother, from a woman named "Matron".
After learning some of Sabin's and Edgar's past, Terra and Locke meet up with
Edgar again later on. It is revealed that "Kefka" has arrived with some Imperial
Troops and he then talks to Edgar and asks him where Terra is. Edgar doesn't
know and secretly he talks to Locke and arranges a plan to escape with him and
Terra and then the game goes back to Terra and she follows Locke to the room
that they will sleep in for the night. Afterwards, Kefka sets fire to the castle
and then Edgar, Locke and Terra escape from the burning castle by riding on
Chocobos and then Figaro Castle then submerges into the desert, escaping the
wrath of Kefka and the Empire for the time being. Kefka and some Imperial Soldiers
chase after Edgar and the others but they manage to escape them and they decide
to enter a cave nearby, to head to South Figaro. After passing through the cave,
Edgar and the others manage to reach South Figaro and then they enter the town.
After arriving in South Figaro,
Edgar and the others then find a mysterious ninja named Shadow inside the cafe
and Edgar tells the others not to get in his way for the time being since he
is a dangerous guy. Edgar and the others then head to Mt. Kolts nearby and they
see a shadow in the mountain and they decide to chase it for the time being.
After confronting the shadow, Edgar and the others find out that the shadow
is Vargas, a student of master Duncan and a rival to Sabin. Later on during
the battle with Vargas, Sabin comes to the rescue and then he uses the "Pummel"
Blitz to defeat Vargas and then after a short scene, Sabin agrees to join Edgar
and the others. They decide to head to the Returner's hideout which is located
in a cave just north of Mt. Kolts and after reaching the hideout, Edgar talks
with Banon, another member of the Returners, about Terra's secret power and
later on, Banon asks Terra to join their cause against the Empire. Terra agrees
and then Banon agrees to follow the others while Locke plans to go and secure
South Figaro from the hands of the Empire. Banon, Terra, Sabin and Edgar then
go on a raft as they go through a winding river and later on, they confront
Ultros, an Octopus and after the battle, Sabin goes after Ultros but then he
gets washed away by the quick rapids of the winding river.
Now you can choose from 3
scenarios: One involving Sabin, another with Terra and Edgar and finally, one
with Locke. The purpose of the scenarios is that every character's goal is to
meet up at Narshe and along the way they will go through a series of trials
and meet new characters along the way as well. I'll go in no specific order,
I'll just choose the scenarios randomly so here we go:
Terra and Edgar's Scenario:
Terra and Edgar manage to arrive in Narshe again and after using the secret
passage through the mines that Locke used earlier on in the game, Edgar and
Terra then go through some obstacles along the way and they eventually end up
back at Arvis' house. After a few scenes and some talking, the scenario comes
to an end. This is the shortest scenario by far anyways.
Locke's Scenario:
Locke realizes that South Figaro is under Imperial occupation and then he steals
some clothes from a merchant to gain access to a room in an old man's house,
since the kid guarding that room only let's merchants pass through. After going
through the passages, Locke then fights an Imperial soldier and then steals
his uniform so he can go around without being caught by the other soldiers around
South Figaro. Locke then heads to the cafe and the he sees another merchant
and then steals some clothes from him and then Locke disguises himself as a
merchant again. Locke gets a bottle of Cider after stealing the clothes and
then after heading back to the old man's house, Locke gives the bottle of Cider
to the old man and then the old man gives Locke the password to get through
his grandson downstairs. After telling the kid downstairs the password, Locke
goes through a passageway which leads to another house and then after going
down a secret set of stairs, Locke then heads through a long passageway and
then a short scene occurs in which a soldier beats up on Celes Chere, a former
General of the Empire who is being punished from betraying the Empire. After
the guard falls asleep, Locke then heads into the room where Celes is and then
rescues her and then Locke takes a key from the soldier sleeping. After passing
through another long series of tunnels and pathways, Locke and Celes manage
to leave South Figaro and then they head to the cave nearby and after passing
through the cave, they defeat a machine called TunnelArmor and then after a
bit of talking they head to Narshe and the scenario ends after that.
Sabin's Scenario:
After being washed up on shore, Sabin heads to a small house nearby and he then
finds Shadow as well and Shadow then decides to join Sabin for the time being.
