Final Fantasy V (1992 Video Game) User Reviews

Fun game

[robotbling · 9/10 · 26 November 2012]

(www.plasticpals.com) Final Fantasy 5 was a 16-bit gem that taunted non-Japanese gamers in magazine previews with the likes of Dragon Quest 5 and 6 back in the early '90s. Fortunately, Squaresoft saw fit to release the game in English on the PlayStation in 1999, seven years after its debut on the Super Famicom. It would take another seven years for the game to see its most complete English release, on the Gameboy Advance, in 2006.

The PlayStation edition included a new cg cinematic introduction and ending (easily accessible to anyone via youtube), but was otherwise inferior to the SF edition due to the frequent and annoying load times, which made the game almost unplayable. Thankfully, the GBA edition does away with the loading and has a slew of its own extras, such as redrawn battle backgrounds, additional challenges, a new translation, and a handful of new jobs to master.

Players can mix and match abilities from different jobs, allowing for even more skill combinations than ever before. In all, there are some 26 jobs to master in the GBA edition, including most of the series' staples such as dragoons, mages of every colour, and summoners, as well as entertaining classes such as beast masters and dancers. Gone are any redundant classes (with the exception of the Red Mage), and most jobs have around 4-6 skills which will make your life a whole lot easier when facing the tougher enemies in the game. Unfortunately some jobs have pointless or rarely used skills that just don't justify the time spent earning them, but on the whole the system is very well balanced.

The list of available classes steadily grows as players come into contact with the crystal shards, and provide a great deal of satisfaction when mastered. Jobs level up independently from characters, and grinding will be required to master them all. Thankfully, mastering every job is not a necessity and most players will find the battle system enjoyable enough to do a little grinding here and there anyway – fighting battles to pass the time has never been easier now that you can do so on the go! Unlike most chapters in the Final Fantasy saga, Final Fantasy 5 features a small cast of party members, with only 5 in total. This is balanced out by the Job system, which dramatically changes the look of any given character. The story is also less epic than most, and while there is a world to be saved in the end, the game never takes itself too seriously.

Bartz and Galuf provide most of the comic relief, while the girls Faris, Krile, and Lenna take on the more dramatic roles. Taking a cue from earlier games in the series, the four party members (referred to as Dawn Warriors) must travel the world saving life-giving crystals from destruction. Meanwhile, an evil entity known as Exdeath is seeking to engulf the world in the Void, reminiscent of the Nothing from the Neverending Story. While it certainly won't be winning any awards for originality, the story strings us along with entertaining quests in the chase to end Exdeath's evil plans.

The journey will take the characters to 2 different worlds as well as an interesting combination of the two, where they'll meet engineering genius Cid (along with his grandson Mid) as well as the original Dawn Warriors responsible for fighting Exdeath some 30 years prior. Similar to Final Fantasy 3, they'll mount Chocobos, soar the skies via Airship, and scour the sea floor via Submarine.

Final Fantasy 5 is a 16-bit RPG with decent production values, but players expecting a middle ground between 4 and 6 will be disappointed. In terms of presentation (such as spell effects) it is no better than Final Fantasy 4, but what Final Fantasy 5 lacks in production values it more than makes up for with its engaging game systems. That said, the redrawn battle backgrounds and character portraits are a nice touch, and the music has been faithfully adapted to the GBA's inferior sound system. The enemies are generally more detailed than in 4, some of which were even lifted by 6. The most striking aspect of the game's visuals is tied to its greatest success: the job system. Every character has a total of 26 very different "outfits" depending on their job, so playing "dress up" can have some pretty cool and unusual results.

It's a shame that Final Fantasy 5 wasn't localized back when it would have been more fully appreciated for its innovative job system, and that its PlayStation release was marred by an obtuse translation and unbearable load times. Luckily, the GBA edition not only fixes these problems but adds fuel to the fire with a new 30-story dungeon and boss after the main game is completed. The graphics haven't aged as well as its 16-bit brethren, and the snail-paced battles will have some gamers looking for a fast-forward button in vain. But for true Final Fantasy die-hards Final Fantasy 5 is a must, and will provide many hours of nostalgic fun.

