On August 18, 2025, Final Fantasy VI was released in Japan. It wouldn’t be until later that year that western audiences were able to get their hands on a localized version, renamed Final Fantasy III, as it was only the third Final Fantasy released in America at the time. It’s often regarded as one of the best entries in the series, with many people considering it their favorite. Final Fantasy games have been emphasizing storytelling and character building in their previous entries, and part of what made Final Fantasy VI special is how it pushed these themes to the next level.
Due to its popularity, Final Fantasy VI has been re-released on several different platforms. Some of the versions are better than others. For example, the sound on the Game Boy Advance version isn’t that great and the PlayStation version in Final Fantasy Anthology has slower loading times in battle. The2022 Pixel Remasterwas generally well received despite a sizable portion of the fan base being disappointed with the lack of Game Boy Advance bonus post-game content and extra Espers. The re-release that is probably the most controversial, however, is the 2016 PC version on Steam. This version did include all GBA bonus content, but the new art direction was not well received.
Pocket Power: Final Fantasy VI Advance
Art Misdirection
The 2016 Final Fantasy VI was essentially a port of the mobile version. This meant that the UI was changed to accommodate touch screen scrolls, which of course makes sense for a mobile device, but isn’t the most intuitive layout when playing with a controller. Adjusting from the standard menu navigation from all the other versions of Final Fantasy VI to this didn’t make for a smooth transition, never mind the fact that it was less appealing on an aesthetic level. These changes didn’t take long to overcome, but the UI did leave some players feeling like this was simply a lazy mobile port that would have benefited from a few tweaks to optimize it on PC.
The biggest point of contention was the art direction. The visual assets were redrawn to make everything look smoother, and again were optimized for the smaller phones on mobile devices. I can concede that even though the charm of the original pixel art is gone, the environment and enemy graphics stayed true to the original design. My personal preference was for the original pixel art, but the new look is actually good. The same cannot be said for the character sprites. They are recognizable as their respective characters but fit the Final Fantasy VI characters ordered from Wish meme. The new character sprites feel like soulless imitations of their original form. If the characters always looked that way it would be one thing, but having them go from the expressive pixel art of the original to this felt like a major and unnecessary downgrade. The change in character sprites is almost made worse compared to how good the rest of the game looks.
In addition to the visual changes, the PC version introduced auto-battle. This can be toggled with the push of the button and has the characters automatically repeat their last command. Automating battle for most of the time isn’t the preferred way to play, but it does have its uses. If a player finds Sabin’s Blitz attacks difficult, they can input the command properly and have it automatically be executed in subsequent battles. Grinding in the dinosaur forest is another instance where this feature comes in handy, provided the party is powerful enough where autopilot doesn’t result in the brachiosaur wiping them out. Having auto-battle on does take away a lot of the fun in most cases, but for mindlessly grinding, it’s a nice addition.
Still Final Fantasy VI
Complaining about the character sprites in this version of Final Fantasy VI is easy and has been going on since its release. Some people don’t care about the sprites, some may even like them, but there are many who were not pleased with Locke suddenly having a huge potbelly. But passing on this game simply because of the characters would have been an error. As much as disdain as I have for the new character sprites, this is still Final Fantasy VI. It takes more than a visual imperfection to ruin one of the best games ever made. Whenever this particular version of Final Fantasy VI is discussed, my opinion of the new character designs is no secret. But after a few minutes of playing, desensitization to the new character sprites occurs and the game is enjoyed as it should be.
Final Fantasy VI has often been compared to Star Wars and the similarities are difficult to deny. A group of rebels called the Returners are fighting against an evil empire. Magic was once a common force in the world that has faded into obscurity over the centuries but is starting to return. These broad strokes of similarities between Final Fantasy VI and Star Wars are amplified when Celes greets Locke with “aren’t you a little short for soldier” when he finds her imprisoned in South Figaro, and it’s probably no accident that the Atma/Ultima weapon resembles a lightsaber, especially since its strength grows with its user.