Sabin learns of a secret Imperial base from Shadow and then after reaching the
secret base, they overhear some things from General Leo and some other Imperial
soldiers and then the game switches over to Cyan and then he heroically heads
outside the castle and kills the leader of an Imperial troop. Sabin and Shadow
then fight some Imperial soldiers and then they fight Kefka a few times as well
but Kefka just runs away after each battle, trying to elude Shadow and Sabin
and then later on, Kefka poisons a river nearby which kills almost everyone
back at Doma castle. Cyan then finds out that the King of Doma is dead and Cyan
also finds his family dead as well. After leaving Doma castle and meeting up
with Shadow and Sabin, Cyan agrees to join their cause and then they use Magitek
armors to break out of the secret base. From there, they all head south and
after passing through a large forest, they board a train. Turns out to be a
Phantom Train instead and then after going through the train and defeating ghosts
along the way, Cyan and the others then detach parts of the train one by one
and then after pulling the master switches to stop the train, they face the
Phantom Train. After defeating it, Cyan has a short sequence involving Cyan
and his family and then after that, they all head east to reach Baron falls.
After reaching Baron falls, Shadow then leaves the party, leaving Sabin and
Cyan behind as he then goes his own way and disappears. Cyan and Sabin then
jump off a cliff and then later on they reach land again and they meet up with
a kid named Gau. After talking to him for a bit, he then runs away and then
Sabin and Cyan head to a town called "Mobliz" nearby and they buy some dried
meat there. After finding Gau on the Veldt again, Cyan and Sabin then feed Gau
the piece of dried meat they bought in Mobliz and then Gau decides to join your
party. Later on, they head to Crescent Mountain nearby and then they find a
diving helmet and then they head into the Serpant Trench. After successfully
passing through the Serpant Trench, Sabin and the others then land on a boat
in a town called "Nikeah" and then they use the boat to head back to Narshe.
This concludes the Sabin scenario.
(End of the Scenarios)
Edgar, Locke, Terra, Cyan, Sabin, Gau and Celes all gather at Narshe and then
they speak with Banon and then Banon outlines their objective for the time being.
Some members don't get along well, Cyan doesn't trust Celes and so on but anyways,
they head to the hills of Narshe, ready to battle Kefka. They all split into
3 groups to try and hold off the big Imperial attack and they try to protect
Banon at all costs and after confronting Kefka, they fight him and then he runs
away shortly afterwards. Shortly afterwards, Terra gets confronted by an Esper
and then Terra morphs into an Esper-like creature and then flies away all of
a sudden. After deciding on the party, the others then head back to Figaro Castle
for the time being. After heading downstairs, Sabin and Edgar then ask a man
to use Figaro Castle to submerge to a town called Kohlingen and from there,
they all explore the town for a little bit and then they reach Zozo shortly
afterwards.
From there, they all head
up some tall buildings and then they eventually reach Terra who is resting on
a bed with another old man. The old man reveals that he is "Ramuh", the lighting-Esper
and then he explains more about Espers to the others and tells them about the
past war between humans and Espers in a war called: "The War of the Magi". Ramuh
then gives up his powers and passes it on to the others and they also receive
3 other Magicite crystals as well. They leave Terra behind for the time being
and then the others decide to head to Jidoor as they decide to find the Empire's
base but they need an airship. Once in Jidoor, Edgar and the others find the
owner of the Opera house inside the town and after speaking with him for a bit,
he drops a letter behind and then the others decide to read it. The letter mentions
about a man named Setzer and his airship and then Edgar and the others decide
to head down south to the Opera house. After entering the Opera house, the Impresario
mistakes Celes for Maria, who is supposed to be playing the lead female role
in the Opera and then shortly afterwards, Celes agrees to perform in the Opera,
in hopes of finding Setzer and his airship. During the Opera, Locke then wanders
around for a bit and then finds a letter in the dressing room written by Ultros
and then he decides to tell the Impresario. It is revealed that Locke and the
others have 5 minutes to stop Ultros before he ruins the entire Opera and before
he crushes Celes with a large iron weight. Locke and the others eventually reach
Ultros and then they defeat him and then Setzer drops by to save Celes and the
others.
