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At last, the circle is now complete.
For a long time it felt like something was missing for non-Japanese Final Fantasy fans. Even with countless remakes of older Final Fantasies, for some reason Square never decided to do a port or remake of Final Fantasy III. I always thought this was a shame, as it really is the best of the NES Final Fantasy games. It introduced a lot of things that became mainstay in the series. Thankfully they finally got around to releasing the game on our shores.
Instead of just a brand new shiny coat of paint like a lot of remakes from Square get, this game was pretty much re-built from the ground up. It still follows the same story as the original FFIII, but there are a few changes, but if you've never played the original game, you probably won't notice them. The first major change is the graphics; instead of just making it look more 16bit like the PS1/GBA remakes of Final Fantasy 1+2, they gave it a complete 3D makeover. It looks really good for a DS game. It even has a CG intro, something Square has become quite famous for.
Another big change is that the characters actually have names and personalities now. In the original they were just four nameless boys, and the party all started together. In this version, you actually have to seek out your party members. There still isn't a whole lot of character development, but at least there is more than the NES version. Also, during the game you find other characters that are important to the story that follow you. In the original game, they were just for show and didn't do anything. In the remake, they actually participate in battle. Their role is somewhat limited, but at least they help.
One thing that didn't change, however, was the difficulty. This game will crush you if you're not careful. I found that one out the hard way when I got completely wiped out in one of the first dungeons in the game. I walked in, took two steps, got into a battle and was murdered. The game doesn't really hold your hand all that much. There aren't even any save points in dungeons. The game also requires a fair amount of level grinding, so be warned.
This was also the first Final Fantasy to feature a job change system. Your characters are just a generic “freelancer” class at the beginning of the game. Every time you encounter one of the four crystals, you are given a new set of classes, most of which you will probably never use. This is chiefly because by the time you get some of them, you are already so skilled with your current class, it would take too long to switch jobs and basically start all over again. The exception to this rule are the “upgrade” classes, such as knight, which is a stronger form of warrior.
While the game does have a few flaws, it is still a good game. I could see some people being turned off by its high difficulty, large amounts of grinding, or that it might be a little too “old school”. Still, its an enjoyable game, and it needed a remake so that western fans of the series could finally play it. It's another one of those games I can't recommend for everyone, but if you are a fan of the series, it's a definite play.
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System: |
Nintendo DS
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| Genre: |
RPG
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| Experience: |
Completed the Main Story |
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