Review: Final Fantasy VI (PSX)

So, fast forward a few years to the Playstation era and the height of Final Fantasy's popularity - porting the game over to Sony's system could only be a good thing, right? Well, first things first: this is a direct port of the SNES original, so be prepared for the fact that you'll be playing what is essentially a 16-bit title on your PS1 (or PS2). Aside from the inclusion of some incredibly pretty FMV cut scenes and a new battle activation 'blur' effect, the graphics and sound remain unchanged.

However, given that Final Fantasy VI had arguably the greatest soundtrack of any SNES release, this is by no means a bad thing. Although some of the musical pieces do sound perfunctory today, the vast majority of them still sound exceptionally pleasing. From sweeping, orchestral movements to delicate, almost ethereal pieces, the soundtrack really is gorgeous and it's tempting to leave the game running just to enjoy the music. Sadly, the sound effects haven't aged as well; some of them sound fuzzy and distorted (such as the barking dog effect) and making a selection on any menu screen is accompanied by annoying 'bleep'.

Whilst Gamestyle can't help but feel that the deformed, squat little characters with over-sized heads have a certain charm missing from some of their later three dimensional brethren, there is no denying that, visually at least, Final Fantasy VI is stuck firmly in the past. That said, a surprising amount of emotion is conveyed on the characters' faces at times, but the animation isn't great, particularly during the battle scenes. Many of the backgrounds still perform a serviceable job; the vistas were created using what was a groundbreaking technique of layering colour over pictures of real-life landscapes for added authenticity.

Ostensibly this is the story of Terra, a young and confused girl with the ability to use magic - something thought to have long died out. Freed from the clutches of the imperialistic empire, she sets out to discover the truth about her past. Later, the focus of the game switches to another character, but no one character hogs the limelight (as per Cloud Strife and others in later instalments of this series). Final Fantasy VI has perhaps the greatest ensemble cast of any RPG produced; everyone you can recruit is beautifully characterised, with a detailed and richly layered back-story told through flashbacks and conversations. Digging deep into the game to reveal the hidden snippets of a character's history is profoundly rewarding and heightens the bond between you and your warriors. The plot also twists and turns magnificently and encompasses themes as grand as love, loss, war and even the breaking of the world. Memorable sequences litter the game: Figaro Castle submerging; the branching plot when your party are split in three; and the opera. Furthermore, in Kefka, Final Fantasy VI possesses quite possibly the finest villain in video game history.

As you no doubt expected, this is a turn-based RPG, which means stats - and lots of them. However, all the information you need is easy to access via one central menu screen. Shopping for items is easy as well: a simple arrow marker will tell you if the selected weapon or armour outclasses what you already have equipped. But what really makes Final Fantasy VI important to this genre is that it introduces features that would later become de rigueur across the genre. The most important of which is the Active Time Battle (ATB) system, which removes the "my turn/your turn" mentality previously prevalent in turn-based RPGs. Characters can now only perform an action in battle if their ATB bar has recharged; this ensures that strategy becomes more important, particularly in long boss battles, as you can never be certain if the enemy will be ready to attack before you. Another important element is the ability to customise your characters: whilst there's no class or job system, each character has a unique skill and the player can also choose which magic they learn by equipping various 'Espers' (summonable creatures). Balance is the key here and simply loading your party with either offensive or defensive magic isn't terribly effective.

Aside from cut scenes, something else has been added to the PS1 port: loading times. Although kept to a minimum, they do become noticeable, particularly when cutting to and from random battles, or when entering the status screen. This probably won't be a problem for the majority of gamers, but it did rankle Gamestyle a little, especially given our familiarity with the original (load time free) cartridge version. Other minor criticisms of the game exist: it is arguable that there are too many random battles, although possession of certain items will reduce or eliminate these altogether; and at times that there is too much wandering around the world map looking for the next town. However, these criticisms pale into insignificance when compared to the quality of the overall package.

This is a game that no self respecting RPG fan should be without, especially given that the SNES version never saw a European release. It's the grandfather of all modern turn-based RPGs and, whilst it might not be able to hold its own graphically any more, in terms of length and depth it's easily the equal of any RPG available. The combat works incredibly well and requires lateral thinking instead of selecting the 'attack' command ad infinitum. And the story is a cracking yarn – and that's what all good RPGs are about at the end of the day, isn't it?

Rating: 10 / 10

Words by Andy Lucas