ext_188920 (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
the-404-error.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
moogle_workshop2011-08-16 08:31 pm
the-404-error.livejournal.com) wrote in moogle_workshop2011-08-16 08:31 pm
Entry tags:
Fan essay: In Defense of Final Fantasy II
I apparently like spamming moogle_workshop.
Username:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
the_404_error
Class: Black Mage
Title: In Defense of Final Fantasy II
Summary: A (very casual and even more unprofessional than my contest entry) essay about why Final Fantasy II may not be as awful and forsaken as it
Word count: 2,403
Rating/warnings: Spoilers, but the most spoilery of the spoilers I did put behind white text.
If you ask someone what the worst Final Fantasy game is, you are almost certain to get a wide mix of results. Every Final Fantasy game will be the favorite of someone, as well as the least favorite of someone else, usually for the exact same reasons. Everyone has different preferences; thus, while someone may love the political and religious aspects of Final Fantasy Tactics, someone else may despise it as they prefer their games to be more lighthearted and less in touch with real life. In this context, there is no such thing as the "best" or "worst" Final Fantasy game beyond subjective personal preferences.
However, that does not stop one game from constantly being listed at the bottom of most lists, even so-called “objective” ones that aren’t personal fan lists: Final Fantasy II. This is one of only two Final Fantasy games that gets almost universally disregarded, the other being XIV. Despite this, Final Fantasy II is on the top half of my ranking list, and before you consider me to just be some crazy hipster trying to like something perceived as “not cool” or some nonsense, hear me out.
The original Final Fantasy may have been the first in the series, but II started many of the trends it has retained today. Airship crazed guys named Cid, Chocobos (however odd they may have originally been), having playable characters with actual personalities (as opposed to just "Warrior"), stealing concepts from Star Wars... While it has been re-released many times, it is important to keep in mind that II was originally a NES game. Games in this era were not known for their highly developed plots and characters. Even in comparison to the other two NES Final Fantasy games, II's plot and characterization stands out as, well, actually existing. Both I and III had main focuses, but the plots were often lost between all of the mini quests that seemingly have nothing to do with your main goal. ("Here, go save this random person!" Or "Go stop an evil skeleton-painter wizard who is making a tree float in circles around the desert for no apparent reason!") Even while you're searching for a bell to get into a castle or such nonsense in II, you know it's related to defeating the Palamecian Empire somehow.
It is also easy to say that a twice orphaned young man getting involved with the princess-led rebel army may remind everyone too much of another story, but as mentioned above, I prefer to think of it as the first in the long line of the Final Fantasy trend to rip off Star Wars. That aside, the defeat the Empire theme has always been a common one, for its time, II pulls it off quite well. There have been games produced much later involving the same concept which I simply could not bring myself to get into, but the world of II is portrayed as so dire, that I could not help but want to bring the Empire down. Many themes tend to be recycled, and in that case, their success depends entirely on how well they portray the same story. In that respect, II's plot can be seen as one of the darkest in the series. The amount of destruction done to the world is worse than in VI, half of your allies die, and the whole atmosphere is often bleak. This makes the few less serious moments all the more amusing as well, as I know I laughed more than I should have at the whole Firion/Lamina scene.
That said, there are many aspects of the plot you can poke fun at. I know I had a fun time running around in circles the Palamecian soldiers, which produced no reaction despite how I was clearly trying to cause trouble. It is even more amusing when you realize that, if you try to talk to the soldiers, they'll reply "Rebel curs!" and attack you. Running around in circles? Perfectly okay. Talking? You are clearly a dirty rebel plotting to kill them all. They also leave a lot unexplained, such as why Emperor Mateus wants to conquer the world in the first place and why Leon betrays you. These unexplained major plot points are the biggest negative this game gets from me, but I am also more willing to forgive it considering when it was released. In exchange, I probably have more headcanon for II than any other Final Fantasy game, as I had a tendency to make up explanations for everything as I went along. I can certainly understand why it loses points on this aspect, but I would also like to point out that this series isn't exactly known for its complex antagonists. I can think of at least one more famous one whose "reasons" just make me laugh.
