Final Fantasy VI Review - DetroitOtaku Reviews

What is the perfect JRPG?

The perfect JRPG is a game that has an unforgettably legendary soundtrack. The perfect JRPG has gameplay that requires skill to get used to, but not too much level grinding in order to learn new skills. It also has a difficulty that isn’t too easy, but isn’t too challenging either. It should also have graphics that are very artistic and pushes the limits of the current hardware. However, the most important thing the perfect JRPG should have is a relatable and beloved cast of characters, as well as a story so good that if it were made into a movie, it would win multiple Oscars and Academy Awards.

There aren’t many JRPGs that fit into that category. However, there is one that stands out unlike any other, and one that so happens to check all those boxes.

That game is Final Fantasy VI, which came out on the Super Nintendo on April 2, 1994 in Japan and on October 11, 1994 in North America.

Until 2019, Final Fantasy VI was the last game of the series to ever come out on a Nintendo platform. We’re gonna take a look at Final Fantasy’s 25-year swan song for Nintendo, and see if it has still held up today.

The Setting

Final Fantasy VI is set in a world with prominent Steampunk influences, with technology levels on par with that of the late 19th Century (aka the Victorian era). The world is called the World of Balance, and has three continents. The Northern continent is dotted with lots of mountain ranges, the Southern continent is a mix of rural and mountainous areas and is under the control of the Gestahl Empire, and the Eastern continent is home to the Veldt, a large wilderness inhabited by monsters and has very few civilizations.

1000 years before the start of the game, the “War of the Magi” tore apart the World of Balance. Three rival entities known as the “Warring Triad” used humans as soldiers by transforming them into enslaved magical beings known as Espers. Later on the Triad realized their crimes, as they freed the Espers and sealed their own powers inside three stone statues. In order to prevent another war, the Espers sealed off the statues and themselves from the human realm. The concept of magic faded to mythical status as the human race built a society revolving around science and industrialization.

At the start of the game, the Gesthal Empire has taken advantage of the weakening barrier between the human and esper domains, and has captured several espers. The Empire used them as a power source, and has created “Magitek”, a craft that combines magic with machinery and infuses humans with magical powers. They are opposed by the Returners, a rebel faction seeking independence from the Empire.

The Plot

Final Fantasy VI features 14 permanent playable characters, the most of any game in the series, and starts off with Terra Branford, a half-human, half-esper woman who takes part in the Empire’s mission to seize an Esper encased in Ice in the town of Narshe. When they approach the Esper, Terra has a magical reaction with the Esper, and the two soldiers accompanying her are killed. Terra is knocked unconscious shortly afterward. Upon regaining consciousness, Terra is told by a civilian that she was wearing a device called a “slave crown” to control her actions, which was planted on her by the Empire. With the crown removed, Terra is inflicted with serious amnesia and cannot remember anything except her name and her rare ability to use magic unaided.

Soldiers then arrive to arrest Terra, but she escapes from the house and into the Narshe mines. Upon trying to escape, she is then surrounded by Narshe’s guard and plummets down a shaft into another area of the mines, knocking her unconscious again. She then has a dream, where she remembers that it was Kefka Palazzo of the Empire who placed the slave crown on her and ordered her to kill 50 Imperial soldiers to test her magical power.

Terra and Locke travel to Figaro Castle, which is the seat of rule of the desert nation of Figaro, which is allied with the Empire. She meets Figaro’s king, Edgar Roni Figaro, who then hides them from Kefka, who arrives at the castle in search of them. Locke then mentions to Terra that Figaro’s alliance with the Empire is in name only, and is providing financial and technological assistance to the Returners in secret.

Kefka then attacks the castle, but it burrows into the sand at Edgar’s command, saving its occupants. Terra, Locke, and Edgar escape into the desert. Kefka sends two Magitek Armor mechs to arrest them, and during the battle Terra uses magic to defeat them, stunning both Edgar and Locke. Edgar and Locke then ask her to meet with the leader of the Returners, Banon, to receive protection from the Empire, gain understanding of her abilities, and regain her memory. Terra agrees, and they are later accompanied by Edgar’s brother, Sabin Rene Figaro, and the four of them arrive at the Returners’ hideout.