Jobs and Blue Magic and Girls, oh my!

[delibebek · 8/10 · 7 August 2008]

The job system in Final Fantasy V is truly the magic. It's natural to use hard-hitting warrior classes and the power of the black mage, just to knock every enemy out of the water, but it's the silly jobs like dancer can make the game fun during replays. All the various jobs you get from the crystals that you receive through the course of the game, give the game tremendous replay value. Every try beating Exdeath with a party of bards? Blue magic is a lot of fun in this game also. The ability to collect the spells and special attacks from enemies is intriguing and a lot of fun during replays.

Both blue magic and the thief job's "capture" command were refined into certain characters in Final Fantasy VI. Although the story in FFV isn't as strong as in FFVI, FFV stands up as a more classic console RPG with a lot of fun elements in the gameplay.

Also, FFV's final party is 75% female, which I think is probably a record for the time it was released.

Wonderful!

[MovieLad26 · 9/10 · 16 January 2008]

Final Fantasy V is truly an amazing game, and I'll tell you why. Great characters, awesome game play, huge world to explore, neat powers and fights.

The plot of this game is very intriguing and it pulls you in, even at the beginning. Four crystals hold the dimension in which a creature named Ex-death resides. But when the crystals start to break, and the wind stops, four unlikely heroes go on a journey that'll take them across the planet, and more, to prevent Ex-death's revival.

Gameplay in this game is very different, but in a good way. The active time battle (ATB) adds a sense of realism, as bad guys can attack while you are making your decision on what to do next. So I would recommend learning how to do those moves fast, so you can have the last laugh.

Music in this game is really nice and at times, really cool! Boss battles have really radical music that makes it feel like you're in a movie. Different towns have different music to listen to as you buy your new equipment. Depending on how you're traveling, the music of the main world can change. In the first world, whenever you're walking, the same tune plays. However, when you're on a dragon, the tune is different. Same goes for flying ships and black chocobos. If you're in an area that you want to do some leveling up in, then you may want to put in a CD or listen to the radio, as the music can get annoying. But that doesn't happen for a while after being in the area.

The game is also very challenging. Whenever you think you're ready for the next boss, he could still beat you! so make sure you save beforehand and you'll make it through...eventually.

In the end, I think final fantasy V is a game that should be played at least once in your life. Even if you're not an RPG person, it's unique. And for that reason, I rate this game a 9 our of 10. Buy it today! You won't regret it!

Chocobos, crystals, and airships... but it's not your usual FF game

[vash_da_stampeed · 16 March 2006]

Originally released on the Super Nintendo in Japan, Final Fantasy V never found its way to the states in its original form. But a few years ago it was re-released on the Playstation with Final Fantasy VI in a collection of the two games called Final Fantasy Anthologies.

Final Fantasy V follows the adventures of a love traveler named Bartz. He and his pet chocobo Boko were startled one night as a meteor came crashing down not far from their camp. Upon examination of the meteor they find an old man by the name of Galuf who seems to have amnesia caused by the meteors impact. Nearby as well, is Reina, the princess of the kingdom of Tycoon. You are joined shortly thereafter by Faris, the saltiest pirate on the seas. The four set out to find Reina's father, the king of Tycoon, as well as to protect the four crystals of Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth.

So there's chocobos and crystals and whatnot, but what makes this game stand out? Well, the crystals give your characters powers. You are able to equip each character with a job class and they can then level up each of their jobs, giving them abilities from that job class that can be equipped later. For example: one of your characters is equipped with the Black Mage job and they gain a level. They are then given the ability Black 1 which allows them to cast Black Magic. But you can then change their job to say, a Knight, and then equip the Black 1 ability as well. Or maybe you want a Monk that can use Blue Magic. Perhaps you want a White Mage that can hold its weapon with 2 hands for double the power (a Knight ability). This unique and functional system lets the player play how they want, and gives them tons of possibilities.

The usual good stuff is in here too. The plot starts out simple with you protecting the crystals but soon escalates to encompass so much more. The characters are all interesting in their own aspect and all have their own mysterious back stories, some of which intertwine a bit. As usual in any FF game, the mood is set well by Nobuo Uematsu's compositions. The beautiful and diverse soundtrack accompanies your journey well, and rarely gets annoying or repetitive.

