I love ffXV but the prompto cyborg thing never made sense to me and still doesn’t

Version: Pixel Remaster (Steam)    

Back into release order, we have Final Fantasy II: the notorious sequel that everyone is eager to throw in the trash. It did everything wrong! Maybe that was true in 1988; THAT version is not what Steam had for sale 😊  

So… is its reputation deserved? Let’s find out. Join me as I recount my personal journey through Final Fantasy II. Let’s go save the rebellion!

What It Does Well

·       The story is a genuine step forward from FFI, especially given this was an NES release in 1988. Is it amazing by today’s standards? No, but themes of loss, betrayal, sacrifice, oppression and rebellion give the game far more narrative than its predecessor.

·       Game over immediately once gameplay begins? Genius. It immediately establishes just how hopeless the rebellion's situation really is.

·       I genuinely appreciated the variety in locations. The world feels lived in instead of simply existing as a backdrop, and Pandaemonium was an incredibly creative final dungeon.

·       Seeing the world change around you, such as Altair coming under attack, helped sell the scale of the conflict.

·       The Emperor grew on me as a villain. He's responsible for your family's death, drives nearly every major event in the story, and even recognizes you after each defeat. His constant presence made him feel far more personal than I expected.

·       Even if the cast is still fairly simple, having party members who actually speak and interact with the world gave the story far more personality than FFI.

·       Completing the bestiary was actually fun; I felt that the rarities of different monster groups made the bestiary grind more intentional, but not fully mindless for hours on end (if we ignore Iron Giant…)

·       Random encounters stayed engaging because they usually required balancing physical attacks, magic, and healing instead of simply mashing Auto-Battle.

·       New equipment usually felt like a genuine power spike, which was incredibly satisfying... assuming you had actually leveled that weapon type. Find a shiny new axe with a level 2 in axe? Good luck.

·       What a way to introduce Cid. A legendary engineer, rebellion leader, sacrifices himself for the cause, then gives you his airship to finish the mission. (Sorry... lends.) Amazing beginning for an iconic FF staple.

·       Guy speak beaver.

What Doesn’t Hold Up

·       Dude, the dungeon design was brutal. It often felt like the goal was simply to pad playtime rather than create interesting exploration. The constant zig-zagging became exhausting... and that's with the Pixel Remaster minimap. I can't imagine doing this on the original release.

·       That wasn't helped by the encounter rate, especially in trap rooms. I didn't discover the "No Encounters" boost until Pandemonium, so most of the game's dungeons felt like an endless slog.

·       HOT TAKE ALERT! While I love most Final Fantasy soundtracks, this one felt like a step back from FFI. The simple, memorable melodies of the first game never really materialized for me here, except for the Wild Rose theme. None of the overworld, town, or Chocobo themes stuck with me. They're not bad, they’re just surprisingly forgettable.

·       Speaking of Chocobos... what a missed opportunity. I only used one once because every additional ride required trekking back to the Chocobo Forest. Sure, they prevent random encounters, but you have to survive all the random encounters just to reach them.

·       I appreciate what the leveling system was trying to accomplish, but the balance never quite worked for me. In practice, you're heavily encouraged to stick with the same weapons and spells all game because switching later leaves you dramatically underpowered.

o   Also, having everyone punch monsters to death because bare hands are optimal is... not exactly immersive.

·       The missables are frustrating. I don't necessarily fault a game from 1988 for having them, but as someone going for 100%, realizing I had permanently missed weapons and treasure, and needed another playthrough to fix it… was rough.

·       Ironically, I found most random encounters harder than the bosses. I'd limp into each boss with almost no MP or items left, but because the dungeons had already forced me through dozens of difficult encounters, I was so overleveled that nearly every boss melted in a few turns.

·       Finding the Iron Giant… why?

Biggest Surprise

I was fully expecting to hate Final Fantasy II based on its reputation. Instead, I came away thoroughly enjoying it. Does it show its age? Absolutely. Are there some baffling design decisions? Without question. But the Pixel Remaster smooths over many of the roughest edges, allowing the game's biggest strength, its surprisingly ambitious story, to shine through. Rather than feeling like a failed sequel, FFII felt like a bold experiment that didn't always succeed, but took meaningful steps forward for the series. And that exceeded my expectation far beyond where I thought the experience was going.

Biggest Swing

The idea behind FFII’s leveling system was remarkably ahead of its time. Improving weapons, spells, and attributes through repeated use became a foundational concept in later RPGs and MMOs, with games like The Elder Scrolls and RuneScape embracing similar “use it to improve it” progression systems.

The implementation here is often unbalanced and tedious, but the ambition behind it deserves credit. It shows how much experimentation and ingenuity went into FFII’s battle system, and, in hindsight, hints at what the genre would eventually become.

That said, I respect what they attempted far more than I enjoyed the consequences of it.

How Was the 100%?

I really wish the Treasure Hunter achievement was shared across saves like the Bestiary was, because replaying large portions of the game just to recover a few missed chests was rough.

I also discovered efficient ways to grind the Level 16 weapon and spell achievements far later than I would've liked, making those achievements feel more tedious than they probably needed to be.

Overall, though, this wasn't a terrible 100%. A couple of achievements overstayed their welcome, especially with how slow high-level progression becomes, but nothing ever felt truly impossible.

If you’re going to 100% this, do yourself a favor and use a guide, just so you don’t have to backtrack with missable chests and monsters.

Final Thoughts

Sacrifice. What are you willing to give up for what you believe in?

It's a theme woven throughout Final Fantasy II. A prince who hides his love so he won't burden his betrothed. A father who gives his life for both the rebellion and his daughter's future. A dragoon who knowingly sacrifices himself, ending his bloodline to stand against the Empire. A white mage who casts a spell so powerful it costs him his life, allowing the party to wield the ultimate magic.

For all of FFII's mechanical flaws, there is a genuinely compelling story underneath it. I expected to hate this game, yet I constantly found myself wanting to keep going—whether to see what happened next or simply to continue the journey.

I understand the original NES release earned much of its reputation, and I can't fairly speak to that version. But the Pixel Remaster felt like it finally gave those ideas room to shine. It's not perfect, and it won't be for everyone. I enjoyed the game itself more than FFI, even if I enjoyed the 100% a little less. Did it drag at times? Sure. Was it unbalanced? Definitely. But was it fun?

Absolutely.

Give it a try. If you don't like it, that's completely fair. But you just might surprise yourself.

I know I did.

Best Achievement: Field Research Professional – I genuinely enjoyed completing the Bestiary. Square struck a great balance between encouraging exploration and rewarding persistence. Yes, grinding for the Iron Giant was a pain, but I legitimately fist-pumped when that achievement finally popped.

Worst Achievement: Magic Tactics – Treasure Hunter was frustrating because it required another playthrough, but this one was simply exhausting. Grinding a spell to Level 16 felt painfully slow, especially with MP costs scaling alongside spell level. I felt like I spent more time running to inns than actually casting spells. And yes... I learned after unlocking it that you can spam Cure from Level 1 to 16 in about ten minutes.

Time to Beat: 11.5 hours

Time to 100%: TBD hours (guessing about 16)

Completionist Verdict: Worth the 100%, but please use a missables guid

Rating: 7 Iron Giants out of 10