Final Fantasy VI has always been one of my favorite games of all time. I hadn’t played FInal Fantasy VI in many years so when I bought the remastered collection I was curious if in 2023 it was still the masterpiece I remembered or did I have nostalgia goggles on. Let me tell you even though I had the game ranked 9th on my all time favorite games list, I was surprised of how I would feel in this playthrough.

The three things I remembered loving specifically was the characters, the story, and the music so I will start there.

Obviously in this story section there will be some 30 year old spoilers, but regardless huge SPOILER WARNING from here on out.

When I was younger I understood that the story was riddled with sadness and tragedy but I don’t think I fully grasped the true meaning and impact throughout the game. To me it was a game that while I understood some of the tragedies and sadness I just thought of it as heroes doing what they had to do to stop an evil in a war. But really it is much more of the characters inner battles with the tragedies in their own life. It’s after being completely broken to find the courage to put themselves back together, find hope, trust in friends, lean on and be there for those friend, and fight for themselves and others so that they could put the world itself back together and help people find hope. The game is simply about loss and pushing through life after loss.

I’m going to dive into the story much more than I normally would so I can explain the characters and what makes the story so special to me.

We spend the first half of the game as a groups of oppressed people from all over the world fighting against the evil Empire led by Emperor Ghastal and his two right hand men General Leo and Kefka. In a world where there is no magic the empire has learned not only to use it but can also infuse it through machines. Later on in the game we find out there is a mysterious race known as the Espers that sealed themselves off from the human world. Espers are where magic comes from in this universe. The Empire had been draining the life out of some Espers they managed to capture before the Espers sealed themselves away from humans and in turn used them to infuse their leaders and magitech armor with magic. Our group befriends some of the Espers and hope with their help they can stop the Empire. The empire sets up a way to trick the Espers, kill many of them, and steal their power. Kefka uses this power and the power of the gods to turn on Emperor Ghastal to take the world for himself. While Ghastal wanted to rule the world Kefka just wanted to destroy everything. Kefka did what no other villain I can think of does. He achieves every goal he sets out to do, including destroying the world as you know it while killing most of the population and leaving the survivors helpless. Now the heroes are scattered throughout this new wasteland of a world.

That is a very loose version of the first half of the story but it hits enough of the points I need to explain what makes this game special.

Every character goes through tremendous growth and the game uses this helplessness to achieve its goal of showing the power of hope, love, and picking yourself up and pushing on.

Terra is the only half esper half human in this world. When the Empire originally found the Espers before the seal was set Emperor Ghastal killed Terra’s human mother and captured her Esper father. He stole Terra at the age of two to train her to be a weapon for the empire. Being that she was half Esper, Terra was the only human that could use magic naturally and with this power Ghastal knew he had a weapon that no one could stand up against. Terra was being controlled by a device that made her basically dead to the world and to only take orders from the Empire until she was rescued in Narshe when the game begins when she is 18 years old. Throughout the game, before even knowing she is half Esper, Terra struggles to relate or fit in anywhere as she has basically been a mindless drone for 18 years. When she finds out about her being half Esper she feels even more alone. She stuggles to feel human or Esper and wonders if she is even capable of being or feeling loved. After Kefka ended the world she finds herself in a village where all the adults are dead. There are only a handful of young children and two teen lovers that are pregnant. She becomes their protector and eventually they even call her mama. She finds love for the first time in her life but loses the will to fight because she wants to be there for her newly found kids. She eventually realizes that she is capable of not only being loved but also loving. She realizes she had that with her friends she’s met along the way as well as with these kids and even though she lost the will to fight she must so they and her can all have a future in this world.

Locke is a man whose parents died when he was a young age and had to resort to becoming a thief. He later met Rachel and they began a relationship against Rachel’s father wishes due to Locke being a thief. Locke took Rachel to a cave and promised to protect her as they looked for a treasure. While on an old bridge that Locke was standing on gave out Rachel jumped onto it to push Locke off resulting in her falling and going into a coma. Locke brought her back to town where she awoke but had no memory and was uneasy of him. Rachel’s father told him to leave town. Not too long after she began to regain her memory but unfortunately the town she was in was attacked by the empire. Rachel died and her last word were Locke I love you. Locke couldn’t forgive himself for saying he promised to protect her only for her to go into a coma and then not being there to save her when the Empire attacked. Locke tells Terra and Celes (we will get to her soon) that he will protect them many times throughout the game in an attempt to right what he feels like was a wrong with Rachel. He finds away through the Esper Phoenix to bring Rachel back but only for a moment. She tells him to forgive himself and forge ahead.