It is often said that characters drive the plot, and the characters are where II really stands apart form many other NES RPGs. While most RPGs at the time had next to nothing in terms of character development, almost all of the characters in II have distinctive personalities and some even have backgrounds and experience development as the game progresses. To be painfully honest, I would place its characterization on par with, or perhaps even above, Final Fantasy VIII's. In both cases, some characters are given more development than others and there are a few who are barely elaborated on at all. Still, on a strictly personal level, I'd place it above VIII since the only one who I didn't like in II is Leon, and considering how he spends the majority of the game being antagonistic, I almost think that's intentional. Also II's characters don't all have the exact same background, but this falls into the "subjective opinion" territory mentioned above.
The high points of II are, perhaps strangely, the side characters and temporary party members. Minwu, the only canon male White Mage in the series to date, who (spoiler: gives his life to unlock the ultimate spell, Ultima. It's worth nothing that Ultima was originally locked away for being "too powerful to be used," but since it was deemed better to risk it than to see the whole world destroyed by the Empire...). Ricard, a Dragoon who arrives home only to discover that (spoiler: his entire kingdom was destroyed thanks to a poisoned water systeman idea that Kefka later stole, and he strives to restart what little remains of it. Unfortunately, he too ends up dying in an attempt to protect others, which results in his what very little of his kingdom is left becoming deserted completely.) Gordon, who is initially portrayed as a coward who blames himself for the death of his brother and the fall of his kingdom, eventually undergoes quite a bit of development and becomes a renewed person by the end. He begins by hiding out behind a building mumbling himself, and ends by more-or-less being second-in-command of the whole rebellion. Josef, who initially comes off as selfish and cynical, but is eventually revealed to be concerned about the well-being of his daughter and those in his village who were taken to work in the mines as slaves. Even other characters who may not have the same depth are still likeable for their noticeable personalities, such as Hilda, Leila, Paul, and Cid.
On the flip side, there are characters who I would have difficulty describing the personalities of in depth. Again oddly, this ends up being your final party members, Firion, Maria, Guy, and Leon. This can be frustrating when compared to the other characters in the game, but at least these four characters have base personalities, which is more than can be said for the playable characters in most NES RPGs.
Finally, at least as far as characters are concerned, I will admit that I played II after most of the other main title Final Fantasy characters. Due to this, I actually found the characters refreshing in comparison to many of the archetypes common today. While I have heard North Americans complain that II does not have the same "nostalgic" value that other older Final Fantasy games do, thanks to how it originally wasn't released outside of Japan, I still managed to enjoy it despite when I played it. (In my defense, this game was made before I was even born.) Having the White Mage be a wise, respected adviser in a semi-elitist group of rebels is inherently striking in comparison to how they often end up being naive and sweet characters in much later games. The same can be said for many characters with their pre-RPG-archetypes status-- Hilda hardly falls into the "princess" stereotypes as she is portrayed as a compassionate military general. True, some of the character bases seem to have been reused in other pre-PS era games (Ricard is compared to Kain, although Ricard is more openly caring and lacks the treachery aspects; Gordon is considered a(n initially) more wimpy version of Edward; Leila is a non-crossdressing Faris), but these bases have hardly been prevalent in the larger franchise. If these three characters were based off the ones in FFII, it is interesting to see how they developed on the ideas later when they had more game space to work with. ... and again, from a personal perspective, I am just tired of seeing so many anime archetypes in jrpgs. Same characters, different names and designs.
