We’ve kind of given Square Enix a hard time around these parts, but it’s out of love. Watching Square Enix this console generation has been like watching Michael Jordan play for the Wizards. It’s weird to see and you see the skills shine now and again, but you also know what they used to be. Now, I don’t want to say that Square Enix is past their prime, but… I saw Square Enix opening up a show for Limp Bizkit. After the show, they asked Gilbert Godfried for career advice. They released Final Fantasy XIV and then sent lewd text messages to Jenn Sterger. It’s gotten bad.

Content to live off their legacy, Square Enix has ported the Matrix Software-developed Nintendo DS game to iOS systems. It’s a natural transition, since the Nintendo DS version used stylus control, and it’s a beauty. Already a nice looking game that pushed the Nintendo DS to its limits, proven by the loss of one display whenever in battle, it’s been spit-shined until the chocobos came home.

The first thing that needs to be said is that this game is pretty. I don’t particularly like the art style they used (my apologies to Akihiko Yoshida, but I just don’t like the nose-less babyfaces that were also seen in the Final Fantasy Tactics series), but it looks fantastic here. Anti-aliasing and cleaner textures have done this body of work good.

They even use the word "happenstance."

The Nintendo DS’ CGI intro, didn’t make the cut. I suppose it would’ve been a waste of space that would’ve either looked grainy or upped the file size significantly if at the appropriate resolution. Otherwise, the game looks terrific on retina-display devices, though I do wish Square Enix would’ve upped the polygon count. Elbows are pointy, but not THAT pointy.

For those who haven’t played the game, it’s the last in the Four Orphans Warriors of Light Final Fantasy titles before characters actually were given character. The DS version added in some elements to make the characters less generic and those are still found here.

Refia, Orphan Number 3

The story, though, is still pretty barebones. There’s an earthquake, some great evil that’s apparently a threat to the world arises, orphans who meet by happenstance and have nothing better to do try to save the world, swords, arrows, magic, chocobos, crystals, airships, experience, gil, moogles, and Cid. Did I cover all the bases? Oh, there are job classes, as well.

The job system is the basis of everything in this title. In addition to your standard experience and gil (currency) rewards for battle, you gain capacity (job) points. Eventually, you unlock new jobs with class-specific abilities as you progress through the game. Thieves thieve and summoners summon. The system is not as refined as the one found in Final Fantasy V that allowed you to mix-and-match skills, but it’s still enjoyable. There’s a slight penalty for changing jobs, especially if it’s a drastic change such as going from a summoner to a dragoon, and your character will also have halved stats for a little while.

This game is tough. It’s old school and very unforgiving. One wrong turn and you’ll find yourself outclassed by a large margin. It’s the old “cross the bridge and die” element that has fallen out of favor just like the random encounters and turn-based battles you’ll also be experiencing. You’ll find yourself grinding levels just so you aren’t struggling even when you are on the right path or just to make it to that one piece of loot that will make the game a little easier, if only temporarily.

Along the way, you’ll encounter some other characters who will assist you as you escort them from point A to B. They are really just there to push the story forward and don’t do much of anything aside from the occasional attack or support in battle. There’s a few memorable locales to be found, particularly Bahamut’s nest and the elven village, but it’s about as generic a Final Fantasy game as you’re going to get.

That said, I’m not saying that’s a horrible thing. It’s actually a refreshing change from the complexity that you find in modern titles with their flashy status expansions and customizations that give you far less freedom than you are led to believe. It is what it is and it’s not afraid to be it.

The game sounds terrific as well. The original soundtrack was, perhaps, the best you’d find on an 8-bit system. The DS remake’s best feature was the re-mastered soundtrack. Here, it sounds better than ever. Additionally, the hacks, slashes, and explosions you hear in battles sound fine and convey what they need to well enough.

My one major hangup with the game itself (we’ll get to my problem that’s not in-game soon enough) is the control. In battle, it controls like butter. Menus are superbly done, easy to manage, and are user-friendly. It’s when you are trying to talk to NPCs or searching for hidden treasure that you’re going to find frustration. With random encounters and the higher difficulty level you’re going to find in this game than more modern Final Fantasy titles, the control needs to be precise. You need to stop and tap the screen to talk or search, and that just isn’t intuitive. NPCs will walk away from you and walk out of the speaking radius. You’ll zig when you meant to zag and overshoot your target. While the virtual analog control works fine, the lack of a confirmation button is glaring. I hope Square Enix addresses this issue in a future update. Seriously, one virtual button and the game will be all better.

Otherwise, Final Fantasy III may be the best all-around traditional roleplaying game you’re going to find in the App Store. It’s much prettier than Vay and Ash and sounds terrific. It plays well enough, though the turn-based battles, above-average difficulty, and random encounters are very much a relic of the past that may turn off all but the most-seasoned RPG fans.

Is Final Fantasy III good on iOS? Sure. It’s a solid, console-worthy title that looks and sounds great. If it were on any other system, I likely wouldn’t hesitate at that price. It’s not, though. I suggest you wait for a price reduction, but if you’re not concerned with the reasonable-on-any-other-system price, by all means, game on.

However, because it’s not one of the best Final Fantasy games and the price is high, I’d suggest Eternal Legacy, Gameloft’s Final Fantasy XIII homage (rip-off) before this one. With the money left over, you could even pick up Vay and Ash, the two old-school RPGs I mentioned earlier, and still have a couple of bucks left to pick up Inotia or Paladog.

It seems fickle to balk at the price of the title, coming in at $15.99 in the App Store, when I paid $39.99 for almost the exact same game about five years ago. The thing is, when comparing the value of this title to what you can get for the same price in the store, it’s awful steep. It’s another case of Square Enix believing they can command a premium. Once upon a time, they could.

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Platform: iOS

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