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LightFykki's Final Fantasy III Game Review

Final Fantasy III

Final Fantasy III game Review

Story & Playability

Year: 1990, 2006 (remake), 2009 (virtual console)

Company: Square Soft. (Enix)

Genre: RPG

Platforms: NES, Wii (virtual console), Nintendo DS

Age rating: E – for everyone

It took not so long, but the Final Fantasy III was finally there. It tried to go back to its roots of the series, by bringing same leveling system and jobs like the first game, but this time taking it a whole different level. Did they manage to do it? Let’s find out~!


Presentation

World

World of Final Fantasy is unique one. It comes both futuristic with medieval elements. This one is not an exception. Still, the true ‘fantasy’ elements like I just mentioned will make bigger cameo in later games.
For this one, it still remains with the standard style like the two predecessors used before it. You still have several continents to explore, with mountains, fields, rivers, deserts and seas. Unlike other ones, this one adds a new segment in the game and that is a whole new continent located in a different part of the world.

The towns in this game are also livelier than before. You have several towns with unique settings, like the ghost town that you need to return to normal, sage’s town, mini people town and much much more.
The whole aspect of it gives a whole better impression while playing and it even adds to the fun factor. The NPCs are more or less better, but still retrain the same style with usually giving you hints or by saying something completely random which sometimes can actually be quite funny.

Again, like in most Final Fantasy games, you get a chance to drive with various things, from boats to airships. (which in this game you actually get pretty early a chance to try them out). Here they also serve sometimes a bigger purpose, like racing with choobo around the continent to get a special item and such.

Plot and storyline

This game has a good storyline, don’t get me wrong, but it just doesn’t suit much. It is complicated and at some points rushed. Complicated because you will find yourself trying to understand the plot, but there actually isn’t any. You will just have to play more and more to find out and it goes on slowly.
It will go like that until you find more puzzles to match, like seeing the last boss just near the end of the game.
Still the story progresses more and more as times goes by and it is better than it was with previous games. It has lack of deeper insight, yes, but still not so bad.

Characters

In one sentence, characters in this game are again bunch of kids who are set to rescue the world usually going around changing jobs and by that changing also their personality while actually in this game you can change your lead characters, but that is not so much important because they are all the same.
Nothing more to say about this one….

Pros: Better designed world, bigger overall impression
Cons: Plot and the characters are still on the same level as from the previous games

Rating: 9

Graphics


Visuals

Graphics

Visuals can in most cases leave you with a big overall impression and can even be a turn point for to play this game or not, depending if you are a more or less experienced gamer.
The graphics for the original NES version pretty much stayed the same as for the previous two games. They did add some new things now and then and even some extra effects, but nothing too big.
But that doesn’t mean that they are bad. They still were one of the best things that NES could offer back then.
This game unlike the first two games unfortunately didn’t have a graphic upgrade and ports like they did.

The DS version however has full 3D modeled graphics and is a great improvement compared to the original game while keeping the same classic style. But even they are not too overly impressive, even for that time when this game came out.

Pros: classic visuals in the DS version, archaic atmosphere around it
Cons: outdated graphics by now and the DS ones seem only average and nothing too special

Rating: 7

Sound

Sound

How many sound effects are in this game? Well very few, the ones that are used for certain type of things, like that annoying midi alarm when you hit into something and randomly press and action button.
But how many soundtracks are in this game? Well only one of course, but let me tell you it is a big and worthy one.

Soundtrack again takes what Final Fantasy offers even before the graphics took a huge step. It is amazing and for its time it proves to have such a big variety of collection for it and such a good use. It is in midi format and it can be annoying, but for its time it was a masterpiece.

DS again keeps to the classic appeal and uses the same soundtrack as with the original title, of course replacing the old standards to soundtrack with the new stereo quality.

Pros: good variation of the songs, classic appeal in the DS version
Cons: the impression may differ differently by different people, especially for the NES version

Rating: 8

Fun

Gameplay

This game is a good example of the classic RPG style that Japanese games had. And even so it is still different and unique on its own.
Like I said at the beginning, this game takes the style that first FF had but this tame making it more advanced looking. You still have classes or jobs like they are called in this game, but this time you gain them as you progress through the game and each of them is different and good on its own. More jobs also is more fun, right? Well true, but it makes the game more complicated if you are not used to it. You can change the jobs whenever you want, but it comes at the cost of points which you gain after battles. The points aren’t a problem actually, you get to have them as much as you want. Using these classes and gaining skills can be actually quite tricky as you don’t know how much you need to advance.

