Last Fantasy V might be probably the most ignored instalment within the mainline sequence. It did not come West till years after its authentic launch, and by the point that it lastly received a PlayStation port, it had been left within the mud by its genre-defining successors. What’s extra, V by no means actually obtained the retroactive consideration that was granted to the likes of Last Fantasy III or Last Fantasy IV.
However Last Fantasy V deserves one other likelihood. It combines a extra concerned gameplay loop with a storytelling focus, making for a reasonably robust-feeling RPG. That stated, the story and the characters are literally a step again in contrast these of its rapid predecessor. The sport’s crystal-based plot might be barely plodding and predictable, whereas social gathering members lack depth when it comes to persona and motivations.
Nonetheless, the sport as a complete retains the sense of journey that is so key to retro Last Fantasy — and that is one other world that is pleasant to discover. There are additionally extra light-hearted moments sprinkled all through V, which provides it a singular type of allure when in comparison with its darker, moodier siblings.
Last Fantasy V’s gameplay methods are what makes it price taking part in in the present day. It takes the job system from Last Fantasy III and runs with it, letting you tweak your heroes to a formidable extent. As an alternative of simply assigning lessons to your workforce, you possibly can grasp particular skills from completely different jobs and apply them to others. This mainly means that you would be able to create hybrid character lessons, permitting for an addictive stage of social gathering customisation.
This does, nonetheless, push a have to grind if you wish to unlock a variety of job skills. Fortunately, the Pixel Remaster makes the method simpler than ever, as a brand new ‘Increase’ can multiply the quantity of Capability Factors that you simply purchase from battles. Helpful!
With an honest story, okay characters, and fairly customary turn-based fight, Last Fantasy V does really feel a bit too secure at instances, however the expanded job system actually ties a number of the expertise collectively. A forgotten Last Fantasy for a lot of, however one which’s nonetheless enjoyable to play by means of.
