Final Fantasy Anthology Review

by Jason Venter

What to say, what to say. This is, after all, for the Playstation. And what are you paying for when you buy this title? You're paying for a collection. Two great role-playing games. The problem is that, while they're fantastic, neither really looks at home on such a powerful system. If you are willing to put that aside, though, and accept these games for what they are- two of the very finest games the genre has ever seen- then you will find yourself infinitely pleased with your purchase.

So, what all do you get for that hard-earned $40? You get three discs, one of which is an audio one that includes favorite songs from both of the two games. These songs are pretty good, and they did include my favorite song from Final Fantasy 6, so I was quite satisfied. I feel I have to say, though, that not many American gamers share my delight in the song selection. You aren't buying this for the music, though; you're buying it for the games. And oh, what a treat!

First you have Final Fantasy V, which is famous for its jobs system. What this means, in simple terms, is that you can change classes. So, suppose you start out with a normal kind of guy. When he receives crystal shards, he can pick other 'jobs', such as knight or wizard. There are somewhere around 20 different jobs in all. What's really cool is the ways you can customize. Suppose you have a regular man. He changes to a white wizard and learns white magic. Then he turns to a black wizard. He can keep the white magic with him (they can retain up to one other skill at a time). Then you might change again and choose to keep either white or black magic. It's very nice. It's also easy to change, so you can change as necessary for upcoming boss battles

Also in Final Fantasy V, as you might expect from a Final Fantasy game, the story is truly enjoyable. And even when you think the game has ended, you'll find that it's not truly over. This is quite exciting and keeps you excited through quite a lengthy game.

Also included in the pack is Final Fantasy VI, one of the very best role-playing games ever released on the Super Nintendo. That title is hard to find. So if you've been missing out on it, now's your chance to snap it up.

For those who don't know, Final Fantasy VI was the first truly epic Final Fantasy game. There is a cast of memorable characters, a believable, dastardly villain, and so on. And perhaps most importantly, the last half of the game is extremely non-linear. You can go just about anywhere you like once you have the airship. Challenge yourself or rush straight to the end. Simply spectacular.

This really is a great deal, one that comes close to matching even Final Fantasy VIII, simply because you get so much. If you aren't looking strictly for a visual gaming experience, this will quickly become one of your favorite games for the system.

Rating: 92

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