Final Fantasy V

"Great in originality, but occasionally the plot slows down."

Unfortunately this game won't be coming out in the USA until late '99, so the only way to really enjoy it is to download the ROM and play it with an emulator. Not to forget the translation patch so you can understand the happenings in the game. But, if you know Japanese, this game can be one heck of a ride.

If you've played Final Fantasy Tactics before, you will quickly become familiar with the 'Job Class' system. You can switch between classes like Knight, Chemist, Caller, Red Mage, White Mage, etc. Later in the game once you have acquired enough experience playing as these classes, you can combine techniques. For example a Dragoon could hold a sword with both hands (Knight ability). It's really not as complicated as it sounds.

The fighting style is Final Fantasy in all its glory. It's in fact, identical to the Final Fantasy 4 (2 in US) engine. The music is Final Fantasy quality, along with the character animations and enemy graphics. In every way this game is Final Fantasy.

Completing the game is no easy task. But this isn't a problem if you can find the weakness of your foe. If there's no weakness, then you can use one of the powerful attacks you've learned from the Job Class system. If one thing doesn't work, another will. That's how the game works.

I've thoroughly enjoyed this game from the start to the finish. There are a few boring, slow moments, but the game speeds up when a big boss pops out of nowhere. When this game comes out in the Final Fantasy Anthology in fall '99, get it. This is a fine Final Fantasy game to add to any RPG players' shelf.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 02/22/01