**SPOILERS AHEAD**
Originally released in 1988, Final Fantasy 2 became the second entry in the long-running franchise but was sadly not available in the US for several years. That changed with the release of several ports and remakes on other platforms such as the PS1 and the Game Boy Advance. However, like Final Fantasy before it, this anniversary edition of FF2 for PSP is the definitive version to date and is a pretty good game to boot!
Like the original FF, Final Fantasy 2 is your typical fantasy RPG. You travel over an overworld map or in dungeons and battle monsters and powerful bosses, collecting items and weapons and encountering several unique characters along the way. The story of FF2 takes place in a world beset by war. After the Kingdom of Fynn is attacked by the evil Palamecia Empire, four youths, Firion, Maria, Guy and Leon set out to stop the ambitions of Emperor Mateus with the aid of a rebellion, and bring peace back to there world. The characters and setting are much more fleshed out than in the original game. The main characters actually speak and display personality instead of being silent heroes. The premise and overall story also shows greater improvement and you feel more absorbed into the story than with the original FF. That said, the story and characters are still pretty generic. The main cast is ok when you get to know them, but there really isn't much to learn about them. What there is to know you learn about pretty quickly. :P And while the story goes to greater lengths of introducing more action and plot, it's still your basic high fantasy story. Evil empire invades, rebellion is formed to fight back, group of young people set out to help and become the only ones able to stop the Emperor. The same basic template used by countless other RPGs before and since. But for and old school game like this, especially for a hand-held console, it gets the job done.
The gameplay for FF2 is where things start to get more interesting. Yes you still run around on the overworld and in dungeons, fighting monsters to earn gil as well as experience points and find chests while searching for the next major boss battle to progress the story. The major difference between FF2 from most other entries in the series is that gaining experience to progress a level only increases your Hit Points(HP). All other aspects from strength to magic are enhanced through an activity-based progression system. When you equip your characters with certain weapons and magic and use them, the level for that weapon and magic ability will increase with each use. For example, having one character continually use swords will make that character very strong and proficient with all swords of that type. Using another type of weapon you usually don't use, such as say bows and arrows, your character will be weak using them until you gain experience from using them. The same is done for magic such as Flame, Cure and Holy and so forth. Character attributes such as strength, intelligence dexterity also increase in this fashion and will affect how good your characters are at wielding what types of weapons and magic. This style of leveling up gave FF2 a unique flavor when it released as most other RPGs used basic class and level systems to enhance your character. While innovative for it's time, nowadays more games have come out using a system like this, but even so, FF2's gameplay still feels charmingly fresh, especially when compared to FF. At times though, it can get tedious to level your characters up like this. It can take a long time to get your characters levels to a point where they are very strong with certain magic and weapons and it gets tedious to have to enhance your characters in areas they aren't proficient in. This means one will have to decide how there characters are to progress, what roles they will play in battles and stick with that formation in order to avoid tedium and progress through the game at a decent pace. But if your one for experimenting and want to get all your characters maxed out, then there is plenty here to keep you busy! :)
The game's graphics and sound have also been enhanced for the PSP, just like FF Anniversary Edition. Characters and the world itself as well as the monsters and bosses still have that nostalgic old school feel but have been given a new coat of paint for the PSP edition over past versions. Mainly, the graphics for PSP are enhanced from the Game Boy Advance Dawn of Souls Edition. Even though both FF and FF2 have been given the same enhancements for this platform, I still found the graphics to be a bit sharper and a little more detailed in FF2. :) The sound effects and soundtrack were also given a boost for the PSP and the game sounds just as great as FF. The remixed soundtrack from the Origin's collection on PS1 however, is still the big highlight! All in all this is one fine sounding, great looking game!
Since this is an anniversary edition like FF, there are several extras to be found in this version not available in others. There is the inclusion of the Arcane Labyrinth, as series of 3 new dungeons, which unlocks Arcane Sanctuary where several new bosses can be fought. The biggest addition to the game is a brand new story called Soul of Rebirth. Rather than being a random bonus dungeon not relating to the story, Soul of Rebirth actually ties into the main story and is a fun and challenging new addition to the FF2 cannon, giving newcomers and veterans alike something new to experience!
Overall, Final Fantasy 2 Anniversary Edition is, like it's predecessor, a fun old RPG that adds just enough to itself to make it feel like something new! Great boss battles, a fun and unique leveling system, a more fleshed out story with more interesting characters, and new dungeons add to make this the version to get! Add to that the fact that it's also a great way to experience other aspects of the Final Fantasy brand that got there start here(namely the iconic Chocobo and the character Cid). I can safely recommend this game to anyone who loves RPGs, Final Fantasy and/or anyone wanting to see more of the franchise's roots! If you belong to one or more of those categories do yourself a favorand give this game a shot! :)
Final Fantasy 2 Anniversary Edition(PSP) score: 8/10
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