The Final Fantasy V Retrospective
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 พ.ค. 2024
- Following the success of Final Fantasy IV and its strong focus on character, Hironobu Sakaguchi and his team sought to pivot towards creating a more mechanically rich experience with Final Fantasy V. But with the worlds both inside and beyond Square's walls changing, would the fifth installment truly be as light on story as expected? Or would reality creep into the fantasy?
Twitter: / lorddrubie
Patreon: / andrewbluett
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:53 Part I - Internal Upheaval
11:36 Part II - Bottoming Out
17:31 Patreon
17:50 Part III - Final Fantasy V
21:00 Visual Ambition
25:09 The Job System
36:52 Challenge
41:56 Worlds of Cardboard
50:51 Reconciling Character and Gameplay
1:08:19 Narrative Simplicity & Tonal Tug-of-War
1:19:01 Music
1:24:39 Legacy, Responsibility, and Social Commentary
1:30:37 Open Endgame
1:40:21 Personal Thoughts
1:44:20 Part IV - If At First You Don't Succeed...
1:55:45 Part V - The Age of Emulation
2:12:40 - Part VI - Westbound
2:29:12 Part VII - The Great Divide
2:39:25 Epilogue & To Be Continued...
Sources:
1. biturl.top/3uYvei
2. biturl.top/jyM3eu
3. Famitsu 102
4. biturl.top/Nj2eem
5. Nintendo Power Apr 1995
6. biturl.top/6fayUv
7. biturl.top/IjqYJv
8. Nintendo Power, Jan 1992 - Dec 1994
9. biturl.top/FRzyay
10. biturl.top/fANVru
11. biturl.top/ZRZRva
12. biturl.top/MvEN73
13. 有価証券報告書1995年3月期 [Securities Report Fiscal Year Ended March 1995]. Square Enix. March 1995. p. 8.
14. biturl.top/nmuiee
15. Parkin, Simon. The Never-ending Story. January 2018, Edge Magazine.
16. biturl.top/AVRNvm
17. FF5 credits
18. biturl.top/FfeYby
19. biturl.top/BjmI7v
20. biturl.top/EJZ3ie
21. biturl.top/M7rueu
22. Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden staff credits.
23. Romancing SaGa credits
24. Kohler, Chris. Final Fantasy V. p. 48-52. Boss Fight Books, 2017.
25. biturl.top/3eI3au
26. Tomfort, Andre. “The Japanese Asset Pricing Bubble: Evolvement and Consequences”. Asian Journal of Economics and Empirical Research. 4, No. 2, 132-141, 2017.
27. Smitka, Michael. Japanese Macroeconomic Dilemmas: The Implications of Demographics for Growth and Stability. Williams School of Commerce, Washington and Lee University. Lexington, VA. 2004.
28. biturl.top/qq2Ur2
29. biturl.top/73YbMz
30. Famitsu 201 23 Oct 1992
31. Famitsu 207 4 Dec 1992
32. biturl.top/VV32iy
33. Kohler. p. 132-134.
34. Kohler. p. 148-150.
35. Kohler. p. 87-91.
36. Kohler. p. 60-63.
37. biturl.top/eYrQja
38. biturl.top/6beeei
39. Kohler. p. 48.
40. Princess Knight
41. Epic of Gilgamesh
42. biturl.top/ZRRZRb
43. biturl.top/YBfqaq
44. biturl.top/6rYZRf
45. Kohler. p. 79-81.
46. Celtic Moon Liner Notes
47. Kohler. p. 137-140.
48. Player One Podcast Episode 16
49. Nintendo Power Nov 1992
50. EGM Nov 1992
51. biturl.top/RnaqEn
52. Nintendo Power Feb 1993
53. Nintendo Power Mar 1993
54. Famitsu 248 17 Sep 1993
55. biturl.top/VrA3Yf
56. GamePro Apr 1993
57. biturl.top/AnuMra
58. biturl.top/zI3UBj
59. biturl.top/AjmiAj
60. biturl.top/YZ3iYn
61. biturl.top/qUfu6n
62. biturl.top/iyme6n
63. biturl.top/yQBFNv
64. biturl.top/FRRFvi
65. biturl.top/eqiieq
66. biturl.top/N3yq6z
67. Davison, John. “Coming to America.” EGM. Jul 1998.
68. biturl.top/QvUBZv
69. biturl.top/fMnyEr
70. biturl.top/nQfmAb
71. Kohler. p. 54-56, 82-85, 95-98.
72. biturl.top/MVJvqe
73. biturl.top/VJzAF3
74. biturl.top/QzEbuy
75. biturl.top/qeeYRv
76. Kohler. p. 45-46.
77. Kohler. p. 108-110.
78. biturl.top/j6Rjyy
79. Famitsu 11 Dec 1992.
80. Famitsu 2 Aug 1991.
81. biturl.top/Ujmuai
82. The Super Famicom. 8-22 Jan 1993.
83. Famitsu 19 Feb 1993.
84. N-Force Apr 1993.
85. biturl.top/j6VzMv
86. GameFan Jan 1993
87. biturl.top/iM7ZFz
88. GameFan May 1998
89. biturl.top/YrArua
90. biturl.top/Rnu6n2
91. biturl.top/veAVVn
92. biturl.top/Arqimm
93. biturl.top/j6NBNz
94. biturl.top/ZfaeQr
95. biturl.top/b2eaEr
96. "Final Fantasy V Advance Review". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Jan 2007. Ziff Davis.
