QuickNavigation - FF Odyssey Final Fantasy VI (Last updated on 11/25/2008)

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By: wsim

     Final Fantasy IV (FFII in the U.S.) was considered to be a favourite among most RPG gamers and it proved to be a decent hit in the U.S. and many gamers were pleased about how that game turned out and it boasted the best storyline in any FF game to date prior to FFVI. In the time between FFIV and FFVI however, all was not quite well as Square never released FFV in the U.S. until the release of Final Fantasy Anthology recently and FFV proved to be a shallow game in the minds of many RPG gamers. Many gamers weren't happy since Square only decided to release FFV in Japan only until the release of FF Anthology a couple of years ago and many gamers were puzzled about why Square decided to only release FFV in Japan since FFIV proved to be quite popular among the RPG gaming crowd in the U.S. But after the release of FFVI in 1994, Square not only redeemed themselves to gamers, they also showed their expertise and skill at making RPGs and FFVI is still considered to be one of the best RPGs of all time, even in today's standards. With one of the best storylines found in any RPG game and with loads of great characters plus a solid battle system, FFVI is probably the best FF game of all-time and it made a big impact when it came to the U.S. Final Fantasy VI may not exactly wow you with it's graphics, yeah, they are still really good for it's time but it's storyline and excellent music will really win gamers over and it's quite a ground-breaking game in terms of the RPG genre. This is one of Square's most critically-acclaimed efforts and it is even comparable to Chrono Trigger, another one of Square's best efforts and one of the best RPGs ever as well. Final Fantasy VI will make you embark on an adventure of epic proportions and it's one of the most memorable games of all-time and the music will always be considered great and the music in FFVI is no doubt, Nobuo Uematsu's finest hour and during the time between FFVI and Chrono Trigger, Square has reached is peak and was experiencing their golden age, a time in which RPGs were excellent in quality and some of Square's best efforts of all-time came from that time period. After the release of FF Anthology which included FFV and FFVI with some new FMVs, they pleased many gamers, even though the graphics were outdated, their storylines and music captivated many gamers across the US and FFVI become one of the best RPG games ever made, without a doubt. While FFVII and FFVIII may have much better graphics and great FMVs, the storyline and gameplay is what keeps FFVI among the elite ranks of the RPG market.    

Full Story (Spoilers)

     The game starts off with Terra, Vicks and Wedge attacking the town of Narshe, riding on Magitek Armor and then later on, they meet up with an Esper, who are mystical summon monsters and then the Esper, Tritoch, blows Vicks and Wedge away and then a strange reaction occurs between Terra and Tritoch. Afterwards, a man named Arvis takes care of Terra since she can't remember anything and removes a "slave crown" from her head, which is responsible for her reasons for attacking Narshe. Some soldiers of the Empire then come knocking on Arvis' door and then Arvis tells Terra to use a secret passageway, leading to the mines to escape the Empire. Terra goes through the passageway and then later on, Locke Cole, a "treasure hunter", learns about Terra from Arvis and then he agrees to protect her from the Empire and when Locke finds Terra in the mines, they are surrounded by Imperial Soldiers but then a bunch of moogles come to the rescue! After helping Locke defeat the soldiers, the moogles then go away and Locke thanks the moogles for their help and then he and Terra use a secret passage to escape the mines and then Locke decides to take Terra to see King Edgar of Figaro.

     After going south through the desert and entering Figaro Castle, Locke and Terra see King Edgar and they discuss that Terra's secret abilities that might come in handy as Locke and King Edgar are really revealed to be members of "The Returners", a resistance faction against the evil Empire, headed by Emperor Gestahl. After talking with Edgar for a little while, Terra and Locke then explore the castle for a little bit and they learn about Sabin, Edgar's brother, from a woman named "Matron". After learning some of Sabin's and Edgar's past, Terra and Locke meet up with Edgar again later on. It is revealed that "Kefka" has arrived with some Imperial Troops and he then talks to Edgar and asks him where Terra is. Edgar doesn't know and secretly he talks to Locke and arranges a plan to escape with him and Terra and then the game goes back to Terra and she follows Locke to the room that they will sleep in for the night. Afterwards, Kefka sets fire to the castle and then Edgar, Locke and Terra escape from the burning castle by riding on Chocobos and then Figaro Castle then submerges into the desert, escaping the wrath of Kefka and the Empire for the time being. Kefka and some Imperial Soldiers chase after Edgar and the others but they manage to escape them and they decide to enter a cave nearby, to head to South Figaro. After passing through the cave, Edgar and the others manage to reach South Figaro and then they enter the town.