At the hideout, Banon and the four others discuss their plan to strike back at the Empire. As the Empire’s power is derived from magic, Banon asks Terra to return with him to Narshe and speak to the frozen esper. Terra is reluctant to join at first, but eventually agrees to help. The group then receives word the Empire has attacked South Figaro and discovered the location of the Returners’ hideout. Locke decides to sneak into South Figaro to slow the Empire’s advance, while Banon, Terra, Edgar and Sabin head to Narshe via a river. However, their voyage is interrupted by the chatty and hostile octopus Ultros, who knocks Sabin down a different fork in the river.

In South Figaro, Locke finds and rescues an Imperial general named Celes Chere, who was tortured by Imperial soldiers for betraying the Empire. The both of them then head to Narshe. Sabin then washes ashore in the kingdom of Doma. With the help of a ninja mercenary named Shadow, Sabin infiltrates an imperial camp as the Empire attacks Doma Castle under General Leo Cristophe’s command. Cyan Garamonde, the retainer to the king of Doma, defeats the Imperial commander in an attempt to turn back the Empire. While Leo is planning another strategy, Kefka then arrives and poisons Doma Castle’s water supply behind his back, killing nearly all of its inhabitants, including Cyan’s wife and child.

This enrages Cyan, who then seeks revenge by attacking a nearby Imperial camp. While he is unable to kill Kefka, he meets up with Sabin and Shadow and they agree to travel to Narshe together. They escape aboard the ghostly Phantom Train, which takes the deceased inhabitants of the world to the afterlife. The trio witness those who died at Doma, including Cyan’s wife and child, onboard the train.

Shadow parts ways with Sabin and Cyan as they arrive in the Veldt. The two then team up with a feral child named Gau who shows them the way to some diving gear, which they use to traverse the Serpent Trench and arrive in the town of Nikeah, where they board a ferry for South Figaro and eventually Narshe.

Shortly after arriving, Kefka leads imperial troops to attack Narshe and retrieve the Esper. The group defeats Kefka and the troops, and forces them into full retreat. Terra and the rest of the group then approach the frozen esper, and the esper again has a magical reaction to Terra’s presence. As a result, Terra then transforms into a glowing pink Esper-like creature, and flies into the sky with a piercing scream. The rest of the party is shocked by her transformation, and they seek to track her down.

Some members of the Returners stay behind to guard Narshe, while the other search for Terra. They travel to Zozo, a crime-ridden town full of thieves. In the tallest building in the city, they find Terra, still in her Esper form, under the care of the esper Ramuh. He tells them about the War of the Magi and the Empire’s invasion of the Esper realm. He states that he called Terra to him when her powers awoke, as he sensed she had lost control, He also mentions that he escaped the Empire with three other Espers who fell in battle and transformed into a substance called Magicite. Ramuh says the Empire’s methods of forcibly extracting magic from Espers results in a weaker form of magic, but when an Esper dies and crystallizes into magicite, their abilities can be transferred in full.

Ramuh then urges the Returners to rescue the other Espers in the Imperial capital. Ramuh then turns himself into Magicite, entrusting them with his power and the power of other Espers to fight the Empire. Celes and Locke lead the expedition to free the Espers in the Imperial capital. During their journey, they meet wandering gambler Setzer Gabbiani during an opera, who provides them with access to his airship as he accompanies them in their quest to the Imperial capital. They sneak into the Magitek Research Facility where they witness Kefka torturing two Espers, and he declares that he will revive the Warring Triad. When Kefka leaves, they rescue the Espers – Shiva and Ifrit, who transform into Magicite for them to use. They then rescue several other Espers, and meet head researcher Cid Marguez, who helps them escape the facility and return to Zozo.

Upon returning, the group discovers that one of the Magicite in their possession is that of Terra’s father Maduin, who restores Terra’s memories. Maduin talks about Terra’s mother, Madeline, who he befriended after she ventured into the Esper world by complete accident. Shortly after Terra was born, the Empire attacked the Esper world, capturing Terra and Maduin, the former being raised as a Magitek experiment because of her natural magic powers. Terra then rejoins the party in Narshe, along with a moogle named Mog, and together they plan to venture into the Esper world to gain their assistance in battling the Empire.

Upon arriving at the gate to the Esper world, Terra and the group realize that they walked into a trap, as Kefka and a group of imperial troops were awaiting them. Terra’s cries open the gate, which frees a large number of Espers, who decimate the Imperial capital and crash Setzer’s airship. The Returners are then approached by Emperor Gestahl himself, who arrests Kefka and declares a truce. Terra, Locke, Shadow, and the rest of the Returners then assist General Leo in tracking down the Espers who escaped in order to return them to their world. They travel to Crescent Island and arrive in the backwater town of Themasa, where they meet Strago Magus and his granddaughter, Relm Arrowny. They claim the townspeople have no knowlege of magic, until Relm gets trapped in a burning house, and the townspeople are forced to reveal that they do know magic, and they assist the Returners in rescuing Relm.