97. biturl.top/3Ybiqu
98. biturl.top/MzEbAr
99. www.nhk.or.jp/anime/ff/ranking/
100. biturl.top/6JVJZn
101. biturl.top/nuiQnu
102. biturl.top/I3yiAr
103. biturl.top/BbIBFv
104. biturl.top/3ENBFb
105. biturl.top/2iuEVv
106. biturl.top/F7Nfya
107. biturl.top/qYnQNj
108. biturl.top/22MnIr
109. biturl.top/a26bqa
110. biturl.top/bEJNny
111. biturl.top/miqAjm
112. biturl.top/aIFJbi
113. biturl.top/QBr2Mr
114. biturl.top/VviUZn
115. biturl.top/2uUBzi
116. biturl.top/NvIZFb - เกม
Re: Faris
If we are to consider video games to be art, then we must be willing to treat and discuss them as we would any other artistic medium. This includes examining the work as the author intended, as well as independently of authorial intent.
Faris was almost certainly not intended to be viewed in the way I have discussed. And that's fine. But the character resonates with trans and gender queer people in a way in which they see themselves and their struggles through Faris. I found this interesting and worthy of discussion.
I also acknowledged that this reading is NOT absolute, and that the text, as it is, independent of authorial intent, leaves room for other interpretations. This includes the dominant reading of Faris being a tomboy who was merely disguised as a man. And that's okay. More than okay! You are absolutely allowed to continue referring the Faris as a woman, because the text supports this reading as it does others. I even say as much in the video, and that I am not demanding anybody change the way they refer to Faris because of the reading I have presented.
Disagreements are fine. Belligerent disagreement is not. Know the difference; it's really not hard to say, "I don't agree with this assessment," and go on with your day.
Thank you.
As soon as you started on that section in the video, I was immediately like "oh boy, time for a comment apocalypse".
Personally, I didn't even think about such implications since this crossdressing woman trope is so popular in Japanese media of the time. So I chalked it up to that. 😅
Agreed! Ppl can get so goofy over video game characters, especially when they are (or are coded as) a minority. I dread the comments section of any video discussing the latest Bridget in any objective and nuanced light. Not because of the Left or LGBTQ people, but because reactionaries who hate trans ppl go on the OFFENSIVE over something that don't affect them.
I really didn't put too much thought into it and just figured it was the girl raised as a boy who likes being a boy and what's considered boy things; more of a trope than a discussion piece. Interesting during the time as something I hadn't seen in video games very often but superficial in the grand scheme of the light story. As long as Faris hit hard or cast hard, Faris was welcomed in my party.
I find Cloud's crossdressing section in FF7 more interesting as a thematic discussion on identity since Cloud's memories and actions are confused over Faris.
@@loganhayse8771 And that's a totally valid read on the material! Some people are just being dicks about it.
And there is something to be said about Cloud on this particular front, but whether I will pull on that particular thread in that character's tapestry remains to be seen.
@@ecocodex4431 I love "people can get so goofy over video game characters" because that is how you feel about people thinking the Faris "they/them" stuff is crap BUT if a tranny thinks that a character is good for "rEpReSeNtAtIoN" then that isn't goofy. It is probably stunning AND brave.
Bartz's world has lived in a time of great prosperity and peace with thriving trade and connections between the nations.
Galuf's world is more wild, untamed, and scarred by war. Towns are far flung and isolated.
Look how many people in Bartz's world kept recognizing the king of Tycoon and reporting his whereabouts to you.
You have the king of Bal IN YOUR PARTY and most people in his world don't recognize him.
They both definitely have their own character.
Yea. I actually had more trouble distinguishing towns in ff6. These old rpgs made it tough with their limited tilesets. Ff4 had different music and significant story at each town. It wasn't until ff7 when they could truly distinguish towns
@@alanlee67 You've identified one of the few weaknesses of FF6.
FWIW I think FF5 did a great job differentiating towns.
I really like FF5
Its pure gold
Me too. In fact that's the only FF I'm playing currently! 😅
Same. I ended up playing through all pixel remasters and 4-6 I REALLY liked.
@@BurnoutsAndBourbon I enjoy 4 and 5 more than 7
4-6 mean very much to me because I played them at release...well, not 5 obviously but I did complete it when it was released on PS-X. Don't get me wrong, 7 is a beautiful game but the previous entries (especially 6) have a special place in my heart and always will.
Something I notice about Farris is that early on the job outfits you have for her are pretty masculine, but as the game goes on the job outfits she has become more feminine, which implies to me that since she isn’t surrounded by masculine pirates all the time she’s able to be more woman-like, which I think is pretty good story telling. I never ever had the impression in the game that she was a woman who actually thinks she’s a man, she knows she’s a woman but wanted to fit in with the pirates, so she pretended to be a guy, but she’s not actually a guy. Does that make sense?
