Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster (2021) [Steam]

It is the timbre, the subtle movements that make the difference.

-Irvin Kershner

Someone asked me, “What is it about Final Fantasy II that kind of rubs people the wrong way?” That’s a fundamental question when approaching any critical analysis of the black sheep of the party. Why is it the black sheep? FFII is the first sequel of the long-running series. It’s the Zelda II or Super Mario Bros. 2 (NA) of Final Fantasy.

As a sequel, it attempts to either innovate upon or subvert its predecessor’s formula before a formula was even set in stone. We just see it because of our vantage point in time. But FFII is not so obsessed with subverting expectations that it becomes nonsensical or meanspirited. Not entirely, at least. As the second child, it had that privilege. It could play around with key traits and attributes and mechanics. It could take those risks. But everyone knows that risks do not always pay off…

The Brave and the Bold

One of the better distinctions from Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II places a bigger emphasis upon narrative. Its playable characters have names and personalities and backstories as opposed to the Warriors of Light from the first game. Firion, Maria, Guy, and Leon are youths orphaned by the Palamecian Empire and the bulk of the game is spent organizing missions to strike back at the Empire (heh). Unfortunately, the Empire is quite good at being an unstoppable force of tyrannical destruction. If you’ve played many RPGs, this will seem familiar.

Though the tale still unfolds in a linear fashion, your party will be required to return to a central headquarters where the rebellion operates between excursions out into the world. Gathering items or keywords to memorize and inquire about before returning to base is a unique touch. The backtracking may take a bit of getting used to, but it’s an interesting change of pace from simply making a circuit around the world map.

A greater emphasis on story would of course go on to become a trademark of the series. I’ve met many a fan of FF who plays these games for their stories. It’s also worth mentioning that Final Fantasy II is still a game of firsts in other ways.

Did you know, discounting ports, this is where the humble chocobo originated?

Kinetic

The biggest distinction is of course the mechanical one and this is where many people are on the fence about Final Fantasy II and likely why it earned its reputation. I won’t rehash or explain all of the inner workings of this game’s progression system (the game itself doesn’t even do that), but in short: experience points have been done away with. In their place is a system that takes “experience” quite literally.

Characters develop through their actions, as well as enemy actions. In battle, if Firion is my dedicated black mage (which he was since the game allows you to customize), then Firion has to individually cast a black magic spell to increase his skill in that spell, leveling it up to make it stronger, from Flare I to Flare II to Flare III and so on. If Maria wants to get better at using axes, then she has to actually swing an axe. If I wanted Guy to be my healer, then he must grow accustomed to using white magic himself. This transforms the act of grinding: instead of simply finishing battles, characters have to literally spam their abilities if they hope to get stronger. Likewise, taking damage from enemies increases health. You get the picture, probably.

Obviously, it makes some sense in terms of realism that this be the case. In real life, I likely most reliably get better at, say, cooking when I actually cook. The game does not allow for learning through passive observation or leisurely education. As far as Final Fantasy II is concerned, everyone must be a kinetic learner.

Tutelage

The problem, however, is two-fold.

First, the game doesn’t explain itself well, as I’ve already hinted at. True, there’s a room they keep a couple of old geezers in at the start and they’ll tell you a bit about the game’s mechanics, though they leave out quite a lot as well. How should I know to treat my white mage like a tank character? How should I know that equipping any real armor on my black magic creates a negative effect on his stats? Seriously, my black mage was awful at being a black mage until I basically made him naked.

Now, you could say that a lot of these ideas come lifted wholesale from Dungeons & Dragons so shame on me for not playing that, right? But what can we say about a video game’s accessibility if you have to play an entirely different game first in order to understand it? Final Fantasy II’s sheepishness stems from a lack of transparency. If a game can’t explain itself well to the player, particularly when trying new things, that’s bad.

Stop hitting yourself

Second, the system of action-equals-experience is wide open for abuse. You know what most people who had never encountered the game before said to me when they realized how it works? They asked if I could just have characters punch each other in the face. Because that logic makes total sense. Why not just have characters equip two shields for the bonus and grind away? Why not just hang out around the starting town and cast buffs and heals till my MP runs out? Why not just have Firion kick Guy in the balls for America’s Funniest Videos?

To be fair, you don’t have to do this. But you could easily do it.

