THE PLOT:
Bartz is a very ordinary young man, traveling with his pet Chocobo, when a meteor suddenly falls to Earth nearby. He investigates, and finds two people near the site: Galuf, an old man who can remember nothing other than his name; and Lenna, a young woman who insists she must reach the Wind Shrine. Joining forces with a pirate named Faris, they reach the Shrine - only to find that the Wind Crystal has shattered, and that they have been tasked with protecting the three crystals that still remain.
Saving the crystals is easier said than done, however. The crystals are controlled by separate kingdoms, each of which is using machines to amplify their powers - a process that is gradually destroying them. The four travelers soon learn that the crystals are all that is sealing away the evil Exdeath. When the final crystal is destroyed, Exdeath will be free to reclaim his power, even if he must destroy the world to do so!
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| The king delivers some Royal Exposition. |
CHARACTERS:
A backward step from the multilayered characters that populated Final Fantasy IV. Bartz and his friends are perfectly fine, as Super Nintendo video game protagonists go; they certainly have more depth than the characters of the first three games. Still, while they're a likable and energetic bunch, only a few scenes attempt to characterize them as anything more than that.
Mind you, they come across as literary achievements next to the villainous Exdeath. In addition to his name being... well, Exdeath, his grand plan appears to be to destroy the world simply to be able to say he has ultimate power, and it is not uncommon for his dialogue to be punctuated with a "Mwahaha." No, really.
I actually think the most interesting character in the game ends up being the boastful recurring villain Gilgamesh. Though his appearances are fleeting, he gets some of the best dialogue in the game. He also undergoes an arc with regard to his relationship with the heroes - which is more than any of the other characters can claim.
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| The game's villain: Exdeath, Master of Subtlety. |
GAMEPLAY:
A bit of a cross between Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy IV. It retains the ATB gauge system of IV, which will leave players regularly reaching for "Haste" and "Slow" spells to create an edge in boss battles. It also refines the job system of III. As in that game, you can switch your characters between jobs - white and black mages, rangers, knights, and ninjas, among others. As an added wrinkle, when you learn skills, you get to keep them when you switch to a new job. Thus, you can have a sword-wielding black mage, or a spellcasting ninja, or a thief with the ability to summon Eidolons. This adds some depth to the gameplay, encouraging the player to experiment with different combinations and develop strategies around those.
THOUGHTS:
The Nintendo-era Final Fantasy titles seem to be falling into an Even/Odd pattern. Even numbered entries (II, IV, and reputedly VI) tend to be ambitious, pushing more complex narratives that often have a darker tone. Meanwhile, the odd numbered entries (I, III, V) seem to be more along the lines of light-hearted romps that almost feel like refinements of each other. It's notable that all three games have the same base narrative: Four Warriors of Light, on a mission to save Crystals from a Very Bad Guy.
That isn't to say Final Fantasy V isn't fun. The characters are likable, and there's a general sense of good humor throughout. Even as the stakes rise to genuinely Apocalyptic levels, the story remains sprightly and enjoyable. Some of the bits of humor fall flat (a mystic's Fourth Wall-breaking quip about "sitting around eating pizza" is particularly unfortunate), but there is something to be said for a fantasy epic that doesn't take itself too seriously. Plus, at just over thirty hours with three major shifts in setting, the game never wears out its welcome.
Well, almost never. If this is the third go-around for the "Warriors of Light" storyline, it is at least the best version of it. But there is one aspect of Final Fantasy V that I'm not a fan of...
Gimmick dungeons.
Ye who are about to play this game... Beware! This game is absolutely in love with gimmick dungeons. Dungeons with switch puzzles. Dungeons with floor traps. Dungeons that deliberately obscure your view of the surrounding area. Dungeons with enemies who will instantly banish one or two of your characters from a fight, leaving you at half-strength. A little of this can help to refresh the formula of "plow through the dungeon to fight the Boss." As the game wears on, however, it starts to feel like almost every dungeon has a gimmick, which becomes rather wearisome after a while.
Gimmicks aside, this is the easiest mainline Final Fantasy title I've played. Healing and replenishment materials drop frequently, and by the late game your characters should have more than enough potions, ethers, and elixirs to steamroll the Final Dungeon with no fear of using your full force. The Final Boss has a gimmick of his own (of course) - but once you figure that out, it's a startlingly easy final encounter. Oh, and save points regularly appear in front of boss battles, so players are unlikely to ever be in the position of having to replay a large chunk of dungeon crawling just to get to a challenging boss fight. All of this results in a very casual-friendly game... Though that may actually frustrate players who prefer genuine challenge.
Finally, a quick note for the soundtrack, which may be the one and only way in which this entry actually surpasses its predecessor. Final Fantasy V boasts more than 50 tracks that alternate between comical and epic, mournful and exciting. Even at this early date, it's apparent that this is a series whose music is well worth paying attention to.
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| An early battle in the Wind Shrine. |
OVERALL:
It's not hard to see why Final Fantasy V is one of the series' least-discussed entries. In character and storytelling terms, it is a massive backward step from Final Fantasy IV. Whereas that title seemed to be pushing the limitations of the Super Nintendo, this one is very much of a piece with the more simplistic early entries. Still, the game has its charms, with a likable cast, an engaging job system, and a genuinely impressive soundtrack. Those who enjoy retro gaming are likely to find themselves caught up in it.
That said, I hope this is the last rendition of "Four Warriors of Light Protect the Crystals," at least for a while. Three versions of the same story is at least one version too many.
Overall Rating: 7/10.
Sequel: Final Fantasy - Legend of the Crystals (anime)
Previous Main Series Game: Final Fantasy IV
Next Main Series Game: Final Fantasy VI
Next Release: Final Fantasy - Legend of the Crystals
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