Was really hoping this would be some kind of misunderstood gem, or otherwise something with soul from how terrible its systems are. My hopes were dashed on both fronts: it really isn't a good game - not a bad one either, mind you, but not with many notable positive qualities - and its systems were actually pretty alright but not too impressive.
I think the most I can say about the game's odd skill leveling mechanics would be that they work mostly as intended but don't favor magic much at all. With how widespread the magic system is and with how late into the game you find some of the spells you really want to use, there comes no point where you realistically get the chance to use them for training unless you run all the way back to early areas for very weak enemy encounters. This is extra unfortunate because it means the story-relevant Ultima as well as the powerful Flare are gimped quite a lot even if you do begin training them the moment you acquire them. You have to commit so hard to just a tiny handful of spells out of the huge slew you can have on a given character that much of the magic in the game feels like a complete waste.
With everything else, though, I think the system works quite well. It seemed like past the halfway point each new party member would be waaaaaaay too weak following their introduction - particularly the last one - but it's at least not particularly difficult to train if you want to spend time on it. That seems to be more or less what was intended in order to try getting the player more attached to each party member, which I guess is a neat enough concept. There's not really enough characterization or uniqueness to any one character to warrant such care, though. One downside of the skill system is that if you swap weapons and magic around every character can feel very bland and similar even with their base stat differences, making them simple clay you can mold into whatever as opposed to being actual meaningful characters with unique traits.
I know it's been beaten to death but the weird Star Wars ripoff concept they were going for with the story felt almost like a joke at times. Beyond those parallels the repetitive "get new party member, new party member dies for the cause" cycle the game goes through feels tedious for how long the game winds up being. There's so much random busywork that amounts to almost nothing of value (see the worthless Mythril quest in the earlygame, for example) that it makes the game feel bloated.
Compared to the more snappy world tour that was the first Final Fantasy, this seems like a misstep in what I can only assume was an attempt to ensure the sequel "took a step up" from its predecessor, and not in an experimental or interesting way. For a story with similar themes of sacrifice in rebellion against a great evil within an adjacent franchise, check out Mana 1 ("Final Fantasy Adventure"), which I find does it much more eloquently and poignantly with a shorter runtime. It's much more janky but it's got heart.
Final Fantasy II never feels bad to play, at least, but the lack of depth in the combat and the lack of reasons to care about the narrative or world don't help with its low staying power. I found myself bored by lategame, though not enough to quit. It was just fine enough to think "yeah, I suppose I'll keep going," and by the time I was finally starting to fall asleep I was at the home stretch. I suppose that counts as good enough pacing. It's a shame I don't really have any major good things to say about it. I suppose it added some series mainstays (can't thank it enough for introducing Chocobo), so that's something. As much as I was hoping it wouldn't be the case, this game wound up feeling very much skippable once I completed it. It's not satisfying, its mechanics are not as rewarding as they seem they would be conceptually, and it's got nothing in it to keep the player coming back or caring. It's just... meh.
I think the most I can say about the game's odd skill leveling mechanics would be that they work mostly as intended but don't favor magic much at all. With how widespread the magic system is and with how late into the game you find some of the spells you really want to use, there comes no point where you realistically get the chance to use them for training unless you run all the way back to early areas for very weak enemy encounters. This is extra unfortunate because it means the story-relevant Ultima as well as the powerful Flare are gimped quite a lot even if you do begin training them the moment you acquire them. You have to commit so hard to just a tiny handful of spells out of the huge slew you can have on a given character that much of the magic in the game feels like a complete waste.
With everything else, though, I think the system works quite well. It seemed like past the halfway point each new party member would be waaaaaaay too weak following their introduction - particularly the last one - but it's at least not particularly difficult to train if you want to spend time on it. That seems to be more or less what was intended in order to try getting the player more attached to each party member, which I guess is a neat enough concept. There's not really enough characterization or uniqueness to any one character to warrant such care, though. One downside of the skill system is that if you swap weapons and magic around every character can feel very bland and similar even with their base stat differences, making them simple clay you can mold into whatever as opposed to being actual meaningful characters with unique traits.
I know it's been beaten to death but the weird Star Wars ripoff concept they were going for with the story felt almost like a joke at times. Beyond those parallels the repetitive "get new party member, new party member dies for the cause" cycle the game goes through feels tedious for how long the game winds up being. There's so much random busywork that amounts to almost nothing of value (see the worthless Mythril quest in the earlygame, for example) that it makes the game feel bloated.
Compared to the more snappy world tour that was the first Final Fantasy, this seems like a misstep in what I can only assume was an attempt to ensure the sequel "took a step up" from its predecessor, and not in an experimental or interesting way. For a story with similar themes of sacrifice in rebellion against a great evil within an adjacent franchise, check out Mana 1 ("Final Fantasy Adventure"), which I find does it much more eloquently and poignantly with a shorter runtime. It's much more janky but it's got heart.
Final Fantasy II never feels bad to play, at least, but the lack of depth in the combat and the lack of reasons to care about the narrative or world don't help with its low staying power. I found myself bored by lategame, though not enough to quit. It was just fine enough to think "yeah, I suppose I'll keep going," and by the time I was finally starting to fall asleep I was at the home stretch. I suppose that counts as good enough pacing. It's a shame I don't really have any major good things to say about it. I suppose it added some series mainstays (can't thank it enough for introducing Chocobo), so that's something. As much as I was hoping it wouldn't be the case, this game wound up feeling very much skippable once I completed it. It's not satisfying, its mechanics are not as rewarding as they seem they would be conceptually, and it's got nothing in it to keep the player coming back or caring. It's just... meh.