     After arriving in South Figaro, Edgar and the others then find a mysterious ninja named Shadow inside the cafe and Edgar tells the others not to get in his way for the time being since he is a dangerous guy. Edgar and the others then head to Mt. Kolts nearby and they see a shadow in the mountain and they decide to chase it for the time being. After confronting the shadow, Edgar and the others find out that the shadow is Vargas, a student of master Duncan and a rival to Sabin. Later on during the battle with Vargas, Sabin comes to the rescue and then he uses the "Pummel" Blitz to defeat Vargas and then after a short scene, Sabin agrees to join Edgar and the others. They decide to head to the Returner's hideout which is located in a cave just north of Mt. Kolts and after reaching the hideout, Edgar talks with Banon, another member of the Returners, about Terra's secret power and later on, Banon asks Terra to join their cause against the Empire. Terra agrees and then Banon agrees to follow the others while Locke plans to go and secure South Figaro from the hands of the Empire. Banon, Terra, Sabin and Edgar then go on a raft as they go through a winding river and later on, they confront Ultros, an Octopus and after the battle, Sabin goes after Ultros but then he gets washed away by the quick rapids of the winding river.

     Now you can choose from 3 scenarios: One involving Sabin, another with Terra and Edgar and finally, one with Locke. The purpose of the scenarios is that every character's goal is to meet up at Narshe and along the way they will go through a series of trials and meet new characters along the way as well. I'll go in no specific order, I'll just choose the scenarios randomly so here we go:

Terra and Edgar's Scenario:
Terra and Edgar manage to arrive in Narshe again and after using the secret passage through the mines that Locke used earlier on in the game, Edgar and Terra then go through some obstacles along the way and they eventually end up back at Arvis' house. After a few scenes and some talking, the scenario comes to an end. This is the shortest scenario by far anyways.

Locke's Scenario:
Locke realizes that South Figaro is under Imperial occupation and then he steals some clothes from a merchant to gain access to a room in an old man's house, since the kid guarding that room only let's merchants pass through. After going through the passages, Locke then fights an Imperial soldier and then steals his uniform so he can go around without being caught by the other soldiers around South Figaro. Locke then heads to the cafe and the he sees another merchant and then steals some clothes from him and then Locke disguises himself as a merchant again. Locke gets a bottle of Cider after stealing the clothes and then after heading back to the old man's house, Locke gives the bottle of Cider to the old man and then the old man gives Locke the password to get through his grandson downstairs. After telling the kid downstairs the password, Locke goes through a passageway which leads to another house and then after going down a secret set of stairs, Locke then heads through a long passageway and then a short scene occurs in which a soldier beats up on Celes Chere, a former General of the Empire who is being punished from betraying the Empire. After the guard falls asleep, Locke then heads into the room where Celes is and then rescues her and then Locke takes a key from the soldier sleeping. After passing through another long series of tunnels and pathways, Locke and Celes manage to leave South Figaro and then they head to the cave nearby and after passing through the cave, they defeat a machine called TunnelArmor and then after a bit of talking they head to Narshe and the scenario ends after that.

