Jared finishes the original trilogy of Final Fantasy.
| Final Fantasy III | |
|---|---|
| |
| Upload Date | August 31st 2017 |
| Series | ProReview
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| Link | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-LftggV1tc |
| Score | An Invincible out of ten
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Synopsis[]
Final Fantasy III came a year and a half after Final Fantasy II. The Final Fantasy III America got, was actually Final Fantasy VI. America didn't see the game 16 years later for the DS. Jared hadn't played Final Fantasy III all the way, after playing half way through on the original and the DS versions. Jared wanted to play the original version.
There is a familiar set up to Final Fantasy I.Jared brings back the heroes from the original - only everyone is a baby now - the OnionKids. The kids fall into a cavern and need to get out.
The characters come across a crystal after killing a turtle. They can now start their jobs. Jerd has to be a monk because thief isn't available right away! The familiar theme starts to play.
This game brings back a lot of the elements from the first game, and the second game. Jared makes a puppet - like show as the original Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II give birth to a Final Fantasy III cart, with a Dr. Mario cartridge as the doctor. The cart comes out, hitting Jared! Final Fantasy III has each of their best features. Final Fantasy I asks her dad if he is proud, and a Dungeons and Dragons book appears.
Jared discusses the job system. More jobs become available. Jared loves this customization. These bring about some of the most iconic jobs that are still used today. Jared discusses some of the advantages of each job. Bards can get out of the party though. They each have an iconic look to them.
Jared points out how the characters change strangely as they grow up. Jared misses Ian's cat ears. Several areas require certain jobs in the party, or it is impossible to continue. Being tiny is interesting, but the boss fight against Geruda or Vassago require a certain job, or the fights are impossible. Jared wanted to stay as a thief the whole time - despite his math teacher mustache.
The game had a lot of great ideas. The plot is very fleshed out with a lot of named NPCs that do more than tell you where to go. They even have unique sprites. It feels more connected to them. Desh was too tall for the menu screen box.
Eventually, the player discovers that they are on a tiny island, with a lot more world to explore - only to be lost for several minutes because there is no sense of direction and everything looks the same! There are even more places to find underwater. A lot of these can be found in the mid point of the game to find secret new items. The air ship can be found within the first 30 minutes, and that one does not last. But there is another air ship that - does not last. Eventually, the party gets a super fast airship that allows the party to go underwater.
Then there is the invincible, that can leap over mountains, and can fire cannonballs at enemies. Final Fantasy III is well paced, and there is no need to grind. No bosses were so overwhelming that they were a impossible to overcome. Unlike in Final Fantasy II, the battles did not become boring. The dungeons don't suck. There are plenty of side paths that lead to treasures, and secret walls allowing players to check everywhere.
You don't have to grind at all - Jared takes everything back. >The entire end of the game is the exact opposite. The fight with Zande starts with a meteo out of nowhere - dead! The party has to level up just be able to take a hit. He isn't even the final boss. The Cloud of Darkness is the even more evil bad guy. Then there is the infamous Crystal Tower. Not only is it very long with the most powerful enemies in the game, there are four full boss fights that have plenty of health and instant kill spells.
Then there is the Cloud of Darkness. If you are defeated, you have to go all the way back to the start. Cloud of Darkness might be the worst boss fight in Final Fantasy. She does flare-wave and nothing else, dealing 1500 damage every turn. When you have 3000 hit points mean you won't be able to do much with it.
It basically requires two hidden jobs to win. The sage and the ninja. To get them, the characters need to find them in another dungeon. The sage is needed to heal, while the ninja uses shurikens. Everyone else will die. There is nothing more to this fight.
It was doing so well until now! The 3D remakes are slightly better. The DS version came out in 2007, and was ported. The OnionKids now have names and the battles were re-balanced. The Steam version works best, but use a mod to make the menu less horrible. It comes down to whether the player wants a classic experience or something more modern.
Jared is glad he played the original all the way through. It was going really smoothly, until the very end. Jared scores the game an Invincible out of ten. Every airship is awesome and fast, and then the Invincible is super slow. Everything up to the end is great, apart from a few bumps in the road. The great game ends with forced grinding, and forces a few game overs. Jared credits the game for its job system. This is the weakest implementation of it. A hand forces the player down specific paths.
There are multiple overworlds, hidden areas and extra collectibles, and a plot worth something, that isn't just there to drive the gameplay. Of the original three, the first is Jared's favorite. This is how the franchise found itself. Fans of the series don't need to play the original 3, other than to see how it all got started. From here, the series starts getting really good.