After that, Setzer then uses
his airship to take the others to Vector, the Imperial Capital but then the
ship eventually crashes and eventually lands at a town called Albrook. Setzer
and the others decide to explore some of the nearby towns for a little while
and then they later on head to Vector. Inside Vector, Setzer and the others
find an old man and the old man then causes a distraction to the Imperial guards,
giving Setzer and the others enough time for them to climb up and head into
a secret passageway that leads to the "Magitek Factory". Inside the factory,
Celes and the others pass through several pathways and conveyor belts before
finding Kefka and then they hide and they see Kefka play around with a couple
of Espers and then after that scene, Celes and the others follow the Espers
and then they fight them. After defeating Shiva and Ifrit, they then tell Celes
and the others that there are more Espers in the factory, being drained of their
powers and then Shiva and Ifrit then turn into Magicite crystals and then Celes
and the others inherit their powers. They then pass through a room with Magicite
crystals inside glass cylinders and they press a a switch to free them and then
Celes and the others receive their powers as well. Eventually, they find Kefka
again and then after a short scene, it is believed that Celes could be a traitor
but she then saves the others and then the others then talk with Cid and then
they head into a mine cart.
The others then pass through
some tracks which eventually leads back to Vector and then Setzer finds them
and then they all head back into the airship. Kefka then decides to send a couple
of robotic cranes after the airship to try and stop the others but Setzer and
the others manage to defeat the cranes. They all decide to head back to Zozo
to check up on how Terra is doing and after finding her, she then tells the
others more about her past and about the "Esper World". It is revealed that
Terra is half-human and half-Esper and that her father is an Esper called "Maduin"
and her mother is a human called "Madonna". After the flashback sequence, Setzer
and the others fly west of Vector to reach the Imperial Base. After entering
the Imperial Base, they find out that there is nothing there and then they decide
to head to the Cave to the Sealed gate, which is located nearby. After going
through the cave, the others find Kefka and they manage to stop him from entering
the gate for the time being and then the others leave the cave and they head
back to the airship. Later on, the airship crashes which leaves the others just
south of Maranda and then they eventually return to Vector again. Setzer and
the others manage to enter the Imperial Castle and then after talking to Emperor
Gestahl, he explains that he is deeply sorry for what the Empire has done in
the past and then he tells the others that Kefka is now put into jail for his
evil crimes. Setzer and the others don't really believe Gestahl and after talking
to some Imperial Soldiers, Gestahl then offers Setzer and the others to join
him for a banquet. During the banquet, Emperor Gestahl and the others talk about
Kefka and the Espers for a little while and then Emperor Gestahl then decides
to remove troops from some towns to try and restore peace. Emperor Gestahl then
tells the others to head to Albrook and to find General Leo there.
After arriving in Albrook, the others head to the docks and then they talk to
General Leo and then they rest up in the inn for the night before heading out
by ship to Thamasa, near the gathering place of the Espers. After boarding the
boat, Shadow joins up with the others and then after a few scenes, they reach
Thamasa. Later on, they find Strago, an old man who is descended from the mighty
Mage warriors from the past and he can do some "Blue Magic" as well. After talking
with Strago about the Espers, they then spend the night in his house for the
time being and then in the middle of the night, they then find out that a house
is on fire, in which Relm, who is Strago's grand-daughter, is inside. Strago
then joins up with the others and then they eventually save Relm and then Shadow
helps rescue Relm as well. They then rest for the rest of the night and then
the next morning, Strago and the others decide to head to the Crescent cave,
which is the gathering place of the Espers. Inside the cave, Strago and the
others reach 3 goddess statues and then they end up meeting up with Ultros again.
During the battle with Ultros, Relm shows up and then sketches Ultros and then
Ultros runs away. Later on, a scene occurs and then back in Thamasa, it is revealed
that Emperor Gestahl has betrayed the others and then General Leo, shocked,
decides to go after Kefka and after the battle, Kefka then kills General Leo.
Kefka then defeats more Espers and obtains their powers and then the sealed
gate then rises up in the air, becoming the floating continent.
