PS1/Steam Game Review: Final Fantasy 2

 Final Fantasy 2 at the time in Japan was lauded for its ability to be different and when it came to America, it was chided.. for its ability to be different.  It is a fickle thing yes, but bear with me as we go into this together on my review of FF2.  This is mainly the PS1 version as overall I would rather recommend the Pixel Remaster on Steam than the PS1 version.  So if you find yourself wanting to play this game, play the Pixel Remaster on Steam.  Without further ado, here is my review of FF2.

Positives: 

1. Any class- All your characters have the ability to be any class you want.  I actually like this method of a "Create-Your-Own-Class" method of a game.  One can draw it similarly to that of FF14.  You have all these classes at your disposal so it would be open for all the possibilities.  It's something I actually appreciate about this game.

2. Updated graphics- They had to remaster the graphics and I thought it was a good job done overall.  Everything on the PS1 is crisp and well done.  I like that they boast airships over the sky at times and made use of it and that is something that would work well even today.  I like that they instituted that in a game like FF15 but FF2 really started that out well.

Neutral:

1. Sound Track- Now I have not played FF4: The After Years, FF11, 12, or any of the 13's yet but I have to say this soundtrack has to be the weakest soundtrack thus far.  None of the sounds and songs were that engaging to me and didn't make me think of a great game.  It's not that they were terrible either but it just was there.  It wasn't the best work nor the worst in video gaming but one of the weakest for the FF Series. 

2. Main Nemesis- Again not a plus, not a minus.  The Emperor is an okay villain but nothing brooding or devious like others (Kefka, Sephiroth, Kuja, Seymour, etc.) but it isn't awful (Garland FF1, Ultimecia come to mind) so you are just kind of in that mid tier of arch enemies. 

Negatives:

1. Level up system- Any system that you have to hit your own self for improving your character should be thrown into a grinder and never be birthed again.  It was absolutely putrid for most of this game the objective to leveling up a character is hitting yourself or your characters hitting you.  Luckily this one was sent to the wood chipper instantly after this game.

2. The Fourth Character- There are three main Characters: Firion, Maria and Gus (Might be Guy in later versions.) That means there is an interchanging fourth character which sounds good on the surface.  However it comes with a big caveat. They are all terrible and underskilled and underleveled.  This means that, yes, they will die a lot or you have to build them up super quick.  It's annoying that each character is like this for the fourth spot no matter where in the game you are.

3. The Story- Much like FF1, this story has no depth.  It's just beat the Empire/Emperor.  That's LEGIT it.  There is no other part.  Yes linear works if you have SOMETHING else to go with it, like intriguing characters or paths along the way or cool things to do with the main story.  There is nothing exciting about this and there isn't anything special to the main story or any cool side quests.  Therefore the story is bland at best and not intriguing.  Which also brings me to..

4. No character depth- Square did not make a case for character growth for the first three Final Fantasies and it shows. FF2 has characters who talk, but there is no growth on them whatsoever.  Firion, Maria and Gus do little to no growth in the story and it desperately was needed.  There was no major leadership at all to gain from them and this game needed it sorely.  Speaking of characters..

5. Needless Deaths- Every death in this game was so needless and so unnecessary minus one (Minuf, which may also be differently spelled in other versions) character's death.  Everyone else just felt so needless to die in this game and it just felt weird to have it happen and just so awkward because we spent little time with the person anyway.  I don't know why it had to happen that way but Square did it.

Rating: FF2 isn't a game I would recommend at all.  It has far too many flaws and I feel that it struggles mightily in those departments.  If they ever reshaped the game to include better depth and character development without that stupid way of leveling up, it'd be far more better.  To me, it's a 3.5 out of 10.  To me, it's the worst FF to date I have played and completed.  Order is below.

1. FF6

2. FF10

3. FF9 *moved ahead of 5 upon replay*

4. FF5

5. FF7

6. FF15

7. FF4

8. FF8

9. FF1

10. FF2

NES/PS1/Steam Game Review: Final Fantasy 1

 Final Fantasy is enriched and steep in history that begins with the original Final Fantasy (These days called Final Fantasy 1) back in 1987 with the NES.  This game brought Final Fantasy to America and allowed the series to start here.  However, it really didn't get popular until the SNES got around and later the PS1.  However it found more immediate footing in Nintendo's home country, Japan, and gave Square and Nintendo hope that the future was strong with the Final Fantasy series.  Below is mainly the PS1 review of Final Fantasy because I'll say right away what NES and Steam offer.

NES Version: It's the launch pad for the series and the game does do some things well but overall it is limited because of the limitations of the NES itself.  It features great music and graphics for its time, but the dialogue and text box are limited due to the limitations of that by the NES.  The game plays a bit slow but I tend to give that more with the limitations of the NES again.  If this were on the SNES it would play much more brisk paced and be more fine.  The transitions to battle are a bit weird but I would just be pointing to the same flaw over and over with the NES.  Overall it was a good start into the franchise but one that if started a few years later would have seen much more great success.

Steam Version: This is technically the Pixel Remaster for all those who were wondering.  This is probably the smoothest of the games and arguably the one I would recommend most of all the versions of this game.  This game has the best graphics, music and ability to play the game throughout the versions of Final Fantasy.  It's otherwise no different in story but the nuances of the game are the best of the bunch and make it the best of the bunch to play.  Without further ado, here is my PS1 review.

Positives:

1. Graphics- A major step up from the NES, but that isn't saying much.  The fact though they had to remaster it to the PS1, use essentially different equipment and different ability to get it done warrants a lot of credit.  They did well to port it to the PS1 and make it function really well.

2. Music- Another major thing that is stepped up from the NES to now and makes it overall better.  I was impressed with how much better and clearer the music was on the PS1.  I feel Square also deserves a lot of credit for what they did there.

3. Elemental Bosses- You'll see these in future games in some regard but I like that you have all of these bosses in the first game and that they can be a challenge.

Negatives:

1. No character development- Yep there's going to be a bunch.. but the first is no character development.  I can understand you don't know what you are getting to but they don't even talk.  It's just 4 random people in third person type roles and no speaking lines and just holding up their power for the crystal they are at to re-ignite to help the world. Which leads me to..

2. Bland story- It's just literally revive the crystals with just one twist in there.  Yeah there are a few side quests but it's nothing too remotely difficult to do. There just isn't much to the story and there isn't much to this game much overall I feel.

3. Bland Skill set- There isn't much to it, you almost have to do 2 mages, a thief and a warrior, otherwise it is a very, very tough game to beat.  But there isn't much to the skill set.  You don't steal with the thief anyway, and when it becomes a Ninja, it is just a mere upgrade.  I'm not a major fan of just the overall bland style done with this game and I felt that there could have been more done even in a remaster to make this game feel more adventurous.

4. No summons- This is what happens with no summoner job in this game and no upgrade.  In fact, Bahamut is the creature that gives you your upgrade in job status about 2/3rds of the way through the game.  It's lackluster and something that I am glad they fixed after a couple of games later on. 

Rating: Honestly this is a game that while the elemental bosses are good, the graphics and music is also good, is just bland and honestly boring.  There is no depth to it.  It's just four people walking around almost mindlessly not talking and doing anything other than beating monsters and bosses and restoring peace to the world.  There isn't anything other than that.  No character development, boring classes, and while yes the upgrade is decent enough it doesn't provide more of any depth or flavor to the game.  To me this rates a 3 out of 10 and I would rank it the lowest of the Final Fantasies I have played.