The ancient War of the Magi... When its flames at last receded, only the charred husk of a world remained. Even the power of magic was lost... In the thousand years that followed, iron, gunpowder, and steam engines took the place of magic, and life slowly returned to the barren land... Yet there now stands one who would reawaken the magic of ages past, and use its dread power as a means by which to conquer all the world... Could anyone truly be foolish enough to repeat that mistake?
Beaten: 2006 (twice), 2007, got halfway through in 2013
Version played: SNES, Gameboy Advance, Playstation
Excepting FFIII, FFVI was the last of the 2D games I had to play. From what I'd read online, it was considered very good, so naturally I was excited. I dove in with no end of anticipation.
It immediately became my favorite game.
I really can't overstate how much I loved it. FFVI's setting was more modern than the previous games, and it had a very big cast of characters, but the villain was actually what caught my interest more than anything. I'll be vague for spoilers, but there's a giant shift in the game about halfway through, and it turns everything on its head. I'd never seen a game take those kinds of risks before. FFVI did not hesitate to get very dark at points.
This was not my first introduction to quality storytelling in video games, but it was one of the most impactful. I had never experienced anything like the journey FFVI took me on. The first thing I thought when I finished it was "I want to play that again." So I did!
In more recent years, FFVI has fallen from my favorites, not because it's not good but because other games more closely align to my personal tastes. But I also haven't beaten it in a decade, so I'm curious to see how I'll feel when I revisit it.
To newer fans, especially those who aren't wild about the 2D games: try it. It truly is worth it.
Kefka. I had never seen a villain like him before, and it took many years to find any other I held in such high regard. I love that we never find out why he's like that. Sometimes the bad guy is just a complete nihilist.
I am of course fond of many of the playable characters as well — Terra and Celes are particular standouts, as are Edgar, Sabin, and Setzer — but Kefka will always come out on top for me.
Also, this game has the wildest cast. Mog is one thing, but Umaro? Gogo? Every time you think you've seen it all, FFVI surprises you all over again.
I literally run a fansite for this soundtrack. This is my favorite soundtrack of all time. I cannot even begin to be objective about it.
Since I can't pick favorite tracks without listing the entire soundtrack, I'll instead tell you about the first time I stopped and actually listened to the music. I was on the Veldt for the first time and realized that the music was, well, phenomenal. I had never stopped to listen to video game music on its own before. From that point on, game music became a huge part of my life.
Man, what places do I not like in this game? That'd be way easier to answer.
Narshe immediately sets the tone: snowy, remote, a little unusual. Figaro follows this up by being the coolest castle ever. And so it goes throughout the whole game. Each location is filled with so much character even when it's nothing but a backdrop. It helps that nearly every place has its own musical theme; it makes them all stand out. Each place is more mysterious than the last, and it's a joy to discover new places along the way.
I may not have played the game in a decade, but I still remember the gameplay fairly well! There are no jobs in this one, but there are a whopping 14 characters to pick from, and they all have their own unique flair. It's a testament to how enduring this game is that later games still call back to it — FFXIV's machinist job has a skillset with obvious homages to Edgar's tools, for instance.
The real joy of the battle system, though, is magicite. Each esper you equip teaches you magic and gives you stat boosts on level up, meaning that if you plan it right, you can end up with an absolute powerhouse of a team. It's a fantastic system, and one I'm really looking forward to going back to once I get to the Pixel Remaster version.
Also notable about FFVI is that after the halfway mark, your allies scatter and you have to travel around to find them. Only three characters are actually required, however, and you can in fact bypass recruiting the other 11 characters if you so choose. I did a playthrough like this and had an absolute blast; it was a really unique way of going about the game.