Final Fantasy 1 Review: The flawed fantasy that started it all (Retro Review)
5The original Final Fantasy is absolutely iconic and has laid the groundwork for one of the most famous and critically acclaimed franchises of all-time—revered for so many things only made possible by this eccentric entry. I personally find the PSP version of this game to be vastly superior to any other version of this game, and therefore, that is the version I will be talking about today. I will be scoring this game in its ten most important categories and diving into this game's fun and flaws in today's article... a Final Fantasy Review: the flawed fantasy that started it all.
Final Fantasy's battle system is the most traditional a turn-based battle system can get. While overly basic, there is still some strategy to be had through stat-buffing spells (like Temper, Haste, and Invisira), through using equipment to cast spells, and through placing your characters in a specific formation to manipulate their chance of being hit by the enemy—a simple concept that 1) should be seen more often and 2) adds an extra layer of strategy. With accomplishments like that, I would give this a solid 8 or 9—a solid amount of strategy, simple, yet engaging combat is really all I need for an RPG! But, of course, there had to be some glaring flaws in this battle system. First of all, the battles are very slow-paced and tedious, as the encounter rate is through the roof and there is no auto-battle feature to be seen. Second of all, this game has tons of difficulty spikes and drops, making it feel incredibly grindy at some points and way too easy at some points. Third of all, the battle music is so repetitive. These flaws combined would take this battle system down to a five or six on the scale, but there is one thing I haven't mentioned yet—this game has awesome bosses. There are tons of awesome optional superbosses to tackle in dungeons like the Lifespring Grotto and the Labryinth of Time, and these bosses actually require a deep understanding of the game and its battle system! Highlights include the formidable Chronodia with its ability-sealing powers and incredibly high stats, Omega & Shinryu with their huge damage outputs, the ever-iconic Four Fiends that are all incredibly unique fights, and of course, the final boss fight against Chaos, which to this day is one of my favorite final bosses in the entire series. Overall, while the slow-paced mediocrity of this basic turn-based battle system can become monotonous at times, the boss fights and simple strategicness save the system from a low score. A solid 7 out of 10 for the original Final Fantasy's battle system.
Story - 6.5
Getting four McGuffins isn't exactly up to snuff compared to future RPG standards, but that doesn't mean this story doesn't have its moments. Building the bridge, killing the pirates and taking their boat, saving Elfheim, blowing up part of a continent, finding an airship submerged in a desert, and the endgame Garland plot twist? This story isn't as bad as it seems on the surface! The fact this game isn't required to be linear and it pulls it off? That's awesome. Last time I played this game, I got the Earth Crystal, then the Wind Crystal, then the Water Crystal, then the Fire Crystal! While not nearly as much of an open world RPG as games like Final Fantasy XV, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, or even the original The Legend of Zelda game, this is still so cool for such an old game! Overall, this story has its moments, but there's one thing that really holds this story so far back from greatness its almost frightening. And that depressing factor is...
Characters - 2.5
...the complete lack of characters for the story to latch onto. I mean, I like Garland enough to not give this category a 0, but your main characters have absolutely no personality or characterization. Luckily, this would be remedied in future job-focused entries like Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy X-2, but the lack of characters really holds the original Final Fantasy back from being a must-play game. One reason RPGs are such a special entertainment medium is because you get to go on a fantastical journey with a colorful cast of characters that you get to go through the experience with. You get to visit different enviornments and areas with said characters, and experience their emotions, their twists and their turns.
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Credits:
Presenter: Brighton Nelson
Editor: Brighton Nelson
Artist: Brighton Nelson
0:50 Battle System
5:41 Story
8:10 Characters
10:43 Music
12:40 Art & Graphics
13:50 Customization System
17:23 Dungeons
19:52 Sidequests
21:41 Quality of Life
24:01 The Verdict
25:18 Outro
#finalfantasy #finalfantasy1 #finalfantasyi
25:18 Outro
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