LordTheNightKnight

User Score
8.0

Presentation - 8.0
Gameplay - 8.5
Value - 9.0

Put down the pitchforks. I'm not claiming the story is bad, just that since the move to 3D and FMVs, the spectacle gets more focus, and of the PS1 and PS2 FF games, it's most obvious here. The game is otherwise enjoyable.

Story:

(SPOILER WARNING:) The story just didn't impress me. Not that it's bad. The overall arc, of a monster threatening the world and it turns out the people supposed to appease it are actually meant to continue the cycle, is pretty intriguing. Just that while many RPGs write their stories partly around the levels, it's especially obvious here for an FF game.

What I mean is that a lot of RPGs have character in certain areas, battles, and situations just to have an excuse to show off those levels, battles, and situations. It's like the wedding scene. Great eye candy, just that Kuja 2.0's reasons for getting married to Yuna are tenuous at best, and Yuna's reason is that somehow she can convince him to stop being a ghost, even though she hasn't been able to convince him before. Really, the reasons were just an excuse to show how the FMVs had improved (and they did).

While scenes were just because the plot said so, the characters were good, save for Kuja 2.0. I just didn't buy that he wanted to destroy the world to end everyone's suffering. That kind of thing requires a very sad emotional state, whether for one's self or as some warped empathy. He just seemed to want to destroy the worl because he's a villain (just not the big one this time). And wile Kefka also had almost no motivation, he at least had some flair. Kuja 2.0 doesn't even have a shirt.

The hero's were pretty good, though. Aside from some painful scenes (the "laughing" scene for one), they had pretty good dialog and character development. Even "He Whose Name Was Not Said" got handled well with his father issues.

But then there is the big twist. Not the twist itself, but the details. Why the hell did the fayth need to be dreaming about Zanarkand? What did the fayth even have to do with the story beyond that? I've heard the explainations, and it still comes across as because the plot said so. And the ramifications about the existance of this dream Zanakand are totally dropped. But mostly it's that some people are thrown in the story just to facilitate the twist.

I had read somewhere that it was supposed to be the final boss dreaming about Zanakand out of guilt from destroying it. That would have made a lot more sense, and even put some questions out, like if "He Whose Name Was Not Said" was just a part of the villain's psyche wanting to destroy himself for what he did.

So while it has good characte development, the story is just underwhelming. I'd give it a 6 if there was a score for it.

Presentation:

Here is where the developers seemed to put most of their concentration on, and it works. The graphics are beautiful, the FMVs outstanding, and the music does the job. 8

Gameplay:

Also a standout. Just changing how turns are decided puts the gamplay in a different light than the last games. I had fun with it. Plus the grid system made for a lot of planning out how I wanted my characters to level up. All in all a solid game system.

Just if I could skip the cutscenes, I would find more replayability. 8.5

Value:

I wouldn't have found it worth it at full price, but at the Greatest Hits price, it's just fine. Even if you don't like the story, there is still a lot of gameplay to keep you occupied. 9

Overall:

This is a solid game, but since stories are so important for RPGs, this left me wanting. I did think it was worth my time, though. 8