Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II is an infamous game due to its experimental mechanics and extreme differences from the first game. It is frequently described as the "worst Final Fantasy game". I had avoided this game for years because of its reputation, but was it really as bad as everyone claims?
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It's immediately clear from the opening sequence that this game is much more plot-focused than the original. The story was interesting enough to keep my attention, but it's not as complex as later games. Notably, the three main party members have very little characterization or personality which was a disappointment. They could have easily been nameless create-a-characters like the previous game. I also found the story to be a little nonsensical near the end when Leon suddenly joins the party after being a major antagonist for most of the game. Perhaps that part was not translated well.
While the plot is decent, it's the gameplay that makes this game controversial. Instead of traditional character levels, Final Fantasy II has a stat/ability training system. Essentially, a character increases their stats by "using" them. While this sounds fine in concept, there are some serious pitfalls in the implementation.
The most serious issue is that evasion is trained solely by equipping a shield. In the endgame, there are monsters that will inflict either instant death or petrify on attack. The only defense against this is dodging, which requires high evasion. If you've been dual-wielding, using bows, or didn't equip your mage for the first 12-15 hours, then the game will suddenly become almost impossible.
However, you must also be very careful not to raise your HP too high. In the endgame, some monsters can absorb a percentage of your character's HP. If this is higher than the damage that you can deal, then things will again suddenly be very difficult. Humorously, you can cheese some of the final bosses by using the exact same strategy against them! Don't discard the Blood Sword!
Finally, magic is a tedious in this game for a few reasons. Each spell has its own skill level, which means you'll probably stick to the first 2-5 spells you acquire. Training MP is also difficult, because you need to expend a certain amount of MP per battle to even have a chance at gaining MP. However, the worst thing is the hidden magic penalty mechanic that is never mentioned in-game. Every piece of equipment has a secret magic penalty value that reduces the effectiveness of your magic when equipped. I assume this is for balanace reasons — generally, the strong "fighter" equipment has high magic penalty. I don't have an issue with this mechanic per se, but you will likely have no idea why your magic is so pitiful unless you are using a guide.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the game more than I expected to. I did enjoy the plot, but the gameplay has serious problems that likely will prevent me from ever playing this again. Perhaps the many remakes/remasters address some of these issues?
- 👍Much more plot than the previous game
- 👍Memorable music
- 👍It's a short game
- 👎Main party characters have little characterization
- 👎The endgame can be very difficult if you trained incorrectly
- 👎Secret magic penalty mechanic
- 👎Training magic is not practical without cancel exploit
- 👎No save spots
After completing a game, I add it to my overall enjoyment ranking which orders the games I've completed from those I most enjoyed to those I least enjoyed. I've only played two games so far, but I already have an opinion that's probably unpopular — I enjoyed this game more than the original!