Sometimes in advancing though you need to spend too much time gaining level which can become quite repetitive. And by repetitive I mean so, because this game is so hard you won’t be able to advance without grinding. And by that I mean grinding a LOT!

There are several new things in this games that will become like a tradition in later ones. Those are summons. You also get a summoner class and each time you defeat one you get an access to it. They also have their own attacks and sprites to it.

Aside from that, it is still the classic FF game with you going around towns and dungeons exploring, buying equipment, gaining new levels, fighting bosses and going forward. Adventure side of this one is a little bit different. It has several elements for you not getting bored over the time, like finding a way to go to the mini village and exploring that side of the dungeon or going through a dungeon where you can’t use magic to fight and such. Not too bad and it always adds to the fun part of the game.
DS also has some extra mini games and dungeons.

Controls are also pretty simple, even for the DS. You will get used to them quickly and they never show a problem through the whole game. Though only in NES you will wish that there more buttons sometimes as with some many options they actually need it.

Pros: good gameplay and fun for any classic RPG gamer
Cons: lack of controls for NES version and too repetitive and boring grindings


Final Verdict

This game is the last FF game that came out on NES, or should I say Famicom. Yes, I have been saying NES the whole time but only not to confuse some of you, because this game never saw a Western release. That is until the remade version which came out 16 years later.

Still even if this Final Fantasy has the least ports for the classic FF era and is one of the least known ones, it still holds a big place in its history.

Graphics: 7.5/10 – same classic famicom feel but still good. DS version on the other hand just average for its time
Sound: 8/10 – good and impressive, while still for today’s standard outdated (DS version)
Gameplay: 7.5/10 – very fun and classic RPG, but a very hard and frustrating one too
Presentation: 8.5/10 – for the looks of it and the improvements that it got, it looks enjoyable as ever and will draw in many people
Overall: 8/10 - ‘final’ Final Fantasy to hit the third generation of consoles and first one to try the new 3D remake. In both cases it succeeded.

Rating: 7

Final Verdict

7.8333 (good)

Reviewed by LightFykki, Nov 28, 2011

Comments

  1. LightFykki Nov 28, 2011

    Hi everyone! Sorry for my delay with reviews and absence, I was a lot busy with several things... Aside from that I couldn't submit my Final Fantasy II review (lack of tags), so if anyone is interested in seeing it you can follow this link: http://www.theotaku.com/worlds/fanreviews/view/256435/final_fantasy_ii_review/

    As always thank you everyone for all your support! I shall continue and try to submit a review for each Final Fantasy game. Classic ones may seem like that, but as I get one it might get more familiar to most of you and style will change a little.

    ~ Take care!

  2. angelxxuan Banned Member Nov 29, 2011

    I like how you post the delay to your absence in your reviews, because I worry about people that don't log in for quite some time and just disappear, I know a lot of those :( but to the review, this one, just like the other, just as good. in my opinion this game was far better and longer to play than the other one. I know ds is shorter what games can be parked on, but I do like to get my money's worth. this review is just as good as the last. I'm quite impressed with how far you've come along in such a short time of doing reviews here on mt. I'm still working on reviews, but each one I read helps me achieve further into what I will be doing the next time I am able to have time to watch something and submit a review :D keep up the good work can't wait to see what you might have in store for us on the next visit

  3. SnickerdoodleNinja Retired Moderator Dec 13, 2011

    I'm so glad that you've been reviewing so many of the older FF games since I haven't played any of the ones prior to 7 except for 4, but I've always been curious about them. I think I might pass on this one though, because I've come to hate level grinding in video games.

    Once again, you've been extremely thorough throughout your review, and as always the comparisons between systems is handy. Giving the story a 9 when you say it has very little story doesn't seem quite right though. Other than that, nice job! I'm looking forward to reading your reviews for 5 and 6 soon. :)

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