Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster

I think I audibly breathed a sigh of relief a few times while playing Final Fantasy V. Before playing and severely disliking the first and fifteenth entries last year, it had been some time since I had touched Final Fantasy, and I was concerned that my appreciation of the series was entirely nostalgic. It was thus quite gratifying that V turned out to be pretty entertaining, confirming that the series just has a clear golden age with walls of trash on either side of it. It was especially surprising, because the centrepiece of the game is its job system, which always seemed a little quaint from the outside, given that it had been present in some form in games I and III.

The difference is that the system is massively expanded and refined here, and the game is structured with these changes in mind. Characters can equip a learned skill from a previous job on top of those granted by their current one, and there’s no penalty or restriction on job-switching, so players are encouraged to experiment. Simply coasting on an ideal setup at all times will reveal the game to be relatively easy, but its true engagement lies in trying a little bit of everything and making any eccentric combination work for you. It’s not a coincidence that this is where several now-iconic jobs with unorthodox and unpredictable play styles were introduced. Even if you do insist on playing it “traditionally,” there are a healthy number of gimmick battles sprinkled throughout the campaign to liven up the static menu-based combat.

The easy-going approach to gameplay is matched by the tone of the story, which was arguably appropriate but understandably controversial. Both dramatic events and character development are present, but they happen at such a breakneck pace, and the villain is so uninspired, that it can feel a little silly at times. It can also come across as apathetic acceptance of technical limitations compared to IV and VI, which largely transcended those same limitations. Speaking of which, V doesn’t benefit from the Pixel Remaster treatment as much as the NES/Famicom titles. The visuals have been mildly improved, but the gameplay and soundtrack were already mostly functional and terrific, respectively, so little to no revision was needed there. Some small subjective issues remain (I wish every dungeon in the third act was 30% shorter, for example), but regardless, Final Fantasy V is a solid diversion and a worthwhile entry in the franchise.