Some really, absolutely top notch writing and quest design in places, and the setting is dynamite, but unfortunately those nuggets of fun are embedded in what is kind of a big janky mess of a game to actually engage with moment to moment. The ratio of time spent engaging with the great writing to time spent walking from place to place and engaging with janky, not particularly fun combat in which Cass is always getting her damn fool self killed is just entirely out of whack and it made me feel like I had to do chores in order to get to the part of the game I actually like.

One of the greats of the Japanese Role Playing Game genre, Final Fantasy VI lives up to its pedigree with a wide-reaching, multi-faceted narrative centered around an ensemble cast and enough charm and personality to sail a ship. The combat is solid and has some pretty interesting gimmicks here and there, although it, much like the game's structures, starts to go a bit squiffy toward the end, as characters become less differentiated due to the ability to use Magicite to teach any spell to any character, somewhat unbalancing the game and incentivizing a heavier grind during a segment with much weaker and more slapdash pacing and pathing. All that said, it sticks the landing with a hopeful and inspiring ending, and it cannot be overstated how much this game set the bar for what could be done in an RPG story at the time, not to mention the excellent use of the Super NES's hardware. Highly recommended overall, but maybe break out a walkthrough once you reach the World of Ruin.