I spent a chunk of my time at the beginning grinding battles somewhat normally, spamming spells and whatnot. I never felt like I needed to abuse the system to get through the game, and in fact, I was advised against doing so. However, with such an easily breakable system, many players might not be able to avoid the temptation. And any system that trends toward abuse isn’t one I can fully get behind.

I think that goes some way in explaining why Final Fantasy II never quite struck the same chord with people that its predecessor did, although it does have its fans!

The 8-bit Review

Visuals: 7/10

Same score that I gave to Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster. That’s because this remaster series is dedicated to the visual uniformity of the games under its wing. There’s no real significant difference between the first and second pixel remasters, and I expect that trend to continue as I move through these games. I am comparing them against their previous re-releases, though, and I think, like its predecessor, the ancient Final Fantasy II benefits from the graphical facelift.

Oh and I installed the Final Fantasy Mystic Quest font. It’s perfect! Here’s the resource I used.

 Audio: 9/10

Who knew Final Fantasy II had such great music? I only played an hour or two of slapping myself in the face with FFII on PS1 so I never spent too much time with its soundtrack. That’s all changed now. This is the first time I ever completed this game and I thought most of its tracks were exceptional. No surprise, considering it’s Uematsu at work.

Narrative: 7/10

This score is strongly influenced by its age and place in history. It’s interesting that Final Fantasy II took some strides in attempting to craft a more personable and character-driven story, although I’m unsure whether it is better than Final Fantasy’s archetypal fairy tale for that reason alone. We must remember that this is a very early JRPG and there was only so much that could have been done with the hardware it originally appeared on. By today’s standards, it is gaunt and shallow storytelling but in its proper context, there’s quite a lot here. Final Fantasy was already beginning to distinguish itself in the narrative department from the tropes of fighting dragons and saving princesses.

Gameplay: 4/10

Taking the whole series into consideration, as well as a few of its contemporaries, I have to give Final Fantasy II a below-average score here. A highly breakable progression system. An over-reliance upon spamming abilities. The fact you have to individually level up spells means you can only focus on a few for the entire game. Not to mention some of the more abstruse elements (wait, how the heck does the Holy spell work?). Too much is left unexplained or unpacked, and what is clear is transparent to the point of being abusable. Still, it’s not all fire and brimstone: Final Fantasy II gives players many customizable options for its playable cast and the turn-based gameplay itself is intact for those who appreciate tradition.

Challenge: 4/10

There are some long dungeons in this game (a pox on those empty rooms!) and some fierce enemies. If I ever see a Coeurl again, it’ll be too soon. Difficulty seems smooth enough as you progress through the game, acquiring temporary playable characters who range from helpful to useless. However, once you acquire the Blood Sword, that’s it. The final boss took two hits with it and gave up the ghost.

 Accessibility: 4/10

RPGs don’t usually explain everything about their systems, certainly not down to their hidden stats and intricate specifics, but I think a little more guidance here would’ve gone a long way. I had to really rely on the input of FFII veterans.

Uniqueness: 7/10

This is where the second Final Fantasy absolutely has a leg up on the first. And honestly, I’m glad it took risks. Trying new things would become a staple of the series (as would permadeath). If it wasn’t up to their satisfaction, or the satisfaction of the fans, they could always try out those systems elsewhere.

Personal: 7/10

I didn’t enjoy Final Fantasy II as much as Final Fantasy (largely due to its anticlimactic ending and its inaccessible systems), but I was still surprised by how much I enjoyed it. That’s considering I didn’t enjoy the PS1 version much at all. Not enough to really get anywhere. As with the first Pixel Remaster, I’d recommend this version of Final Fantasy II specifically for anybody who isn’t familiar with the previous versions of the game. I cannot speak to how different or similar it might be to the versions, but I can tell you that it was a ride without too many bumps in the road. Fans of the series and those curious about its origins should try it for themselves!

And I have to be honest, streaming the game likely helped me appreciate the experience 0n a more personal level. Final Fantasy III is next up at twitch.tv/thewellredmage!

Aggregated Score: 6.1

Red formerly ran The Well-Red Mage and now serves The Pixels as founder, writer, editor, and podcaster. He has undertaken a seemingly endless crusade to talk about the games themselves in the midst of a culture obsessed with the latest controversy, scandal, and news cycle about harassment, toxicity, and negativity. Pick out his feathered cap on Twitter @thewellredmage or Mage Cast.