Ludiscere for me your series analyses are now what I consider mandatory retrospectives to digest the game I had just played. Thank you very much for your work
Ludiscere is a wonderful content creator. A shame he isn't that big. However using as much objectivity as possible he's earned his spot at the top of my list of favorite youtubers.
Coming from the guy who wrote the ranking you cited at 00:23, this is a really good video 😊 I'm glad people have a soft spot for II, and I think the music and bones of the story are solid. If Square ever did a 3D remake (even up to graphical standards of something like Opera Omnia) I think they could really unlock the potential. Looking forward to your other FF videos!
@@Ludiscere us black mages need to stick together ;) for real though, your editing is top notch and your content is great! thank you for your hard work, and I'm eagerly looking forward to your ff3 vid.
I honestly love FF2 despite the flaws it has. its main theme is one of the most beautiful, somber pieces that i hold within my heart. what i find the most interesting about the emperor is how he takes over both heaven and hell, and the fact he essentially won't die unless both halves were destroyed simultaneously. this was actually pretty intriguing. i also found deumion's story in the arcane labyrinth interesting as it.. expands upon FF2's world lore with it having probably one of.. the most destructive magics in the series via the destroy tome, and one of the strongest white magics in revive
I agree 100% with your text screenshot at 54:55. FFII Is shaping up to be a favorite FF of mine and I actually LOVE taking advantage of the grindy battle system! I went into II thinking it was bottom tier but that just doesn’t suit my tastes now that I’ve sunk my teeth into it. My all time favorite FF is VIII, again I loved taking full advantage of the “broken” system. It’s what’s most fun to me. I likes what I likes and I’m very pro FFII.
You’re definitely one of my favorite content creators!! I am always so excited to be able to watch any new videos you come out with, especially the Final Fantasy ones.
I’ve played FF2 multiple times on the NES and this entry always fascinates me, that many people despise this game because of the gameplay, but they rarely pointed out other stuff, such as the themes, story, setting, characters, and how very well done it was for a game made back in 1988. And I definitely agree that far too many rely on click bait, and that it centers around negativity. I honestly much prever stuff that is well thought out and has a good balance between Positive and Negative aspects such as this game. Sure I definitely agree that it’s not perfect, and that feel that having 16 levels is far to high, but people seem to forget that this is the 2nd entry, and there was no set formula for this game when it was made, which was why they were experimenting to see what will fit. And there where many aspects of this game that I really enjoyed such as the Overworld, Music, Setting, the side characters, the new monsters, the new spells and items, and I was surprised by how very dark the story was that it made it very memorable. Very glad to see someone who had the same appreciation as I had when playing this game. And I really enjoyed this video.
It's because it's too grindy. If the game wasn't so grindy it would've been a lot more enjoyable to play. I think the system, in and of itself, is fine, but they simply went too far with the grindiness.
Fun fact I just just started playing Final Fantasy 2 Pixel Remaster for switch when I found this video. I've never played the old Final Fantasy's, so I'm going through them now.
While good gameplay can often end up feeling dated just as a consequence of technology and tastes changing over time, a good story is timeless. I think story matters a lot more, generally speaking. Having said that, I find it easier to put up with a bad story than with bad gameplay. I don't mean "mediocre" gameplay there, mind, I mean genuinely bad. Fortunately, Let's Plays exist for the games that suffer from those and have a story worth telling.
Really refreshing review! I just beat FF2 for the first time, and I really enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Granted, I was playing the PSP version. I never did much grinding, except with Ultima and Flare, and I never grinded by hitting myself. Anytime a new party member joined, their HP was around the same as my other members, so I figured I was on track with what the developers expected. It's not my favorite FF, but I'd say I enjoyed it about the same as FF1.
I'm rewatching these, after starting FF9 And 6, and while obviously the fantastic analysis is brilliant I can't get past the fact you actually did proper subtitles it helps my HOH self easily understand and I want to thank you.
40:33 - Funny thing is that there was a discarded idea about Guy's parents. When the group tries to enter the emperor's castle they have no way to access the place without being undetected, then a scene unfolds where some beasts are going to attack the group, only for Guy to recognize them as the family that took care of him when he was a baby. After this they help the group to enter the castle. Found this information in "Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive" Vol. 1
I played FF2 for the first time recently, I had no previous knowledge about the game either positive or negative, I don't engage much on game reviews specially for old games. I enjoyed the game a lot, and I was surprised by your video that such a negative perception of the game exists. As I said and went in completely blind for a game play, no expectations. And I was happily surprised by the game.
Never played the OG NES version, but hearing about its issues I can understand why people don't like it too much. With that said I really enjoy the psp and origins rerelease, I'd say PSP over origins cause your weapon affinity increases faster, lightens the grind lol.
I absolutely love the level of detail and research you put into your videos. I’m only halfway through but I can tell already that this vid deserves more views. I’ve always heard from people that FF II has an interesting story but that part of the conversation always gets drowned out when people discuss its gameplay mechanics.
I'm glad I found your channel as these FF analysis videos are very in depth and entertaining. Can't wait to check out some of your other videos and hope to see the FF III analysis someday :D
I could see where this game would be terrible to play sitting in front of a television, but I have loved playing it on my phone. I enjoy grinding to begin with. It's great to be able to kill some time waiting in line or for an appointment grinding some spells or weapon levels out. If you take your time grinding when you can and advancing the story when you feel ready it is a great game to play on the side. Great in depth review and a very fair take.
31:45 That line right there is what made me fall in love with this game's plot. More than any of the named character deaths, that one guy talking about his dead daughter cut me deep.
to be fair, it did come out in 1988. Story wasn't a huge thing back then. It wasn't till 1989's Dragon Slayer VI: The Legend of Heroes and 1991's Final Fantasy IV that story started to become the main focus.
