Final Fantasy VI Review by Sky Render Tagline: The definitive 16-bit Final Fantasy. Graphics - 9/10 FF6 is decidedly impressive visually, for the era it was produced in. On top of the very detailed (for 16-bit) tilesets and character designs, the actual environments themselves are constructed thoughtfully as well. Castles look and feel like castles, towns are more than rows of boxes clumped together to resemble a town, the dungeons are detailed with small nuances in design that a casual player might not even spot, and the enemy graphics are some of the most detailed you'll find on the SNES. FF6 is truly a treat to look at, and only one-upped by a handful of other titles released during that era in terms of visual quality. Sound and Music - 9/10 Even limited to the capabilities of the system it's on, Final Fantasy VI sports some very impressive music. The instrument mapping is some of the best on the SNES, and there is a humongous variety of songs and styles of songs present. Most surprising, however, is that there are so very few tracks that are truly annoying. Even the Spinach Rag, a piano ditty played during the Auction House auctions (amongst other places), is still varied enough to not get overly annoying. The sound effects, too, are spot-on (though this is a bit of a norm in the FF series). Gameplay - 8/10 It's difficult to find a lot of fault in FF6's system. Even being as harsh as possible on it, the flaw that stands out most is that the game is so very easy. And really, even this flaw is controllable by the player: you don't have to make the game as easy as it can potentially be, it's entirely optional. The game makes use of summoned beasts by equipping them to learn spells, and said spells are learned at varying rates. Most of them are quite reasonable (the only big exception being Drain, which can only ever be learned at 1x, in spite of its limited usefulness), and you can obtain a huge number of summons, meaning you can learn spells more or less however you choose. Actually using summons themselves is largely pointless, however, as regular spells are usually as effective (if not moreso). Though everybody can use magic, there's still plenty of room for tactical fighting, since each ally has a special skillset that sets them apart from the rest of the cast. Outside of battle, the game is very much a standard 16-bit RPG, with cardinal directional movement only, and the usual hunting down of treasure chests, traversing dungeons, and talking to NPC's to figure out where to go next. There aren't really any mini-games to speak of, but that's not exactly a bad thing. About all there is to complain about there is that it's basically the same gameplay formula as other 16-bit RPG's. But that formula works, so one cannot complain too much about it. Story - 9/10 For a 16-bit RPG, you wouldn't expect a plot with the complexity of FF6's. And on top of this multi-layered tale is the presentation, which is unmatched in the SNES era. Characters don't just tell you what's going on, you see it all happen in glorious tile-based cutscenes and dramatic world-shattering events that take up the whole screen. Before the PS1 came along and gave us disjointed FMV's to show us the dramatic moments, we got cutscenes rendered in-game, and FF6 was when they really got the hang of doing it well. The characters, too, almost all sport a surprising level of depth. Only a handful are really lacking in characterization (Relm and Stragos get barely any screen time), and even they show more personality than you'd expect. The only characters basically devoid of development are Mog, Umaro, and Gogo, and all three of them are entirely optional. Replay Value - 9/10 There's plenty to replay FF6 for. The gameplay is fun, the story is engaging, the music is beautiful, and the graphics are pleasing to the eye. There's ways to play the game differently each time to avoid monotony, but even that isn't a big threat, as so much happens in the course of the game that two exactly identical play-throughs wouldn't feel identical at all. Overall - 9/10 In its time, FF6 was the king of RPG's. Even now, it's a wonderful and varied experience that isn't matched by any of its modern successors. It does have its flaws, as do all games, but they aren't nearly as pronounced as the later 3D entries to the series. FF6 is sometimes referred to as the pinnacle of the series, and not unjustly so. Pros: + Detailed and interesting visuals + Excellent soundtrack + Varied and flexible gameplay engine + Interesting and engaging storyline + Replay value all over Cons: - Some small things (such as the game being in 2D) will probably irk newer players a bit Target Audience: Anybody who can appreciate a good 2D semi-turn-based RPG Buy or Rent? Buy, of course. FF6 is the kind of game that you'll want to play again. And again. And again...