Final Fantasy III (2006)

This FF entry offers a charming and nostalgic RPG experience with updated 3D visuals, originally developed for the original NES. The turn-based combat and classic job system are highlights, allowing for strategic flexibility as your party evolves. While the story is fairly simple and the difficulty can spike without grinding, the game captures the spirit of early JRPGs. The PC version runs smoothly, with improved resolution and controller support, but the dated animations and repetitive music may not appeal to everyone. Though this is something only a person that is not a JRPG fan would say, so stay away from this one if you are not

This was the very first FF title that I played, which is from the "classic" era of the NES, and I knew I was in for a good time, loved the job system, it gives you a very good sense of progression, and makes you want to experience with different parties. And while I wish Square continued using this mechanic, I'm also glad they decided to create more unique entries afterwards, and decided to abandon this formula. I guess I'm a sucker for JRPGs which tries to incorporate TTRPG mechanics such as very well defined party roles, jobs and a progress system similar to the classic FF crystal ones.

Another aspect that stood out to me was how very old-school the game feels, even with its 3D facelift. Dungeon design can be punishing, with long stretches between save points and bosses that demand you fully understand your current job setup rather than brute-force your way through. This can be frustrating at times, especially for modern players used to more forgiving checkpoints, but it also reinforces a sense of tension and accomplishment that feels rare today. When a carefully planned party composition finally clicks and carries you through a tough encounter, the satisfaction is immense.

That said, the 3D remake does come with some quirks that are worth mentioning. The chibi art style may be divisive, and the pacing occasionally suffers due to mandatory grinding or sudden difficulty spikes that feel less balanced than later entries in the series. Still, these flaws are part of the package, and for fans of classic JRPG design, they’re easier to forgive. Overall, this remake serves as both a nostalgic trip and a fascinating snapshot of where the franchise came from, one that rewards patience, planning, and a genuine love for traditional role-playing systems.

Played the DS copy as a kid and the steam port of that same version as an adult.

FF3 is far from perfect but it has a lot going for it as well. The job system that allows you to switch each character's class allows for a ton of customization in your party and although extremely simple, there is a lot to like about the high fantasy story as well. Personally my favorite is the suggestion that although you are warriors of light trying to stop darkness from over taking everything, there used to heroes of dark who had to stop the light from taking over long ago in the past because it isn't just darkness = evil, but rather that a balance must be maintained.

The game's biggest issue imo is that you really have to grind to stay on top of everything most of the game which isn't uncommon for JRPGs of the time but personally I love it, even if nostalgia has a lot to do with that.

4 / 5 Stars

This has got to be one of the best NES games I've ever played. Granted, I was on PC. However, I listened just to the midi music and it was mindblowing what they were able to do back then. It introduced the job system, made good use of them in situations. There's even a fucking convertable airship! Did FFVII have all of this? No!

This is the best in the trilogy and most impressive from a technical standpoint. No one changes my mind on this.

I was enjoying this game more than the two previous entries. The plot was simple but engaging enough (much better than FF1), the leveling up system was GREAT (unlike FF2), it had some fun bits, excellent soundtrack, larger map with more stuff to do and tons of new jobs. That was until I learned the motivation behind the main villain's actions. How could they spoil such a perfectly good game with something this stupid is beyond me.

There's still a lot of room for improvement (plot, difficulty imbalance and character development, for example), but I hope to see FF3's upgrades in the next installments.

Whew. The finale to this game is a monster. I'm glad I spent hours grinding beforehand because otherwise I'm not so sure I would have made it through on my first try, and that runback is insane (~2 hours!). But the difficulty spike also just felt right for this game and the gauntlet of bosses at the end really makes it stand out, at least compared to FF I and II. I still think the Crystal Tower and World of Darkness have nothing on the pain that was the boss rush at the end of XV: Royal Edition, but I'm sure I was super underleveled when I did that.

There's not much else to say. This is as "pure" a JRPG experience as you can find anywhere. It was the introduction of the traditional job system (for the series anyway, not sure about in JRPGs at large), and features a very very bland story nearly copypasted from the first game about getting to the 4 crystals and then beating the big bad dude. It was a bit hard to motivate myself to push through the midgame because there was nothing new here for me. This especially after having finished Bravely Default last year, which has a significantly more modernized take on the job system and a much much better version of the "4 crystals" storyline.

Still, I can see the appeal, especially taking its age into account. I was very tempted to give four stars because I love the brutality of the endgame, but I can't overlook how bland so much of the world and story is here compared to more modern stuff.

It's the best of the original trilogy, but age has not been kind to it.

PS: Being locked out of a bunch of extra content because of a pointless multiplayer system hurt. ;(

Decided to actually follow-through with playing the mainline FFs in order and now I'm on III. It looks like I can either download the pixel remaster on my phone (which I did for I and II) or play the version I have for the DS.