Sabin's Scenario:
After being washed up on shore, Sabin heads to a small house nearby and he then finds Shadow as well and Shadow then decides to join Sabin for the time being. Sabin learns of a secret Imperial base from Shadow and then after reaching the secret base, they overhear some things from General Leo and some other Imperial soldiers and then the game switches over to Cyan and then he heroically heads outside the castle and kills the leader of an Imperial troop. Sabin and Shadow then fight some Imperial soldiers and then they fight Kefka a few times as well but Kefka just runs away after each battle, trying to elude Shadow and Sabin and then later on, Kefka poisons a river nearby which kills almost everyone back at Doma castle. Cyan then finds out that the King of Doma is dead and Cyan also finds his family dead as well. After leaving Doma castle and meeting up with Shadow and Sabin, Cyan agrees to join their cause and then they use Magitek armors to break out of the secret base. From there, they all head south and after passing through a large forest, they board a train. Turns out to be a Phantom Train instead and then after going through the train and defeating ghosts along the way, Cyan and the others then detach parts of the train one by one and then after pulling the master switches to stop the train, they face the Phantom Train. After defeating it, Cyan has a short sequence involving Cyan and his family and then after that, they all head east to reach Baron falls.
After reaching Baron falls, Shadow then leaves the party, leaving Sabin and Cyan behind as he then goes his own way and disappears. Cyan and Sabin then jump off a cliff and then later on they reach land again and they meet up with a kid named Gau. After talking to him for a bit, he then runs away and then Sabin and Cyan head to a town called "Mobliz" nearby and they buy some dried meat there. After finding Gau on the Veldt again, Cyan and Sabin then feed Gau the piece of dried meat they bought in Mobliz and then Gau decides to join your party. Later on, they head to Crescent Mountain nearby and then they find a diving helmet and then they head into the Serpant Trench. After successfully passing through the Serpant Trench, Sabin and the others then land on a boat in a town called "Nikeah" and then they use the boat to head back to Narshe. This concludes the Sabin scenario.

(End of the Scenarios)

Edgar, Locke, Terra, Cyan, Sabin, Gau and Celes all gather at Narshe and then they speak with Banon and then Banon outlines their objective for the time being. Some members don't get along well, Cyan doesn't trust Celes and so on but anyways, they head to the hills of Narshe, ready to battle Kefka. They all split into 3 groups to try and hold off the big Imperial attack and they try to protect Banon at all costs and after confronting Kefka, they fight him and then he runs away shortly afterwards. Shortly afterwards, Terra gets confronted by an Esper and then Terra morphs into an Esper-like creature and then flies away all of a sudden. After deciding on the party, the others then head back to Figaro Castle for the time being. After heading downstairs, Sabin and Edgar then ask a man to use Figaro Castle to submerge to a town called Kohlingen and from there, they all explore the town for a little bit and then they reach Zozo shortly afterwards.

     From there, they all head up some tall buildings and then they eventually reach Terra who is resting on a bed with another old man. The old man reveals that he is "Ramuh", the lighting-Esper and then he explains more about Espers to the others and tells them about the past war between humans and Espers in a war called: "The War of the Magi". Ramuh then gives up his powers and passes it on to the others and they also receive 3 other Magicite crystals as well. They leave Terra behind for the time being and then the others decide to head to Jidoor as they decide to find the Empire's base but they need an airship. Once in Jidoor, Edgar and the others find the owner of the Opera house inside the town and after speaking with him for a bit, he drops a letter behind and then the others decide to read it. The letter mentions about a man named Setzer and his airship and then Edgar and the others decide to head down south to the Opera house. After entering the Opera house, the Impresario mistakes Celes for Maria, who is supposed to be playing the lead female role in the Opera and then shortly afterwards, Celes agrees to perform in the Opera, in hopes of finding Setzer and his airship. During the Opera, Locke then wanders around for a bit and then finds a letter in the dressing room written by Ultros and then he decides to tell the Impresario. It is revealed that Locke and the others have 5 minutes to stop Ultros before he ruins the entire Opera and before he crushes Celes with a large iron weight. Locke and the others eventually reach Ultros and then they defeat him and then Setzer drops by to save Celes and the others.

     After that, Setzer then uses his airship to take the others to Vector, the Imperial Capital but then the ship eventually crashes and eventually lands at a town called Albrook. Setzer and the others decide to explore some of the nearby towns for a little while and then they later on head to Vector. Inside Vector, Setzer and the others find an old man and the old man then causes a distraction to the Imperial guards, giving Setzer and the others enough time for them to climb up and head into a secret passageway that leads to the "Magitek Factory". Inside the factory, Celes and the others pass through several pathways and conveyor belts before finding Kefka and then they hide and they see Kefka play around with a couple of Espers and then after that scene, Celes and the others follow the Espers and then they fight them. After defeating Shiva and Ifrit, they then tell Celes and the others that there are more Espers in the factory, being drained of their powers and then Shiva and Ifrit then turn into Magicite crystals and then Celes and the others inherit their powers. They then pass through a room with Magicite crystals inside glass cylinders and they press a a switch to free them and then Celes and the others receive their powers as well. Eventually, they find Kefka again and then after a short scene, it is believed that Celes could be a traitor but she then saves the others and then the others then talk with Cid and then they head into a mine cart.

