4: Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI is often regarded as one of, if not the best, entries in the series and best RPGs of all time. It certainly has the right to be held in such high esteem. The game successfully makes the leap from a medieval setting to a more industrialized one and explores some of the problems that come along with that setting, namely exploitation and greed.
The story -- and villain -- are top-notch, too. Kefka repeats the, "I want to be a god" theme, but combines it with his own special brand of insanity, allowing him to play the large-scale role of a villain seeking world domination and the smaller-scale, personal villain who commits atrocities for the fun of it.
The game features a large cast of memorable protagonists, and, for the first time in the series, almost erases distinctions between them. That, and the number of characters, is both a blessing and something of a curse. It makes for a unique story and gameplay experience, but the number of characters means it's difficult to explore and develop their stories as much as with a smaller cast, and the lack of unique character distinctions in battle takes a bit of the strategizing out of the experience.
Published Aug. 27th 2017
