Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
Reviewed by Kate Miller
Anyone who's ever played an RPG has undoubtedly heard of the Final
Fantasy series, thought my a majority of gamers to be the defining
role-playing game. For first time players, however, an RPG can be
overwhelming...having to keep track of money, weapons and items,
and getting drawn into fights when you are desperately trying to get
out alive! Squaresoft thought of these concerns when they made Final
Fantasy Mystic Quest, an RPG for beginners. Even a person who has
never touched a video game can get hooked on this, and since it is
very linear, they can find their way around easily.
Graphics 7 out of 10
Remember, this game was made in 1992, before video games were
based solely on graphics. Sure, the characters at times look like
colored blocks, but when you realize how old this game is, it makes
it okay. The graphics don't get in the way here, but they aren't hard
on the eyes either. For an SNES game from the early nineties, the
graphics are decent and the colors are almost better than FF2. In
the fights, the monsters would change form depending on how badly
hurt they were, and I thought that was a nice feature.
Music and Sound 7 out of 10
I'm not big on music, so i won't say much. The music is like any other
game - after a few hours, you want to kick your speakers to make the
music stop.
Game Challenge 6 out of 10
I first played this game when I was about 12, and it was the first RPG
I had tried. Even then, I could get fairly far into the game and get the
quests done. After awhile, though, it got a little harder and I quit
playing it for over six years. In that time, I became a rabid Final Fantasy
freak and played all the US versions of the games, and I recently
rediscovered Mystic Quest. I started playing, and within a day, I had
the game solved. This game is good for a first RPG, but if you've played
one before this will seem easy to you. There is no armor to equip, your
weapons equip themselves, and you can find free potions to cure yourself
anywhere. A lot of what makes an RPG challenging has been taken out,
leaving the bare bones. Another thing that makes it simpler for
first-timers is that there is no random battles. The enemies can be
viewed on the screen, and you only fight who you walk up to. There are
special areas where you can fight for experience and money to help
your stats. Overall, not to difficult, but fun just the same.
Game Play-Fun 8 out of 10
I have to admit, this game was fun. For once, I could concentrate on
enjoying the game and the story, instead of wondering when I would
fight next. Getting to crawl up walls, and swingshot across lava was
different for a battle based RPG. The change of partners was also a
welcome change...you didn't have to choose between characters to take.
This game is all over just a good time, even if it is short.
Replayability 6 out of 10
Unfortunately, this game is extremely linear. There are no real side
quests that you can go back and try to solve after you beat the boss.
Everything falls right after the other, and after you do it once, there
is no real need to do it again.
Game Value 5 out of 10
I'm not sure, but I think this game originally sold for about $35 or so,
give or take. For the simplicity and short length of this game, that's
just not worth it. It's too short for that amount. Today you can find it
used for a lot less...I think I saw it for about eight bucks someplace.
This price is definitely worth it, even if it is short. Your best bet,
though, would be to find somewhere you can rent it, and then play it
for a day or two until you solve it and take it back.
Overall 7 out of 10
If you have ever played an RPG, play this game. If you have never played
an RPG, play this game! For old pros, play this to see the evolution of
graphics, sound, story, etc. since this was made. It's worth it just for
the nostalgic purposes. Newbies, this game is perfect to get hooked on
the RPG series Final Fantasy. This game will get you hooked, and start
to prepare you for more complex games as FF2 and FF3.