Setzer and the others then
decide to head to the floating continent, but on the way there, they end up
fighting some Imperial airships and then after defeating Ultros and his friend,
Chupon, they land on the floating continent. After passing through various pathways,
they then reach Atma Weapon and after defeating him, they eventually find Kefka
and Gestahl. After a long scene, Gestahl then realizes that Kefka is nothing
but an evil being who wants to destroy the world and then he tries to kill Kefka
using his magic. But there is a magic barrier around the continent so Gestahl's
spells have no effect on Kefka and then Kefka shoves Gestahl off the floating
continent, leaving him to his death. Shadow then tries to move the goddess statues
near Kefka, temporarily trapping him and then he tells the others to get out
as quickly as possible as the floating continent starts to collapse. At the
end of the floating continent, if you wait long enough, Shadow will escape with
you, if not, then he will come to a devastating end. After jumping back on the
airship, several scenes occur in which the world is in chaos and towns are being
destroyed and so on and then the airship then crashes and the others are all
separated as the World of Balance is now destroyed and becomes the "World of
Ruin."
Celes then wakes up and finds herself stranded on an island along with Cid and
Cid is very ill and Celes finds out that only Cid and herself are left on the
island. After feeding Cid some fish, Cid then tells Celes about a letter he
left behind before he passes away. Celes then finds the letter and the letter
tells that Celes is to find the others and then defeat Kefka before the world
is destroyed for good. Celes then finds a raft laying nearby and then she rides
it to Albrook. After talking with some of the townspeople there, they then tell
Celes that someone went to the nearby town of Tzen to look for some of his friends.
Celes then heads to Tzen and after entering the town, she finds out that the
town has been severely damaged by Kefka's Light of Judgement beam and Celes
then finds Sabin trying desperately to hold up a house before it collapses on
him. It is revealed that Celes has only 5 minutes to save a little kid inside
the house, who is trapped and after rescuing him, Sabin then joins up with Celes
again as they look for the others. They then head to the town of Mobliz where
Celes and Sabin follow a kid inside a house and then they follow him downstairs
and then Sabin and Celes find Terra with a bunch of little children. After a
scene, it is revealed that Terra has no will to fight and she intends on protecting
the children of the town, who lost their parents to Kefka's Light of Judgement
beam. Suddenly, a monster named Phunbaba, a demon-like monster who was unleashed
after the demise of the Floating Continent, enters the town and Terra tries
to fight him but she then proves to me no match against Phunbaba at this time.
Sabin and Celes come to her aid and then after a battle with Phunbaba, he then
escapes for the time being and then Terra tells Sabin and Celes that she will
stay with the children for now and then Sabin and Celes head to Nikeah.
After arriving in Nikeah,
Celes and Sabin then head into the Cafe and then they find a group of thieves,
lead by a man named Gerad who looks very similar to Edgar somehow. After talking
with them for awhile, Celes and Sabin then follow the thieves to the ship and
then they talk with Gerad for a little bit and Celes and Sabin believe that
Gerad is Edgar but Gerad denies it. Celes and Sabin follow the thieves to the
ship and then they all head to South Figaro. They reach South Figaro and then
Celes and Sabin then enter the Cafe there and then they enter the inn and find
Gerad in a room there. After speaking with Gerad, the thieves then head to Figaro
cave and then Gerad follows them as well to look for some nice treasure. Celes
and Sabin decide to follow them through Figaro cave, leading to the basement
of Figaro Castle. Eventually, Celes and Sabin meet up with Gerad, who reveals
that he is Edgar and then they defeat a boss and then Edgar and the others hide
from the thieves who thought Gerad has been killed by a machine and then the
thieves take off. Edgar then finds some treasure in the castle and then Edgar
tells the man in the basement to head to the nearby town of Kohlingen. Edgar
and the others then enter the Cafe in Kohlingen and then they find Setzer in
there and after convincing him to join their cause to defeat Kefka, he accepts
and joins them and then he tells Edgar and the others about an airship buried
in a place called "Daryl's Tomb". After going through various pathways and defeating
monsters along the way, Setzer and the others then reach a long stairway which
leads to the airship and then a flashback sequence occurs between Setzer and
his good friend Daryl, who died in a racing accident some time ago. After finding
the new airship, Setzer and the others find a pigeon flying in the sky and they
decide to follow it for now and the pigeon eventually leads them to Zozo.
