Final Fantasy V was released in the States as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology, complete with Ted Woolsey’s script that was done before the SNES Square translation was scrapped. So, at least now you have a choice in ways to play. I’d recommend the SNES game for two reasons: the translation’s better (I hear.. I’ve played less than half an hour of the PS1 port), and the PS1 load times suck a big one. Remember that rumor before FFA was released that Woolsey changed Gilgamesh to Gargamel? Man, no one has any respect for that guy.

Anyways, FFV is pretty straightforward Final Fantasy, except for the Job System that the characters use. You have a large selection of jobs, and there’s no penalty in switching from one job to another (unlike FFIII). Battles earn you points that go towards levelling up these jobs, which give you extra abilities. Pretty straightforward, right? Well… well, it is. I haven’t played far enough into the game to give it a fair review, but as far as all the stuff most Square whores care about, the graphics are a small step up from FFIV, and the soundtrack is great. And it’s pretty fun to play too, since the Job System gives you a lot of flexibility in building your characters, as well as multiple ways to finish those troublesome bosses. It can also be severely abused, which has resulted in multiple FAQs on the issue.

One thing I can’t get over, though, is the nodding. It seems like these characters have three different animations: laughing, raising their hand, and nodding. They nod all the goddamn time. It’s fucking maddening.