Among those who have played II, the main complaint is due to how there is no level up system and instead you increase stats by using your abilities frequently. Per example, if you keep on making a character "attack," their strength will increase. On the flip side, if you completely ignore magic, that character's magic stat will decrease in some versions of the game. This is actually a pretty unique and interesting system in theory, as it makes sense when taken from a realistic standpoint. If you stop using that sword, your sword skills get rusty in real life, but if you frequently practice with it, you get better. The problem with it lies with how it's broken and easy to exploit. Just stay close to a village, spam the abilities you want to increase on any monster you come across - or even on your own party members if you also want to increase cure and HP skills - and then regain your health and MP at the inn. This can also be seen as tedious level grinding in some aspects, but I found it was not terribly necessary to repeat for long intervals. ... and admittedly, I just did something else while playing it whenever I had to level grind.
Gameplay-wise, II also has a unique feature where you can memorize "keywords." Speaking the right word to the right character usually results in additional dialog. It can be asked why they even included this, as they could have just had the characters ramble on without you having to ask them. I'm assuming the reason is that it gives some control over the main character back to the player; keep in mind the original Final Fantasy even let you customize your own party and they reverted back to this in III. This may also be why the main three characters do have so little personality, as they may have wanted the player the insert themselves in a way. Of course this is all just conjecture, but personally I find the "keyword" aspect not annoying at all, and even a bit entertaining. Usually people don't just start monolog'ing, so you have to actually give them a topic that will interest them first. I do wish that we could have gotten amusing dialog if you try running up to someone and yelling "Airship!" for no apparent reason, but ah well, I'll live.
In one of the later releases, they also added “Dawn of Souls,” an extra chapter where you get to play as your fallen party members through two extra dungeons. Even I’ll admit that I found these levels wrenchingly difficult and couldn’t even get past the first room at first. However, contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to only level grind to succeed in this game. A carefully placed negative status effect and some buffs on your own party saved me against hordes of overpowered random encounters multiple times. Keep in mind these dungeons are entirely optional, and while challenging, can even be a bit entertaining if you’re as crazy as I apparently am.
Most Final Fantasy games have a few songs which are absolutely stunning, and II is no exception. While even the original NES clips fit the atmosphere of the game well, when I hear it performed with a full orchestra or restored in any manner, I can't help but marvel over the fact that it was originally music produced for a NES game. The Rebel Army Theme (original, symphonic version [my personal favorite], Distant Worlds version, starting around 6:18), the Main Theme (original, PSP version, vocal version) , and Castle Pandemonium (original, PSP version) in particular. I’m not even going to touch on graphics, as that doesn’t matter to me and I doubt anyone plays a NES game expecting PS3 style graphics… and if they do, they really took a wrong turn somewhere.
While I'm not trying to make the argument that Final Fantasy II is the best game ever - or even the best Final Fantasy game - as frankly, I don't think it is, I will say that it does have its merits and should not be disregarded as that terrible game that everyone in the fandom avoids like a leper with the plague. Just like every other Final Fantasy game, there are some who enjoyed it and even found it to be better than many other games in the series. Between the characters, compelling plot, and music, it deserves its place along every other game in the series. Perhaps hated by some, but still viewed as great for what it is by others. It began many of the trends still seen in Final Fantasy today, took some creative turns, although whether or not they were successful is subject to debate, and was even one of the first RPGs to place a noticeable emphasis on plot and character development.
Username:
the_404_errorClass: Black Mage
Title: In Defense of Final Fantasy II
Summary: A (very casual and even more unprofessional than my contest entry) essay about why Final Fantasy II may not be as awful and forsaken as it
Word count: 2,403
Rating/warnings: Spoilers, but the most spoilery of the spoilers I did put behind white text.
If you ask someone what the worst Final Fantasy game is, you are almost certain to get a wide mix of results. Every Final Fantasy game will be the favorite of someone, as well as the least favorite of someone else, usually for the exact same reasons. Everyone has different preferences; thus, while someone may love the political and religious aspects of Final Fantasy Tactics, someone else may despise it as they prefer their games to be more lighthearted and less in touch with real life. In this context, there is no such thing as the "best" or "worst" Final Fantasy game beyond subjective personal preferences.
