If there’s any unexpected value found in our beloved classics, it’s that they make for superb remakes, and cash-reaping ones at that. Final Fantasy III for the DS happens to be a win-win for both sides of the fence -- the business moguls get their big bucks, and we get the enshrinement of a pivotal chapter in a cherished franchise.
That’s referring to the real Final Fantasy III, by the way, not the SNES FF3 that countless American gamers already own (which is actually Final Fantasy VI with an imposter number tacked on). And since the "real" Final Fantasy III never arrived stateside, what we have here is essentially an entirely new Final Fantasy title.
It’s a good-looking one, too, with some charming character design and visuals that have been fully rendered in 3D, both complemented by a stellar soundtrack. But "new" is a relative term, because FF3 is a shining example of the quintessential old-school RPG -- it serves as a stark contrast to some of the newer RPG fare being doled out today. Straightforward dungeon exploring is the norm here, complete with treasure hunting and monster slaying. The game’s basic premise revolves around crystals and saving the world from darkness... again. And the battle system? Yeah, it’s the turn-based combat that we know and love.
While you’ll find a story that’s almost nonexistent -- basically a series of events designed simply to whisk you away to yet another dungeon -- FF3’s emphasis on combat ultimately provides a solid RPG experience. The game’s Job system helps tremendously in this regard: A score of over 20 classes to choose from leads to countless interesting party combinations (279,841, to be exact, according to that snazzy FF3 ad), and that makes beating the stuffing out of monsters that much sweeter. You might find it difficult to stop snickering the first time you see one of your characters in a Geomancer outfit, but there has to be a high level of satisfaction in being able to spew burning lava over hapless enemies.
Sure, there are flaws in FF3’s Job system (why are your stats temporarily reduced each time you switch a class?), but it certainly helps that having to deal with normal monsters usually feels less like a necessity and more like a pastime. There’s always a diverse flurry of monsters to engage, and the fact that your adversaries pack quite a punch should be enough to hold your attention. It might be tough to swallow a defeat by a lowly dungeon crawler, but hey, that’s old-school RPG-ness for you.
It’s true that some battles may occasionally skate on the verge of tedium, but it’s doubly true that battles with lesser foes prove, for the most part, to be enjoyable. And that’s a very good thing in FF3’s case, because you’ll need to do a considerable amount of level-grinding throughout the game.
Go ahead and thank the game’s searing difficulty for that -- this FF3 remake will stop holding your hand early on and will instead kick you viciously out into the cold. Many people will come to this realization the moment they get wiped out in an innocent-looking cave in the game’s second town, and some might stop playing entirely after being pelted continuously (and destroyed) by several ridiculously strong bosses. And the game’s lack of dungeon save points doesn’t help at all -- it’s hard to be pleased when you’ve spent a long time traversing a difficult dungeon, only to die at the end and have to do it all over again. The second time through just seems like a chore.
Of course, it’s easy to complain about FF3’s shortcomings and utter ruthlessness. But through all the whining and the nitpicking, it’s crucial to keep FF3 in perspective -- this is the Final Fantasy installment that hasn’t seen American shores in over a decade, and it brings some of the tightest combat and the tensest boss battles that’ll ever pass our way. It’s a fine piece of work from the realm of old-school RPGs, and as far as remakes go, it’s a title that sits squarely on the pinnacle of achievement.
