Game:

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (1992)

Category:

Let's Play

Duration: 1:01

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What is Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest?

Back in the 80s, Square had brought their newest IP to the USA, called Final Fantasy. Unfortunately, after three games in the Final Fantasy series had been released here, it still wasn't blowing up into success like it had in Japan, and so the jellyheads at Square thought, "well, maybe this is because Non-Japanese folks are too stupid to understand JRPG concepts." So, they created Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, an entry-level JRPG that's supposed to be really easy to get into, really easy to play, and really easy to beat. Well, they thought we were even stupider than that because every copy of the game came with the full cheat book (what me and my friends called the strategy guides back in those days). As you can see, Square didn't think too highly of us, and they still don't, truth be told. Thanks, @projared!

So, in Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, the player takes control of a young man named Benjamin whose village was swallowed up into the earth, killing everyone except him. Climbing the Hill of Destiny, Benjamin meets a strange old man who tells him about the Focus Tower. The man tells Benjamin that he must rescue the crystals representing the four elements: fire, water, wind, and earth. Stellar storytelling from Square, considering that rescuing stuff that represents the elements shows up in at least a few of their Final Fantasy games.

The game's graphics are, I think, at least, not that bad, the enemy battle sprites are actually really good, and I like how, as the enemies you fight take damage, they start to show it with alternate sprites, as you'll see throughout this playthrough. I like this because guess what? If your characters are getting weakened from taking damage, then why not have the enemies do the same, it's encouraging!

The game's soundtrack isn't quite something that I would write home about, but I like it, such as the village theme (except for Fireburg's, I like Fireburg's theme, but not as much as the regular village theme) and the Dark King's theme, Falls Basin is a theme that I really like, and I also like the Volcano theme, as I do Pazuzu's Tower's theme. It's a pretty solid soundtrack that I should look for, buy or download or whatever, and jam out to whenever I want to work on my own games.

Replay value wise, this game lacks any sort of replay value. It's going to be the same exact game every time that you play it. Unless, of course, you don't mind tracking down the game's ROM and getting it randomized, of course, which I have done on this channel, and I suggest using Wildham's randomizer as it's the best one and removes a lot of Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest's linearity. However, if you don't, can't, or won't use this, then after playing the game once, you're pretty much through with it forever.

I played this game way back when I was a little kid at my grandmother's house, so it might just be me looking at the game through a nostalgic filter, but I really don't think the game is bad or even offensive the way a lot of Final Fans make it out to be. I certainly wouldn't call it good, by any stretch of the imagination, but I certainly don't think it's bad, either. So-so, is what I would say it is.

One last thing, before I wrap this up: Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest is, as I'm sure most of you know by now, isn't even a Final Fantasy game, it's a SaGa game, as it was made and even localized and translated by the exact same group at Square that made SaGa 3: Jikuu no Hasha, or Final Fantasy Legend 3, for us non-Japanese gamers. It is, as @NintendoComplete said, "Wheels within wheels."

Wildham's randomizer, for those of you are interested in playing the game randomized for yourselves.
(https://www.ffmqrando.net/?s=3B4FA795&f=AyeBAAAAAAAA)

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