This game, while following the same pattern as most Final Fantasy's, differs greatly with its job class system to give it an extremely unique touch. It's an old school game with a great feel and a must have for any FF or RPG fan. I give it 8 and 1/2 out of 10. Ya can't beat that 8-bit goodness.

A very underrated masterpiece

[teresaclohessy-41477 · 10/10 · 15 November 2015]

This is a review for the iOS version of Final Fantasy V because the original version was only released in Japan and of course I wasn't born. This is a fantastic game but it gets less attention than it deserves because Final Fantasy VII overshadows it. It is my second favourite Final Fantasy game behind Final Fantasy VI.

The storyline is just as brilliant as the storyline in Final Fantasy VI and the I really liked the protagonist. It has some of the best moments in the Final Fantasy series. The controls are better than the controls in Final Fantasy VI though. In my honest opinion, it is slightly better than Final Fantasy VII.

This game is fantastic and it is definitely worth playing. 10/10

My first Final Fantasy game

[elonmusk-is_a_moron · 10/10 · 9 July 2022]

Most people were introduced to the Final Fantasy franchise via Final Fantasy 7, but that wasn't my case. This was, in fact, the very first game of that series I ever played, and probably because of that, my perception of the franchise was always associated to medieval fantasy (Something which was reinforeced when I played Final Fantasy 4)

Final Fantasy 5 is probably the most underrated game of the series. I know many fans of the franchise prefer darker, more apocalyptic stories, but this game had its share of dark and dramatic moments.

And some parts from it were incredibly difficult! The final boss was probably one of the hardest enemies ever made in any RPG game, as far as I know.

I remember needing a lot of help of my older brother to finish this game.

But it was a fun, captivating game. It had a whimsical magic which I wish the series still retained. Alas, people only want more and more darkness.

Excellent game play paired with a weak story

[MissSimonetta · 8/10 · 27 May 2013]

My favorite FFs tend to be the ones with good characters and stories, so FFV is not a title I often revisit. The emotional and epic nature of FFIV is replaced with a thin and somewhat comical narrative in FFV. Yes, there's death and a few twists, but not enough to make it a memorable tale. The plot is this: the crystals are shattering and it's up to four heroes to save them: a carefree wanderer named Bartz, a compassionate princess named Lenna, tough pirate captain Faris, and the hilarious amnesiac Galuf. Out of this bunch, only Galuf and Faris manage to be memorable. Bartz has got to be one of the weakest FF leads, Lenna is just your typical princess character, and the villain is laughably lame. So yeah, if you like great story in your RPGs, then this game is not for you.

The saving grace of FFV is the game play. It takes the job class system from the third game and makes it a thousand times more customizable and fun. You can add abilities learned in one job to another, and there are dozens of jobs to play around with. The difficulty level is rather high as well if you like a good challenge. Coupled with the side quests, you'll spend a lot of fun hours with this one.

In conclusion, this is not the most memorable FF game, but it's worth a look if you can forgive the forgettable story. It's certainly the most unique of the pre-VII FF titles.

Not quite as good as six, but almost.

[Aaron1375 · 8/10 · 5 May 2008]

It took me nine years to finally play through and win this Final Fantasy game. That right there should tell you this one is a bit different. The story is your standard Final Fantasy fare. A traveler, a princess, a pirate, and a mysterious man with amnesia go on a quest to try and stop the destruction of the elemental crystals: Earth, wind, fire and water. They are also searching for the father of the princess. In the end an evil entity named X-Death is set free and he has plans to capture a terrifying power that threatens not one, but two worlds! What sets this one apart and causes it to be sort of a pain too is the job system. Similar to that found in Final Fantasy X-2, but more involved you switch between classes, gain their powers and in the end decide what powers will help you totally tear X-Death apart. The jobs though can take awhile to build up, now that I have a very good sized music collection it is not so bad, but it gets rather boring just leveling up with the same old music playing. The final boss in this one was somewhat tough too, until I read a strategy on beating him, then adding a few of my own touches it was a breeze. So in the end I liked six a bit better, however, this one was a rather good entry into the final fantasy universe. I think it is also the first one to feature Moogles, however, I may be wrong on that point. You also have a wide array of vehicles in this one to use to, from chocobos to airships, and even a submarine. However, the story is a bit short, I won it in thirty hours and I spent a good ten or more of that leveling.

