Squaresoft was on a roll with their second generation of games, giving us a new game after only a little over a year. Final Fantasy V of course wouldn’t see this release until the Playstation release in 1998. Well, officially at least, unofficially we had the first fan translation patch for the SNES version in 1997. An endeavor I encourage people to read about here. This is hands down, as of playing the game, my favorite game in the franchise. I’ve played the SNES, Playstation, and Advance versions, and I’ve loved all of them. The Advance version was the one I beat and mastered. I maxed out all the classes, beat all the secret bosses, and loved doing it! This would again be the version I would be playing for the stream.
Fire, Water, Wind, Earth. The peace and prosperity of the world is thanks to the power of these crystals. However…that power is nearing its limit. Not far off is the day when the wind slows…the water stills…and the earth trembles and quakes…and yet, everyone remains blissfully unaware…and the grave secret hidden within the crystals remain untold…
Final Fantasy V takes a sharp turn away from Final Fantasy IV’s immutable characters and ever-changing roster. Instead, we have a set party of characters, customizable in a myriad of ways. To my knowledge, this is one of the first games in the series to introduce accessories. All the past games had equipment with unique effects. that weren’t simple stat increases. But this is the first instance of equipment with drastic and permanent effects. This is also the first time those effects weren’t some arcane secret. Magic, much like the first three games, must be purchased from shops. However, this time, buying a spell once teaches it to the entire party. But there is one more customization option that is even more important: Jobs.
Yes, that is right, Jobs are back! And better than ever! Granted, this is only Jobs version 2, but what an upgrade. When switching Jobs there is no more adjustment phase. Instead of completely losing all benefits of a job, you retain learned abilities. Each job has a default ability, to which you can mix in one more that you have learned. This can lead to some creative and impressive combinations. Gone are the redundant upgrades to classes. Each class is unique, and never completely replaced by a newer version of itself. Some classes even have synergy—the Mystic Knight and Black Mage share most of their spells. Beastmasters can make learning Blue Magic much simpler.
Expectations
I expected to be blown away again and have a blast playing this game again. I adored it the last time I played it, and I was sure it wasn’t nostalgia blinding me. This game is the gold standard for me in terms of Job mechanics. Any other time I’ve encountered them, I have always compared them to this game. Being one of the few Final Fantasy I’ve finished before, my hopes are high, to say the least.
Objectives
Final Fantasy V does have many side-quests. Most focus on obtaining some end-game grade power. The final dungeons lead to unlocking the game’s ultimate weapons. These dungeons can be skipped. Some of the strongest summoned creatures are found in optional dungeons as well. The final dungeon does feature two rather famous superbosses: Omega and Shinryu. Both optional—though Omega takes some skill to sneak past. Once everything is said and done with the plot, the original game simply ends. The Advance edition however has some interesting post-game content.
When all the ultimate weapons are claimed, a new area opens up: the Sealed Temple. Inside are four new Jobs, three of which are immediately available. The fourth is in a complex dungeon that unlocks after defeating the final boss. Omega Mk. II and Neo Shinryu make appearances in this dungeon as upgrades to their previous forms. At the end of it is Enuo, the final super boss and the ultimate goal of the Sealed Temple. After defeating Enuo, the final Job is unlocked as well as a new gauntlet—The Cloister of the Dead. The Cloister is a boss rush of all the games bosses with a token of proof as the final reward. Since this all happens after the credits we will be coming back to this later perhaps.
Review
From a gameplay standpoint, Final Fantasy V did not disappoint. The upgrades to the Job system were amazingly implemented. The mix and match options of equipment, magic, and jobs are immense. This is a huge upgrade from Final Fantasy IV. However, there always has to be some trade-off. Where Final Fantasy IV has a good standing in plot and character, Final Fantasy V falters.
At the start of the game, all the characters have personalities. They have their reasons and motives for joining the quest. This individuality disappears once the opening chapters of the game pass. For the remaining third of the game, we are left with a generic party as a single character. When we reach the second arc we are reminded of the autonomy of the characters. It lasts through the mid-game. But when the finale comes along—nothing. We are cast back into a generic party again.
Final Thoughts
I wasn’t disappointed. This game still holds up well and it is very beloved by its community. Despite the faltering uniqueness of its plot, the story itself is still a good one. I sound like a broken record, but I do feel this is absolutely one everyone should play. I may even play it again once Four Job Fiesta comes around.
Final (Fantasy) Score: Four Crystals out of Four