It's only enjoyable if you like grinding a lot - the SaGa series (FF Legend 1,2,3) played a way better role in refining the system so that it didn't feel like you actually had to grind a lot just to beat the game. A lot of people often confuse the enjoyment of this game with Final Fantasy 4 because of the mis-numbering of the series in the 90s - FF4 is a LOT more important than FF2 because it was one of the first storyline based Final Fantasies released in the USA, and was groundbreaking for being easily one of the first JRPGs in the series to feature unique characters and classes tied to them. FF2 does NOT have that - you have to basically make the characters proficient in whatever you choose them to wield, whereas with FF4, these character's abilities such as Rosa being a white mage actually played a role outside battle when she heals Edge, and of course, my favorite character of all time, Rydia, who conquers her fear of fire and then learns Fire1. You don't have that type of interaction in FF2. Instead all we have is "Guy Speak Beaver" and he doesn't even use this in combat to charm enemies like a beast master or something.
@@RydiasRevenge pretty much This final fantasy 2 is very grindy yes even the PSP and GBA version,if you don't grind you Will start Falling behind because your MP, defense and HP Will Be too low
This is a great video. I recently played the NES version of FFII for the first time and struggled to express what specifically I thought was good about it, but I think this video does a good job of explaining what makes this game so special.
So underrated, FF2 is a great, if tragic, tale. The leveling system is definitely where most hate comes from, that grind is no joke. Edit: the cast and each of their stories are so wonderful and empathetic.
I really enjoyed the times I’ve played through this game. Exactly once per version released in English. I am also a huge SaGa fan so that might have something to do with it.
Earth and Beyond did it best when the Jenquai Warrior class attacked the Progen school bus during the starting quests. They explained that it was necessary because they were weapons of the future.
I think out of all the Final Fantasy games 2 is one of the ones I most want to see a remake of. The fact that it has so many good ideas that don't come together right means that it could be something terrific if they gave it another shot.
A huge flaw in this game is something most players don't even know (mainly because it's not explained in the game as far as I know). A lot of equipment actually reduces the amount of damage your spells do. Spells can actually deal a decent amount of damage at higher levels. Although most of the time just focusing on physical damage is still king.
starting maria off with a bow was probably one of the more unfortunate decision this game made, especially if you dont know about this system (Of course the game doesnt tell you about it -_-)
This was definitely worth the wait. I actually sort of want to try the game now. It may be tedious but those smaller character narratives you mentioned sound quite interesting. Thank you.
Currently playing the Gameboy Advance version on a retropi--it's very good. The level up system isn't that bad, especially if you do all the fights. It requires a level of decision making early on, as in don't smother yourself with too many options. Carve a role for each character in terms of weapons and magic where each is unique to the others, and fight all the fights, and you will grow appropriately. The high encounter rate is fine considering that's the whole point of the game. It's very good, one of the games I have enjoyed most as of late.
the post game is cool the idea that you can use the old party is awesome. the level system ehh that's where the charm makes it or breaks it but outside that the story was cool
Came here from awesome IV video, and the more I watch the video, and Dissidia making me like Dio-like emperor, I feel I would like FF II. Thank you for these. :D
I’m 2 years late to your video but I really did enjoy playing this game. I played this on my PlayStation after playing the other final fantasy games that came out prior. I still have my original PlayStation and play it regularly. I liked the plot, and though the leveling up was different I enjoyed the challenge. I also played it using the hacks on how to level up MP and HP and I still had fun.
I'm a huge fan of ffxiv and I have played all these games and it's enjoyable to see them insert all the little parts of other ff games into its story Endwalker focuses really heavy on 2 3 and 4
I'm glad there are more and more people giving FFII a chance. It's not an exceptional game mechanically but I always found the story very interesting and while the man party is very one note, the world building and themes do an amazing job making it fascinating (especially for an RPG of it's time). Great video, you did an amazing job can't wait for the other FF videos :)
Loved your focus on the depressing nature of the narrative. Played through this for the first time last year and I honestly loved every minute. More than III or IV actually.
Love your videos. I played ff2 a long time ago in the gba collection. I'm actually not a ff fan, mostly cause I'm not a native English speaker and there wasn't a version in my language at the time. And because rpg in general need a lot of text and reading to make progress, it actually made me despise this kind of game. Now I know a bunch of english, and there is a lot of games in my language, and even though I'm a avid rpg player (just the most known ones like mother or pokemon) I still can't play FF... Tried 8, 10, 1, 2 and 3. And the 2 one was the only one I played through till the end. Hope the comment helps with the algorithm, your videos truly deserve it!
Funny thing is I love this game to death, and I really like the leveling system as it allows me to create a party to my liking for an example: I could have guy be the mage that sits in the back and heals and deals mage damage and Maria be a duel wilding axe user and firion beating the shit out of anyone with just his fist and Leon be in the back and use a bow
Hey 👋 love these FF analysis videos. I've been watching them in preparation for the new pixel remasters. Thanks for the content. You got a new subscriber
hey! thanks man, that's really kind of you. i actually came across your channel the other day, i saw the tidus/raldo video and thought it was super interesting (despite the lack of a result) - that kind of stuff has always been fascinating to me, so thank you for making that content :)
yeah, it has basically meant that i've had to rewrite the video from scratch so i can include both the 3D remake and the new pixel remaster! before it was just going to focus on the 3D version, because it was the only licensed/official english version of the game. not anymore though!
