Final Fantasy has come an awful long way in 21 years. That, more than anything else, was the most prevalent thought when we played this anniversary edition of the first title. Taking its cue from the WonderSwan remake of some time ago, Final Fantasy is a somewhat mundane experience, though the pace of it still makes for an enjoyable RPG.

The structure of the game world is surprisingly impressive. Unlike subsequent Final Fantasy games, which rarely strayed from their set path, the original Final Fantasy forced exploration on the gamer. There’s a lot of trial and error in its gameplay, and mapping the environment must become second nature, or otherwise it’s impossible to progress.

Watching all the pieces of a scenario come together is wonderfully satisfying, because it seemed, just a few hours before, that you’d be lost in the game forever. Therefore, this RPG still has some merit. Final Fantasy reminds you of the fact that these days, most major publishers underestimate the gamer, and pander to them with overly discernable objectives.

Sadly, Final Fantasy is hampered by the constant annoyance of its ancient, time-consuming random battles. This is an aspect that the series has sensibly moved away from, in recent years, so experiencing them once more is a wee bit saddening. Also, the quality of the remake is a little questionable, as a much better (and 3D) job has been done with III and IV on the DS. Still, for a nostalgia trip, Final Fantasy is a little dull, but it remains rather charming for the most devoted fans.

Samuel Roberts