Review: Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy III has been updated for widescreen iPhone compatibility and controller support. This game was originally released in Japan in 1990, and only officially made its way to the rest of the world in 2006 (Final Fantasy VI was released stateside in the 90s and confusingly titled Final Fantasy III – the App Store releases of these games correct that issue).
I have to say, I really, really like this game. Later Final Fantasy games have more complicated stories, a more fluid battle system, more developed characters – theyâre great games, and deserve the praise they get – but something about Final Fantasy III appealed to me from the minute I played it.
The story is much simpler than future Final Fantasy games would later become famous for. An evil enemy has stolen 4 crystals and put the world into danger, forcing your band of 4 heroes to find the crystals, fight the bosses, and save the day. Along the way youâll see flying ships, magic crystals, evil bosses, underground cities, mountain peaks, giant castles – all familiar RPG tropes, and all make early appearances here. The combat gameplay is handled via a very traditional turn-based RPG battle system. Future Final Fantasy games introduced the more fast paced and complex Active Time battle system, which increased the tension of combat by bringing in some real-time components. Personally, I prefer the simpler turn-based system of Final Fantasy III – not only is it less confusing, but it fits perfectly with the confines of a mobile platform.
The Job system – a feature that would become famous in later Final Fantasy games – makes its debut in this game. Rather than assigning you party members with predetermined specialities, the Job system allows you to collect various Job cards you can assign to each of your 4 characters, allowing you to build a party with exactly the abilities you want. You choose the number of healers, swordsmen, mages, hunters, etc. based on your own personal style. It was a major innovation to the RPG genre, and one that would only resurface in the Final Fantasy series a few games later.
Graphics are one aspect that Final Fantasy III excels at much more than the other iOS titles – with the exception of Final Fantasy IV, other iOS Final Fantasy games feature two-dimensional graphics and blurry sprites. This game features new, completely 3D graphics reminiscent of PlayStation era RPGs – games I have a particular affinity for.
In addition to the recreated 3D (retina!) graphics, this port includes some gameplay rebalancing, additional areas and quests, rewritten English dialog, more distinct characters with individual personalities, and improvements to the famous Job system. The amazing, memorable soundtrack sounds better than ever, thanks to the improved storage capacity and quality of audio on iPhones, versus the consoles this game was originally available for.
This port isnât quite as fully featured as Square Enixâs later iOS ports. While future Final Fantasy games include universal iPhone & iPad compatibility, Game Center achievements, and even iCloud support, this game misses all of those things. The iPad version is also a separate download with a separate price tag, and currently lacks retina resolution or controller support. With any luck, itâll be upgraded soon.
Controller support in this game is adequate, and better than playing with the touch screen. All controllers work, though only the d-pad registers for movement. Button arrangement is a little strange by default, with configured as the action button. This can be changed in the settings.
Even with the high price tag and occasional missing feature, Final Fantasy III for iOS is the best version of an absolutely amazing game. For fans of Final Fantasy games, or RPGs in particular, this is a strong recommendation.