This was great as always, I'm playing through FF2 right now and it's really great. Having more fun than with 1 somehow even though I loved 1. I'm trying to picture what the game could have been, this whold story of rebels against a crushing empire feels so relevant these days. Also the "arabian" settings really gives it a distinct feel. I love the character design and the combat system isn't so bad if you're not against grinding. I just gotta finish it now but I'm having a lot of fun. My DnD character was from Cornelia but he's retired now after 3 long years of IRL game. My new character might hail from Altair, who knows!
This video is incredible. I just finished FF2 for the first time and came looking for what people have to say about it. This is super well done and informative, interesting, and thoughtful. Also the way you transition from one topic to the next is so seamless, half an hour passed by and I didn't even notice lol. Excellent work! I'll come back and watch you FF3 video after I play that one.
I decided to play FFII because I really wanted something like Grandia I that wasn't Grandia I. And honestly, I was sleeping on this game because of how much people seemed to hate it, saying that it was the worst of the series and how wrong and broken the leveling system is... but actually this might be my new favorite from the NES trilogy! Happy to have found another option to scratch that Grandia itch :)
Great video! If any viewers are interested in Final Fantasy IIs ideas and would like to see them better executed I'd highly recommend the SaGa series. Akitoshi Kawazu, the man who is in a lot of ways behind Final Fantasy IIs uniqueness, rarely touched the mainline Final Fantasy series after II, but he went on to create the SaGa series, which carries forward a lot of its ideas like the lack of a traditional leveling system and rotating guest party members and introduces a lot of new interesting ideas as the series goes on.
Great video! As much as I know they'd almost never consider doing a remake of this game (I mean, look how long it took them to do FF7!) I think this game would benefit the most out of any game in the series of being given a proper second chance. The story is pretty good and could be great with a couple of tweaks, but the rest of the game around it could be so much better if they tried again nowadays. Wishful thinking, but maybe one day!
FFII is my favourite of the NES trilogy. I even like it more than many of the later games, so it's kinda disappointing that a big chunk of the discourse around it can't look beyond its weird combat systems, as pointed out here. Amano's art was also amazing for this game, but that's never a surprise
That bit about Leon and why they became the Dark Knight is strange now that you mention it, granted it's been over a decade over since the last time I played FFII. That bit about him possibly being under some form of unmentioned mind control made me think of Kain from FFIV, perhaps a bit of Leon was also part of the blueprint for them along with Richard.
Since I'm not well acquainted with Final Fantasy analysis, I haven't been 'tainted' by the negative FF2 discourse. So this is kind of my first real introduction to the game, and well... this video makes me want to try playing it! (Though I doubt I can get a copy on my hands for the GBA..) I really appreciate your fair assessment of the game and that you tackle so many different aspects. I always learn something new from your videos! :) Looking forward to the next one!
Idk, it's wonky but it reminds me of skyrims leveling system a bit. I definitely remember in skyrim leveling up my blocking by letting weak mobs hit me when shielding or going back and forth while sneaking on an unaware npc
I really liked the first attempt of many differenet things. What i didnt like was near the end when you could dispatch monsters more quickly.. your ability levels lagged behind. Meaning at some point you just have to spend time attacking your party members and using spells willy nilly to get their rating up instead of them judt naturally up despite their constant use. I also didn't like the rotating party members, connected land mass, the constant backtracking and key word system. Other than that the game is much better than 1 imo. I loved being able to dual weild and seemngly custimize my party more in depth by giving everyone the ability to use spells. I liked that it switched to an MP system instead of set charges, but i didnt like that some white spells had to be a certain level to cure certain ailments.
Love your long form final fantasy reviews. I've listened to them driving to work and falling asleep to them at night. Not a bad thing! One more sub from me! I hope to see more rpgs in the future. Anything from old to new games would be great to see.
I actually really liked Final Fantasy 2. The characters that make it into SoR throughout the story make me cri eryteim. I played it a lot as a kid on the GBA Dawn of Souls release, though I admit I played more FF1 since the combat was a lot easier to flow with, but I remember my party setup to this day: Firion used swords and shields and traditionally white magic spells, Maria used a bow (later on two spears because on my second playthrough I wanted her to have better defenses) and black magic, and Guy used an axe and whatever other weapon I wanted him to use (once I did a fists only playthrough with him) and whatever other kinds of magic was left over (Toad, Warp, etc.). I got good enough at the game that I could probably get to Mysidia before even going to Fynn nowadays and get gear that was waaay too strong and just breeze through the rest of the game to about the point with the tornado. However I will say that it sucked having to grind up EXP for spells in this game, because you have to cast them so many fucking times lol. And that's odd coming from me because I'm that rare guy that actually *likes* to grind in RPGs.
Loved this video! The PSP version has also the best bonus dungeon too. Quite surprised you didn't mention the actual main theme, which is sad and beautiful. The symphonic version, and its arrangement into song form in Final Fantasy Pray show how amazing the theme is.
I love FF2. Finished it 2 times and plan to go more. Also it is a pitty noone mention amazing EQUIPMENT system in FF2, ehh maybe someone will finally notice one day.
Congrats on getting this video out! Speaking of Nausicaa, the whole thing about a princess ruling in her sick father's stead reminded me of her when you mentioned it.
In terms of dungeon design and getting lost, I’ve noticed that at least for the first 4 games (the pattern breaks a bit in 5) the closest door to the entrance is usually optional, and the furthers door from the entrance is usually correct to progress.
Great video! For me personally I still think FF2 is my least favourite but replaying it recently I found the motivating factor was mostly the story, because it sure as hell wasn't the dungeon design lol as you said, it's a great story hindered somewhat by the era it was made in.