Anyone have strong opinions on if it matters?

EDIT: Seems like the PR is by far the favorite, but is it a $17.99 favorite????

Nothing like a nice hot bath (this area is currently bugged in the Pixel Remaster of FF3. Lava does no damage, so enjoy nature's exfoliation while you can).

Edit: Oh, maybe it's not a bug. This falling lava damages you @ 1 hp per tile. In the DS version at least, all lava tiles damage you.

Another quality of life improvement from the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters that I didn't notice til now. You can go to your map and see how many treasures/items are in each area and it will tell you how many you've found. These games are beginning to feel like the definitive versions the more I play them. Yeah, I know we've had remakes with cleaner graphics and extra content, but these feel more true-to-the-originals with more streamlined system mechanics for the modern gamer. I'm having tons of fun.

I should probably go back and find that last item. ^-^;

First impressions from the Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster. The music is fantastic, the sprites are so cute, and you can actually move diagonally on the world map and in dungeons/towns and there's a dash feature! Also, the flow of battle is much more expedient. There less time between actions and hits don't take more time the stronger they get, speeding up the battles even more. The particle effects from skills and spells are also quite nice. Oh, there's a minimap in dungeons, too!

Something else worth noting is that the 3D remaster limited the number of monsters on-screen to three because of the technical limitations of the DS, so now you can fight large groups of monsters like you did in the original.

Final Fantasy 3 made a much-needed improvement in gameplay design from the previous two. It added complexity when compared to the first game and took away some of the poorly designed mechanics from the second. I still don't care for the style of gaming, but if you are interested in old-school turn-based combat, then it is possible it could interest you. In terms of the story, unfortunately, there is barely anything there, and anything that is there is presented in the most simplistic and unimaginative way possible. I may be biased in that I don't like this type of game, but in my opinion there is never an excuse for ignoring the story.

My suggestion is that if you want to play one of the early three Final Fantasy games, you choose one of them based on the following criteria:

Final Fantasy 1 - if you really want to see the origin of the genre and the series and do not desire great gameplay or story experience.

Final Fantasy 2 - if you prefer an early RPG that has a decent story (still not good, but much better than the other two)

Final Fantasy 3 - if you want a somewhat bearable gameplay design but don't care much about the story.

Overall: 2.00/5.00

Full Review: https://watchreadgame.com/final-fantasy-3-review/

Disclaimer: This is a retro-RPG. That means less saves, less graphics, and harder difficulty. If you are a fan of the series, and specifically if you like FF1 or FF5, this is a great game. You get to pick your class after an introductory section (much like the aforementioned games) and name your team. The music is good and the story is ok its very generic though but i like that the ending shows what happen to the world and the characters after u beat the game.

Downsides? The graphics, although upgraded from the DS, are still pixelated at times and the art style can seem childish at times but i like it though. As this is a retro-RPG for retro-RPGers if that is a word, that doesn't dissuade me from having a great time.

When I was in middle school, I drooled over my copy of Nintendo Power, lusting over a copy of that upcoming "Final Fantasy" game. I mailed in my entries to win the fancy Final Fantasy crystal ball (but didn't win). Over the years, I played through it at least a half dozen times. I loved that game.

Final Fantasy 3 is a whole lot like that original Final Fantasy, with the addition of a bazillion job classes. Which basically means that you can change jobs on the fly, rather than being locked into the same job for the entire game like you were in the original Final Fantasy. The DS version does a really great job of 3D-ifying the original 8-bit classic while staying true to the source material. The music is solid.

I've seen FF3 described as the hardest Final Fantasy. This may be true (especially regarding the final 6 boss fights that you need to complete without any chance to save the game), but anything hard in these games can be overcome if you level your characters high enough and figure out the strengths & weaknesses of all the job classes.

This is just some classic JRPG goodness. And I like it.

Unfortunately, Final Fantasy 3 is probably the most overlooked in the main series, but it's not really excellent enough to be a hidden gem. It's more of a hidden "another version of the original Final Fantasy". While FF2 had a plot, story, and actual characters, FF3 reverts back to the generic nameless classes like in FF1 and the "grab the crystals" crappy plot. Not to mention, the game is unforgivably difficult, even more so than FF2, and probably the hardest in the entire series. I played the DS version which is apparently less difficult than the NES original, and I was still struggling. The final boss is ridiculous and will have you tearing your hair out.

The best part of this game is the music, honestly, and it did bring us the job system which FF5 did miles better. I would recommend this game only to hardcore FF fans, or people who like stupidly hard games, or people who just want to say "I beat Final Fantasy 3 - the one without Kefka".