In Zozo, Celes and the others
find an old man behind the Cafe who sells them some Rust-Rid, which helps open
a rusted door at the top of the town and they decide to buy it. After opening
the rusted-door, they enter Mt. Zozo and then eventually, they meet up with
Cyan and after they talk for a little bit, Cyan joins the others and then after
that, he returns to Maranda to exchange letters with a women named Lola. After
that, Celes and the others then head to the Veldt and they find Gau there and
shortly afterwards, Gau recognizes the others and joins their cause and then
they enter the Cave of the Veldt. Eventually, they find Relm/Shadow inside the
cave, depending on what you did in the Floating Continent earlier on and after
defeating a couple of Behemoths, they end up in Thamasa and then Relm/Shadow
rests their wounds at an inn for the time being. After doing some stuff at the
"Colosseum", depending if Shadow is still alive, Shadow then joins your party
and then the others decide to head to Mobliz to check up on how Terra's doing.
Inside Mobliz, Celes and the others find some kids downstairs again and they
mention about Katarin and Duane, who are in love and then Celes and the others
enter another house where they find Katarin and Terra and then Phunbaba returns
again. During the battle, Terra then eventually defeats Phunbaba and then she
joins the others as she now fully understands her will to fight for the future
of the world and then she tells the children that she will leave for some time
and she promises to return later on.
Later on, Terra and the others
find a forest near Narshe and then Sabin is shocked to find that Duncan, his
mentor, is still alive. After some talking, Duncan teaches Sabin his most powerful
Blitz attack: "Bum Rush" and then after that, Terra and the others head to Narshe.
Inside Narshe, Terra and the others realize that most of the doors are locked
and then after going through the mines, they find Mog and he then joins up with
Terra and the others. After that, Terra and the others then head to Jidoor and
they find that a rich man in Jidoor has a skilled painter hired to paint some
portraits for him and inside the rich man's house, Terra and the others eventually
find a secret doorway and after going though some haunted passageways, they
find Relm and Owzer, the rich guy and they find that the painting that Relm
is doing for Owzer is haunted and then a monster in the painting fights Terra
and the others. After defeating the monster, Relm joins up with the others and
then she promises Owzer that she will return to finish the painting soon and
then they all decide to head to a star-shaped mountain and they land there.
It is revealed that the mountain is the Phoenix cave and Terra and the others
enter the cave and after going through many different pathways and after pressing
some switches, they manage to reach Locke who has found the legendary "Phoenix
Esper" and then after a scene in Kohlingen in which Locke revives a close friend
of his, he then joins up with Terra and the others. They then decide to head
to the fanatics tower and then Relm finds Strago and then Strago joins up with
the others and then they leave the tower.
After gathering up all the
party members, Terra and the others then fly above Kefka's tower and then they
split up into three groups and then they manage to land into Kefka's tower.
After going through some vents and pathways, they then confront a monster named
Atma and after defeating it, they move on and after defeating some guardian
bosses and monsters along they way, Terra and the others manage to press some
switches and then they manage to reach Kefka. After confronting with Kefka,
he then demonstrates his new-found power and he causes some more destruction
to the world and then shortly afterwards, he descends high above the tower and
then after deciding on the party formations, Terra and the others then defeat
the tower monsters before reaching the heavens and fighting Kefka. After reaching
Kefka, Terra and the others then give him all they've got and after a quick
and tough battle, Kefka is finally defeated once and for all and then after
that, Terra and the others then escape Kefka's domain but along the way, an
Esper named Maduin tells Terra that Espers will disappear from this world and
then later on, Terra and the others reach the airship and then Kefka's domain
collapses and then Celes and the others believe that Terra could possibly disappear
from the world since she is a half-Esper and then Terra decides to use up the
rest of her Esper powers and the airship saves her in time before she falls
to her death. Terra then loses her Esper powers and then some scenes occur in
which the world is starting to recover from Kefka's carnage and that the world
is at peace once again. After the ending sequences, the game then ends and then
the game shows scenes and views from several different places in FFVI, like
Mobliz, Mt. Zozo and Figaro Castle and then the credits roll and then the game
comes to an end.
