With old school rpgs, I’m pretty obsessive about getting a product very close to the original experience where everything works the way it should have originally. This version is leaps and bounds above other fan mods and the numerous official releases in this regard.

Only with FF Restored can we experience the original iconic look of the game, superior difficulty, and have a fully functioning game. The thing I appreciate most about Astralesper’s work here is the modesty applied in making adjustments. While most fan mods go to wild extremes in making elements overpowered / dummied / overly easy or impossible, everything here is fine tuned subtly. The application of int’s function is the best example. Mages were already good in the original so they didn’t need a huge int based damage buff but they did feel progressively lacking in the game’s final third. What we get here makes the mages more end game viable based on the brilliantly subtle spell accuracy adjustment applied.

Minor nitpicks: if we are ever gifted with a revision to this project, I would love to see an optional patch for using the original battle screen graphics and font style. Also, I would love an another option for adjusting the thief / ninja’s accuracy growth per level from 2 to 3. This would finally make him better than the red mage in a measure other than running while still lagging the fighter due to lower strength.

Nevertheless, this mod gets my highest recommendation and I’ll be continuing to play it once a year or so.