Afterward, Strago explains that Thamasa was founded by humans who possess the ability to use magic after the War of the Magi, and that they sought to live normal lives. Strago agrees to help Terra and Locke locate the Espers. Shadow leaves to find the Espers on his own with his dog Interceptor. Relm eventually joins the party as well.

Leo and the Esper Yura reach a truce, but are then ambushed by Kefka, who kills several Espers, takes their Magicite shards and knocks out the party, and reveals that the Emperor has betrayed them. This infuriates Leo, who tries to stop Kefka, but is ultimately killed. Shortly after, the gate to the Esper world opens again.

After learning about the Emperor’s betrayal, Setzer and the other Returners arrive at Thamasa. They hold a funeral for General Leo, and then they vow to take down the Empire. Kefka and Gestahl then enter the Esper realm and find the remains of the Warring Triad and use their power to raise the Floating Continent…

The Gameplay

Final Fantasy VI’s gameplay is similar to that of it’s two Super NES predecessors, as it utilizes the Active Time Battle system first introduced in Final Fantasy IV three years previously. You can use your equipped weapon to attack, use magic spells that you learned from the Espers, summon an Esper that you equipped to use a special attack, use a character’s special ability, and use items.

Certain characters such as Setzer, Cyan, Edgar, Shadow, and Sabin, can use special physical attack abilities. Setzer has a “Slots” ability where he can perform special attacks depending on what the results of the slots are. Cyan has a “Sword Tech” ability, where he can use special sword attacks depending on how far the meter has risen on a 1-8 scale. Edgar has a “Tools” ability, which can only be used if you bought them from a weapons shop (I think they can only be bought from the Figaro Castle weapons shop, feel free to correct me). His tools include a chainsaw, a drill, a poison gas gun, a scanner to reveal enemy weaknesses, a crossbow, and more. Sabin has a “Blitz” ability due to him being a martial artist, and you can make him perform special moves depending on the button combination you input. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It requires precision so don’t rush it. Shadow has a “Throw” ability where he can throw projectiles at enemies which can do major damage, provided you have purchased the right things for him to use.

In the open world, you can visit towns, battle enemies, visit dungeons and caverns, take on side quests, and save your game.

In towns, you can rest at Inns, buy weapons, armor and items, talk to townsfolk, and save your game at save points.

Players can equip Espers that teach certain magic spells and increase specific stats, similar to the job systems from Final Fantasy III and V. Each Esper has a special attack that can be used once equipped, and they consume a certain amount of MP, which is displayed to the right.

All party members can equip a weapon, a shield, a helmet, and armor, with each equipment piece having unique properties, such as stat boosts, elemental immunities, or elemental powers.

Each character can equip two Relics, which are accessories which impact certain stats, perform certain abilities, and provide immunity from certain magic spells depending on which one is equipped.

FFVI is the first game in the series to introduce the ability to change the main party at any time. Unlike previous entries, which had party members come and go as the story dictates, and where there were only 4 main characters, there are a total of 14 permanent playable characters to choose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

The Characters

Final Fantasy VI has the largest playable character roster of any Final Fantasy game at 14, so I'm only going to focus mainly on the most notable ones.

Terra Branford - Age: 18 - Terra is the starting protagonist of Final Fantasy VI. She is a half-human, half-esper woman who was born in the Esper world. Shortly after she was born, she was captured by the Empire and was used as a slave by the main villain, Kefka Palazzo, until the attack on Narshe where she met the frozen esper. After having the slave crown that Kefka placed on her removed, she was inflicted with amnesia and couldn't remember anything but her name. After meeting up with Locke Cole, she decides to join the returners in their goal of defeating the Empire.

Locke Cole - Age: 25 - Locke is a spy and scout for the Returners. He is a thief and adventurer who hunts for treasure. He joined up the the Returners after learning that his ex-girlfriend was killed by the Empire. He helps recruit Terra into the Returners, as well as ex-Empire General Celes, who he becomes more romantically involved with as the story goes on.