This concludes the full-story
of Final Fantasy VI and it's a great storyline in my opinion, anyways, if you
want to read my analysis of the game, then read the following sections to see
if FFVI really is as good as I say it is......
Analysis/Ratings
-Graphics
-Gameplay
-Storyline
-Sound
-Fun Factor
-Overall
-Ratings
Graphics
Considering that Final Fantasy VI was made in 1994, the graphics are
very well done and most of the environments and backgrounds are quite well-detailed
as well. While the graphics aren't exactly outstanding for it's time, they are
certainly great and the character designs are top-notch and they take on the
usual super-deformed style that most FF fanatics are all used to. While most
of the spell effects aren't entirely spectacular, they are not that bad done
and some of the Esper spell effects look more spectacular then ever before.
Some of Sabin's Blitz attacks are fairly flashy as well and there are plenty
of great visual treats to please the casual gamer throughout the game. While
the graphics are predominantly 2D, the World Map animations are simply amazing
for it's time and the towns are also very detailed and well-animated in it's
own right. One problem I noticed throughout the game is that, most of the people
in the towns look the same and some things are a little repetitive but that's
not really a big issue in this game and the Opera scenes are also great to see
in the game as well. The backgrounds are quite well-detailed like waterfalls,
mountains, clouds and so on and sometimes they are quite vibrant and move as
well. Otherwise, the graphics are great for it's time and the beginning and
ending sequences of FFVI really set the tone of the game well and the graphics
are great and they are quite impressive for the most part overall in my opinion.
Gameplay
The gameplay in FFVI is very innovative and the battle engine is much
improved over Final Fantasy V. The "Esper System", in which you equip Espers
to learn different magic spells and gain bonuses when you level up are quite
innovative and the Esper System is unique and well-rounded overall with no real
complaints except for that some spells take a very long time to learn, but some
of them are well-worth it in my opinion. New additions in gameplay this time
are Limit Breaks, which are desperation attacks which occur randomly when a
character is very weak and has low HP as well. Another new addition to gameplay
is that you can now equip two-relics instead of one and there is more variety
in what relics you can equip your characters with and there are some unique
weapons in FFVI as well. FFVI uses the standard ATB battle engine as well all
know by now and there is more variety in terms of battle commands in FFVI as
well like Mog's "Dance" command and so on. In FFVI, you can have 4 characters
in your party at one time, just like most FF games and there is more exploration
in FFVI, unlike other FF games since the world map is more larger this time
around with many more towns to explore as well. Another interesting concept
in FFVI is that there is a "Colosseum" in which you can fight enemies and bet
items/weapons/armor in which you can win better items, weapons or armor if you
defeat them but the downfall is that the battles are automatically controlled,
which makes it much more difficult by the way. Other than that, there isn't
very much to fault in FFVI except for the fact that some battles may be a little
slow to some gamers but otherwise, the gameplay in FFVI is very innovative and
it is excellent overall as well.
Storyline
The storyline in FFVI is one of the best ever seen in any Final Fantasy
game and even in today's standards, it's very good and the storyline in FFVI
is one of the best storylines ever written in any RPG to date. With a large
cast of characters, each with their own personalities and attributes and attitudes,
FFVI has solid character development for the most part overall. A couple of
characters don't exactly have origins or stories about their past but that's
because they are secret characters but otherwise, every character has an origin
which is quite detailed and it is fairly significant over the course of the
game as well. The clash between "Espers" and "humans" serves as the game's main
theme as magic is lost throughout the early stages of the game but then magic
sees a resurgence later on as well and the game has a dominant villain in Kefka.
In my opinion, Kefka made an excellent main villain in FFVI and his personality
fitted well in his role and he's one of the best RPG villains ever made due
to his evil intentions and plans. The storyline in FFVI had many twists and
turns throughout the game and some of them are extremely dramatic and it makes
gamers want to play more to find out what happens next as well. The storyline
never really slowed down and overall, there were plenty of suspense and dramatic
events to set the tone for the game's ending, which by the way is pretty good
and it closes out the storyline of FFVI fairly well. Overall, with FFVI has
excellent character development and the storyline is near flawless which makes
FFVI one of the best RPG games ever and one of the best Final Fantasy games
ever made as well.