I’ve only just gotten into the FF series thanks to the newest remasters, and although I’ve found FF2 to be…frustrating, I really appreciate finding someone who puts my thoughts on it into words. Speaking of, if you’ve had the chance to play the new remasters yet, what do you think of them?
Really good video. I honestly really love this game, despite his problems with the battle system, dungeons and high enemies encounters. Right now I'm just replaying III, but 100% I'm going to play II again. Unfortunally you didn't talked Soul of Rebirth. (Sorry for any mistake)
Well researched and thought out script, great editing, nice voice that's easy to listen to, I can tell this video took a while to make. Lots of love and care put into it. Though you probably already know this. Don't let negative comments get to you.
much appreciated mate, thank you so much! unsurprisingly, i watched your video on the game when i was researching, and i thought it was comfortably the best piece of discourse surrounding FFII on this website - very refreshing to see someone diverge from what everyone else says, and say it well. the way your video starts is absolutely perfect, with all the clips of people bashing it and saying the same shit. sums it all up really. but yeah, thanks man. means a lot :)
The design philosophy for protagonists at the time is that they are supposed to be extension of the player as they are what you want them to be through your imagination. That is also why the main character is often silent, so you identify with him/her better. Some might say it is lazy writing, but using your imagination to role-play is an important part of the original DnD style which is often lost with heavily narratively oriented games nowadays. I really appreciate FF2's simplicity and effectiveness in telling an engaging story despite the limitation of its medium.
Oh, and I watched your video about the first game and I'll continue listening to your analysis' while level grinding. Even though I haven't gone through this video yet I'll just say thank you for your awesome job on the first one and I hope you are able to keep it up. Subbed.
i like FF2. it's not my favorite, but not not my least favorite either. i actually liked the proficiency levels system. you're given many options, but ultimately trying to be proficient in everything is discouraged. i liked the emphasis on armor weight and evasion because it meant you couldn't _just_ look at a piece of equipment's raw stats and just choose the bigger defense number like some other rpgs do. this is where secondary effects of your gear actually start mattering in the series as opposed to the first entry where the effects are either miniscule or just straight up don't work in the NES version. admittedly, when it comes to spells like berserk, toad, and teleport, the game can become pretty laughably easy. while i find that most spells have their uses... why not just _kill_ the enemy with toad or mini? the story was pretty damn good for its time and is really tonally consistent.
Dammit, I didn't manage to play through FFII before this video came out! Well, time to watch an hour about a game I know absolutely nothing about :D I find the criticism of the level system pretty interesting. I see how and why the problems of it come up, but personally, the wouldn't really bother me. The fact that you effectively can't use certain spells without grinding for example seems bad at first, but then I remember that I almost never used anything aside from Cure, Life and the elemental spells in every FF I've played. In normal battles they just aren't useful enough and most of them don't work in boss fights. This may be just because of my playstyle, but most of the consequences that appear from the level system I've still experienced in the sequels. Death of characters is something I absolutely adore, especially when those characters are important NPCs or even protagonists. It is extremely jarring if a game not only fears to apply actual consequences to player actions or story hooks, but also doesn't manage to hide it enough. Plot armor is a sin and I'm glad FFII doesn't seem to lean into it.
I'm beginning to see that I must be one of the few fans who actually LIKES Final Fantasy 2. Yes it's tedious but I really don't mind. I **like** smacking the shit out of enemies 😁👍
I beat the game today (Soul of Rebirth included) and your opinion is exactly the same as mine, even the comparison with Zelda II and Simon's Quest was in my mind. Great video, man.
I've always liked this game. Yeah it has some problems with its mechanics but it was different and interesting. The story I think needs more leniency due to hardware limitations at the time and just how big a leap they were making in its creation.
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Ludiscere for me your series analyses are now what I consider mandatory retrospectives to digest the game I had just played. Thank you very much for your work
Agreed!
Ludiscere is a wonderful content creator. A shame he isn't that big. However using as much objectivity as possible he's earned his spot at the top of my list of favorite youtubers.
Check out Mr. Gentlemen if you like criminally under subscribed content creators.
Also Alleyway Jack has good FF content too
There's no such thing as objectivity, but yeah these videos are very interesting.
Coming from the guy who wrote the ranking you cited at 00:23, this is a really good video 😊 I'm glad people have a soft spot for II, and I think the music and bones of the story are solid. If Square ever did a 3D remake (even up to graphical standards of something like Opera Omnia) I think they could really unlock the potential.
Looking forward to your other FF videos!
you deserve more subs! your content is really well presented and objective. finally, someone who appreciates ff2 ❤️
you're too kind, thank you!
@@Ludiscere us black mages need to stick together ;)
for real though, your editing is top notch and your content is great! thank you for your hard work, and I'm eagerly looking forward to your ff3 vid.
@@maybepolly_ Lol
I honestly love FF2 despite the flaws it has. its main theme is one of the most beautiful, somber pieces that i hold within my heart.
what i find the most interesting about the emperor is how he takes over both heaven and hell, and the fact he essentially won't die unless both halves were destroyed simultaneously. this was actually pretty intriguing.
i also found deumion's story in the arcane labyrinth interesting as it.. expands upon FF2's world lore with it having probably one of.. the most destructive magics in the series via the destroy tome, and one of the strongest white magics in revive
I agree 100% with your text screenshot at 54:55. FFII Is shaping up to be a favorite FF of mine and I actually LOVE taking advantage of the grindy battle system! I went into II thinking it was bottom tier but that just doesn’t suit my tastes now that I’ve sunk my teeth into it. My all time favorite FF is VIII, again I loved taking full advantage of the “broken” system. It’s what’s most fun to me. I likes what I likes and I’m very pro FFII.
Never forget how RABtoons adapted Scott's death: "Scott said he didn't love you, then he died."