Makes sense to me.
to most people, this makes perfect sense, yes.
@captainpep3 That is pretty much how I always took it. That she figured the guys wouldnt accept her as their leader if she presented as a woman. I hate when people take a character like Farris and use modern day ideologies to force something I dont believe she ever was so they have an allegory for themselves. Which I find narcissistic because they are stripping the character of their identity and putting their own on the character.
it really is. forcing someone into a box to satisfy his own prejudices, but its for their own good! so gross. @@thepsychomagus
@@thepsychomagus*cough* Naoto Shirogane from Persona 4 *cough*
Final Fantasy V's story was perfect for the kind of story it wanted to tell. A lighthearted adventure with the perfect mustache twisting Saturday morning cartoon villain.
I enjoy lightheaded adventures 🤗
Due to the gameplay and story FFV is almost my favorite in the series. Although more recently I am beginning to think it might be my favorite.
He made his castle out of human flesh, moustache-twirly feels a little like an understatement lol
You did not had to slander Exdeath this hard💀
I agree. While it’s not my favorite, I’m a HUGE fan of Salaguchi’s most recent game, Fantasian, and I always tell people it feels VERY much like FFv in terms of its light story and focus on gameplay.
I hate that people seem to care so much about moral relativism now and think that it somehow makes games “good” or “smart”.
Personally, I think Sakaguchi’s decision to bring Kitase on as a collaborator to help him create the foundations of, and later directing and producing, the Final Fantasy games on the Super Famicom and future systems was probably one the best things to happen to Final Fantasy at that time seeing as how he was the Director/Producer of not just some of the best Final Fantasy games but best video games of all time. Those titles being FFVI, FFVII, FFVIII, and FFX. FFIX is also one of the best Final Fantasy games and one of the best games of all time however he didn’t work on that one since he was working on FFX at the time and FFIX was also being developed in Hawaii.
As you state, Kitase was more into creating sequences that were more spectacle in an attempt to “woah gamers” visually. With that in mind, you could argue that it was through Kitase that the cinematic style of future Final Fantasy games, and is directly due to Sakaguchi’s decision to bring Kitase under his wing. Despite the future failure of Sakaguchi’s push for Final Fantasy to enter the movie industry, Sakaguchi really did know what he was doing and knew how to spot meteoric potential in members of his team and help foster that potential into becoming reality.
I'm very glad you included The Age of Emulation in the video. It's something that not many people are informed on, but the people involved put so much time and effort into making a good fan translation. Plus, the change of tone from the rest of the video was fun and enjoyable. Great choice in including this important section!
This was the first game during that time that got me excited and introduced me to emulation.
@@loganhayse8771 Me too. This along with Dragon Quest 5-6, and Seiken Densetsu 3 were what compelled me to get into emulation. Others like Bahamut Lagoon, Treasure Hunter G, and Rudra no Hihou soon followed. I've always been equally thankful and amazed at the sheer amount of time and effort put in by fan translators in making these games accessible to a wider audience out of the goodness of their hearts.
@@acidwizard6528 so many amazing games we only heard rumors or rumored in the back of Nintendo Power and then boom; instant access and can understand what's going on. Not always the best translations but man; Seiken Densetsu 3? A sequel to one of the key games of my youth? And in English? You better believe I'm downloading and be back in an hour for my dial up to finish the download.
I only stumbled upon your series the other day and I gotta say, this is already the best Final Fantasy retrospective I've ever seen. Not only do you do a great job of breaking the games down and analyzing them in a fun and comprehensive way, but your perspective on the games feel fresh. You even have info on them that I've never even heard of, despite how long I've been a fan of the series. Not only that, but I appreciate the positivity of the videos. The fact that you made a FFII video that didn't just dismiss the game and gave it a more charitable look was refreshing. I can't wait for the rest of the series, and now I gotta watch the rest of the videos on your channel!
As you said some people knock FF5 and call it goofy but I think it's quirky, lightheartedness is part of the charm. It's like if Final Fantasy had a Saturday morning cartoon.
Legend of the Crystals was a cartoon based on FFV. (apologies if this video mentioned it).
It’s characters are the descendants of the FFV heroes.
These Retrospectives have an insane quality level. Keep'em coming!
Have been watching each of these on my night shifts, was sad that there was only 5 but really hope you'll continue this series up to 16. Thanks for the work you've put into these, each of them are lovely documentaries on these titles and I love hearing about the development and reception of each one.
FF5's story feels different and simple because it is the type of that FF has only done twice, Heroic Fantasy. Where a 4 and 6 is High Fantasy(LOTR or Skyrim), FF 5 is more like Conan and OT Star Wars. It's a simple story written with great characters and a simple world anyone can understand. That's why it feels different than 4.
Conan...O'Brian...?
What a baffling take. FF5 is more “Star Wars” and FF 4 is more Lord Of The Rings? You realize the plot for FF4 is basically a direct ripoff of Star Wars right?
A young hero struggling with whether to take the path of the light side or the dark side (cecil) fights an evil empire (baron) and a black clad evil knight (golbez) who turns out to be his relation? And he learns from an aged wizard (Fusoya) how to better use his abilities as well as his true hidden heritage? He flies are on a ship called The Falcon?
