FINAL FANTASY II Reviews

this game or rather pixel or psp i choose psp because it got the ultimate weapon and secret dungeon

A strange difference in mechanics compared to the first, but difficulty becomes trivial once you find the build that works for you. You gotta listen to the hints on where to go, as the game expects you to write it down in a little notebook. But hey, great joy.

[PT-BR] Final Fantasy II tenta inovar nas mecânicas e cria um sistema em que os personagens evoluem conforme você usa os atributos e habilidades. A ideia é boa mas a execução deixa a desejar. [EN] Final Fantasy II tries to innovate with its mechanics, introducing a system where characters grow based on how you use their stats and abilities. The idea is solid, but the execution falls short. [PT-BR] Uma coisa que não faz diferença prática é o sistema de palavras-chave que você aprende e usa nas conversas. Parece algo que daria profundidade, mas como a estória segue totalmente linear, essas palavras só servem pra liberar falas que os personagens já diriam de qualquer jeito. Não atrapalha e também não acrescenta nada. [EN] One feature that ends up being pointless is the keyword system, where you learn and use terms in conversations. It sounds like something that could add depth, but since the story is completely linear, these words just unlock dialogue that the characters would’ve said anyway. It neither adds nor takes away from the experience. [PT-BR] A progressão fica meio travada durante um bom tempo: os inimigos param de acompanhar o nível do grupo, e fora o HP, que cresce naturalmente, o resto dos atributos só sobe mesmo se você começar a apelar pra estratégia de fazer seus próprios personagens se baterem pra aumentar força, estamina, resistência e etc. O grinding (faço isso moderadamente) que no primeiro jogo era divertido e recompensador, aqui vira só uma rotina mecânica e cansativa. [EN] Progression feels stalled for a good while — enemies stop keeping up with your party’s strength, and aside from HP, which grows naturally, all other stats only really improve if you resort to making your characters hit each other to raise strength, stamina, defense, and so on. The grinding — which I usually do in moderation — was fun and rewarding in the first game, but here it just becomes a repetitive, mechanical chore. [PT-BR] O mapa tem um design ruim e pouca variedade de inimigos (e são muito fracos), e a exploração não empolga muito. Mesmo o barco, que agora pode atracar em qualquer lugar da costa (uma boa evolução do primeiro), não salva a experiência, o que o jogo tem vai te mostrando não estimula a curiosidade. Mas felizmente pra mim, a partir de Mysidia, o jogo dá uma boa melhorada. Os cenários começam a variar mais, aparecem inimigos mais interessantes e lugares como a Mysidian Tower trazem desafios que valem a pena. Os inimigos que tiram hp enchem o saco no início e com persistência você vai passando por cima de todo mundo. [EN] The map is poorly designed, enemy variety is low (and they’re mostly weak), and exploration just isn’t that exciting. Even the ship, which now lets you dock anywhere along the coast (a nice improvement from the first game), doesn’t save the experience — the world just doesn’t invite curiosity. Fortunately, from Mysidia onward, the game gets noticeably better. The environments become more diverse, new enemies are more interesting, and places like the Mysidian Tower offer worthwhile challenges. The enemies that constantly drain your HP are annoying at first, but with persistence, you eventually steamroll through them. [PT-BR] Outro ponto positivo com relação ao primeiro jogo são as armas que vai encontrando durante a sua aventura. Diferente do FF I que a esmagadora maiora de armas/armaduras vai para a classe knight, aqui encontramos uma variedade desses itens. Sem falar que os monstros dropam bem mais itens e também nas magias, do que no primeiro jogo. Mesmo os 3 personagens principais sendo fixos, você moldá-los da maneira que quiser porque apenas pela gameplay dá pra encontrar tudo que precisa para deixá-los aprimorados. [EN] Another improvement over the first game is the gear you find throughout the adventure. Unlike FF I, where most weapons and armor are geared toward the knight class, here there’s a better variety. Monsters also drop more items and spells compared to the first. Even though your three main characters are fixed, you can shape them however you want — the gameplay alone gives you all the tools you need to develop them well. [PT-BR] Meu último ponto é sobre os personagens que participam da sua party. No início da campanha, o Minwu foi uma demonstração positiva: além de ajudar quando ainda estamos no início do jogo, ele serve como um modelo do que podemos alcançar. Mas, depois dele, todos os outros não acompanham o nível da equipe. É um tanto desanimador os ver tão fracos que nem me preocupei em treiná-los. Segui focando no meu time principal, e qualquer evolução que os temporários tiveram veio só da jogatina normal, sem esforço extra. [EN] My last point is about the characters that join your party. Early in the game, Minwu was a strong addition — not only is he useful when you're still getting started, but he serves as a model of what your characters could become. After him, though, none of the others keep up with the main team’s level. It was discouraging to see them so underpowered that I didn’t even bother training them. I just kept my focus on the main trio, and whatever progress the temporary characters made came from normal gameplay alone, with no extra effort on my part. [PT-BR] Desses companheiros, o que mais gostei foi do Richard. Apesar de chegar com atributos inferiores ao restante da galera, se mostrou útil e carismático. A única maneira de não deixá-los para trás, tanto nos status quanto nos equipamentos, é forçando o jogador a investir tempo e recursos para fazê-los úteis. Não parei minha jogatina para isso, é possível zerar sem se preocupar com este ponto. [EN] Of all those companions, Richard was my favorite. Even though he joins with weaker stats than the rest of the party, he proved to be both useful and likeable. The only way to keep these characters on par in terms of stats and gear is to force the player to invest time and resources into them. I didn’t pause my playthrough for that — and it’s perfectly possible to beat the game without doing so. [PT-BR] Mesmo com mais críticas do que elogios, eu recomendo o jogo. Até mais ou menos a metade eu não estava curtindo muito, mas depois daquele ponto que comentei acima, FF II engrena e curti do mesmo jeito que gostei do Final Fantasy I. [EN] Even though I had more criticisms than praise, I still recommend the game. Up until about halfway through, I wasn’t really enjoying it — but after the turning point I mentioned earlier, FF II picked up, and I ended up enjoying it just as much as I did Final Fantasy I.