Sound
What can I say here? The music in Final Fantasy VI is OUTSTANDING. Nobuo
Uematsu was definitely at his best when he composed the music of FFVI and the
game had some excellent tracks which set the overall tone of the game very well.
Most RPG gamers would say that FFVI's music is just "classic" and will always
be remembered as one of Nobuo Uematsu's best efforts every and even now, FFVI
has some memorable tracks which many gamers still remember from the time when
FFVI was first released, back in 1994. The overall musical tracks in FFVI were
quite dramatic, and they also fit the emotional mood of the game very well and
while there may not be a good variety of tracks in the game, there are still
a decent number and they are very well done. So quantity ain't the issue in
terms of music in FFVI, quality is what matters and Square has showed that with
FFVI and it managed to please all RPG fans around the world. The character themes
all fit the character quite well and some of them are excellent, from Locke's
heroic theme to Shadow's mysterious theme, they all fit the character well and
they tell the gamer more about their attitudes and personality. The prelude
is also present in FFVI as usual, and this time around, the Chocobo theme is
now remixed and sounds a little more techno in my mind but it still sounds great,
nevertheless. Kefka's theme is also good as well and the Opera tracks are just
amazing and they are one of the most recognizable pieces of music in the entire
FF series as they really impressed gamers at that time. The opening and ending
theme music of FFVI also worked out great and the ending had some remixed versions
of the regular character themes which went along great and while the sound effects
in battle aren't entirely amazing, they are solid and they manage to get the
job done as well. Overall, the sound in FFVI is amazing and it's the strongest
point of the game which makes it one of the best RPG games ever made.
Fun Factor
Final Fantasy VI is quite a fun game and the storyline has plenty of
memorable moments and twists to keep gamers busy playing that game for quite
some time. As if that ain't enough, there are a fair amount of sidequests in
the game as well in which you will learn more about the character's past and
there are some nice items to get as well. Considering that FFVI is an old game,
you may wonder if FFVI had any interesting sidequests at all but in my opinion
FFVI has some enjoyable sidequests, while some a tedious, others are fairly
interesting to do as well. Sidequests like "Cyan's Dreamworld" or the "Ancient
Castle" are pretty enjoyable in my opinion and Gau's little sidequest is quite
funny and enjoyable as well, since it is very short. The "Colosseum" may keep
the hardcore gamers busy as there are many rare items and weapons/armor or relics
to win and it can prove a real challenge to them since the battles in the Colosseum
require a lot of luck and patience. Even without the sidequests, FFVI is a very
fun game due to the well-written storyline and the amazing musical tracks will
keep gamers interested for a long time. FFVI is hardly ever boring, there are
a few minor slow parts to the game but otherwise, the game is fun overall and
it's not exactly the most addictive RPG game around but considering that it's
an old RPG game, FFVI still has a solid amount of sidequests and plot twists
to keep even the most hardcore gamers interested in FFVI for quite a long time.
Overall
With a very innovative battle system and decent graphics as well as a
very well written storyline, FFVI is one of the best FF games ever made and
it's one of the best RPG games ever made as well. The music is one of Nobuo
Uematsu's best work and the music is memorable and amazing for it's time and
it really fits the mood and overall emotion of the game as well. Final Fantasy
VI has solid character development throughout the game and there are plenty
of dramatic and interesting plot twists to please not only the average gamer,
but to the RPG veterans as well. While the graphics aren't entirely spectacular,
they are very well done and the character designs are well done, courtesy of
Yoshitaka Amano and the graphics are solid and the backgrounds are quite stunning
in terms of detail, overall. FFVI has a great villain in Kefka and the storyline
is interesting and well-written and it helps make FFVI an excellent RPG game
overall. Not only that, but the battle system is innovative with the ability
to equip two relics and the battle engine is much improved of FFV, which is
great news to hear to many FF fanatics. Even with that said, FFVI also has a
fair amount of sidequests to it's arsenal as well, making the game very fun
to play and the sidequests are fairly enjoyable and some are funny for the most
part as well. With an amazing storyline, decent graphics and an excellent storyline
and memorable music, FFVI is one of the best RPG games ever made and it's definitely
a must for any FF fanatic in my opinion and it's one of the most interesting
and intriguing RPG games that you will ever play, trust me on this one, FFVI
is simply a masterpiece, nuff said.
