One of the games on my New Year’s Resolution list was the Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster. I’d already started it in 2025, and had played it partway through several times over – on SNES Emulation back in the late 90s, on the PS1, and on the GBA. So, now it’s time to take a look at the Pixel Remaster.

Final Fantasy V is the game where I think the Job system really comes into its own. I’ve played 3, and thought it was alright, but 5 gives what feels like a larger array of jobs, with multiple abilities you can get from them, allowing the player to build a party that works basically whatever way they want.

Additionally, the ability point multipliers, if you’ve played the game before give an excuse to step outside of stock party compositions and just experiment. Let’s drop Geomancer or Dancer into the job mix and see how things go. Or, once you’ve mastered a bunch of jobs, just go back to Freelancer and mix and match. Or go the whole game with Learn in your second Job Ability slot, and then shift back to Blue Mage in the endgame.

And it bears mentioning, these multipliers will not protect you. Even when technically overleveled for an area, there are just basic random encounters that will kill a character or wipe the party handly. This game can and will kick your ass if you aren’t thinking tactically. You can’t get to a high enough level to steamroll the late game areas.

The story itself is not as operatic as 4’s. We don’t have frequent character deaths (or seeming deaths) or shocking (and possibly mind control induced) betrayals. We do get some character deaths and catastrophic disasters, but it never quite hits as hard. It’s not bad – but the landing for these moments doesn’t have the same oomph.

I’m glad I finally beat the game, but I absolutely get why this game is known as one of the more mechanical Final Fantasy games, instead of the more narrative ones.

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