@@JazGalaxy I think he meant in very vague terms. Although it is pretty funny that they are completely opposite to what he said.
taking Faris's identity into consideration, many players might or might not have played ff2 in japan before moving on to this title as they may experience deja vu with Leila who was also a pirate captain meaning that Faris wasn't the first one with that title
I personally relate to Bartz, being a free spirited moron, and so I made him all the job classes I liked.
To be honest, I am happy you chose to look at the early 90s Japanese social economic problems.
The past being so rich leaving the younger to live so poor.
That brings up my understanding that the entire western economy is nothing more than a pansy scheme.
It is a reminder of what our own society will become in future years when the older generation fail to let go and the young are left with the ramifications of the previous gens actions.
Ponzi scheme*. Named by a swindler called Charles Ponzi.
I think that Final Fantasy 5 is one of the most deserving entries for a remake given how forgotten it is.
You are contradicting yourself. Precisely because it's forgotten, it doesn't deserve a remake. FF 7 got a remake precisely because no one ever forgot about this game.
@@BiriBiri925 You are contradicting yourself. Precisely because it's forgotten, it deserves a remake to give the game a second chance, and flesh out the original ideas and concepts that they weren't able to fully explore because of the limitations of the time. Devil May Cry 2 is another perfect example of a game that should be remade.
@@BiriBiri925 Ironically FF 7 didn´t get a remake, but a time travel sequel with the meta subtitle "remake".
@@backupschmliff1156your caught in a timeloop. Biribiri925 was not defeated by your comment but simply sent 2000 years into the past by the TH-cam Fiends, Mr. Beast, Pewdiepie, Markiplier, and Matt Pat.
Is it really forgotten have you heard of Bravely default, Bravely Second, Blue Dragon, etc...?
I love FF5. I finished it on the Famicom in 1997, played it (unfinished) in PS1 in 2002, finished it again in 2023 via Pixel Remaster on the Switch. This Pixel Remaster physical copy means so much to me
Great work on this video!
One thing I love about FFV is that the mechanics of the job system actually encourage ROLEPLAYING. To me, Faris is a pirate and therefore starts as a theif/monk/archer. Galuf is a interdimensional mystic so he is a black mage/time mage/ geomancer. Lenna's personality makes her a white mage etc. Butz is a wandering adventurer - clearly a red mage/blue mage in my mindOther people's interpretations of these characters leads them to use jobs differently .
Everyone is a blue mage for me, although part time other jobs.
Same here but I make Bartz a Thief because of his more Zidane like personality and I associate wind and green with thieves. Wind crystal.
Lenna a white mage because of her caring and nurturing personality. Water crystal.
Faris a black mage because of her strong, fiery personality. Fire crystal
Galuf as a Monk due to his direct personality as an old geezer. Earth crystal.
1:12:09 It's implied that Gilgamesh might actually be the *same* character across different games, popping in and out of the interdimensional Void.
Oh I know. I'm just looking at these games in the context of their era and in 1992, this was Gilgamesh's only appearance.
Yes I am pretty sure that's what the game developers think too.
Man speaking of bloodbath, what's up with your like/dislike ratio?
What did people not like about this video?
Edit: I might have figured it out.
Was it when he went big T on the pirate? That would be my first port of call if I were to sherlock it.
Great timing on this video considering that recent IGN interview with the FF16 staff and how they all listed FFV in their top 3 favorite FF games.
Beat me to it!
What's so depressing about that interview is that they love FF5 for it's gameplay/combat, yet in FF16 we got a generic action game w/ very light RPG elements. Shame...
@@acerimmer8338 I do agree to a certain extent. The SNES/SFAM era mainline entries will always have a commanding presence in my heart when it comes to nostalgia. I do think it needs to sell well by its adapt or die transition to action otherwise any future games could be lost to the void. I also wish it was possible to have the choice for turn based gameplay experience. Sort of how DQ11 had a retro version as an option. I’m not even sure if that would be possible, but I’d be first to pre order 17 if that were the case.
@@acerimmer8338it in no way is generic. Maybe you find it uninteresting, but that game is very unique with its combat, and it’s really good and deep when you get into it. Though the game is admittedly a bit too easy
@@matthewj7800What I missed with the axtion rpg style combat was a sense of playing as the whole cast as opposed to a single protagonist, and the loss of control and that particular style of tactic.
I would, without a single shred of doubt, have enjoyed every action FF game a lot more if it was turn based. But that's me, and they aren't under obligation to make games I like to play. So I'll find comfort in other gems like Octopath and such.
The video was fantastic... then it went beyond that during the fan-translation story. I loved it!
Amazing!
This is the best FFV retrospective that i've watched.
Hope you can do FFVI, VII, VIII, IX, and X. These Videos are works of art as the Games themselves. ❤
I just want VI!
Dont stop at X! I would love to see how he manages to cover XI! Heck all the way through XV if possible!
@@zedorian6547 someone would have to be an idiot to cover the mmo titles.
