Final Fantasy V Wiki Page
Released in Japan for the Super Famicom in 1992. Final Fantasy V was not initially released in NA due to Square deeming it too inaccessible to American gamers. There were plans to localize and release the game as "Final Fantasy Extreme" in order to market it to more experienced gamers who would enjoy the complex Job system. Plans for that release fell through however, and FFV did not see the light in NA (legally anyway) until 1999 when released for the Playstation along with FFVI in the Final Fantasy Anthology collection.
V's story returns to the basic crystal story presented in I and III. Something wicked is draining the light from the four elemental crystals and only the destined Light Warriors can save the day. Unlike I and III, however, V gave names and faces to our Warriors of Light:
- Bartz Klauser: A wandering adventurer. He at first becomes involved in the story due to chance, but his destiny is later revealed to be much less coincidental.
- Lenna Charlotte Tycoon: The princess of Tycoon. The game begins as she heads toward the Wind Shrine out of concern for the safety of her father, King Tycoon.
- Galuf Helm Baldesion: An old man with amnesia. All he remembers when discovered is his name and his destination: the Wind Shrine. His mysterious past is revealed during the game.
- Faris Scherwiz: A pirate who is initially believed to be male, but later reveals herslef as a woman in disguise. She has a mysterious connection to Lenna.
- Krile Mayer Baldesion: Galuf's grandaughter. She replaces Galuf later in the game.
Gameplay elements unique to or introduced in FFV:
- The Job system from III returns, but with some new refinements. Job levels are obtained through Ability Points allowing the player to track job advancement. Players are also now able to share a limited amount of abilities between Jobs creating "Super Jobs" (my term, not the games) that have elements from multiple classes.
- The ATB bar is now visible to the player for the first time allowing them to know exactly whose turn is next.
- The first recurring miniboss: Gilgamesh. He is fought st multiple points within the game Gilgamesh also makes cameo appearances in other, later, FF games in various forms.
Final Fantasy V has received a couple of different official releases in North America:
- On the Playstation as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology collection. This was the first official release of the game in NA. Unfortunately, the dialogue translation was far from perfect (most famously giving Faris a "pirate accent" not present in the Japanese version) keeping most gamers loyal to the fanslation from a few years earlier.
- On the Game Boy Advance as Final Fantasy V Advance. This version improved the translation exponentially, although some critics disliked the addition of multiple "pop culture" jokes added in. This version also added a few new jobs and bonus dungeons similar to other GBA FF releases.
Additionally, there is much made of the fact that FFX was the "first" game to receive a sequel, but this was incorrect. Final Fantasy V was, in the fact, the very first Final Fantasy game to have a story sequel; it was not, however, a video game.
Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals is a four episode OVA released in 1994 in Japan. The anime is set 200 years after FFV featuring descendants of the original game's characters.
Lastly, Cid Watch!:
Cid Previa is an inventor from the Kingdom of Karnak whose knowledge and inventions have led the Kingdom to prosperity. When Cid discovers his machine are damaging the Crystals he attempts to shut them down, but ends up being imprisoned. He laments is failure untilhis grandson, Mid, cheers him up. Cid and Mid later become instrumental, as always, in helping the party discover, restore, and upgrade the airship.
Cid is once again unplayable, however he continues to play a larger role in the story.
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I will be playing the GBA version. This is the last FF that I have never beaten. After this game the only one that I haven't played recently is VIII, so we'll see how long I can keep this marathon going. Perhaps I'll get bored while playing through VII, or perhaps I'll going to distance. Oh, the imaginary suspense.