Game's different from other FF's, still good. Beware missable content if going for all achievements.

Final Fantasy II is often remembered as the "black sheep" of the classic era. Released in 1988 in Japan, and much later internationally via various remakes, it broke away from the structure of its predecessor and introduced systems and storytelling that were both ahead of their time and rough around the edges. It’s not the most beloved Final Fantasy, but it’s undeniably one of the most ambitious. Where Final Fantasy I was a straightforward "heroes of light" tale, FFII took a bolder approach. It told the story of four young friends—Firion, Maria, Guy, and Leon—caught in a desperate rebellion against the Palamecian Empire. War, loss, betrayal, and sacrifice are central themes, and the tone is much darker than its predecessor. For the first time in the series, characters had names, relationships, and personal stakes in the world’s conflict. It’s the franchise’s first real attempt at character-driven storytelling, and while the dialogue can feel stilted by modern standards, the emotional beats are genuinely impactful—especially in moments of unexpected death and tragedy. Final Fantasy II is best known (and often criticized) for its unconventional leveling system. Instead of gaining experience points, characters grow stronger by doing. Take damage to increase HP. Cast spells to level them up. Use swords or staves to become more proficient. In theory, it rewards you for playing your way. In practice? It often feels awkward and exploitable. It can lead to tedious grinding or, worse, counterintuitive strategies like attacking your own party to boost their stats. It’s a system that breaks away from the predictable RPG loop, but it lacks refinement and can frustrate players used to traditional progression mechanics. That said, it is fun to shape your characters however you want—there’s flexibility here you didn’t see in most RPGs at the time. The game world is vast and well-connected, with towns, castles, dungeons, and a gradually expanding map that encourages backtracking and discovery. You even get vehicles like a canoe, ship, and airship (a tradition in the series), and the world-building is richer than in FF1. A unique keyword system lets you learn terms from NPCs and use them to unlock secrets or progress the story—an early form of RPG interactivity that feels ahead of its time, if slightly clunky. In its original NES form, FFII was visually limited but serviceable. Modern versions—especially the Pixel Remaster—offer beautiful sprite work, cleaner UI, and updated effects. The environments are more colorful and detailed, and the character art is expressive. The soundtrack, composed by Nobuo Uematsu, is haunting and memorable. Tracks like “The Rebel Army” and “Town” are melodic and emotionally resonant, foreshadowing the sweeping musical direction the series would take in later entries. Final Fantasy II is a game of bold choices. It dared to tell a darker story, abandon experience points, and give its characters depth. Not all of its risks paid off, and its systems can be confusing or tedious without guidance. But its impact on the series is undeniable—it paved the way for the emotional storytelling and mechanical experimentation that would define Final Fantasy in the years to come. It’s not for everyone. But for fans of RPG history, and those willing to wrestle with its quirks, Final Fantasy II is a fascinating, flawed gem worth experiencing at least once. Recommended For: -RPG historians and long-time Final Fantasy fans -Players who enjoy open-ended character progression -Fans of darker, more serious fantasy narratives Rating: 8/10

