Final Fantasy V Advances on GameBoy
Square's never-ending story adds another handheld chapter
The world's most inappropriately named roleplaying game series shows no sign of reaching its conclusion, particularly on pocket gaming formats where there are no less than seven adventures in development.
We looked at the numerous mobile iterations of Final Fantasy in the works as well as the inaugural DS adventure Final Fantasy III back in May, so we thought we'd take advantage of the release of a batch of screenshots at the Penny Arcade PAX conference to have a look at the upcoming GameBoy Advance outing, Final Fantasy V Advance.
The follow up to Final Fantasy IV Advance, which we reviewed earlier this year, the latest GBA outing again revolves around the kingdoms of Tycoon, Walse and Karnak and those mysterious elemental crystals. This time round there's been a bit of bother with the wind crystal. Upon investigating the problem, not only does the king of Tycoon disappear but his land becomes plagued by evil beasts.
As often occurs in such uncertain times, four strangers come together. Rejecting the obvious opportunity of forming a popular beat combo and auditioning for the X-Factor, they decide instead to discover the truth and set the world to rights. The ensuing adventure carries them over land, sea, air and beyond in order to protect the crystals – and the world – from a darkness that threatens all of existence.
All of this may be familiar to longtime fans who played the original on home consoles. What won't be though are the various new elements that have been integrated especially for the GBA version, including brand new dungeons and an expanded selection of jobs and abilities.
As is evident from the shots attached here, the graphics have also been given a substantial overhaul to make the most of the GBA's screen.
Developer Square is confident that the updated adventure will delight old school gamers and new players alike, and if it can improve upon the commendable last outing then it could well be right. Suffice to say we'll be riding chocobos, dragons and flying ships in order to get our review in before the November release date.