     The others then pass through some tracks which eventually leads back to Vector and then Setzer finds them and then they all head back into the airship. Kefka then decides to send a couple of robotic cranes after the airship to try and stop the others but Setzer and the others manage to defeat the cranes. They all decide to head back to Zozo to check up on how Terra is doing and after finding her, she then tells the others more about her past and about the "Esper World". It is revealed that Terra is half-human and half-Esper and that her father is an Esper called "Maduin" and her mother is a human called "Madonna". After the flashback sequence, Setzer and the others fly west of Vector to reach the Imperial Base. After entering the Imperial Base, they find out that there is nothing there and then they decide to head to the Cave to the Sealed gate, which is located nearby. After going through the cave, the others find Kefka and they manage to stop him from entering the gate for the time being and then the others leave the cave and they head back to the airship. Later on, the airship crashes which leaves the others just south of Maranda and then they eventually return to Vector again. Setzer and the others manage to enter the Imperial Castle and then after talking to Emperor Gestahl, he explains that he is deeply sorry for what the Empire has done in the past and then he tells the others that Kefka is now put into jail for his evil crimes. Setzer and the others don't really believe Gestahl and after talking to some Imperial Soldiers, Gestahl then offers Setzer and the others to join him for a banquet. During the banquet, Emperor Gestahl and the others talk about Kefka and the Espers for a little while and then Emperor Gestahl then decides to remove troops from some towns to try and restore peace. Emperor Gestahl then tells the others to head to Albrook and to find General Leo there.
After arriving in Albrook, the others head to the docks and then they talk to General Leo and then they rest up in the inn for the night before heading out by ship to Thamasa, near the gathering place of the Espers. After boarding the boat, Shadow joins up with the others and then after a few scenes, they reach Thamasa. Later on, they find Strago, an old man who is descended from the mighty Mage warriors from the past and he can do some "Blue Magic" as well. After talking with Strago about the Espers, they then spend the night in his house for the time being and then in the middle of the night, they then find out that a house is on fire, in which Relm, who is Strago's grand-daughter, is inside. Strago then joins up with the others and then they eventually save Relm and then Shadow helps rescue Relm as well. They then rest for the rest of the night and then the next morning, Strago and the others decide to head to the Crescent cave, which is the gathering place of the Espers. Inside the cave, Strago and the others reach 3 goddess statues and then they end up meeting up with Ultros again. During the battle with Ultros, Relm shows up and then sketches Ultros and then Ultros runs away. Later on, a scene occurs and then back in Thamasa, it is revealed that Emperor Gestahl has betrayed the others and then General Leo, shocked, decides to go after Kefka and after the battle, Kefka then kills General Leo. Kefka then defeats more Espers and obtains their powers and then the sealed gate then rises up in the air, becoming the floating continent.

