Final Fantasy 5

I’ve played through pretty much every entry in the main Final Fantasy numbered series with the exception of V so I recently picked it up on the PSN and have been playing through it on my PSP.  Here is a mini review of the game so far after about 10 hours play.

I came to the game with very little expectations as this iteration seems to be overlooked in favour of VI and VII. So far though I have really enjoyed the game. Some might say gameplay is simple but as I see it, it contains the core of what a good RPG should have. Fun characters, interesting story without being impenetrably complex and although the combat is indeed simple the job system, which was innovative at the time, is well implemented. I think what I like best if the fact that a lot of the extra baggage that modern JRPGs have accumulated is absent.  In other words, no complex “crafting” system or battling the same monster for 10 hours waiting for a rare drop. No open world wondering where you need to go next or superfluous side mission that accomplish nothing apart from prolonging the end and allowing the publisher to say “100 hours of gameplay” on the back of the box. Dialogue and cut scenes are suitably brief and to the point and carried off in a light-hearted way.

Graphics wise it’s an old-school RPG from the SNES era and this is what you get.  I don’t know though, I still find some of these simple sprite characters are more expressive than some of the newer high tech “uncanny valley” avatars.  Music is outstanding and I would thoroughly recommend playing with a pair of good headphones.

Overall, this title in many ways represents the heyday of the JRPG. You know what you’re going to get and the designers deliver in spades. It’s a great portable title and as the dungeons aren’t too long it really suits a pick up and play style.  Most importantly Final Fantasy V is simple a lot of fun and gets a big thumbs up from me.