Don’t forget 12 & Tactics (they are intricately connected, just 1000+ years apart in the Timeline) ! Never forget Ivalice ☺️!
@@AlekTrev006 We hit the patreon goal for a Tactics video in the lead up to this one. But for scheduling reasons it won't be out until next Summer, between the FF7 and 8 videos. But rest assured, I will be doing Tactics.
I haven’t seen anybody in the comments say this, but slight correction: the OVA was animated by Madhouse, Studio Bones didn’t exist yet.
Great video otherwise! You’ve got the best FF videos on this website. I’m extremely excited for more. The production history in particular is so good.
FF5's story never really resonated with me because of one main factor: plot convenience. While I am not a huge fan of simple plots with cartoon villain endgame bosses, I can still enjoy it if events unfold in a manner that is believable within the game's universe. However, the number of "close calls" only to be saved by the most lucky of coincidences is off the charts and reminds me of the movie "Dante's peak" with the amount of plot armor its characters have (besides Galuf's death, although his skills passing on seamlessly is plot convenience as well).
Having watched 1-6, I am loving these retrospectives... pleas continue as best you can sir.
I was hoping your video would touch on how important FFV was to the early emulator scene. I'm impressed by just how much depth and detail you gave the subject.
Another great, well researched, and entertaining retrospective. The emulation chapter especially resonated, as that was the way I played FFV way back in the day. The fact it was created by ambitious youth was the cherry atop considering how atrocious the FFV port on the PS1 was.
Gilgamesh does not die, the rift takes him on a journey throughout many other FFs.
...I know. But we had no way of knowing that in 1992.
@@AndrewBluett that is very true, I didn't take into consideration that you might be talking from that perspective. Sorry 😅
@@thatswedishguy638 You're all good
keep it up , love these kind of video. 😍
Interesting to see how FF games were always little brother to the DQ series in Japan. Can only imagine how the developers felt when FF7 came on like a tidal wave to completely dwarf DQ worldwide.
Dragon Quest remains a hallmark title and cultular icon in its own country. And with the merging of Square and Enix (which, hilariously enough, had Enix as the surviving company), now there is something for everyone. It's just Square was brave enough to break through RPG norms.
Hate to break it to you but dq was never big ‘worldwide’ and dq is still a massive phenomenon in japan today
@@jaedaniels3025 still that doesn't necessarily mean that dq8 never took off overseas
@31:27 this point is wrong, equiping !white gives the magic stat of a white mage in addition to giving access to the spells, so a monk with !white would be as good at magic as a white mage.
This can be used in other ways, for instance, giving a magic skill to a ninja or geomancer will boost the power of the geo powers or the ninja scrolls.
Thank you for a fantastic video, I hope to see more!
You are doing absolutely fantastic work. Watching your retrospectives succeeds in changing my view on these games every time. A celebration of media inextricable from my childhood, that also feel more important as a result.
Not sure how this popped up in my recommendations this shortly after release but this is looking excellent so far.
The word "Retrospective" has come to mean many things on TH-cam over the past few years but I love the structure that you've gone for in particular covering the history, the game and then still putting a whole lot of time into its legacy. That final part, I feel, often falls too short in retrospectives and I'm definitely stoked to see the rest of your work.
The Dawn Warriors seem to be a variant on the FF2 spell, Ultima... They were powerful for their time, but as shown by their being unable to destroy even the weakest form of X-Death, by the time of the story, they were only the equivalent of low to mid-level champions, Dawn showing only the beginning of light, and the Light Warriors having the full strength of light behind them.
These videos really are some of the best on the platform, I've been loving everything you put out, whether FF or not, I really appreciate your insight and analysis. This video really made me appreciate FFV more than I did as it was one of my least favourites, it's still not at the top but I definitely appreciate more about it, especially mechanically. I also deeply appreciate the way you tackle Faris, I never even thought of it in that light. Like you say, if we're to absorb these games and their meanings as pieces of art, as they are, that means they're open to any and all interpretations, and despite what the "fact" of the text is, Faris' story absolutely could and does resonate with the trans community despite the intent and that's certainly interesting.
Really looking forward to seeing you tackle FFVI, one of my absolute favourites, that's certainly going to be a treat!
A class FF seems to have overlooked... Pirate.
Having the stealing skills of a thief, and the base stats of a red mage, rather than a thief, able to wear up to non-plate armor, and use their limited variety of weapons.
I liked the ”Bare Handed” skill on White/Black/Red/Time or Blue mages.
13:45 While hard times does mean that people have less to spend on games, it also means that, since they hate their lives, they crave escapist games even more. So you know, not so bad for us devs I guess. Although a tub of yogurt is still $6.50.
With regards to Farris, I think saying 俺 (Ore) is an exclusively male pronoun is a trap non native speakers tend to fall in to. あたし (atashi) is a more feminine equivalent to 私 (watashi), the most neutral/polite form of 1st person pronoun, but you'll see queer men use it, but that doesn't mean they identify as female. Ore can also be used by women without them having to identify as male. There are also plenty of examples of female characters that use 僕 (boku) a traditionally boyish pronoun, that aren't male identifying.
That said, you can certainly interpret the character how you see fit.