 NES graphics! I think the town was mini'ed |
The original Final Fantasy may have been the first in the series, but II started many of the trends it has retained today. Airship crazed guys named Cid, Chocobos (however odd they may have originally been), having playable characters with actual personalities (as opposed to just "Warrior"), stealing concepts from Star Wars... While it has been re-released many times, it is important to keep in mind that II was originally a NES game. Games in this era were not known for their highly developed plots and characters. Even in comparison to the other two NES Final Fantasy games, II's plot and characterization stands out as, well, actually existing. Both I and III had main focuses, but the plots were often lost between all of the mini quests that seemingly have nothing to do with your main goal. ("Here, go save this random person!" Or "Go stop an evil skeleton-painter wizard who is making a tree float in circles around the desert for no apparent reason!") Even while you're searching for a bell to get into a castle or such nonsense in II, you know it's related to defeating the Palamecian Empire somehow.
It is also easy to say that a twice orphaned young man getting involved with the princess-led rebel army may remind everyone too much of another story, but as mentioned above, I prefer to think of it as the first in the long line of the Final Fantasy trend to rip off Star Wars. That aside, the defeat the Empire theme has always been a common one, for its time, II pulls it off quite well. There have been games produced much later involving the same concept which I simply could not bring myself to get into, but the world of II is portrayed as so dire, that I could not help but want to bring the Empire down. Many themes tend to be recycled, and in that case, their success depends entirely on how well they portray the same story. In that respect, II's plot can be seen as one of the darkest in the series. The amount of destruction done to the world is worse than in VI, half of your allies die, and the whole atmosphere is often bleak. This makes the few less serious moments all the more amusing as well, as I know I laughed more than I should have at the whole Firion/Lamina scene.
 Wait, what is that and why is it coming out of his penis?! On second thought, I don't think I want to know. |
It is often said that characters drive the plot, and the characters are where II really stands apart form many other NES RPGs. While most RPGs at the time had next to nothing in terms of character development, almost all of the characters in II have distinctive personalities and some even have backgrounds and experience development as the game progresses. To be painfully honest, I would place its characterization on par with, or perhaps even above, Final Fantasy VIII's. In both cases, some characters are given more development than others and there are a few who are barely elaborated on at all. Still, on a strictly personal level, I'd place it above VIII since the only one who I didn't like in II is Leon, and considering how he spends the majority of the game being antagonistic, I almost think that's intentional. Also II's characters don't all have the exact same background, but this falls into the "subjective opinion" territory mentioned above.
The high points of II are, perhaps strangely, the side characters and temporary party members. Minwu, the only canon male White Mage in the series to date, who (spoiler: gives his life to unlock the ultimate spell, Ultima. It's worth nothing that Ultima was originally locked away for being "too powerful to be used," but since it was deemed better to risk it than to see the whole world destroyed by the Empire...). Ricard, a Dragoon who arrives home only to discover that (spoiler: his entire kingdom was destroyed thanks to a poisoned water system
On the flip side, there are characters who I would have difficulty describing the personalities of in depth. Again oddly, this ends up being your final party members, Firion, Maria, Guy, and Leon. This can be frustrating when compared to the other characters in the game, but at least these four characters have base personalities, which is more than can be said for the playable characters in most NES RPGs.
 Tpyos rae grate! Pirates have no use for proper spelling! I'm kind of glad this version was never finished. |
Among those who have played II, the main complaint is due to how there is no level up system and instead you increase stats by using your abilities frequently. Per example, if you keep on making a character "attack," their strength will increase. On the flip side, if you completely ignore magic, that character's magic stat will decrease in some versions of the game. This is actually a pretty unique and interesting system in theory, as it makes sense when taken from a realistic standpoint. If you stop using that sword, your sword skills get rusty in real life, but if you frequently practice with it, you get better. The problem with it lies with how it's broken and easy to exploit. Just stay close to a village, spam the abilities you want to increase on any monster you come across - or even on your own party members if you also want to increase cure and HP skills - and then regain your health and MP at the inn. This can also be seen as tedious level grinding in some aspects, but I found it was not terribly necessary to repeat for long intervals. ... and admittedly, I just did something else while playing it whenever I had to level grind.
