Final Fantasy III

FFIII still shines on seventeen years later.
Version
 DS		Developer
Square Enix		Publisher
Square Enix		Genre
RPG



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There's a fine variety of jobs to be had too, starting with a basic Warrior/Thief/Mage types and moving on into more specialised roles as you progress. The Monk is a favourite; far from being a bald friar your character changes into Street Fighter style pyjamas and bandana and fights with his fists! Unfortunately there's no 'Hadoken!' cries as you lamp your opponents into the mud. It takes time to change between job types, so it's worth fighting the randomly met monsters in the country until you have got used to your new role, before venturing into the nearest dungeon.

"The introductory CGI sequence is worthy of any recent FF games, and we're amazed they squeezed it onto the cart."

Job types level up at a different rate to how your character levels up, so it's possible to change from Freelancer (a non-specialist) who inflicts much more damage when attacking than a Viking when your job level is 1. Levelling up your characters in various jobs means you can switch between them when necessary without too much negative effect on your next battle.

Magic, as always, plays an important part in this instalment Final Fantasy; you're limited to three spells per level (up to level eight) so selection is important. Spells are learned, and unlearned spells return to your inventory to be learned again later. Study well, young ones!

The introductory CGI sequence is worthy of any recent FF games, and we're amazed they squeezed it onto the cart. Unfortunately there aren't many more as you play through the game, something that simply couldn‘t be helped but they have become a staple of the series and are missed when they look this good.. The graphics are well handled and the cartoon style sits very nicely on Nintendo's handheld. The sound is also traditional FF fare, with a sweeping theme and more bombast for the battles followed by a merry victory jingle. As usual it gets repetitive, but with scores of hours to play through, this was guaranteed.

P L E A S E   V I S I T   O U R   S P O N S O R :

"FFIII's biggest flaw is the save system... longer trawls through dungeons can be frustrating when you are thrashed by the final boss."

FFIII's biggest flaw is the save system. You can only save the game when you're out on the world map, so longer trawls through dungeons can be particularly frustrating when you are thrashed by the final boss. You can quick save if you're on the move, however you are forced to power off the console after doing so. When you continue, your quick save data is unrecoverable. There's nothing to do but learn the hard way, reload your last save and level up your characters fighting monsters outside the dungeon before venturing back in.

That's one gripe in a game which, although generic, manages to hold its own very well against 95% of RPGs released today. New players will be impressed with the game's charm and rich world, which is truly massive. The new job system also makes it more distinctive (and not just because of the colourful costumes!) than many of its competitors.

What really makes this worth a buy is simply the amount of time you'll spend playing it; anyone who wants to find every dungeon and item in this game will need a serious amount of caffeine and a bad case of agoraphobia if they intend to do it and see the sun this summer.











Graphics Sound Gameplay Depth Presentation OVERALL
8.0 8.0 7.5 8.0 7.5 7.8


THE VERDICT: FFIII is a beautiful game brimming with character. It's still a little generic, but this game was one of the innovators in what we consider RPG's today. Older than many of the players who will buy it, FFIII still shines on 17 years later.

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