Yeah the voiceover was recorded well in advance so I had to leave a text blurb to clarify that this kind of thing isn't exactly set in stone, but that there are certain connotations with personal identifiers.
You mean stuff you just want to use to justify your sick fantasies? It's clear that Faris is meant to be a girl.
I just beat V for the first time last week. I did everything except beat Shinryu and I really enjoyed it. I wish I would have played it way sooner.
These retrospectives strike a great balance between your opinion and fact, and it feels like im replaying the game again just watching this. Keep it up!!
FFV OST is far greater than IV’s
Butts is from licks?
Damn, I watched a whole 2 hours and 15 minutes of this video just to hear you talk bad about pirate speak Faris? Imagine being so wrong! Couldn't be me
Looking forward to your FFVI Retrospective!
I really like how FFV doesn't waste any time. In under an hour you're in the wind temple unlocking the first 8 jobs and making interesting decisions about party composition etc. Its one of the reasons I can't get into FF6 and FF4 - you're at the mercy of the characters the game saddles you with with very minimal customisation.
Even worse is near the end of the game of FF6 like every character becomes a mage with the same spells and the game is easy and it doesn't feel like you have any decisions.
I’m playing FFXVI right now, I’m in the home stretch and after hearing you describe some of the plot of FFV it almost sounds like FFXVI could easily somehow be connected to FFV. The Crystal are in both games seem to serve the same function in the everyday life of the citizens. Exdeath wipes a town near the sea off the map leaving a massive crater the sea then flows into, while in FFXVI you come across a massive crater near the sea which is flowing into it called The Scar that was caused by “a god like entity” which then went on to destroy Civilization leaving only ruins(some of which are ruins of airships), in both games the Crystals are destroyed, in FFV the Crystals grant powers the the Heroes of the story while in FFXVI the Crystal bestow powers “or blessing” to the different individuals in the world while also bestowing tremendous power to one person per Crystal called Dominants. Some of which become part of your party, while others are enemies.
There’s probably even more similarities between the two but then I’d have to go into spoiler territory and I’d rather not do that because I hate when shit gets spoiled to me. Like that asshole whole spoiled the reveal of Atrayus place within the Norse Mythology after I specifically told him I hadn’t beat it yet. Fucking wanted to punch that dude straight in the face.
Great video!
Been playing through the series, I will probably play V through the Pixel Remaster, I do love the level of detail you have gone into, not just in this game but on all the previous entries
Really excited for your video on VII!
just discover this channel a few days ago, let me tell you i do have enjoy this retrospective, keep your good work soldier, now i the wait star for in my opninion the best FF
Just gotta say, dude, these are magnificent videos. You should be really proud of your work. Thank you
Excellent! Became a patron. Looking forward to FF6, probably my favorite. Started playing with FF1 as a kid with a NES and have always loved this series, though haven't really played much past FF8 at this point.
If you haven't seen it already: It's out and it's INCREDIBLE.
Your point across at 1:29:33
I agree and compound that Krile/Cara getting her powers from Galuf is both a class statement and inversion, as she uses her powers to fight alongside the ones who earned them the hard way, proving not every person given power is corrupted so long they have heart.
*sad moment between Lenna and Faris*
"S...sister?"
"Shiver me tempers!"
Holy h*ck I died laughing at that one I had to replay it just to see if I didn't read it wrong. I read that in Mr.Crabs' voice.
that dialogue must have been the PS1 translation, i know because i've played that version before
I love all these videos. Are you planning to tackle the side games. For me my favorite are the two tactics advance games.
Only side game on the docket right now is Tactics, but I may add more Patreon goals for others
OH MY GOODNESS!!! My favorite FF EVER!
35:50 this is a problem in programming in general, not necessarily the SNES. If a programmer wants a number range in a variable that is twice as large as normal, they can forgo negative numbers to double the range. That is, if the program doesn't catch when math would put the variable in the negative, it will roll over into the maximum value. This is of course a very simplistic explanation, and in programming languages such as C, the behavior of overflowing variables is undefined, but usually results in strange stuff like this.
The reason these bugs exist is because programmers probably didn't expect it to happen, and only implemented hard capping of stats in positive integers.
My favorite 2D FF game.
TURTLE!!!
FFV is right up there in my top 3 favorite FF games, thank you for making a expanded and detailed retrospective. A core aspect of FFV that I really appreciate is the party is made up individuals from different walks of life in this world, noticing the disturbance and coming together to save it
Yep it was top.
And Exdeath is ffs best villain until this day
VI, XII, V is my top 3
@@prairiete XII?
So because u like starwars and loved how they basically stole everything from them, or because u hate Star wars and u loved that they stole everything from them?
You're pretty good,I admire the presentation and journalistic intent. I see a great future for u please keep at it!!!
im in love with your ff intro
Blue Mages: Breaking Speedruns since 1992
I remember as a kid, playing some kind ot bootleg translation of FFV for the SNES. Not sure how my dad got it, but I remember laughing at the MC being named Butz.