     Setzer and the others then decide to head to the floating continent, but on the way there, they end up fighting some Imperial airships and then after defeating Ultros and his friend, Chupon, they land on the floating continent. After passing through various pathways, they then reach Atma Weapon and after defeating him, they eventually find Kefka and Gestahl. After a long scene, Gestahl then realizes that Kefka is nothing but an evil being who wants to destroy the world and then he tries to kill Kefka using his magic. But there is a magic barrier around the continent so Gestahl's spells have no effect on Kefka and then Kefka shoves Gestahl off the floating continent, leaving him to his death. Shadow then tries to move the goddess statues near Kefka, temporarily trapping him and then he tells the others to get out as quickly as possible as the floating continent starts to collapse. At the end of the floating continent, if you wait long enough, Shadow will escape with you, if not, then he will come to a devastating end. After jumping back on the airship, several scenes occur in which the world is in chaos and towns are being destroyed and so on and then the airship then crashes and the others are all separated as the World of Balance is now destroyed and becomes the "World of Ruin."
Celes then wakes up and finds herself stranded on an island along with Cid and Cid is very ill and Celes finds out that only Cid and herself are left on the island. After feeding Cid some fish, Cid then tells Celes about a letter he left behind before he passes away. Celes then finds the letter and the letter tells that Celes is to find the others and then defeat Kefka before the world is destroyed for good. Celes then finds a raft laying nearby and then she rides it to Albrook. After talking with some of the townspeople there, they then tell Celes that someone went to the nearby town of Tzen to look for some of his friends. Celes then heads to Tzen and after entering the town, she finds out that the town has been severely damaged by Kefka's Light of Judgement beam and Celes then finds Sabin trying desperately to hold up a house before it collapses on him. It is revealed that Celes has only 5 minutes to save a little kid inside the house, who is trapped and after rescuing him, Sabin then joins up with Celes again as they look for the others. They then head to the town of Mobliz where Celes and Sabin follow a kid inside a house and then they follow him downstairs and then Sabin and Celes find Terra with a bunch of little children. After a scene, it is revealed that Terra has no will to fight and she intends on protecting the children of the town, who lost their parents to Kefka's Light of Judgement beam. Suddenly, a monster named Phunbaba, a demon-like monster who was unleashed after the demise of the Floating Continent, enters the town and Terra tries to fight him but she then proves to me no match against Phunbaba at this time. Sabin and Celes come to her aid and then after a battle with Phunbaba, he then escapes for the time being and then Terra tells Sabin and Celes that she will stay with the children for now and then Sabin and Celes head to Nikeah.

     After arriving in Nikeah, Celes and Sabin then head into the Cafe and then they find a group of thieves, lead by a man named Gerad who looks very similar to Edgar somehow. After talking with them for awhile, Celes and Sabin then follow the thieves to the ship and then they talk with Gerad for a little bit and Celes and Sabin believe that Gerad is Edgar but Gerad denies it. Celes and Sabin follow the thieves to the ship and then they all head to South Figaro. They reach South Figaro and then Celes and Sabin then enter the Cafe there and then they enter the inn and find Gerad in a room there. After speaking with Gerad, the thieves then head to Figaro cave and then Gerad follows them as well to look for some nice treasure. Celes and Sabin decide to follow them through Figaro cave, leading to the basement of Figaro Castle. Eventually, Celes and Sabin meet up with Gerad, who reveals that he is Edgar and then they defeat a boss and then Edgar and the others hide from the thieves who thought Gerad has been killed by a machine and then the thieves take off. Edgar then finds some treasure in the castle and then Edgar tells the man in the basement to head to the nearby town of Kohlingen. Edgar and the others then enter the Cafe in Kohlingen and then they find Setzer in there and after convincing him to join their cause to defeat Kefka, he accepts and joins them and then he tells Edgar and the others about an airship buried in a place called "Daryl's Tomb". After going through various pathways and defeating monsters along the way, Setzer and the others then reach a long stairway which leads to the airship and then a flashback sequence occurs between Setzer and his good friend Daryl, who died in a racing accident some time ago. After finding the new airship, Setzer and the others find a pigeon flying in the sky and they decide to follow it for now and the pigeon eventually leads them to Zozo.

     In Zozo, Celes and the others find an old man behind the Cafe who sells them some Rust-Rid, which helps open a rusted door at the top of the town and they decide to buy it. After opening the rusted-door, they enter Mt. Zozo and then eventually, they meet up with Cyan and after they talk for a little bit, Cyan joins the others and then after that, he returns to Maranda to exchange letters with a women named Lola. After that, Celes and the others then head to the Veldt and they find Gau there and shortly afterwards, Gau recognizes the others and joins their cause and then they enter the Cave of the Veldt. Eventually, they find Relm/Shadow inside the cave, depending on what you did in the Floating Continent earlier on and after defeating a couple of Behemoths, they end up in Thamasa and then Relm/Shadow rests their wounds at an inn for the time being. After doing some stuff at the "Colosseum", depending if Shadow is still alive, Shadow then joins your party and then the others decide to head to Mobliz to check up on how Terra's doing. Inside Mobliz, Celes and the others find some kids downstairs again and they mention about Katarin and Duane, who are in love and then Celes and the others enter another house where they find Katarin and Terra and then Phunbaba returns again. During the battle, Terra then eventually defeats Phunbaba and then she joins the others as she now fully understands her will to fight for the future of the world and then she tells the children that she will leave for some time and she promises to return later on.