Edgar and Sabin Figaro were the princes of Figaro. When they were young their father was poisoned by the empire leaving one of them to become king. Neither were ready and they were grieving their father. Sabin asked Edgar if he wanted to just run away from the kingdom together and be free. Edgar told him that someone needed to protect the people his father died to protect and told him they would flip a coin. If it landed on heads Edgar would stay and tails Sabin would stay and the other could have their freedom. Edgar wanted his younger brother to be free from the burden and used a double sided coin to ensure that Sabin would have that freedom. Edgar was forced into the roll of a king and had to forge and alliance with the same empire that killed his father to protect the people of Figaro. Sabin’s freedom came at the cost of feeling like he let his brother down and ran from his problems even though it’s later revealed he was training to become stronger so he could come back and protect his brother from any threats. Not only did they lose their father but in a way they lost each other.

Gau’s mother passed away while giving birth to him causing his father to go insane. He blamed Gau for his wife’s passing. He believe Gau was a demon that killed his wife and was no better than the monsters that have been plague on this world. He decided to not only abandoned Gau at an early age but he threw him into the Veldt. This is a place where only monsters roam. Gau found a way to survive but with no interaction from humans he became a “Tarzan” type of human.

Cyan was the strongest warrior in all of Doma but when the river around Doma Castle was poisoned by Kefka he was unable to use his power to save his people, his king, his wife, or his young son. He’s powerless as he watches their souls leave on a phantom train. He blames himself and doesn’t grieve properly leading to a demon that feed on sadness actually feeding on his soul.

Shadow has a criminal past of stealing and assassinations with his best friend Barim. He is willing to be an assassin under any assignment if the price is right. One time Barim was injured so badly he couldn’t move. Shadow tries to move him but with the Empire after them Barim tells Shadow to leave without him but to mercy kill him so that he isn’t tortured or enslaved. Shadow can’t bring himself to kill his own friend says sorry and runs off. Trying to start a new life he falls in love and settles down in Thamasa a small quiet town far away from every other city. In fear of his enemies catching up to him and harming his family he feels forced to leave his wife and baby daughter Relm behind. He believes the only way for him to live is by being alone. He even says at one point “There are people in this world that have have chosen to kill off their emotions.” Years later during the events of the game every time Shadow is around Relm they show Shadow physical uncomfortable or unable to look directly at her. He loves his daughter but won’t put her in harms way. He constantly has nightmares about Barim and leaving his family behind.

Celes was a general in the empire’s army that was infused with magic from an Esper. When Locke finds her she is being beaten by Imperial troops that says she was a traitor (we never find out what she did) and her execution date is set for the following day. Locke without hesitation saves her and tells her he will protect her. Celes is confused by this as she has always just been used by people for her magic and prowess on the battlefield. She has never been cared for or treated in this manner. She and Locke fall for each other throughout the game. But at first Celes has a hard time believing anyone could love her. Especially after being a general in the army and all of the bad things she had been a part of. The opera scene is one of the best moments in the game as her lines are for the opera but they are exactly how Celes feels about her new found feelings for Locke. “I'm the darkness, you're the stars. Our love is brighter than the sun.
For eternity, for me there can be, Only you, my chosen one.” She is the darkness and Locke is the light.

Now that we have some background on the main core of the cast, you can see they have clearly been through a lot. Now add on the fact that they went from being so close to winning a war against the empire only for Kefka to destroy the world. The villain has won and our heroes failed.

After Kefka destruction we come back to a completely ravanged planet with little population, little plant life, little hope, and a lot tougher monsters roaming. We take the role of Celes who wakes up out of a coma after one year due to her injuries. She wakes to the news that the world was in fact destroyed, she is on an island, and only her and Cid (a “granddad to Celes from her time with the Empire) are left on this island. She learns that CID is sick. There is a path you can take where Cid lives or a path where he dies based on your decision making. While the plot moves on if you save him and that is the happier route the death route really fits the tone of the game and gives you one of the best scenes in the game. If he dies Celes will give up and run to the highest cliff on the island and attempt to commit suicide. As tears fly from her face as she is falling off the cliff you can’t help but 1.) Obviously be depressed but more importantly 2.) will immediately make of you think of the opera scene. Here is the rest of the lyrics from the opera scene that Celes sings. Oh my hero, so far away now. “Will I ever see your smile? Love goes away, like night into day. It's just a fading dream. I'm the darkness, you're the stars. Our love is brighter than the sun. For eternity, for me there can be, Only you, my chosen one... Must I forget you? Our solemn promise? Will autumn take the place of spring? What shall I do? I'm lost without you. Speak to me once more! We must part now, my life goes on. But my heart won't give you up. Ere I walk away, let me hear you say, I meant as much to you... So gently, you touched my heart. I will be forever yours. Come what may, I won't age a day, I'll wait for you, always...” Again clearly this is about her and Locke. In the opera when she says the last line she throws flowers off the top of the castle. The castle at the stage at the opera is in the same focus as the cliff is during her suicide attempt and he body falls in the same way as the flowers that were thrown off the edge. Luckily Celes attempt fails and she is washed back up onto the beach. When she washes up there is a bird who had been injured. Its wing is tied up with Locke’s signature bandana. Celes immediately picks herself up, finds a way to carry on and find Locke and her friends. She boards a raft and sets out with hope that some of them are still out there.

