Perhaps the most divisive Final Fantasy title of all time, Final Fantasy II continues to be a true love it or hate it game. For many, its gameplay - particularly its leveling system - is a noticeable departure from other titles in the series and leaves a lot to be desired as a result. For others, it's a uniquely different take on Final Fantasy that also happened to try a more story-driven approach this time around.

The original Final Fantasy I feels somewhat directionless, lacking a cohesive story beyond traveling from place to place and eventually stopping some big bads. Final Fantasy II takes a stab at a real story, with somewhat fleshed out characters and an ever-present villain who threatens the world. It's a bit shallow and is really just a retelling of Star Wars at the end of the day, yet ultimately feels like the prototype for what would become many other titles in the future. Several cards in the new Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy set depict many of these story beats, and I'm going to go through and break down several for you today.

Ready those passwords and let's dive right in!

The game kicks off with your party being orphaned by a raid on your home town by the evil empire. You're saved and healed by the Wild Rose Rebellion and offer your services to them to repay them for their aid as well as to get revenge on the Emperor and his forces. The term "Wild Rose" becomes a password that you use to identify yourself to various NPCs as a member of the rebellion forces.

A common trait for most of the earlier Final Fantasy titles was that as you traversed the overworld and dungeons, you would randomly enter into battles. It's basically what it says on the tin: after a certain number of steps, your screen flashes and fades into a battle screen where you then run into a random assortment of enemies. This art depicts a Malboro, a Coeurl, and an Iron Giant - all of which have cards in this set. Later games starting with the MMORPG Final Fantasy XI would switch to enemies being visible on screen, where you'd fight them without going to a separate screen. Final Fantasy XIII proved a minor exception where you'd see the enemies in the overworld/dungeons, but once you engage you'd enter a fairly traditional style Final Fantasy battle.

Crossroads Village depicts the town of Bafsk, where the Emperor's vile Dreadnought is being built by forcing the locals to do his bidding. The party fails to destroy the Dreadnought in time and it takes off, blowing up several previously visited towns as it travels across the land. You do eventually destroy it, but by then the damage is done.

Roughly halfway through the game, the party attempts to sneak into the Empire's Coliseum to try taking out the Emperor. When they confront the Emperor, they're forced to contend with a Behemoth - one of the mightiest foes in the series. They hit hard, are gigantic, and are well known for their iconic purple appearance (which differs depending on game and iteration).

Remember how I noted earlier that the Wild Rose Rebellion heals you after you're rescued? Minwu, the esteemed white mage of the rebellion, is the one who brings you back to good health. For a period of the game, Minwu joins your party where you can take advantage of his high level healing and protective magics. With his iconic design, it made him one of the more beloved characters from this underrated game.

In the later portion of the game, Minwu goes to the Mysidian Tower to try and unlock the seal on Ultima. When you try to make it in there yourself, you're locked out until you can find a pair of key items (the White Mask and Black Mask) to break the seal. Once you acquire the items and go toward the Tower, you're swallowed up by the gigantic Leviathan and have to fight for your escape. Once you ascend the Mysidian Tower, it's revealed that Minwu was successful in breaking the seal. However, because of the intensity of the efforts required to do so, Minwu dies.

I've been in the camp that Final Fantasy II is a bit of an underrated gem for quite some time and I personally recommend it if you're already a Final Fantasy fan. It can be a little tough to figure out at first, but it doesn't take too long to adjust to and the newer Pixel Remaster versions make it easier to get through than ever thanks to the fast forward option. Check it out, you might be surprised by what it has to offer!

Paige Smith

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