I also remember Neo-Exdeath being possibly the closest thing to eldritch horror that the series has ever done. Not only did he come out of nowhere, but as a blind first time player, it really was more incomprehensible than even Giygas was. Just a giant mass of flesh, multiple hitboxes yet no indication which was the real boss nor which ones you should target first. Grand Cross completely wiping the floor with me again and again...
Years later with online guides and optimized party comps, Neo Exdeath became much easier. But as a blind first timer, not grinding levels and just using whatever jobs I felt were fun at the time... Yeah, it still is the most memorable final boss in the series for me. Zeromus also was really hard, but Neo Exdeath was hard and confusing. Even with the eldritch horror Renaissance in indie games, I still don't think any of them have done as good a job at conveying a confusing, powerful nightmare of a boss. Doubly so with how much Exdeath was a stark, dark contrast to the rest of the game being so silly compared to FF4.
Ironically, I was playing ff5 when you released this so opted to wait til after to watch. Exdeath is dead, the void has been quelled, and the Chrystal’s have been restored. Excited to finally watch this
Dunno if it's mentioned in this video, in the FF Legend of the Crystals OVA english dub they translate Bartz/Butz's name as "Batz".
My favorite moment was playing FF5 on my GBA wide awake from caffeine in a hotel. I got to the start of act two and made it to the Battle On The Big Bridge. It was one of my favorite segments of the game and the track has stayed with me to this day. I’m so glad Greg has been recurring character throughout the series cause we get to hear that track more often!!!
Greg is now what I'm going to call Gilgamesh. It's excellent.
Ol' Greg back on his bull; battling on a bridge and drinking bailey's from a shoe
It's hilarious that Japanese developers thought this game was too complex for Americans who had already been playing text-based adventure games and role-playing games on graph paper
Come on, graph paper rpg players were a minuscule niche and by no means the norm.
To be fair, Americans were acting kinda daft tho with the violence and Satanism in video games and stuff.
I've been waiting for the continuation of these retrospectives. Amazing work!
great retrospective!
my favorite FF game. I finished it 100 times with different job combinations and I know I'll finish it 100 times more.
100 is a lot, this game is good for 5-10 playthroughs though
2:38:19 10-2 the other instance of a job system that works out alright.
I'm skeptical of the story regarding the supposed PC port. If the dragon cutting off the head scene was real, then a programmer would have had to put it in. Also, it sounds an awful lot like the old South Park running joke where he'd die each episode.
About 14 years ago, I got a laptop and VBA along with the ROMs of I & II, IV, V and VI Advance! I love this version of I, was pretty meh for II, got stuck on IV and jus couldn't really get into V... VI, on the other hand, well it was an enhanced version of the PlayStation version, the first Final Fantasy I owned and played 20 years ago now! I've been doing an Anniversary Let's Play of VI Advance to celebrate and am looking forward to you covering my favourite in the series! Although, I probably should get back to it, though... I've kind of fallen behind!
I pray once more the algorithm picks up your content
Lol a character named "Butz". Algorithm gold, I think haha
I'm curious why you left out some obvious to me themes: the Ex Death is a plant. It's the planet striking back. Having environmental themes in most ff series is a common message. Maybe you did mention it but it seems like it could have had its own section.
I mentioned he was a tree, but not so much the environmentalism. At least not in the same breath as Exdeath.
Dude misses the giant environmentalism messages yet jumps down a "Faris is NB" rabbit hole of his own making
@@hassledvaniaYou should LTG
@@hassledvaniawhat do you mean? A lot of people I know have made the Faris is trans or non-binary connection.
As for exdeath being a tree, it's an interesting thought and I definitely am glad to hear it but it's a bit hard to equate Exdeath with evironmentilism considering he burns down a forest and blows up large chunks of the world. 😂
@hassledvania yeah as a non-binary person I'll have to disagree with you.
I had just finished watching the four previous retrospectives and was pretty bummed out and then I see this in my hour of need. Keep up the good work 👍🏻
Just in time for the Four Jobs Fiesta.
what is the piece of music called playing during bottoming out chapter? also great vid!
I've been going through the pixel remaster and watching these videos after I finish each game. FFI-IV are very interesting experiences for someone more familiar with the later games but FFV was easily the most fun I'd had so far. It's the best iteration of the job system that I've played - every job has its own uses, none of them feel superfluous and the way abilities from one can be combined with others for really interesting results is inspired. I didn't know about any of the examples you cited but they're so damn clever and it's just cool that there's that kind of scope for experimentation.
I also really liked the characters, though in all honesty I think that mostly comes from the sprite animations. Little things like Bartz pumping his arms up and down because he just got slightly better at piano really makes them come alive.
I agree that going back to the older styles of FFI-IV can be interesting.
It really makes you appreciate some of the quality of life changes in the newer games.
Haven't played the Pixel Remaster, but i know on the original FFI, you would "attack the darkness" if another character finished off your target, instead of you just attacking another enemy.
This meant mindlessly repeating the same action to grind EXP wasn't always the best idea as it usually made battles a lot longer than they needed to be.
You think it was a good change to have the hero target another target if the original target was killed?
Hey, just wanted to point out the "risky" loans were backed by the US treasury for opening up for international business. It was literally no risk except for foreclosure on the lender. That's where the debt-culture blossomed and exploited a collectivist culture.