You’re definitely one of my favorite content creators!! I am always so excited to be able to watch any new videos you come out with, especially the Final Fantasy ones.
you're too kind. thank you :)
I’ve played FF2 multiple times on the NES and this entry always fascinates me, that many people despise this game because of the gameplay, but they rarely pointed out other stuff, such as the themes, story, setting, characters, and how very well done it was for a game made back in 1988.
And I definitely agree that far too many rely on click bait, and that it centers around negativity.
I honestly much prever stuff that is well thought out and has a good balance between Positive and Negative aspects such as this game.
Sure I definitely agree that it’s not perfect, and that feel that having 16 levels is far to high, but people seem to forget that this is the 2nd entry, and there was no set formula for this game when it was made, which was why they were experimenting to see what will fit.
And there where many aspects of this game that I really enjoyed such as the Overworld, Music, Setting, the side characters, the new monsters, the new spells and items, and I was surprised by how very dark the story was that it made it very memorable.
Very glad to see someone who had the same appreciation as I had when playing this game. And I really enjoyed this video.
It's because it's too grindy. If the game wasn't so grindy it would've been a lot more enjoyable to play. I think the system, in and of itself, is fine, but they simply went too far with the grindiness.
FF1 and FF2 are so darn epic. Love 'em both 🙂
Fun fact
I just just started playing Final Fantasy 2 Pixel Remaster for switch when I found this video. I've never played the old Final Fantasy's, so I'm going through them now.
Love how good status effect spells are in this one
Along with FF1, FF2 is my favorite in the series. I enjoy it too much in the PSP and i love the new art style that they give it to both remakes :D
While good gameplay can often end up feeling dated just as a consequence of technology and tastes changing over time, a good story is timeless. I think story matters a lot more, generally speaking.
Having said that, I find it easier to put up with a bad story than with bad gameplay. I don't mean "mediocre" gameplay there, mind, I mean genuinely bad. Fortunately, Let's Plays exist for the games that suffer from those and have a story worth telling.
Really refreshing review! I just beat FF2 for the first time, and I really enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Granted, I was playing the PSP version.
I never did much grinding, except with Ultima and Flare, and I never grinded by hitting myself. Anytime a new party member joined, their HP was around the same as my other members, so I figured I was on track with what the developers expected. It's not my favorite FF, but I'd say I enjoyed it about the same as FF1.
Same. Only I beat gba version.
I'm rewatching these, after starting FF9 And 6, and while obviously the fantastic analysis is brilliant I can't get past the fact you actually did proper subtitles it helps my HOH self easily understand and I want to thank you.
40:33 - Funny thing is that there was a discarded idea about Guy's parents. When the group tries to enter the emperor's castle they have no way to access the place without being undetected, then a scene unfolds where some beasts are going to attack the group, only for Guy to recognize them as the family that took care of him when he was a baby. After this they help the group to enter the castle. Found this information in "Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive" Vol. 1
It would've been nice for him to have had a moment other than "Guy speak beaver".
Such a great series of FF videos. I search TH-cam for FF content all the time and finally tripped over them. Thank You
Your channel and final fantasy 2 is toooo underrated :(
This video deserves more views
it's probably worthwhile to situate the final fantasy series' focus on fighting against evil empires with Japan's own empirical history.
Oh fuck yes finally some appreciation for FF2, I'm gonna enjoy this
I played FF2 for the first time recently, I had no previous knowledge about the game either positive or negative, I don't engage much on game reviews specially for old games.
I enjoyed the game a lot, and I was surprised by your video that such a negative perception of the game exists. As I said and went in completely blind for a game play, no expectations. And I was happily surprised by the game.
Never played the OG NES version, but hearing about its issues I can understand why people don't like it too much. With that said I really enjoy the psp and origins rerelease, I'd say PSP over origins cause your weapon affinity increases faster, lightens the grind lol.
I absolutely love the level of detail and research you put into your videos. I’m only halfway through but I can tell already that this vid deserves more views. I’ve always heard from people that FF II has an interesting story but that part of the conversation always gets drowned out when people discuss its gameplay mechanics.
It's locke in your pfp!
I'm glad I found your channel as these FF analysis videos are very in depth and entertaining. Can't wait to check out some of your other videos and hope to see the FF III analysis someday :D
I loved FF2. I’m glad I found someone who understands it.
Time for an actually good take on FF2 for once
I could see where this game would be terrible to play sitting in front of a television, but I have loved playing it on my phone. I enjoy grinding to begin with. It's great to be able to kill some time waiting in line or for an appointment grinding some spells or weapon levels out. If you take your time grinding when you can and advancing the story when you feel ready it is a great game to play on the side. Great in depth review and a very fair take.
31:45 That line right there is what made me fall in love with this game's plot. More than any of the named character deaths, that one guy talking about his dead daughter cut me deep.
FF2 is a great game, it's definitely weaker that other FF games but still an important and extremly enjoyable jrpg ❤
Well, i prefer FF2 over the others.
to be fair, it did come out in 1988. Story wasn't a huge thing back then. It wasn't till 1989's Dragon Slayer VI: The Legend of Heroes and 1991's Final Fantasy IV that story started to become the main focus.
"Extremely fun", i like the game but i disagree its not that enjoyable. Its not terrible but i think it has a OK gameplay
It's only enjoyable if you like grinding a lot - the SaGa series (FF Legend 1,2,3) played a way better role in refining the system so that it didn't feel like you actually had to grind a lot just to beat the game. A lot of people often confuse the enjoyment of this game with Final Fantasy 4 because of the mis-numbering of the series in the 90s - FF4 is a LOT more important than FF2 because it was one of the first storyline based Final Fantasies released in the USA, and was groundbreaking for being easily one of the first JRPGs in the series to feature unique characters and classes tied to them.