Ratings (Compare
w/ other games)
| GRAPHICS: |
8.5/10 |
8.5 |
While the graphics aren't exactly
spectacular for it's time, they are certainly well done and the spell effects
are nicely done, to say the least. The backgrounds are quite vibrant and
detailed as well and the graphics are very good considering that this game
is made in 1994. Not the most strongest point of the game, but nevertheless,
the graphics are still well done to say the least. |
| GAMEPLAY: |
19/20 |
9.5 |
The battle system in FFVI is
very innovative in my opinion, the "Esper System" is an interesting new
concept of learning magic and the ability of equip two relics instead of
one is a nice bonus as well. Not to mention that new features such as "Limit
Breaks" and an improved battle engine help the gameplay as well. |
| STORYLINE: |
19/20 |
9.5 |
Final Fantasy VI has a very
well-written storyline with plenty of twists and dramatic events to interest
any gamer. The character development is very well-done and FFVI also has
a great villain in Kefka as well as a decent supporting cast of villains
in Emperor Gestahl and the Empire. Definitely one of the game's strongest
points. |
| SOUND: |
10/10 |
10 |
What can I say? The sound in
FFVI is simply amazing and outstanding and not only that, but most of the
tracks sound great and they all seem to fit the dramatic tone and mood of
the game as well. The character themes sound great and the music in the
opening and ending sequences are also extremely well done, with remixed
versions of the character's themes. |
| FUN FACTOR: |
9.5/10 |
9.5 |
Considering that FFVI is an
old game, there are still a fair amount of sidequests to the game in which
to enjoy, like betting on items and weapons/armor in the Coliseum as well
as learning more about some character's past in several different sidequests
as well. Not only that, but the interesting storyline also interests even
the most hardcore RPG gamers for quite a while. |
| |
| OVERALL: |
66/70 |
9.4 |
With a very innovative battle
system as well as a very well written storyline and great music, FFVI is
one of the best RPG games ever made and it's one of the best FF games ever.
The storyline alone makes FFVI so great and the good character development
and excellent and memorable music also add to that as well. With all that
said, FFVI is one of the best RPG games ever made without a doubt and it's
the best FF game ever made, nuff said about this one, an instant masterpiece. |
Characters
Song Lyrics
Aria de Mezzo Carattere (English)
IMPRESSARIO:
The West and East are waging war...
Draco, the West's great hero, thinks of his love, Maria.
Is she safe? Is she waiting?
Draco:
Oh Maria!
Oh Maria!
Please, hear my voice!
How I long to be with you!
Narrator:
The forces of the West fell,
and Maria's castle was taken.
Prince Ralse, of the East,
took her hand by force,
but she never stopped yearning for Draco...
Maria:
Oh my hero, so far away now.
Will I ever see your smile?
Love goes away, like night into day.
It's just a fading dream.
I'm the darkness, you're the stars.
Our love is brighter than the sun.
For eternity, for me there can be,
Only you, my chosen one...
Must I forget you? Our solemn promise?
Will autumn take the place of spring?
What shall I do? I'm lost without you.
Speak to me once more!
Draco:
Come, Maria, follow my lead.
Maria:
We must part now, my life goes on.
but my heart won't give you up.
Ere I walk away, let me hear you say.
I meant as much to you....
So gently, you touched my heart.
I will be forever yours.
Come what may, I won't age a day,
I'll wait for you, always...
GBA Remake
The GBA remake of FFVI features some additional gameplay features as well as
several new Espers. As well, the visuals are enhanced slightly and
look simply outstanding. Some of the new confirmed Espers include
Leviathan, Gilgamesh, Cactuar and Diabolos. Like FFIV and FFV advance,
the remake of FFVI also features an extra bonus dungeon that is sure to be a
proven challenge to even the most veteran gamers.
 
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