Edgar Roni Figaro - Age: 27 - Edgar is the head of state of the Kingdom of Figaro, and one of the main protagonists. He established an alliance with the Empire, but as it turns out it was in name only as he secretly provides assistance to the Returners. After Kefka attacks his castle, he cuts off his alliance with the Empire completely and goes all in backing the Returners.

Sabin Rene Figaro - Age: 27 - Sabin is the younger brother of King Edgar Figaro, who chose to vacate his claim to the throne in exchange for a life of freedom. He became an expert in the martial arts under his teacher Duncan Harcourt, and learned powerful Blitz techniques. He later reconciles with his brother and becomes a member of the Returners.

Cyan Garamonde - Age: 50 - Cyan is a retainer to the King of Doma. He is a professional samurai for the kingdom, defending it against foreign threats. On one certain day, his life was turned upside down by Kefka Palazzo, who poisoned Doma Castle's water supply, killing everyone inside including his wife and child. Cyan declares revenge as he teams up with Sabin, and joins the Returners to fight back against the Empire and Kefka.

Gau - Age: 13 - Gau is a feral child who grew up on the Veldt. Not much is known about his past and has little direct connection to the story of FFVI overall. Sabin and Cyan earn his trust, and recruit him as a new member of the Returners.

Celes Chere - Age: 18 - Celes is the main protagonist of the second half of Final Fantasy VI. She grew up in the Empire and received a magic infusion to become a Magitek Knight, and rose through the ranks to become a General. However, she became disillusioned with the Empire and was tortured by Imperial troops for her disloyalty. She is eventually rescued by Locke, who she becomes more romantically involved with later in the game.

Setzer Gabbiani - Age: 27 - Setzer is another one of the main protagonists of FFVI. He is a professional gambler who runs a casino onboard his airship called the Blackjack. At first, he remains neutral in the ongoing war between the Returners and the Empire, but is tricked by Celes and Locke into helping them reach the Imperial capital. Despite this, he still decides to join up with the Returners anyway and becomes a crucial ally in the second half of the game in helping free the world from Kefka.

Shadow - Age: 30 - Shadow is a playable character in FFVI. He is a mercenary and professional assassin who travels the world with his dog Interceptor. He has no allegiances to anyone, and will work for anyone for the right price and then take off when he feels like it, sometimes leaving the party at random. Little is known about his past, and players can see his backstory when resting at inns when he is in the party.

Relm Arrowny - Age: 10 - Relm is the youngest character of the main cast. She is an artist from the town of Thamasa and the granddaughter of Strago Magus. As a Magi decendent, she has natural magic powers and has the ability to sketch monsters and bring them to life (be careful using her Sketch ability though, as it has been known to cause massive bugs and glitches).

Strago Magus - Age: 70 - Strago is the oldest of FFVI's main cast. He is Relm's grandfather who lives in Thamasa with her. Like Relm, he too is a descendant of the Magi, and possesses natural magic powers. He possesses the Lore command which allows him to use Blue Magic.

My Thoughts

Final Fantasy VI is unlike any other RPG. And I mean that in a good way. It is a masterpiece unlike any other. The story is of Academy Award-winning quality, and has many themes relevant to today's world. the graphics are great and is among the best looking games on the Super Nintendo. The side quests are easy to access, very rewarding, and in many ways, don't take too long to complete. The Esper system is also very easy to use, and doesn't require anywhere near the amount of level grinding required in FFIII and FFV to learn new spells and skills. The gameplay is also very solid and easy to master as well, and is easily the best of the entire series. The soundtrack is also a masterpiece and no other Final Fantasy soundtrack has come close to matching this one's. The plot twists are also unbelievable and very well done, and the ending is tear-jerking fantastic. The cast of characters are also very likable, especially Celes, Locke, Terra, and Edgar, and there are many ways to make them so overpowered that they can take down even major bosses with ease.

Are there any issues with Final Fantasy VI though? Well, aside from a few bugs that were present in it's North American release, and the fact that enemy encounters occur a little too frequent for a Final Fantasy game...not really. It pretty much is a perfect game.

Final Fantasy VI is easily the best game in the entire Final Fantasy franchise and none have come close, not even VII. It is also among the best games Square has ever made, and is among the best games in the Super Nintendo's library, alongside other great games like Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario World, Final Fantasy IV and EarthBound.

It truly is the perfect JRPG.

10/10

Source(s):

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VI – Final Fantasy VI main Wikipedia page
• https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VI – FFVI main page on Final Fantasy Wiki