FF2 does NOT have that - you have to basically make the characters proficient in whatever you choose them to wield, whereas with FF4, these character's abilities such as Rosa being a white mage actually played a role outside battle when she heals Edge, and of course, my favorite character of all time, Rydia, who conquers her fear of fire and then learns Fire1. You don't have that type of interaction in FF2. Instead all we have is "Guy Speak Beaver" and he doesn't even use this in combat to charm enemies like a beast master or something.
@@RydiasRevenge pretty much This final fantasy 2 is very grindy yes even the PSP and GBA version,if you don't grind you Will start Falling behind because your MP, defense and HP Will Be too low
This is a great video. I recently played the NES version of FFII for the first time and struggled to express what specifically I thought was good about it, but I think this video does a good job of explaining what makes this game so special.
The Emperor is far and away my all time favorite FF villain
So underrated, FF2 is a great, if tragic, tale. The leveling system is definitely where most hate comes from, that grind is no joke.
Edit: the cast and each of their stories are so wonderful and empathetic.
I really enjoyed the times I’ve played through this game. Exactly once per version released in English. I am also a huge SaGa fan so that might have something to do with it.
Earth and Beyond did it best when the Jenquai Warrior class attacked the Progen school bus during the starting quests. They explained that it was necessary because they were weapons of the future.
Spot on use of wandering flame. Good video dude
thought for a pretty long time about the most appropriate song for that bit - glad you noticed it!
I think out of all the Final Fantasy games 2 is one of the ones I most want to see a remake of. The fact that it has so many good ideas that don't come together right means that it could be something terrific if they gave it another shot.
I recently started it and it's DOWNRIGHT INCREDIBLE! One of the most perfect JRPG's I've played.
What an amazing analysis, thank you so much for all your work, I really enjoyed it.
I never played the game, but now I have to. This retrospective really made me see the value of FFII, great work!
It’s a proto SaGa game. It’s great.
A huge flaw in this game is something most players don't even know (mainly because it's not explained in the game as far as I know). A lot of equipment actually reduces the amount of damage your spells do. Spells can actually deal a decent amount of damage at higher levels. Although most of the time just focusing on physical damage is still king.
starting maria off with a bow was probably one of the more unfortunate decision this game made, especially if you dont know about this system (Of course the game doesnt tell you about it -_-)
This was definitely worth the wait.
I actually sort of want to try the game now. It may be tedious but those smaller character narratives you mentioned sound quite interesting. Thank you.
Currently playing the Gameboy Advance version on a retropi--it's very good.
The level up system isn't that bad, especially if you do all the fights. It requires a level of decision making early on, as in don't smother yourself with too many options. Carve a role for each character in terms of weapons and magic where each is unique to the others, and fight all the fights, and you will grow appropriately.
The high encounter rate is fine considering that's the whole point of the game.
It's very good, one of the games I have enjoyed most as of late.
Fantastic video. I really loved FF2 as a kid and this video really makes me glad I did.
your channel deserves so much more attention. wonderful video
Its finally here! I can assume the the editing was quite a journey for you. Great video. I enjoyed every minute of it.
the post game is cool the idea that you can use the old party is awesome. the level system ehh that's where the charm makes it or breaks it but outside that the story was cool
Came here from awesome IV video, and the more I watch the video, and Dissidia making me like Dio-like emperor, I feel I would like FF II. Thank you for these. :D
Before watching this, I want to say: I love FF 2!
I’m 2 years late to your video but I really did enjoy playing this game. I played this on my PlayStation after playing the other final fantasy games that came out prior. I still have my original PlayStation and play it regularly. I liked the plot, and though the leveling up was different I enjoyed the challenge. I also played it using the hacks on how to level up MP and HP and I still had fun.
I'm a huge fan of ffxiv and I have played all these games and it's enjoyable to see them insert all the little parts of other ff games into its story Endwalker focuses really heavy on 2 3 and 4
I'm glad there are more and more people giving FFII a chance. It's not an exceptional game mechanically but I always found the story very interesting and while the man party is very one note, the world building and themes do an amazing job making it fascinating (especially for an RPG of it's time).
Great video, you did an amazing job can't wait for the other FF videos :)
FF2 is one of my favorite FF games of all time. I ADORE this game!!!!
What fantastic and thoughtful take on my favourite game from the series
Loved your focus on the depressing nature of the narrative. Played through this for the first time last year and I honestly loved every minute. More than III or IV actually.
Love your videos. I played ff2 a long time ago in the gba collection. I'm actually not a ff fan, mostly cause I'm not a native English speaker and there wasn't a version in my language at the time. And because rpg in general need a lot of text and reading to make progress, it actually made me despise this kind of game.
Now I know a bunch of english, and there is a lot of games in my language, and even though I'm a avid rpg player (just the most known ones like mother or pokemon) I still can't play FF... Tried 8, 10, 1, 2 and 3. And the 2 one was the only one I played through till the end.
Hope the comment helps with the algorithm, your videos truly deserve it!
Funny thing is I love this game to death, and I really like the leveling system as it allows me to create a party to my liking for an example: I could have guy be the mage that sits in the back and heals and deals mage damage and Maria be a duel wilding axe user and firion beating the shit out of anyone with just his fist and Leon be in the back and use a bow
I'm surprised Star Wars wasn't mentioned in this, this game was beginning of FF drawing constant inspiration from Star Wars.
FF2 played normally is a chore....but when you have a speed toggle and can do 4x speed in battles...man it's a different experience.
