Final Fantasy 2/II - Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy II (2) is the second installment in the flagship Final Fantasy game series. The fantasy role-playing game was originally produced by Square (later Square Enix ) and released in 1988 for use on the Nintendo Entertainment Series exclusively in the Japanese market. The game was later released worldwide and was adopted for play on the Gameboy Advance, PlayStation, PlayStation Portable, and other systems.
It was released as Final Fantasy II and was directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi , with Nobuo Uematsu writing credits. Yoshitaka Amano was in charge of character design and concept art. Although it directly followsFinal Fantasy I , the sequel does not contain any characters or locations from the first game. The game focuses on four young people whose parents were killed during a military invasion of the Palamecia Empire. The Empire wishes to achieve world domination using its spawn from Hell. The story follows their fight against the Empire, their collaboration with members of the rebellion, and various struggles and quests to bring the world back to peace.
Prologue
A peace that had lasted so long... was coming to an end. The Emperor of Palamecia had summoned monsters from the underworld... and begun his campaign of world conquest. A rebel army had risen in the kingdom of Fynn to thwart the Emperor's plan. But the rebels' castle had fallen under the Empire's all-out assault. With no choice, the rebels retreated to the isolated city of Altaïr. Four young men from Fynn also found themselves on the run from the Imperial forces. They had lost their parents to the Empire. But their escape wasn't over...
The plot of Final Fantasy II
The game begins with Firion, Maria, and Guy being attacked by Palamecian soldiers of the Black Knight, but saved by Princess Hilda, who established a rebel base in the city of Altaïr after her kingdom, Fynn, was attacked by the Emperor. Hilda does not allow them to join the rebels due to a lack of experience. The three set out for Fynn to find Leon; there, they encounter a dying Kashuan prince named Scott. Scott is Hilda's fiancé, who tells them that Borghen has left the rebellion and become a general in the Imperial army. The group returns to Altaïr to inform Hilda, who allows them to join the rebellion and asks them to find mythril.
The group travels to the village of Salamand, rescues the enslaved villagers, kills Borghen, and retrieves mythril. They are then sent to the city of Bafsk to stop the construction of the Dreadnought airship, which takes off upon their arrival. The group acquires the Sunfire, a weapon capable of destroying the Dreadnought. They watch helplessly as Hilda and her airship are captured by the Dreadnought. The group rescues Hilda and throws the Sunfire into the Dreadnought's engine as it lands to refuel. The group encounters a knight whom Maria believes to be Leon.
On his deathbed, the King of Fynn asks the group to find the dragons of Deist. But once in Deist, they learn that only one dragon remains alive. They place an egg in a wyvern cave and return to Altaïr, once again to rescue Hilda and reclaim Fynn from the Empire's forces.
They travel west to find a powerful magical tool and encounter the last dragon along the way. When they return to Fynn, they discover that the island has been destroyed by a cyclone summoned by the Emperor. The group takes the last newborn wyvern to a castle inside the cyclone. They defeat the Emperor, but a wounded Fynn soldier declares that Leon has taken control of the empire and plans to destroy the rebels.
In Palamecia Castle, the group confronts Leon. The Emperor is then reincarnated in a demonic form, claiming to have returned from Hell with the intention of destroying the world. With Leon and the wyvern, the group escapes. The castle becomes Pandaemonium, the castle of Hell. Leon agrees to join the group and seal the Emperor away forever. They travel to the Jade Passage, an underground passage to Hell, and find the portal to Pandaemonium, defeating the Emperor. Afterward, Leon wishes to leave out of guilt, but Firion assures him that he will be welcome back.
Gameplay
Final Fantasy II breaks with the previous game in its experience system. Instead of gaining experience after each battle, players increase their skills in a certain category by using that category. For example, using magic would increase magical effectiveness and potential, or taking more damage would result in more HP experience.
Bugs existed in early versions, allowing players to abuse the experience system. Character stats include health, magic points, strength, agility, intelligence, spirit, vitality/stamina, magic power, attack, accuracy, defense, evasion, and magic defense. Gameplay is similar to its predecessor, where players can travel through various landscapes and dungeons to complete quests and acquire items. A menu system allows the player to use various equipment and items.
A memorization system is introduced in which players can "ask questions" or "memorize" certain phrases from NPCs that can be used later to obtain items or in other NPC dialogues. The game uses the turn-based battle system from the first game, but allows for combat with fewer than four characters, which was not possible in the first game. In battle, players can choose between attacking, using magic, using items, or fleeing. It also allows characters to move closer or back in battle, which affects the attacks they can use and how they can be attacked by the enemy.
Random encounters with enemies and bosses occur, and victory results in greater strength and skill. The player can suffer permanent or temporary illnesses during and after battle, and must use spells or items to heal. Venom, Sleep, Silence, Mini, Paralysis, Confusion, Darkness, Poison, Curse, Amnesia, Toad, Petrification, and KO.
Characters
Final Fantasy II features characters that reappear in the franchise, including the Chocobo and Cid Highwind , Dragoons, and unlike the first game, focuses on character history, development, and identity.
A list of the game's characters:
- Firion – Main character. He wishes to avenge his family and bring down the Palacia empire. Adopted by Leon's family, he befriends Maria.
- Maria - Main character and female protagonist. Friend of Firion and Guy since childhood. She often worries about her brother Léon, who has disappeared.
- Guy - Main character. Friend of Maria and Firion who is able to talk with animals.
- Minwu - A skilled mage who joins the party early in their adventures. A white mage who advises Hilda.
- Josef - Miner who works with the resistance and helps them acquire mythril.
- Gordon - Prince of Kashuan who fled the Battle of Fynn after the death of his brother Scott. He considers himself a coward and, to prove himself worthy of the throne, accompanies the main group on their expeditions against the empire.
- Leila - Pirate who attacks the group but loses and eventually gives in, joining their fight against the empire.
- Richard - Deist Dragon. He was trapped in the Leviathan for a long time and is now eager to help the resistance.
- Leon, Maria's missing brother. He becomes the new Black Knight of Palamecia and devotes himself to the empire.
- Scott - Gordon's older brother and the Prince of Kashuan.
