125. Unfreezing The World (III)
'Promise me you will banish darkness and restore peace to the world...'
Final Fantasy III wasn't actually released properly in English-speaking countries until 2006, when a version was released for the Nintendo DS. Not just a mere port, the release featured graphics vastly superior to the Japanese NES original, as well as four main characters (Luneth, Arc, Refia and Ingus) with actual personalities and storylines (as opposed to the original's generic 'warriors of light'). The game begins with the four discovering a Crystal and being instructed to restore balance to the world. The objective is a vague and initially confusing one, but becomes clearer as time goes on, when it is revealed that the game's 'world' is merely a small landmass that floats above the rest of the planet, where time has been frozen and all but a few locations have been flooded by the actions of Xande, the game's antagonist. Travelling this barren landscape, the game's heroes discover that they can make things return to normal and ally themselves with a priestess named Aria (the first character in the series to ever get a personalised musical theme) in an attempt to do so. Unfortunately, she does not remain with the party for a long period, pushing Luneth out of the way of a blast of magic when the group seek to purify another Crystal. The game's leading man and his companions defeat the monster responsible, but nothing can be done to stop the priestess' passing. Her death is not in vain, however, as the monster's defeat enables the world to return to an unfrozen and unflooded state for players to explore at their will.
124. Espers Destroy Vector (VI)
'The Espers came to save their friends... When they learned that none of them were alive, they ravaged the entire city... I'll never forget their shrieks of rage...'
Final Fantasy VI is the greatest game ever made. That's just my opinion, of course, but I'm putting it out there early on. The Gestahlian Empire has conquered much of the game's world by the time the game begins (prompting their involvement in the town of Narshe in the game's prologue). This is almost wholly attributable to their use of Magitek magical energy that they are able to infuse into humans or machines to grant them incredible levels of power. This energy is drained from Espers beings from another dimension with natural magical abilities who are still useful when dead and completely exhausted of power, as their essence lives on in the form of a magical stone (referred to as Magicite). It's a harsh fate for such divine figures; making their attack on Vector, the Empire's capital, somewhat justified when an event opens the gate to their realm and leaves them free to decimate the city. The game's graphics have never been that impressive (given that even recent remakes still use the SNES sprites), but the scene remains a powerful one that serves to show that the Empire, despite the immense strength it displays throughout the early parts of the game, is not invincible.
123. Defeating A Superboss (Various)
The ultimate objective of each Final Fantasy game is, in principle at least, to defeat the game's final boss once and for all, saving the world from whatever dastardly scheme they concoct to either control or destroy it. Beginning in Final Fantasy V, however, additional 'superbosses' have been added to every entry in the series (including remakes of Final Fantasies I through IV) to give players an extra challenge. Each is vastly superior in formidability to their endgame counterparts, forcing players to continue developing their characters further before they can seek out these foes and attempt to vanquish them. Attempting to overcome such enemies, who have ranged from Shinryu and Omega to Ozma and Penance, is an unenviable task. Those that emerge victorious well and truly deserve to give themselves a pat on the back, complicit in the knowledge that they have succeeded at completing the toughest challenge that each game can offer, bar the likes of optional challenges such as those that stipulate the use of only one character, or never levelling up.
122. The Destruction Of Home (X)
'We're...we're going to blow up our Home'
The Al Bhed are perhaps the most interesting of all the races found in Spira, the world of Final Fantasy X. Considered outcasts, they live on the fringes of society and are frequently persecuted because of their unique language and their use of Machina, technology that is forbidden by Yevon, the world's religious leaders. Shortly after being transported forward in time from his home of Zanarkand by a thousand years at the start of the game, lead character Tidus becomes acquainted with a group of them led by a man named Cid, whose daughter Rikku he befriends before they become separated. Subsequently washing up on an island, he tags along with Blitzball player Wakka on his journey to protect a woman named Yuna, who he discovers to be Cid's niece (making her half Al Bhed) when he eventually encounters Rikku again. Cid transpires to be the leader of his people, who predominantly occupy a settlement on a desert island. This comes under attack by Guado (a different race) intent on kidnapping Yuna after she is brought there. The invaders besiege the city, forcing Cid, the visiting party and a group of surviving Al Bhed to fight and flee from proceedings in an airship. In a heart-wrenching moment, Cid makes the decision to use the ship's missiles to destroy the place he called home and eliminate any remaining combatants, rendering him and his people homeless in a stunning scene. Interestingly, next time you have a playthrough of the game, pay attention to the salvage operation that Rikku involves Tidus in following their first encounter the discovery made is the airship that you'll eventually be making your escape and travelling the world upon.
121. Master Versus Pupil (CC)
'If you want to be a hero, you need to have dreams...and honour'
As far as the assorted spin-offs in the series go, Crisis Core is one of the better ones. Serving as a prequel to Final Fantasy VII, it tells the story of Zack, a member of the Shinra Company's SOLDIER program. In the game, Zack interacts with Cloud and Sephiroth, Final Fantasy VII's hero and villain respectively, on a number of occasions, befriending the former and working alongside the latter. Much of the game, however, revolves around new characters that make for interesting additions to the cast despite the predictability of their fates (given that they don't appear in Final Fantasy VII's narrative). Chief amongst this are Genesis Rhapsados and Angeal Hewley, two SOLDIER operatives who transpire to be the first results of a Shinra experiment called the Jenova Project, an operation that infused its test subjects with the cells of a powerful alien being that once fell from the sky. Though in possession of superhuman abilities as a result, the two are prompted to rebel against their creators when their bodies begin to deteriorate. Prior to this, however, the honourable Angeal serves as Zack's mentor, having championed his ascension through SOLDIER's ranks. Inevitably though, Zack is tasked with the elimination of his rogue role model. Though the fight between master and pupil is a fairly common trope in fiction, Angeal's downfall in this instance becomes somewhat tragic when he transforms into a monstrous being and forces Zack to kill him, dying after bequeathing his trademark Buster Sword to his protégé.