Final Fantasy Anthology

"Just not enough new things to make me want to play them through YET AGAIN..."

Okay, before you all start lambasting me for my low score of 5, hear me out (yes, my review is extremely biased, and is really targeted at people who have played both games before). I bought Final Fantasy VI (or 3, as it was called on the SNES) a few weeks after it was released, and I played that game to death. I am a huge fan of the Final Fantasy series, so it's not like I have something against the games. It's just that I really do mean that I played it to death, and it almost makes me sick to even think about playing through it for the umpteenth time.

First of all, let me say that I am still mad that FFIV was not included in FFA. It's a great game in the series, and one that I actually would want to play all the way through again. The soundtrack CD just doesn't cut it; although the music in both games is just excellent, I already have the FFVI OST.

The only things that were changed graphically, as far as I can see, are the inclusion of videos, and adding a new swirly-zooming-thingy that happens right before a battle (you know what I mean...). Other than that, it's true to the SNES. I'm definitely no advocate of graphics over storyline, but it would've been nice if the font in the game would've been smoothed some, or just some small difference like that. As far as the movies go, don't be expecting FFVIII-quality cutscenes here. They aren't bad looking, but almost every new PSX game has outstanding video, so it's nothing to cheer about. Anyway, seeing the older 16-bit graphics was neat and it brought back memories, however I would've absolutely loved it if the graphics had even a slight facelift.

The music. Second only to the storyline, Final Fantasy V and VI's music are some of the best in any video game, ever. Having played through FFVI so many times, though, even the best tracks are jaded to me (not to mention that I shuddered at hearing the battle theme again). It's all good, but it's all so old to me that I don't think I could stand to hear it again (not to mention that the music actually sounds WORSE on the PSX than it did on the SNES!). As far as FFV goes, well, it's music is very good, but it's not as memorable as the FFVI music, and after playing through the game on an emulator, I'm tired of it too.

Gameplay, as everyone knows, is the most important aspect to any game, and there has been no new gameplay added into either game (yeah, I know they meant it like that, but still...). Well, they have some new bonus type rooms where you can listen to the sound effects and stuff, but that wasn't enough. I really have no urge to play through the exact same game for the 15th time. Oh, and the long load times

Overall, if you've never played either game, or maybe you've only played through it once, I'd definitely recommend FFA to you. You'll absolutely love it. However, if you're like me, and you've played either game over and over, you won't find very many reasons to do so again.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 06/09/03