Pros: DISCLAIMER: This is a review of the iOS port of the DS reboot of the legendary NES/Famicom RPG.
When you see the Final Fantasy insignia,...
Cons: This is purely a matter of personal aesthetics, but I'm a fan of the original sprite characters and drawings, and would have greatly...
Pros: DISCLAIMER: This is a review of the iOS port of the DS reboot of the legendary NES/Famicom RPG.
When you see the Final Fantasy insignia, there are certain expectations that come to mind: fantastical stories, out of the box twists, incredibly deep turn-based combat driven by melee and magic. We also think of franchise that peaked at 7, and has yet to reach that point in the countless iterations after. However none of these expectations really matters, because we're going back in history to it's ancestors.
Despite being a prior iteration, Final Fantasy is not plagued with the issues of most series, repetitiveness. Every new game attempts to change the game, and if not make countless modifications to the formula. Luckily, FFIII's contribution to the series are completely timeless: job system. There are around 30 different jobs for your character to grow into, and often times more fun to switch jobs to see how the gameplay reacts. This is not a testament to the boredom of the game, because it truly isn't, but more to the depth and diversity of the jobs.
Single player is usual FF fair, with young protagonists who unbeknownst to their supple minds, are "chosen" for a grandiose destiny to save the world. The game's story is well paced for a RPG, which means that it's dependent on the frequency at which you play, the power of your memory, and ability to stay on course without getting lost in some forest.
The game control exceptionally well, mainly due to the lack of complex controls. The digital joystick is responsive, and is not intrusive enough to take you out of the experience by covering important sites.
But most importantly, this game is 15 dollars, in comparison to the full price that many payed in 2006 for the DS version, and to my unlearned eye there is very little separating the two besides the secondary screen. The touch mechanism completely makes up for this deficiency and I can say that this game is a must have for those looking for a quality RPG on your handheld.
Cons: This is purely a matter of personal aesthetics, but I'm a fan of the original sprite characters and drawings, and would have greatly preferred them over the DS version's updated look. With the sprites, there was more character in less character, their **********, kindness, awesomeness came from your imagination. Now the characters look like moving dolls from a children's anime show. This may be liked be many but call me old school dagnamit. I want my sprites back
Random fights occur WAYYYY too frequently. They happen so often that even if you're standing still you'll suddenly be attacked. Weren't random occurrences dependent on steps taken? I guess not here
They really have to fix the save system. It is way too easy to either get stuck in an area due to not saving, or the exact opposite, where you don't need to save quite so often but do so out of fear of the latter. We are in the age of relinquished save frustration. It's a luxury yes, but to not be able to save in a city or a town is ridiculous. Yes you can quicksave, but if your thumb slips and press new game instead of quicksave, you can't go back and reuse that quicksave. FRUSTRATION.
Overall, love the game, worth the high price tag for an iOS game. Get on it.