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Goal achieved, and some thoughts on it...
8 years ago
So, earlier today, I managed to finally beat Final Fantasy 6, meaning that I have finally beaten all of the numbered games in the series that I've played so far. It was quite the adventure, and now that I've been able to do so, I think I can finally give my thoughts about it.
I remember saying that I felt like I was missing something that people who love this as their favorite Final Fantasy game saw, due to me not being able to finish it myself. After finally finishing it, I think I can understand where they're coming from, but I thought I'd share my insight as to why this game has jumped to just below Final Fantasy 10 as my favorite one in the series.
For me, it has to be the message that I get from the story. It's structured very similarly to 10 (or rather, 10 feels structured similarly to 6 if you want to be nit-picky about it.) You're introduced to a threat almost immediately, and when you learn more about that threat, you feel compelled to want to help out, despite not knowing what's in store. As you get deeper into the story, the characters become much more fleshed out, with their own reasons for tagging along slowly being revealed over time. Then, when you discover deeper truths to what's going on, it makes you realize just how much of an impact can be made by this threat, ultimately culminating in the major plot twist that, while it may seem obvious nowadays, more than likely devastated players going through the game for the first time before we had internet. That happened to me, despite me knowing from previous attempts to play through the game what to expect. The world, its inhabitants, the characters, even me as the player, felt defeated, hopeless, and lost, not knowing how things were going to get better from there.
Then we get to the second half of the game, where you're trying to recover from that devastation. One single, solitary moment helps a character steel his or her resolve, and from there, it snowballs into a series of events that can eventually bring everyone together in an attempt to bring down the much bigger threat. Numerous hardships are overcome, endless battles are fought, both external and internal, and progress is made to the point where they know that they're the only things standing in the way between hope and utter despair. When you get into that final area, filled with the toughest monsters, boss encounters, and finally the big bad, you feel like you've helped these characters be the best that they can be, and once that final hit is made and the ending starts to play, you can sit back, relax, and say "Yeah. I did that. I helped these people save their world. I brought back peace and hope for the future." It brings a sense of finality that can only be felt at that specific moment.
Overall, the message that I get is very similar to that I get from FFX: No matter what happens, despite the odds being stacked against you to the point where all you can do is despair, all it takes is one person to harden their resolve in order to make a difference. It's a classic underdog story, and those really resonate with me.
While nothing will ever be able to take FFX's place as my favorite numbered game in the series, I can safely say that Final Fantasy 6, after finally seeing the words "THE END" after the credits, is a solid second place, and there's nothing wrong with that.
I remember saying that I felt like I was missing something that people who love this as their favorite Final Fantasy game saw, due to me not being able to finish it myself. After finally finishing it, I think I can understand where they're coming from, but I thought I'd share my insight as to why this game has jumped to just below Final Fantasy 10 as my favorite one in the series.
For me, it has to be the message that I get from the story. It's structured very similarly to 10 (or rather, 10 feels structured similarly to 6 if you want to be nit-picky about it.) You're introduced to a threat almost immediately, and when you learn more about that threat, you feel compelled to want to help out, despite not knowing what's in store. As you get deeper into the story, the characters become much more fleshed out, with their own reasons for tagging along slowly being revealed over time. Then, when you discover deeper truths to what's going on, it makes you realize just how much of an impact can be made by this threat, ultimately culminating in the major plot twist that, while it may seem obvious nowadays, more than likely devastated players going through the game for the first time before we had internet. That happened to me, despite me knowing from previous attempts to play through the game what to expect. The world, its inhabitants, the characters, even me as the player, felt defeated, hopeless, and lost, not knowing how things were going to get better from there.
Then we get to the second half of the game, where you're trying to recover from that devastation. One single, solitary moment helps a character steel his or her resolve, and from there, it snowballs into a series of events that can eventually bring everyone together in an attempt to bring down the much bigger threat. Numerous hardships are overcome, endless battles are fought, both external and internal, and progress is made to the point where they know that they're the only things standing in the way between hope and utter despair. When you get into that final area, filled with the toughest monsters, boss encounters, and finally the big bad, you feel like you've helped these characters be the best that they can be, and once that final hit is made and the ending starts to play, you can sit back, relax, and say "Yeah. I did that. I helped these people save their world. I brought back peace and hope for the future." It brings a sense of finality that can only be felt at that specific moment.
Overall, the message that I get is very similar to that I get from FFX: No matter what happens, despite the odds being stacked against you to the point where all you can do is despair, all it takes is one person to harden their resolve in order to make a difference. It's a classic underdog story, and those really resonate with me.
While nothing will ever be able to take FFX's place as my favorite numbered game in the series, I can safely say that Final Fantasy 6, after finally seeing the words "THE END" after the credits, is a solid second place, and there's nothing wrong with that.