The early final fantasies are really special and 2 continued that tradition. Easily my favorite part of the series as a whole, and 2 now, is how well crafted these narratives are. The worldbuilding is fantastic and the sense of adventure they instill in you is unparalleled. I'm a sucker for the large number of twists they manage to fit in to this package and how impactful they can be. Getting the player invested in the world and characters when they are mere sprites is tough but each FF does that so well. The contentious part of 2 that many people hate is the gameplay systems, specifically how stats are leveled. I personally didn't mind it; yeah it wasn't as great as your traditional leveling but forcing the player to use weapons/spells/stats to level them up was a cool idea that pretty much works. The worst part of the game was the revolving door of a 4th party member simply because they always arrived with their HP in the gutter and if you know FF2 then you know they need to get hit to raise that value. The problem there lies in them living a hit, or even getting targeted in the first place. As a whole though, the game is a ton of fun, the story/world is fantastic, the soundtrack is amazing and it's a focused 30 hours to complete. Additionally, the pixel remasters have amazing QoL in the form of auto battle, exp boosting, encounter toggles, and more. Really made any problems with 2 pretty much disperse before I could even feel them.

This game is the black sheep of the franchise. More so than 3. Well of the old games anyway... Is worth a shot though. You can also use a save editor for all the PR games and blow through this if you want to.

i really like that i missed one chest and basically have to replay the game for that achievement, might go senile :) edit: i learnt my lesson regarding saving from the previous game, back tracked for that one chest in the tower. thank you past me

A great retro, the only downside is having 233/234 chests from a missable location and having to replay the game all over again just to get every single chest +1 again, other than that its alright I guess, but it actually made me livid because of the achievement shenanigans.

Not even that bad of a game, 'nor is it the worst final fantasy of all time. This final fantasy is hated by many primarily because of the "grind" associated with it, and the story. To level up your stats, attributes, and spells, you have to continously use them. It's just like The Elder Scrolls series before The Elder Scrolls series. The reason people hate how it is implemented in this game is because the "grind" is too long. See, there's a running humourous gag with how you level up your HP. The "best" way to level up your HP is to hit yourself in battles supposedly because your HP raises after you lose enough HP in battle. This is without a doubt, the most ineffective way at raising your HP, and anyone that tells you this is setting you up for failure. See, every single enemy in the game has a rank associated with them, including your characters. The most basic entry level enemies have a rank of 1, while the endgame enemies have a max rank of 6 iirc. Think of it as a flat multiplier. If enemy with rank 1 inflicts 100 damage to your character, their HP "exp bar" would increase by 100, meanwhile if a rank 6 enemy did it, it would be 600. Your characters' rank is 2 by the way. So ironically enough, the best way to raise HP and other stats is to just... progress through the game and fight battles as you normally would in any other Final Fantasy game. As for the magic system, even I have to admit, it's pretty "grindy" compared to leveling your stats. You have to cast them atleast 500+ times to raise them to max level. Is this as bad as people are making it out to be? Yes, and no. A feasible level for most spells would be around atleast 4-6, which take roughly around 40-60 casts depending on your enemies. In no way do you "have" to raise "all" the spells a character has to a level above 8 save for Esuna/Basuna/Cure. Additionally, it'd be wise to spread out the spells your party knows instead of relying on one character to have "every" spell you pick up. This will help you save time. The story for this game is pretty "tragic". It was an ambition Final Fantasy at attempting to deliver characters dying in a war torn world. Topics of war are heavy this time around. This is a predecessor to future Final Fantasys that involve war, and their attempt at being serious. It may seem grounded and basic, but it was ambitious for the time. You'll have party members that disappear from time to time, don't give them good gear. Some reviews rated this system negatively because one party members died with their good gear. For the first character that does it, it makes sense to be upset, but at that point there's no "unique" one of a kind items you could have given them to warrant being upset. You DO lose the accumulated XP spent raising them however. For the 2nd character that dies, at this point you should expect that every time a person joins the party they're going to die. Subsequent deaths that involve them disappearing with your great gear are no-one's fault but your own, especially with the game pushing the memo that "even heroes parish in a war torn world". Isn't it common sense in RPGs to "not" give great best in stock one of a kind gear to "guest" characters? As for the missable items, the main one people are missing out is a chest on the ship of the villian faction you enter sometime near the middle of the game. Always open the map whenever you enter a new area and claim every chest that you can, and learn every Key Word you can. Make extra save files in case too. You have 20 plus autosave. Use them.