     Later on, Terra and the others find a forest near Narshe and then Sabin is shocked to find that Duncan, his mentor, is still alive. After some talking, Duncan teaches Sabin his most powerful Blitz attack: "Bum Rush" and then after that, Terra and the others head to Narshe. Inside Narshe, Terra and the others realize that most of the doors are locked and then after going through the mines, they find Mog and he then joins up with Terra and the others. After that, Terra and the others then head to Jidoor and they find that a rich man in Jidoor has a skilled painter hired to paint some portraits for him and inside the rich man's house, Terra and the others eventually find a secret doorway and after going though some haunted passageways, they find Relm and Owzer, the rich guy and they find that the painting that Relm is doing for Owzer is haunted and then a monster in the painting fights Terra and the others. After defeating the monster, Relm joins up with the others and then she promises Owzer that she will return to finish the painting soon and then they all decide to head to a star-shaped mountain and they land there. It is revealed that the mountain is the Phoenix cave and Terra and the others enter the cave and after going through many different pathways and after pressing some switches, they manage to reach Locke who has found the legendary "Phoenix Esper" and then after a scene in Kohlingen in which Locke revives a close friend of his, he then joins up with Terra and the others. They then decide to head to the fanatics tower and then Relm finds Strago and then Strago joins up with the others and then they leave the tower.

     After gathering up all the party members, Terra and the others then fly above Kefka's tower and then they split up into three groups and then they manage to land into Kefka's tower. After going through some vents and pathways, they then confront a monster named Atma and after defeating it, they move on and after defeating some guardian bosses and monsters along they way, Terra and the others manage to press some switches and then they manage to reach Kefka. After confronting with Kefka, he then demonstrates his new-found power and he causes some more destruction to the world and then shortly afterwards, he descends high above the tower and then after deciding on the party formations, Terra and the others then defeat the tower monsters before reaching the heavens and fighting Kefka. After reaching Kefka, Terra and the others then give him all they've got and after a quick and tough battle, Kefka is finally defeated once and for all and then after that, Terra and the others then escape Kefka's domain but along the way, an Esper named Maduin tells Terra that Espers will disappear from this world and then later on, Terra and the others reach the airship and then Kefka's domain collapses and then Celes and the others believe that Terra could possibly disappear from the world since she is a half-Esper and then Terra decides to use up the rest of her Esper powers and the airship saves her in time before she falls to her death. Terra then loses her Esper powers and then some scenes occur in which the world is starting to recover from Kefka's carnage and that the world is at peace once again. After the ending sequences, the game then ends and then the game shows scenes and views from several different places in FFVI, like Mobliz, Mt. Zozo and Figaro Castle and then the credits roll and then the game comes to an end.

     This concludes the full-story of Final Fantasy VI and it's a great storyline in my opinion, anyways, if you want to read my analysis of the game, then read the following sections to see if FFVI really is as good as I say it is......

     Considering that Final Fantasy VI was made in 1994, the graphics are very well done and most of the environments and backgrounds are quite well-detailed as well. While the graphics aren't exactly outstanding for it's time, they are certainly great and the character designs are top-notch and they take on the usual super-deformed style that most FF fanatics are all used to. While most of the spell effects aren't entirely spectacular, they are not that bad done and some of the Esper spell effects look more spectacular then ever before. Some of Sabin's Blitz attacks are fairly flashy as well and there are plenty of great visual treats to please the casual gamer throughout the game. While the graphics are predominantly 2D, the World Map animations are simply amazing for it's time and the towns are also very detailed and well-animated in it's own right. One problem I noticed throughout the game is that, most of the people in the towns look the same and some things are a little repetitive but that's not really a big issue in this game and the Opera scenes are also great to see in the game as well. The backgrounds are quite well-detailed like waterfalls, mountains, clouds and so on and sometimes they are quite vibrant and move as well. Otherwise, the graphics are great for it's time and the beginning and ending sequences of FFVI really set the tone of the game well and the graphics are great and they are quite impressive for the most part overall in my opinion.