Just a minor correction 😊
I actually prefer V over VI for 2 reasons
1. The soundtrack. VI's best tracks are better than most of the best of V, but I personally like V's soundtrack as a whole package more. It helps that Lenna's theme is one of my favorite tracks in the series.
2. The characters. The party members in V always feel distinct from one another, even if they all used the same job, whereas by the World of Ruin in VI, the characters start to feel identical.
I personally feel the GBA port's soundtrack suffered the least in comparison to IV and VI's. It's comparatively much more listenable. (Still prefer the original sound version though)
Great video, but I disagree with your opinon on the worldbuilding and pacing. It may be subjective, but I really like the return to "square one", and it was done on a smaller scale before (FF III). It also fits the sudden turn to a much darker storytelling, and the feel of disempowerment aplifies that. I agree that places in previous games can be considered as more varied, but I found this variety rather shalllow and disconnected from each other, and in IV deep but still disconnected. In contrast, in FF V, while the places seem more similar, the words seem themselves seems more consistent and driven by different sociopolitical forces.
Just how you presented the beginning makes me wanna watch your work through to the end
@AndrewBluett These Retrospectives of Final Fantasy are amazing! Keep it up, very excited to watch the Final Fantasy 6 Retrospective.
the translation section is a work of art
I heard FF5 was supposed to get the DS treatment like 3 & 4 got, (and even the 3DS was considered) but the team and Producer Asano wanted to work on something different, so they moved on to Final Fantasy 4 Heroes of Light, (which lead to the Bravely Default and the Octopath Traveller series). It's kind of a shame because I liked the direction they were heading with the remakes, and 5 and 6 stand out as not having been remade after 1-4 and 7 have. But both Tetsuya Nomura and Yoshinori Kitase have said they'd like to remake them, and staff members have said so too! I don't think it's controversial to say that 5 is at least better than 1-3.
Well, 7 also hadn´t. It got a sequel with the narrative subtitle "Remake" ;)
@@FelixS.4 months ago but you’re half right. It’s a sequel AND a remake at the same time
@@captainpep3 it is no technical remake per definition, the timeline is remade in lore those
Are two entirely different things. Not half right but 100% right, sorry. :)
@@FelixS. I’m afraid you’re not 100% right, because they’re still remaking a vast majority of the original scenes from FF7, even if they neglect some and add different things to others. Two things can be true at the same time, that’s why I said you’re half right
@@captainpep3 I am because that doesn’t define a remake. Event without the twist adressing the lore of the original directly it would be a reimagening and not a remake. A remake is a truthful rebuild of the original from ground up but without any narrative or gameplay changes. Examples would be shadow of the colossus on ps4, the crash insane trilogy or super Mario Allstars. So I am afraid you have to lern the exact terminology instead of trying to correct others who are more involved in the debated topic :)
What's the name of the song in the beginning of the video?
5 is my absolute favorite with 4 being a close 2nd for the old school FF games
Great video. Love the first parts about the context in which the game was developed. Also, good portion on Faris that is a refreshingly nuanced and mature. Subbed!
23:20 Didn't make it into FFV, but they definitely made their way into FFVI!
That also explains why the jobs list isn't a rectangular grid as you'd see with 2 additional jobs - whether his or someone else's.
Butz for Life.
You sound like Instagram.
You sir have earned a new subscriber. The amount of work you put into making a documentary about one of the lesser known Final Fantasy games is commendable. I'm going to watch your other Final Fantasy content and more perhaps.
2:37:34 I want to know what this song is, it’s not listed in the end credits of this video.
It's FF5's Ending Theme from the Pixel Remaster.
@@AndrewBluett Thank You So Much. 😁
This video really makes me wanna buy the pixel remaster and play this game, though I would feel I’m missing out on the extras added to the gba. I really like what they did graphically with the pixel remasters.
It is, by far, the biggest problem with all of the Pixel Remasters (other than maybe the font thing, but they've started to resolve that and it's easy to fix on PC).
I get that it was supposedly to preserve the games in as close to original form as possible, but for people who *really* care about that, they'll just play the originals and/or ignore the added content.
I suspect it was motivated more by expidiency and availability of usable reference assets, but who knows.
NOOOOO! You didn't show even part of Galuf's last battle, even though you showed before and after while mentioning the plot point! BLASPHEMER! I mean, yeah it's a scripted battle you can't "lose," but it is just too awesome. Though I wish the beginning of the Decisive Battle was a little slower and a full octave slide instead of a quick pull to drum up more of a sense of menace and an impending doom feel before it breaks into its "fight for your life" rhythm, that is the battle where it fits most.
Oh yeah, just hearing what Sobodash did was pure 90s nostalgia. Of course, anyone with a single high school chem class behind them knew the formulas presented in the vast majority of Anarchist Cookbooks floating around were literally blow yourself up methods of making stuff, and most hippies would advise against smoking banana peels like the book suggested. But every school had at least one kid with a copy itching to distribute.
I'm finally here for one of these as it launches, these have been great so far!
Next game is best game in series.. besides maybe 14. Can't wait for the retrospective!