Final Fantasy III

"Pretty good NES Innovation"

Recently, my friend had stumbled onto the original Final Fatasy I, II, and III. He let me borrow FF3 for a bit (after I had beaten the first two). I have to say, for a second I thought I was playing one of the Final Fantasies for PlayStation for a second because there was just so much to do!

Gameplay: 8/10

Final Fantasy III introduces many new and original job classes. You can get these with the more ''capacity'' you have. As good as these classes may be, there are unconvential times that you have to change your party into specific classes (and you usually wouldn't have enough ''capacity'' to change your party anyway). Though there are pros to narly compensate this con. For example, there are many new and better spells (like my favorite: ''Kill''), and the process of battling is less awkward than with FF1's boxes. Also, the cost of weapons have been cut down to conventiality.

Plot: 4/10

Just like some of the other Final Fantasy games, this game's plot is thinner than kitchen oil! As far as character development goes, your main characters talk maybe several times in the beginning of the game and stay mute until the end. The plot is really only stated in the very beginning (from when you actually turn on the NES), and sits on the unsteady shoulders of other characters trying to make the plot seem more meaningful. Also, unlike its predessors, FF3 is thriving with life and other people to interact with. However, it isn't enough to strengthen the plot or help any character development.

Graphics: 9/10

For an 8-bit game, Final Fantasy III has great images and background! The sea is animated, the monsters look more real, and the spells look even better than before!

Sound: 10/10

The songs in the background and the battles for FF3 is, without a doubt, its best feature! For limited NES sound, there's some life in the sounds of the 8-bit.

Control: 10/10

It's an NES RPG. 'Nuff said.

Replayability: 4/10

With a thin plot, a somewhat confining job/class system, and an extreneously long time of gameplay, Final Fantasy III will be a huge chore for you to replay.

Value: 8/10

Although the plot is wraithlike, Final Fantasy III's a great game to play when you need some time to kill. And I mean that in a good way. It can be fun to switch around the job/classes to make strange parties.

My Final Word:

FF3, like many other Final Fantasy games, has a subpar plot, but very innovative gameplay. It's definitely worth a very long rental at the very least.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10 | Originally Posted: 03/18/03, Updated 03/18/03

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