Eh...

[Roxasneo44 · 6/10 · 29 January 2010]

I wasn't impressed at all. The first couple of hours of gameplay were a joy, though. My only complaints are the plot and characters. Bartz is too insipid for his own good, and Ex-Death proves to be a rather sharp competitor in the lame characters' department of FFV. I also thought that the whole Lenna and Faris-thing was too convenient. In fact, almost everything about this game ran on convenience. It's ludicrous to think that any Final Fantasy game ever did, but this game goes to show you that even good video game developers can fail at originality.

Here's the plot in a nutshell: The crystals of the world shatter and it is up to four 'chosen' heroes to solve the wretched mystery. As it turns out, an evil mage by the name of Ex-Death is the primary cause. When the envious mage destroys all of the world's precious delights, he is set free . . . only to terrorize our heroes in a craze of his own faulty ego.

The supposed protagonist (Bartz) decides to vanquish this absurd-excuse for an antagonist after having most of his home swallowed up by the N-Zone holes that were leaked. Said character garners up his pride and fights alongside his loyal deputies: Faris, Reina, and Krille. All of which share the same ambitions. In any case, they rid the world of its evil dyer and descend back into shadows.

...That was it, basically. Although, I'm missing a couple of key ingredients to the story, that's pretty much it. In relation to its predecessors, Final Fantasy V takes you through another horribly drawn-out crystal scenario. The only thing that makes this installment unique is its rewarding face, Galuf. Galuf--who happens to be only of my favorite video game characters of all time--is a majestic alien to that of Terra.

Unlike the rest of the cast, Galuf wins at doing just about...well, anything. His death is quite epic, and so is his legacy. A good character is an understatement in this case.

• All-in-all, I would say that the playability of this game is moderately fair. The battle system is rather recycled, but I did like the classes. These aspects of the gameplay suggest that FFV was an experiment more than anything.

Rating: 3/5 *I recommend this to anybody that wants a challenge. The difficulty is quite astounding, really.

Excellent Work...from Engineers

[HedonisticActor · 6/10 · 31 October 2007]

Final Fantasy V was first released in Japan but it came to the outer world nearly ten years later. After I've played this game with SNES emulator it's easy to understand why.

First the good news. Final Fantasy V has an excellent job system that is more developed version from Final Fantasy III. There's a wide selection from different jobs including common fighter, thief and couple of mages and uncommon dragoon, samurai and many others. What even better, all special skills are saved even if a player decides to change classes. Only down side is that some of the classes, like geomancer, mediator or dancer, are completely useless.

The bad thing in this game is the atmosphere. Story about stopping evil Exdeath from destroying elemental crystals and the everything else just feels to make excuses to point colorless characters to go in different places. Although it's revealed enough their past that they are somehow interesting they have not any characteristics to make them feel close. Plus white-armored Exdeath with no clear motivation for wanton destruction is probably one of the dullest main villains ever in any media. Only good character is Exdeath's first-in-command Gilgamesh who has charisma and funny dialog. Even the music has decreed from Final Fantasy IV's excellency to mediocre.

Final Fantasy V is good as hack'n slash game but because of its sterile story, characters, music and even graphics it feels like work of engineers rather than artists.

Quite possibly the worst game in the series

[tetsuo52476 · 6/10 · 5 January 2001]

Even the worst final fantasy game is still pretty fun. But this game is still mediocre. It had a lot of hype built up because it wasn't released in the US for several years . But the game it self really isn't that good. The story-line is a loosely strung series of events that eventually involve a generic evil guy in a helmet named exdeath. At one point Butz says "you won't get away with this" and exdeath says "And just what do you think It is that I'm trying to get away with." Indeed Butz doesn't know, and neither did I, nor did I particularly care up to that point. However when he answers that question the game turns around for the better. The story is given a point and there are plenty of secrets to discover. Too bad there is only a little bit more of the game left. The job system is fun but not enough so to carry the game by itself. The game is still decent, but is hardly worthy of the rest of the series. I spent most of the game waiting for something to happen. When it finally did I had to wonder if it was worth the effort.

