Kind of an oddball in the Final Fantasy series, this game was meant to be a sort of a “beginners guide to JRPGs” for the US audience. It definitely hits that mark. It’s a pretty easy game. And for those familiar with the Final Fantasy franchise, you likely won’t enjoy the game. But with that being said there are still some interesting things to note in here as a game designer or developer. So here is my review for the SNES game Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.
Locations that Change with the Story
When you first reach a new city, its appearance is somewhat distressed. The forest city is dry and desolate. The water city froze over. The fire city is experiencing earthquakes. Etc. But after you complete each area’s story, those same cities visually change.
It doesn’t really add anything new to explore in most cases. But it’s still something that is kind of cool to experience. Might be worth thinking about how you could change locations to give something new to explore or do.
Interactive Environments
One of the more unique features I noted was the ability to use weapons outside of combat. You can change the environment or solve various puzzles by utilizing these. Throughout the game, you find 4 different weapon types:
- Sword
- Axe
- Claw
- Bombs
Use the sword to “poke” statues and buttons to open up doors. Nice alternative to the usual button to push. Uses axes to cut down trees (similar to the HM Cut from Pokemon). Climb certain parts of walls (mainly in caves) with the claw. And bombs blow stuff up to reveal new areas.
Environment Obstacles and Puzzles
Late in the game, the environment itself becomes a bit more of an obstacle itself. On multiple floor locations (like towers), it becomes possible to fall down holes to the floor below. At one point, there is a sand room that constantly pushes you downward. You need to use the room layout to sort of work against the current.
Check out playthrough videos of the final dungeon: Doom Castle. Some interesting use of the environment as a puzzle. Worth thinking about how you could do it.
Decent Soundtrack
Music is one of those areas I personally love. I’m a musician and composer, myself. So I always love hearing good soundtracks in games. For the most part, the tracks in Mystic Quest fit pretty decently. But the ones that sort of stood out to me were the prog rock inspired ones:
Final Thoughts on Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
This is just my opinion and is subjective, of course. So bear with me. Overall, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is a pretty forgettable game. The characters are quite generic. Dialogue is fairly flat. And the plotline is extremely predictable while also including elements that just don’t make sense. I really wouldn’t recommend it to most gamers.
But even with that said, there are some pretty cool elements that we as game designers and developers can look to. And for that, I encourage you to play it and form your own opinions and take your own notes on the game. Be sure to share them with us in the comments below!
