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Final Fantasy VI Introduction
The Plot One year later, the world is in ruin: cities have been leveled, continents have sunk, the seas have dried up, and life is barely worth living. Kefka rules (or at least gleefully harasses) with the Light of Judgement from atop his tower. The party struggles to regroup and dethrone the deranged Kefka. After struggling to understand their place in this world, the party launches a final three-pronged assault on his fortress. Kefka falls, his tower crumbles, and peace returns. It's hard to tell from this brief synopsis (or from the regrettably Nintendo-of-America-safe translation), but Final Fantasy VI was a dramatic change for the series. Issues such as suicide, teenage pregnancy, losing loved ones, and more are all addressed in a mature manner unlike any game before. Neither are the characters simply ciphers to be led from one end of the game to another. Instead, they grow and develop, each overcoming his or her own personal demons. Although limited by the space of a cartridge, Square's cinematic aspirations are clear. The Heroes The offspring of a human and a near-deity, Terra Branford can barely relate to other people. She strives to understand her emotions and reconcile her inner nature. One of the game's more touching moments is late in the game when Terra refuses to join the party, choosing instead to remain caretaker of a village of orphaned children. She finally has found somewhere she belongs. Locke Cole, the world's greatest thief (excuse me, treasure hunter), is tormented by losing his Rachel in an accident years ago. Born and bred in a laboratory, the enigmatic General Celes Chere also has never known emotion or love. The brothers Figaro have a typical fraternal relationship; deep down, you know they love each other, but all others ever see is the surface-squabbling. Sabin is the muscle-bound bruiser, while Edgar is the rebelling and womanizing king. The feral child Gau was abandoned on the Veldt years ago to be raised by wild animals. The chivalrous and proper Cyan Garamonde is a retainer to the King of Doma. He lost his family to Kefka's poisoning and is haunted by their memory. Setzer Gabianni is the world's greatest gambler and sole proprietor of the world's single airship. He's always willing to take a chance on life. Strago Magus is the ancient wizard of Thamasa village. Slightly forgetful at times, he has the uncanny ability to remember enemy attacks. His young granddaughter is painter Relm Arrowny, an artistically precocious girl with wit and talent beyond her years. The reclusive wandering Shadow would "slit his mama's throat for a nickel," as one of the game's townsfolk says. His only friend is his dog Interceptor. Want to flood your enemies with the power of El Niño? Then slam-dancing Mog is your man (or is that moogle?). Kupo! Umaro and Gogo are the taciturn "hidden" characters. The former is a berserker Sasquatch; the latter, a motley-robed mimic of indeterminate gender. The summoned monsters, known as Espers in this game, have slightly more personality than before. And no list of heroes would be complete without the honorable General Leo. The player only controls him long enough to lose a battle to Kefka, but putting the player in the middle of the action drives his death home in a way that merely observing would not. The Villains General Kefka, on the other hand, is a fascinating case study. No matter what the player thinks of him, there's no denying that Kefka is one of the most personality-filled villains in RPG history. Before Kefka, RPG villains had been shrouded in mystery; townspeople would whisper hints of the Evil One's existence, but the Evil One himself would only fly in at the eleventh hour via Deus Ex Machina Airlines. Kefka, instead, is onstage from act one, scene two. His mind is not merely warped, but is seriously bent. He has an arsenal of one-liners most Hollywood villains would kill for. He is like a little boy frying ants with a magnifying glass, gleefully amoral; not only uncaring but also unaware his cruelty has any moral implications. It has been said that the audience will hate a good villain ... but love a great one. Kefka achieves the greatest honor a villain can receive: he is well liked. An honorable mention must go to Ultros, the crazy octopus who chases your party across the two worlds. Before the end of the game, this multitentacled fiend challenges the party no fewer than four times. Yeowch! Seaf |
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