The best in the series?

[niz · 26 January 2000]

FF5 is full of outstanding, unforgettable moments: the death of Galuf, the terrifying and awesome resurrection of Exdeath in the final battle, and the most complete and satisfying end sequence I have ever seen in a game. The job system is another superb aspect. More sophisticated than FF4, less dull subplots than FF6, FF5 gets my vote as the best in the series.

My #1 Final Fantasy

[Angel_Meiru · 27 July 2005]

Yes, I admit, there are some of the Final Fantasy games I like before FFVIII and the other latter titles came out. But Final Fantasy V sticks to me like bees stick to honey.

The story is in three parts: Butz's world (trying to save the crystals), Galuf's world (Galuf trying to stop the main evil himself) and Ex-Death's world (Destroy the Void and the evil mage himself). Without spoiling any of the plot or characters, you'll be pleased with the story and the likable cast of characters. Who says you need a big cast when you can have a few wonderfully developed cast. Not to mention the job system is very fun and addicting. You can even mix and match abilities.

The only flaw is the graphics and sound. The graphics look EXACTLY like FFIV's graphics. And even though the soundtrack was good in some spots, but a lot of the music sounded way too happy and perky. Sounds more like a kiddy game music than it does earth in distress music.

Just too bad this FF got overshadowed by FFIV and FFVI and was never released in America in trhe SNES days. It's far superior to FFVI in story, gameplay and characters. Play it and give it a chance.

Better than every RPG I've played but Xenogears!

[rwilco · 7 May 2000]

God, I love this game! I myself have only played the PSX version but that's good enough! The king of Tycoon feels something is wrong with the wind, and thus goes to the Wind Shrine to check on the Wind Crystal. His daughter, Reina, wishes him luck. The scene switches to a pirate on his ship named Faris. He notices something wrong with the wind as well... then it switches to THE INSIDE of the meteor. An old man says that it has already began, and thus he must hurry. Then, You take on the role of Bartz, a traveler of the world born in (Lix in Japan; not sure about in the US). He and his chocobo, Boko, hear something bad going on, so they go to see what's wrong. A meteor has crashed near Tycoon, and as Bartz walks near, he finds two goblins taking Reina. He fights them, gets Reina, tell her his name... well, that's only the beginning. In Final Fantasy 5, the system used is the Job System.

Explanation of the Job System: You will gain many crystal shards throughout the game, which are "Jobs". They allow a large amount of freedom in customizing your team (Bartz, Reina, Faris, and Galuf, the old man). For example, you can have Bartz become a Knight, or Faris become a Dragoon. The one class they have without jobs equipped is called a Suppin(or BARE, if you own the PSX version, like me). Then there's the Ability system. Your jobs are devided by "levels". You gain levels by gaining certain amounts of ABP(Ability Points). By gaining a level, you gain a skill. E.G.: You have a Lvl2 Dragoon. You have his skills, "Jump" and "Lance". Now you equip a White Mage job to your character. You can put one of those skills on that job!

This game holds MUCH MUCH more secrets than ff6. The only secret that tops any of the ones in FF5 is finding GoGo in ff6. My overall score? 9 and a half out of 10 The game is great, but because of Krile... I had to knock the score down by half a point. - Jed Bookout

Release only for the Japan? Not anymore

[cheeseboy80 · 17 February 2001]

This game used to be an Japan only Final Fantasy SNES game. Not anymore. You can now play this game on your sony playstation with Final Fantasy Anthology. Alright the graphic isn't very good as the other final fantasy games on the Playstation. Does that really matter? I think not. RPGs is all about the storylines. That's why I play them. The game doesn't have much playable characters like the other final fantasy games. I think that's why they didn't bother to release it in the U.S.

The game also comes with an new CGI video that never before seen in the japan version.