     The gameplay in FFVI is very innovative and the battle engine is much improved over Final Fantasy V. The "Esper System", in which you equip Espers to learn different magic spells and gain bonuses when you level up are quite innovative and the Esper System is unique and well-rounded overall with no real complaints except for that some spells take a very long time to learn, but some of them are well-worth it in my opinion. New additions in gameplay this time are Limit Breaks, which are desperation attacks which occur randomly when a character is very weak and has low HP as well. Another new addition to gameplay is that you can now equip two-relics instead of one and there is more variety in what relics you can equip your characters with and there are some unique weapons in FFVI as well. FFVI uses the standard ATB battle engine as well all know by now and there is more variety in terms of battle commands in FFVI as well like Mog's "Dance" command and so on. In FFVI, you can have 4 characters in your party at one time, just like most FF games and there is more exploration in FFVI, unlike other FF games since the world map is more larger this time around with many more towns to explore as well. Another interesting concept in FFVI is that there is a "Colosseum" in which you can fight enemies and bet items/weapons/armor in which you can win better items, weapons or armor if you defeat them but the downfall is that the battles are automatically controlled, which makes it much more difficult by the way. Other than that, there isn't very much to fault in FFVI except for the fact that some battles may be a little slow to some gamers but otherwise, the gameplay in FFVI is very innovative and it is excellent overall as well.

     The storyline in FFVI is one of the best ever seen in any Final Fantasy game and even in today's standards, it's very good and the storyline in FFVI is one of the best storylines ever written in any RPG to date. With a large cast of characters, each with their own personalities and attributes and attitudes, FFVI has solid character development for the most part overall. A couple of characters don't exactly have origins or stories about their past but that's because they are secret characters but otherwise, every character has an origin which is quite detailed and it is fairly significant over the course of the game as well. The clash between "Espers" and "humans" serves as the game's main theme as magic is lost throughout the early stages of the game but then magic sees a resurgence later on as well and the game has a dominant villain in Kefka. In my opinion, Kefka made an excellent main villain in FFVI and his personality fitted well in his role and he's one of the best RPG villains ever made due to his evil intentions and plans. The storyline in FFVI had many twists and turns throughout the game and some of them are extremely dramatic and it makes gamers want to play more to find out what happens next as well. The storyline never really slowed down and overall, there were plenty of suspense and dramatic events to set the tone for the game's ending, which by the way is pretty good and it closes out the storyline of FFVI fairly well. Overall, with FFVI has excellent character development and the storyline is near flawless which makes FFVI one of the best RPG games ever and one of the best Final Fantasy games ever made as well.

     What can I say here? The music in Final Fantasy VI is OUTSTANDING. Nobuo Uematsu was definitely at his best when he composed the music of FFVI and the game had some excellent tracks which set the overall tone of the game very well. Most RPG gamers would say that FFVI's music is just "classic" and will always be remembered as one of Nobuo Uematsu's best efforts every and even now, FFVI has some memorable tracks which many gamers still remember from the time when FFVI was first released, back in 1994. The overall musical tracks in FFVI were quite dramatic, and they also fit the emotional mood of the game very well and while there may not be a good variety of tracks in the game, there are still a decent number and they are very well done. So quantity ain't the issue in terms of music in FFVI, quality is what matters and Square has showed that with FFVI and it managed to please all RPG fans around the world. The character themes all fit the character quite well and some of them are excellent, from Locke's heroic theme to Shadow's mysterious theme, they all fit the character well and they tell the gamer more about their attitudes and personality. The prelude is also present in FFVI as usual, and this time around, the Chocobo theme is now remixed and sounds a little more techno in my mind but it still sounds great, nevertheless. Kefka's theme is also good as well and the Opera tracks are just amazing and they are one of the most recognizable pieces of music in the entire FF series as they really impressed gamers at that time. The opening and ending theme music of FFVI also worked out great and the ending had some remixed versions of the regular character themes which went along great and while the sound effects in battle aren't entirely amazing, they are solid and they manage to get the job done as well. Overall, the sound in FFVI is amazing and it's the strongest point of the game which makes it one of the best RPG games ever made.

