Welcome to the first in what will hopefully be a long running series of bi-weekly megathreads about a specific game in the Final Fantasy franchise. While you’re free to discuss any of the games outside of this thread, please consider taking part in what could be a group conversation here. I’ve created some basic prompts for people to answer and use, so feel free to use them, or not use them at all.

So, without further ado, our first game…

Final Fantasy 6 logo and logotype

Synopsis

Beings of pure magic once ruled the world with power and command. But power rarely leads to contentment… A dispute amongst these beings turned into an all-out war. Beasts of doom, known as Espers, were created and unleashed to do the bidding of their masters. This “War of the Magi” reduced the world to smoldering rubble. When it ended, the Espers were gone, as were most of the citizens of the world.

Many centuries have passed since the war. Civilizations have been rebuilt with iron, machines and technology. For years the Espers have existed only in ancient legends. Now, an Esper has been discovered and the forces of magic are beginning to return. The risk of another, more devastating war is growing. The future…

Key art by Yoshitaka Amano for Final Fantasy 6 of Terra in her Magitek armour

More…

Key Releases
  1. Nintendo SNES
    • JP: April 2, 1994
    • NA: October 11, 1994
  2. PlayStation
    • JP: March 11, 1999
    • NA: October 5, 1999
    • PAL: March 1, 2002
  3. Game Boy Advance
    • JP: November 30, 2006
    • NA: February 5, 2007
    • EU: July 6, 2007
  4. Pixel Remaster
    • Android, iOS, Windows
      • February 23, 2022
    • Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
      • April 19, 2023
Review Scores
Site SNES PSX GBA Mobile
Metacritic — — 92% 91%
Links

Post Prompts

  • Which character do you identify most with?
  • Where do you rate this game among others in the franchise?
  • Is there a piece of music that stands out for you?
  • If there is one thing you would change, what is it?
  • How many times do you think you’ve played this game?
  • @[email protected]English
    2•1 year ago
    • I always liked Locke.
    • I would rate this right below the golden three from the PS1 era.
    • Terra’s theme, the world map music from the world of ruin.
    • I would make the esper system more interesting. It’s been years since I played, so I may be forgetting something, but:
      • Give some espers abilities that affect the character-specific mechanics. eg. a stealing boost for Locke, an imaginary beast for Gau, etc.
      • Make the stat effects of Espers arise from AP overflow, that is, from keeping them equipped after you learn all their spells. Connecting the effect to level ups makes the optimal strategy include too much juggling.
    • I think I’ve played it two and a half times. First time the PS1 version, later the original on an emulator.

    A few things I love about VI

    • The distinctness of the characters, narratively and mechanically.
    • How wildly effective some accessories could be.
    • The story.