Final Fantasy 2
Reviewed by Nick Ourso
I can remember it like it was yesterday. I walked into the video rental store and
headed straight for the "video games" section. I had just gotten a Super Nintendo
two weeks before and I was eager to see what the system could do. I remember
standing there and looking for something good, but all of the "good" games had
already been checked out. Then, something caught my twelve-year-old eye. A red
box jumped out toward me, and the words "Final Fantasy 2" were written on it.
I'm not sure what came over me, but i picked up the box and walked to the check-out
counter. I got home, pulled out the "Super Mario World" cart, and popped in the
mysterious "Final Fantasy 2." I turned the power on and I was mesmerized by the
soft, piano-like tune that accompanied the "Final Fantasy 2" logo. Thus began my
obsession with Final Fantasy.
Graphics 9 out of 10
For the time period that Final Fantasy 2 was released, the game's graphics were
nothing short of breath-taking. Color and texture were used to the utmost degree
and the all the scenes of the game were absolutely gorgeous. From the Mist Cave, to
the Old Waterway, to the "crystal" rooms, to the fabled Underground, Final Fantasy 2
screams with creative and graphical brilliance.
Music and Sound 9 out of 10
The graphic masterpiece that is Final Fantasy 2 was accompanied by some of the
best music and sounds of any game, on any game system, to date. The beautiful
and awe-inspiring music always filled the room gloriously and it set the mood of
the game perfectly. From the hard, pulse-pounding music of the battle scenes, to
the warm, compelling music of the "Lunar Core", this game is riddled with musical
perfection.
Game Challenge 7 out of 10
The challenge level of Final Fantasy 2 varied greatly, and as expected, the game
grew harder as it progressed. Square did a excellent job of making Final Fantasy 2
a "growth" game, meaning that the challenge grew as the player grew also. Every
so often, however, I encountered a boss that was a little to strong for me at the time.
Bosses provide the most challenge in the game.
Game Play-Fun 8 out of 10
Final Fantasy 2 was compelling and fun from the beginning to the end. The story is
easy to understand and filled with twist and turns as to not bore the player. The
characters each have their own personalities and traits, which add tremendously
to the game, and the game is carried flawlessly by tensions between those characters.
A lot of characters, such as Cid, are quite funny and add to the enjoyment of the game.
Frustration
The only things about Final Fantasy 2 that i found frustrating were a few of the
boss characters. Milon, the fiend of earth, is a difficult boss to deal with because
he attacks from behind at one point, putting your most valuable characters in jeopardy.
The Magus Sistes in the Tower of Zot can be an extreme pain because of their
heavy-damage dealing "delta attack." And finally, the Evil Wall has an insane amount
of hit points and can finish your party off quickly without proper defensive and
offensive spells.
Replayability 8 out of 10
The game, on average, takes about 40 hours to complete, and chances are most people
will miss quite a few things on the first trip through. The game is very enjoyable,
and I couldn't understand why a person would not want to play it over, and over, and
over again.
Game Value 8 out of 10
Unfortunately, Final Fantasy 2 is a hard game to find. It was out of production for the
longest time, but from what i understand, Square brought it back for a brief time. It
was during this period that i bought the game, for about 50 dollars. I very good price indeed.
Overall 9 out of 10
Well, what more can I say? The game really does speak for itself. If you haven't had
a chance to play a Final Fantasy game, this one would be an excellent starting point.
I promise that if you give this one a try, you'll probably grow to love it.