Here's my review of Final Fantasy 5! After 75 hours, doing everything, and getting the platinum trophy, I feel confident to give my overall thoughts on the game. This is easily one of my favorites in the entire series, in my top five with 6, 9, and 10! This is probably the most underrated entry that I've played thus far. It really deserves more love and attention, and most fans just ignore it. Despite its rocky North American release history, I feel like some are starting to come around to it, and I couldn't be happier!
5 is probably the most important game in the series gameplay wise. Its perfected job system can be seen in games today such as other Final Fantasies, Octopath Traveler, Persona, and Bravely Default. The ability to customize many job commands at once is truly revolutionary and remains fun even today, offering more replay value than most other games in the series. The fact that is also rewards maxing out all the jobs itself is awesome, being like a big sandbox for you to play in.
All of this is not mentioning the truly underrated part of the game: Its story and characters. A lot of its detractors and people who haven't actually played it like to tell this misconception that 5's story is bad and that it barely has any stakes or meaning. And that couldn't be further from the truth! The plot beats and character growth is more subtle and not as in-your-face as the rest of the series. The journey is more personal and focused on the individual characters and their dynamics. If you really take a look at what actually happens and why, you'll see that there's quite a bit of depth to the story, characters, and worldbuilding. Another misconception I often here is that just because it starts off more lighthearted and humorous means it's not as good, which I never understood. In fact, it gets darker and more complex the longer it goes on. I'd say it's more slow burn, rather than shallow. And on a related note, the environmental storytelling is the best in the series here, in my opinion. Seeing locations change in reaction to the story, which in turn affects the gameplay is genuinely great to see. Things such as the land dying or locations/enemies disappearing really add to the atmosphere and immersion.
The characters themselves are the real standout, though. Each of them have their own unique traits and personalities. They grow together and form an endearing found family that has some of the best banter in the series. They feel real and are fun to watch, making you invested in their own stakes to the plot. Combine that with shocking plot reveals and quite emotional moments that are some of the best the games' have to offer, and you'll always remember these people and feel sad when it's all over. Genuinely good genderfluid representation, elderly, and young adults aren't common in games even today, and this game does them all well. These heroes are special, including the great supporting cast and a unique underrated villain who's a genuine threat and bounces off the protagonists effectively.
The visuals are simple yet charming, the pace is very good, and the OST is one of the best and most underrated of the series! All of these elements come together to make a game worthy of classic status and the pinnacle of the series both of its era and now. Overall, Final Fantasy 5 is a truly overlooked masterpiece that deserves more respect and credit for its contributions to the genre and its own impressive merits. I loved it and will continue to do so as time goes on. Who knows? I might even write fanfics for it, with it having so much potential for more stories. I can't wait to replay Final Fantasy 6, my favorite entry, and see how all the awesome quality of life updates enhance the experience. As usual, I'll document my thoughts as I go. Looking forward to it!
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