Gameplay-wise, II also has a unique feature where you can memorize "keywords." Speaking the right word to the right character usually results in additional dialog. It can be asked why they even included this, as they could have just had the characters ramble on without you having to ask them. I'm assuming the reason is that it gives some control over the main character back to the player; keep in mind the original Final Fantasy even let you customize your own party and they reverted back to this in III. This may also be why the main three characters do have so little personality, as they may have wanted the player the insert themselves in a way. Of course this is all just conjecture, but personally I find the "keyword" aspect not annoying at all, and even a bit entertaining. Usually people don't just start monolog'ing, so you have to actually give them a topic that will interest them first. I do wish that we could have gotten amusing dialog if you try running up to someone and yelling "Airship!" for no apparent reason, but ah well, I'll live.
 You do have options other than attack and firaga... |
Most Final Fantasy games have a few songs which are absolutely stunning, and II is no exception. While even the original NES clips fit the atmosphere of the game well, when I hear it performed with a full orchestra or restored in any manner, I can't help but marvel over the fact that it was originally music produced for a NES game. The Rebel Army Theme (original, symphonic version [my personal favorite], Distant Worlds version, starting around 6:18), the Main Theme (original, PSP version, vocal version) , and Castle Pandemonium (original, PSP version) in particular. I’m not even going to touch on graphics, as that doesn’t matter to me and I doubt anyone plays a NES game expecting PS3 style graphics… and if they do, they really took a wrong turn somewhere.
While I'm not trying to make the argument that Final Fantasy II is the best game ever - or even the best Final Fantasy game - as frankly, I don't think it is, I will say that it does have its merits and should not be disregarded as that terrible game that everyone in the fandom avoids like a leper with the plague. Just like every other Final Fantasy game, there are some who enjoyed it and even found it to be better than many other games in the series. Between the characters, compelling plot, and music, it deserves its place along every other game in the series. Perhaps hated by some, but still viewed as great for what it is by others. It began many of the trends still seen in Final Fantasy today, took some creative turns, although whether or not they were successful is subject to debate, and was even one of the first RPGs to place a noticeable emphasis on plot and character development.
no subject
(lolz, and it certainly isn't MY least favorite FF game ever...as I have made which one that is very obvious, haha). ♥no subject
Lol, it's far from my least favorite. It'll be rather difficult to dethrone a certain game from that slot for me...no subject
(here via FF_Press.)
no subject
no subject
Though I do think it was wise of Square, in the later editions, to make your HP automatically level up so you don't have to stand there stabbing your own party.
no subject
no subject
I was honestly surprised when I constantly saw it ranked as the lowest... as said above, it's on the top half for me. D: (Although usually the reasons are like "it has no nostalgic value!" which isn't necessary the best reason IMO.)
no subject
I also think it has a lot of depth and emotional impact, if you're willing to look for it, and you can really see the toll that the Emperor takes on the world. When you explore the towns and they get further destroyed as you go on is bad enough. But after the Cyclone, it's so incredibly chilling to see only little rubble squares in the place of nearly every inhabited place you've been.
POINTS
Oh wow...I absolutely loved reading this very detailed essay. I'm not the biggest fan of the battle system in FFII, but the amount of detail put into the story (especially considering the era that it was made) is absolutely astounding and really does establish many of the features that are later considered "staples" of the FF series. Quite a few of the important side characters have very compelling stories of their own and unique personalities, and I was quite fond of many of them. You did an excellent job showcasing the strengths of the game! ♥ :D