Ruined Balance
One of the great things about Final Fantasy VI is halfway through the game, the bad guy wins. If this was a typical RPG of the era, and this moment hadn’t been spoiled for the player by the likes of Nintendo Power, it would be natural to assume that the Floating Continent was where the final showdown with Kefka and Emperor Gestahl would occur. Those who have played Final Fantasy VI know that this is the halfway point and Kefka is too much for the party. He overpowers them, throws the Warring Triad out of alignment and ends the world as they know it. The cutscene that follows implies that countless lives are lost, and the game continues a year later with Celes waking from a coma on an island with one other survivor.
The world getting destroyed in the middle of the game was not only an unprecedented story moment, but it also made Final Fantasy VI unique among Final Fantasy games by effectively creating two very different halves. The first part takes place in the World of Balance and plays like any other Final Fantasy game at the time. The world is full of greenery, the waters are blue, and the mostly-linear plot is heavily driven by the story. Characters join and exit the party as the story dictates, and there’s a unified mission of fighting against the empire. After the world ends, things are different.
The once-green land has been scorched into barren fields, and the oceans look more like magma than the previous tranquil blue. There’s no driving story or direction. Celes is told to seek out her friends, but if the player is up for the challenge, they can ascend Kefka’s Tower after only recruiting Edgar and Setzer. Everyone else is still out there since everyone scattered after that day, but it’s up to the player if they feel like exploring the world and seeking them out. The World of Balance guides the player to the Floating Continent. The World of Ruin is a wasteland with no direction, and optional if players still care about reuniting with their friends after everything that happened. It’s an unusual approach to game design, but doing it this way is part of why Final Fantasy VI is so memorable.
Bonus Content
The original Steam version of Final Fantasy VI may have fumbled in the graphics department, but it does include all the bonus Game Boy Advance content. The additional content includes four additional Espers, which are great for additional ways to boost character stats when levels are gained, but it also gives players a second chance to acquire the Water Rondo dance for Mog. In most versions of Final Fantasy VI Water Rondo is missable. It can only be acquired in the World of Balance in the Serpent Trench, so if the player opts for a Gold Hairpin instead of the moogle, they can kiss that dance goodbye. If the player chose the relic over the moogle, or simply didn’t bother returning to the Serpent Trench, they can take Mog to fight the new Leviathan Esper and learn the dance there.
The more substantial bonus content are the two post-game dungeons, Dragon’s Den and Soul Shrine. In order to access the Dragon’s Den the player needs to defeat all eight legendary dragons. In order to access the Soul Shrine the Dragon’s Den must be cleared and the game must be completed. Both of these dungeons offer the greatest challenges to be found in Final Fantasy VI, but both are different from each other. The Dragon’s Den is like Kefka’s Tower, where the player switches between three different parties. Unlike Kefka’s Tower, all parties begin at the same spot and aren’t limited to any set path. The Soul Shrine has 128 battles against most enemies and bosses, including the new dragons found in the Dragon’s Den. Final Fantasy VI is sometimes criticized for not being a challenging game. These dungeons are an answer to that criticism.
Even with the criticisms about the new graphics, the 2016 incarnation of Final Fantasy VI is still a fantastic game. Aside from the character sprites, the rest of the visual makeover is great as it stays true to the original while appearing more contemporary. The soundtrack and story are still among the best in the franchise. Final Fantasy games did push the envelope about what was acceptable in video games without being controversial. Themes such as eugenics, genocide, suicide and teen pregnancy are all touched on throughout the game, which wasn’t common back in 1994. One of the things that made the story so great is how there was always an element of hope, no matter how terrible things get, which is something that has resonated since the initial playthrough in what now feels like a former life. Unfortunately, this particular version of Final Fantasy VI is no longer available on PC or mobile devices as Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster has replaced it. People who have previously purchased it can still download it from the point of purchase, but sadly no one will be able to buy it new. Final Fantasy VI is one of the all-time greats, and while each version has its own strengths and weaknesses, all versions are great.