     Final Fantasy VI is quite a fun game and the storyline has plenty of memorable moments and twists to keep gamers busy playing that game for quite some time. As if that ain't enough, there are a fair amount of sidequests in the game as well in which you will learn more about the character's past and there are some nice items to get as well. Considering that FFVI is an old game, you may wonder if FFVI had any interesting sidequests at all but in my opinion FFVI has some enjoyable sidequests, while some a tedious, others are fairly interesting to do as well. Sidequests like "Cyan's Dreamworld" or the "Ancient Castle" are pretty enjoyable in my opinion and Gau's little sidequest is quite funny and enjoyable as well, since it is very short. The "Colosseum" may keep the hardcore gamers busy as there are many rare items and weapons/armor or relics to win and it can prove a real challenge to them since the battles in the Colosseum require a lot of luck and patience. Even without the sidequests, FFVI is a very fun game due to the well-written storyline and the amazing musical tracks will keep gamers interested for a long time. FFVI is hardly ever boring, there are a few minor slow parts to the game but otherwise, the game is fun overall and it's not exactly the most addictive RPG game around but considering that it's an old RPG game, FFVI still has a solid amount of sidequests and plot twists to keep even the most hardcore gamers interested in FFVI for quite a long time.

     With a very innovative battle system and decent graphics as well as a very well written storyline, FFVI is one of the best FF games ever made and it's one of the best RPG games ever made as well. The music is one of Nobuo Uematsu's best work and the music is memorable and amazing for it's time and it really fits the mood and overall emotion of the game as well. Final Fantasy VI has solid character development throughout the game and there are plenty of dramatic and interesting plot twists to please not only the average gamer, but to the RPG veterans as well. While the graphics aren't entirely spectacular, they are very well done and the character designs are well done, courtesy of Yoshitaka Amano and the graphics are solid and the backgrounds are quite stunning in terms of detail, overall. FFVI has a great villain in Kefka and the storyline is interesting and well-written and it helps make FFVI an excellent RPG game overall. Not only that, but the battle system is innovative with the ability to equip two relics and the battle engine is much improved of FFV, which is great news to hear to many FF fanatics. Even with that said, FFVI also has a fair amount of sidequests to it's arsenal as well, making the game very fun to play and the sidequests are fairly enjoyable and some are funny for the most part as well. With an amazing storyline, decent graphics and an excellent storyline and memorable music, FFVI is one of the best RPG games ever made and it's definitely a must for any FF fanatic in my opinion and it's one of the most interesting and intriguing RPG games that you will ever play, trust me on this one, FFVI is simply a masterpiece, nuff said.

Song Lyrics

Aria de Mezzo Carattere (English)

IMPRESSARIO:
 The West and East are waging war...
 Draco, the West's great hero, thinks of his love, Maria.
 Is she safe? Is she waiting?

Draco:
 Oh Maria!
 Oh Maria!
 Please, hear my voice!
 How I long to be with you!

Narrator:
 The forces of the West fell,
 and Maria's castle was taken.
 Prince Ralse, of the East,
 took her hand by force,
 but she never stopped yearning for Draco...

Maria:
 Oh my hero, so far away now.
 Will I ever see your smile?
 Love goes away, like night into day.
 It's just a fading dream.
 I'm the darkness, you're the stars.
 Our love is brighter than the sun.
 For eternity, for me there can be,
 Only you, my chosen one...
 Must I forget you? Our solemn promise?
 Will autumn take the place of spring?
 What shall I do? I'm lost without you.
 Speak to me once more!

Draco:
 Come, Maria, follow my lead.

Maria:
 We must part now, my life goes on.
 but my heart won't give you up.
 Ere I walk away, let me hear you say.
 I meant as much to you....
 So gently, you touched my heart.
 I will be forever yours.
 Come what may, I won't age a day,
 I'll wait for you, always...

GBA Remake

     The GBA remake of FFVI features some additional gameplay features as well as several new Espers.  As well, the visuals are enhanced slightly and look simply outstanding.  Some of the new confirmed Espers include Leviathan, Gilgamesh, Cactuar and Diabolos.  Like FFIV and FFV advance, the remake of FFVI also features an extra bonus dungeon that is sure to be a proven challenge to even the most veteran gamers.