Unlike the main trio, whoever's in the fourth slot tends to go through a significant, if short, arc where they leave the party fundamentally changed (or dead.) Although this doesn't solve the issue of a static main cast, it does at least mean some characters have weight within the narrative. Now a series staple, guest party members first appeared here with quite a bit of success. Since there are only three permanent party members, the fourth slot is open for temporary team-ups. That said, guest party members do tend to fare a bit better in terms of characterisation. Nobody grows, nobody is truly challenged, and they end the story the same way they begin. Firion is a generic hero, Maria is the token female party member, and Guy is a meathead. Garland was not a particularly interesting villain, but he at least had an interesting twist that changed how the story was perceived while directly affecting the party.įor a cast with defined identities and a canonical backstory, none of the three main party members undergo a character arc. There's little permanency to the threat the empire poses. ![]() The empire is a generic antagonistic nation, the rebellion is struggling, but not so much that their status is dire, and Emperor Mateus' motivations never evolve past evil for the sake of evil. The stakes have been raised, but only superficially. In execution, all this change does is lose almost all the charm that made Final Fantasy great. In theory, this is a great way of distinguishing Final Fantasy II from the original. The party is orphaned, an empire is oppressing a nation, and a revolution is brewing in a quaint town. Where the first game was a more classically fantastical adventure, this one is more politically charged in its tone and writing. Their names can be changed, but unique sprites and portraits make it clear there's going to be more emphasis on narrative here.Īs fantastic as this introduction is, the quality doesn't last long. Besides the opening battle, nothing says that better than the fact that the main cast is predetermined this time around. Immediately, players can tell that this isn't going to be four heroes of light searching for crystals a second time around. ![]() This opening, while simple, was one of the smartest things Square could have done to differentiate their first sequel from its predecessor. Instead of placing the party on the overworld with no context, they are placed in-battle. Final Fantasy II, on the other hand, goes for the direct opposite. ![]() It simply places the party near the first town and begins. There's no epic fanfare, no title crawl, and no clear direction of where to go or what to do. Final Fantasy's first moment is iconic in just how casual it is.
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