Of course eventually the crew is back together.
Terra finds love and the courage to fight again with the hope that one day her adopted children will live in a safe world. Locke finally comes to grips with the loss of Rachel and forgives himself for his mistakes. He continues his promise to keep his promise to protect his friends and follow his heart and love again with Celes. Celes finds she isn’t just a war machine and lets herself fall in love with Locke. Edgar and Sabin reunite as brothers that would die for each other. Gau meets his father who still believe he is a demon. Gau has the most mature response saying he’s just glad his father is alive. Gau is ok because he now has a big family of friends. Cyan has the demon removed from him with the help of his friends and lets go of the grief and guiltiness of his families death. He decides to live life to his fullest while carrying his family inside of him. Shadow for the first time in his life is doing the right thing because it was the right thing without being paid.

But to counter all this hope and love there is arguably the best written character not just in the game but in all of Final Fantasy, Kefka. We don’t know much about Kefka before the events of the game. We aren’t sure if he’s always been a nihilistic psychopath or if he was normal at some point. What we do know is he was the first person to ever be endured with Esper Magic. It’s possible with him being the first test subject that could play a role in his behavior but that is speculation. What we do know is he is a maniac and a true problem that is clearly a big threat from the very beginning. Even though he was only Ghestals right hand man it always seemed like he was going to be the one to watch. The game does a great job of making you see his atrocities and making you fight him several times to keep him fresh in you mind. Thought the game we see Kefka burn a city to the ground, cowardly poisoning Doma, killing Espers just to gain power, manipulating everyone allies and enemies, killing his two biggest allies, and literally destroying the world. Like I said earlier he literally achieves everything he set out to do. By the time you fight him you want to help the heroes kill him.

When you fight him at the end he truly thinks he is right. He asks why the heroes continue to fight in a world with no hope. The heroes all give their own answers and say humans will always love, survive and rebuild. Kefka can’t understand this thinking. He knows every building eventually falls apart, every one eventually dies and wonders why humans hang on to stuff they know won’t last. Kefka being the nihilist he is has grown tired of the world he created as there is nothing left to destroy. Side note Kefka also has some of the best creepy quotes of all time.

Once the heroes inevitability beat Kefka they have to escape as Kefkas tower falls apart. This is where the credit begin and we see the gang working together to get out. Before we get to the happy stuff there is one realistic sad part to the ending. Shadow splits off from the group believing he has done to much bad in this world and feeling by stopping Kefka he may have atoned for his sins he decides the world doesn’t need someone like him in it and allows the tower to come down with him in it. As a kid I hated that he stayed behind. It’s an emotional depressing moment but as an adult it felt all too real. As for the rest of the group they get away on their air ship and see people rebuilding buildings, planting flowers and trees, and living their lives with a new found hope.

To me this is arguably the greatest story in all of video games. For a game from 1994 to have teen pregnancy, assassinations, a woman getting beat, the world ending, a nihilistic maniac, with a story of loss and hope was beyond ambitious. I loved it as a kid but appreciate it much more as an adult who has experienced much more sadness than younger me.

Every.track.is.AMAZING! Each character has their own track as well as a melancholy version of the same track. All locations have their own track. It has one of my top 5 OSTs of all time with my favorite song being Kefkas Final Boss track Dancing Mad. I also love that in the credits they did something subtle but awesome. They play a different arrangement of each characters songs. They do Relm and her song blends in almost as an opening for her father Shadows song. Celes and Locke’s songs harmonize with each other. It’s just another great touch to this game.

The pixel art is about as good as you are going to get for a SNES game. I love that they matched some relationships with color pallets like Edgar and Sabin matching as well as Relm and her adopted grandfather Strago both donning red.

The gamplay is, well, what you would expect from an old school Final Fantasy game. I do like the streamlined the battles. Cyans Bushido is no longer a waiting game to get the attack you want you just pick it and it goes. Sabins Blitz shows you the input so you didn’t have to memorize every blitz.

There are a few minor flaws in this game. One is that while each character has their own unique class that is valuable in the early game by end game everyone is pretty much just using the best magic spells making class irrelevant. My only other problem is while the core characters get fleshed out so well there are handful of optional characters that we know almost nothing about.

If you are a fan of JRPGs at all this is a must play although I’m sure most JRPGs fans already have. All in all with my new understanding of the story as well as the streamlined battles this game is an absolute master class of the medium and has moved from 9th on my all time list to somewhere near the very top. I’ll need a day or two to really think hard on where it need to be. I know I’m not the best writer in the world I’m just a person that loves video games and if you read this far thank you.