Hey 👋 love these FF analysis videos. I've been watching them in preparation for the new pixel remasters. Thanks for the content. You got a new subscriber
hey! thanks man, that's really kind of you. i actually came across your channel the other day, i saw the tidus/raldo video and thought it was super interesting (despite the lack of a result) - that kind of stuff has always been fascinating to me, so thank you for making that content :)
@@Ludiscere thank you
yeah, it has basically meant that i've had to rewrite the video from scratch so i can include both the 3D remake and the new pixel remaster! before it was just going to focus on the 3D version, because it was the only licensed/official english version of the game. not anymore though!
This video is so *clean*, glad I'm finally getting around to your channel.
This was great as always, I'm playing through FF2 right now and it's really great. Having more fun than with 1 somehow even though I loved 1.
I'm trying to picture what the game could have been, this whold story of rebels against a crushing empire feels so relevant these days.
Also the "arabian" settings really gives it a distinct feel. I love the character design and the combat system isn't so bad if you're not against grinding.
I just gotta finish it now but I'm having a lot of fun.
My DnD character was from Cornelia but he's retired now after 3 long years of IRL game. My new character might hail from Altair, who knows!
This video is incredible. I just finished FF2 for the first time and came looking for what people have to say about it. This is super well done and informative, interesting, and thoughtful. Also the way you transition from one topic to the next is so seamless, half an hour passed by and I didn't even notice lol. Excellent work! I'll come back and watch you FF3 video after I play that one.
Final Fantasy II is one of my favourites of the series. Love the music, the theme, the story, and what they tried to do.
I decided to play FFII because I really wanted something like Grandia I that wasn't Grandia I.
And honestly, I was sleeping on this game because of how much people seemed to hate it, saying that it was the worst of the series and how wrong and broken the leveling system is... but actually this might be my new favorite from the NES trilogy!
Happy to have found another option to scratch that Grandia itch :)
Being the second in the series, it's one of my favorites.
Great video! If any viewers are interested in Final Fantasy IIs ideas and would like to see them better executed I'd highly recommend the SaGa series. Akitoshi Kawazu, the man who is in a lot of ways behind Final Fantasy IIs uniqueness, rarely touched the mainline Final Fantasy series after II, but he went on to create the SaGa series, which carries forward a lot of its ideas like the lack of a traditional leveling system and rotating guest party members and introduces a lot of new interesting ideas as the series goes on.
Oh hell yeah lads this is gonna be a good evening
I find it really interesting that the second games in a series tend to be black sheep within larger franchises.
Great video! As much as I know they'd almost never consider doing a remake of this game (I mean, look how long it took them to do FF7!) I think this game would benefit the most out of any game in the series of being given a proper second chance. The story is pretty good and could be great with a couple of tweaks, but the rest of the game around it could be so much better if they tried again nowadays. Wishful thinking, but maybe one day!
It's called ff12, i'm not joking, is basically ff2 but good
FFII is my favourite of the NES trilogy. I even like it more than many of the later games, so it's kinda disappointing that a big chunk of the discourse around it can't look beyond its weird combat systems, as pointed out here. Amano's art was also amazing for this game, but that's never a surprise
That bit about Leon and why they became the Dark Knight is strange now that you mention it, granted it's been over a decade over since the last time I played FFII. That bit about him possibly being under some form of unmentioned mind control made me think of Kain from FFIV, perhaps a bit of Leon was also part of the blueprint for them along with Richard.
They definitely borrowed a lot from this story for FF IV
Since I'm not well acquainted with Final Fantasy analysis, I haven't been 'tainted' by the negative FF2 discourse. So this is kind of my first real introduction to the game, and well... this video makes me want to try playing it! (Though I doubt I can get a copy on my hands for the GBA..) I really appreciate your fair assessment of the game and that you tackle so many different aspects. I always learn something new from your videos! :) Looking forward to the next one!
I'm glad to finally see someone point out how the Elder Scrolls games have a similar leveling system to FF II.
Idk, it's wonky but it reminds me of skyrims leveling system a bit. I definitely remember in skyrim leveling up my blocking by letting weak mobs hit me when shielding or going back and forth while sneaking on an unaware npc
Just finnished this game as the pixel remaster and absolutely loved it. I missed 1 chest and it's time to play again completely differently!
I really liked the first attempt of many differenet things.
What i didnt like was near the end when you could dispatch monsters more quickly.. your ability levels lagged behind. Meaning at some point you just have to spend time attacking your party members and using spells willy nilly to get their rating up instead of them judt naturally up despite their constant use.
I also didn't like the rotating party members, connected land mass, the constant backtracking and key word system.
Other than that the game is much better than 1 imo. I loved being able to dual weild and seemngly custimize my party more in depth by giving everyone the ability to use spells. I liked that it switched to an MP system instead of set charges, but i didnt like that some white spells had to be a certain level to cure certain ailments.
This has been a fantastic analysis of Final Fantasy 2, thank you :)
Love your long form final fantasy reviews. I've listened to them driving to work and falling asleep to them at night. Not a bad thing! One more sub from me! I hope to see more rpgs in the future. Anything from old to new games would be great to see.
Really enjoyed your analysis of I and II. Looking forward to III.
Subbed cause of the final fantasy 1 video, glad I stayed for the gravity rush vid and what im sure is to be another great one
Great review.
A real eye opening review that shows how one can be objective.
I actually really liked Final Fantasy 2. The characters that make it into SoR throughout the story make me cri eryteim.
I played it a lot as a kid on the GBA Dawn of Souls release, though I admit I played more FF1 since the combat was a lot easier to flow with, but I remember my party setup to this day: Firion used swords and shields and traditionally white magic spells, Maria used a bow (later on two spears because on my second playthrough I wanted her to have better defenses) and black magic, and Guy used an axe and whatever other weapon I wanted him to use (once I did a fists only playthrough with him) and whatever other kinds of magic was left over (Toad, Warp, etc.). I got good enough at the game that I could probably get to Mysidia before even going to Fynn nowadays and get gear that was waaay too strong and just breeze through the rest of the game to about the point with the tornado. However I will say that it sucked having to grind up EXP for spells in this game, because you have to cast them so many fucking times lol. And that's odd coming from me because I'm that rare guy that actually *likes* to grind in RPGs.
My first FF game. Fell in love instantly. 💖
Loved this video! The PSP version has also the best bonus dungeon too. Quite surprised you didn't mention the actual main theme, which is sad and beautiful. The symphonic version, and its arrangement into song form in Final Fantasy Pray show how amazing the theme is.
i do briefly discuss the main theme at the end of the Final Fantasy III video!
Yeah, noticed that after watching it. :P I'm loving your review on IV, btw.
Wow you did it! You tied video games to real life history. I genuinely agree with your analysis on the need to tie games with reality
I love FF2. Finished it 2 times and plan to go more. Also it is a pitty noone mention amazing EQUIPMENT system in FF2, ehh maybe someone will finally notice one day.
Congrats on getting this video out!
Speaking of Nausicaa, the whole thing about a princess ruling in her sick father's stead reminded me of her when you mentioned it.
I get more Star Wars vibes, tbh.
In terms of dungeon design and getting lost, I’ve noticed that at least for the first 4 games (the pattern breaks a bit in 5) the closest door to the entrance is usually optional, and the furthers door from the entrance is usually correct to progress.
Great video! For me personally I still think FF2 is my least favourite but replaying it recently I found the motivating factor was mostly the story, because it sure as hell wasn't the dungeon design lol as you said, it's a great story hindered somewhat by the era it was made in.
I’ve only just gotten into the FF series thanks to the newest remasters, and although I’ve found FF2 to be…frustrating, I really appreciate finding someone who puts my thoughts on it into words.
Speaking of, if you’ve had the chance to play the new remasters yet, what do you think of them?
Really good video. I honestly really love this game, despite his problems with the battle system, dungeons and high enemies encounters. Right now I'm just replaying III, but 100% I'm going to play II again.
Unfortunally you didn't talked Soul of Rebirth.
(Sorry for any mistake)
Well researched and thought out script, great editing, nice voice that's easy to listen to, I can tell this video took a while to make. Lots of love and care put into it.
Though you probably already know this. Don't let negative comments get to you.
much appreciated mate, thank you so much!
unsurprisingly, i watched your video on the game when i was researching, and i thought it was comfortably the best piece of discourse surrounding FFII on this website - very refreshing to see someone diverge from what everyone else says, and say it well. the way your video starts is absolutely perfect, with all the clips of people bashing it and saying the same shit. sums it all up really.
but yeah, thanks man. means a lot :)
The design philosophy for protagonists at the time is that they are supposed to be extension of the player as they are what you want them to be through your imagination. That is also why the main character is often silent, so you identify with him/her better. Some might say it is lazy writing, but using your imagination to role-play is an important part of the original DnD style which is often lost with heavily narratively oriented games nowadays. I really appreciate FF2's simplicity and effectiveness in telling an engaging story despite the limitation of its medium.
Oh, and I watched your video about the first game and I'll continue listening to your analysis' while level grinding. Even though I haven't gone through this video yet I'll just say thank you for your awesome job on the first one and I hope you are able to keep it up. Subbed.
I love this game and love your content keep up the great work
i like FF2. it's not my favorite, but not not my least favorite either. i actually liked the proficiency levels system. you're given many options, but ultimately trying to be proficient in everything is discouraged. i liked the emphasis on armor weight and evasion because it meant you couldn't _just_ look at a piece of equipment's raw stats and just choose the bigger defense number like some other rpgs do. this is where secondary effects of your gear actually start mattering in the series as opposed to the first entry where the effects are either miniscule or just straight up don't work in the NES version. admittedly, when it comes to spells like berserk, toad, and teleport, the game can become pretty laughably easy. while i find that most spells have their uses... why not just _kill_ the enemy with toad or mini?
the story was pretty damn good for its time and is really tonally consistent.
Dammit, I didn't manage to play through FFII before this video came out! Well, time to watch an hour about a game I know absolutely nothing about :D
I find the criticism of the level system pretty interesting. I see how and why the problems of it come up, but personally, the wouldn't really bother me. The fact that you effectively can't use certain spells without grinding for example seems bad at first, but then I remember that I almost never used anything aside from Cure, Life and the elemental spells in every FF I've played. In normal battles they just aren't useful enough and most of them don't work in boss fights.
This may be just because of my playstyle, but most of the consequences that appear from the level system I've still experienced in the sequels.
Death of characters is something I absolutely adore, especially when those characters are important NPCs or even protagonists. It is extremely jarring if a game not only fears to apply actual consequences to player actions or story hooks, but also doesn't manage to hide it enough. Plot armor is a sin and I'm glad FFII doesn't seem to lean into it.
I'm beginning to see that I must be one of the few fans who actually LIKES Final Fantasy 2. Yes it's tedious but I really don't mind. I **like** smacking the shit out of enemies 😁👍
I beat the game today (Soul of Rebirth included) and your opinion is exactly the same as mine, even the comparison with Zelda II and Simon's Quest was in my mind. Great video, man.
I've always liked this game. Yeah it has some problems with its mechanics but it was different and interesting. The story I think needs more leniency due to hardware limitations at the time and just how big a leap they were making in its creation.