[Orphan's Cradle]THE ENDGAME: Final Dungeons of the Final Fantasy Series

[ForceStealer]

Greetings all, ForceStealer here, over the next few weeks or so I’ll be going over the final dungeon of each FF and relaying my thoughts and impressions - inspired by Mog's "Towns of.." series. For several of these I have save files right before them to refresh my memory of some of the feelings I had when I first entered them. I may also be getting people’s help for few dungeons I’m not as familiar with. Also, I’m pretty sure this goes without saying, but FFXI doesn’t count, so lets go!

Final Fantasy I: [Past] Chaos Shrine

Any stirring of feelings you get going to the Chaos Shrine, as well as anything else in FF1, takes a lot of involvement of your imagination. It has that cool little twist that it’s the first dungeon you ever went through but now you get to see it in the past in its glory. In the geographic center of the four fiends’ lairs, the shrine is where you must take out Chaos to bring an end to Garland’s time loop.

The music is serviceable, but again not quite as stirring as some of the later final dungeon tracks become. The difficulty is as inconsistent as the rest of the game (that is, certain battles are an absolute breeze, while others just a few steps away crush you and admonish you like the daring little child you are). Making you fight the Four Fiends again is a tad cheap but not something later Final Fantasies were above. Honestly, when you’re playing through this game, the biggest deal about this dungeon is it’s the most story you really get at one time. The object of FF1, after all, was more of an explorative affair than a sweeping plot anyway.

Admittedly, playing the rest of the games makes it a little difficult to give the first final dungeon a totally fair shake. But its not a particularly tough dungeon even by Final Fantasy I's own standards - it is an endurance test however. It gets the job the done, but its mostly uphill from here.

Not that my opinion means anything, what do you guys think?

(and think about this whole thing, lol. Any suggestions for different ways I could go about it? I'm trying to decide if I want to do this in sequential order or randomly jump around.)

 

[Cat Rage Room]

Oh ho ho, I will be watching this intently! Good shit!

 

[Makoeyes987]

Ohhhh I like this lots. Thank you! Keep it comin'!

I say do it in sequential order. It only makes sense to.

 

[ForceStealer]

I suppose, just wasn't sure if it would keep things more interesting to bounce around.

The other idea I was toying with was mentioning Dissidia's take on each of them since nearly all of them are the final dungeons, but eh, I dunno. I don't want it to take away from the original game's depiction.

 

[Alex Strife]

Sequential, please! And I'll be following this one, as well.

As you said, it's basically an endurance test, and it serves its' purpose. For the era in which it was made, I think it was wicked, especially because of the storyline thing.

 

[Makoeyes987]

I suppose, just wasn't sure if it would keep things more interesting to bounce around.

The other idea I was toying with was mentioning Dissidia's take on each of them since nearly all of them are the final dungeons, but eh, I dunno. I don't want it to take away from the original game's depiction.

You can reference Dissidia if you want, but I definitely think we should focus more on the original game.

And no, *every* stage in Dissidia save for the unique ones for the story, are the areas where the showdown of the final boss fight happens.

 

[ForceStealer]

Oh okay, I wasn't sure about the Magitek Factory since Kefka's Tower includes just about every dungeon in FF6

 

[Ite]

This is awesome! Thanks Atem.

I do disagree about the music for the Chaos Shrine. Absolutely the composition is hindered by the capabilities of the NES, and the remakes haven't really done a bang-up job of updating it, but the song itself is pretty powerful. I prefer the 1989 concert version (incidentally the first version I heard) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3axvtMS9FlU

Skip to about 5:20 in to hear the Chaos Shrine part. The song itself is a pretty solid final dungeon theme -- the problem is with the sound of the NES and the poor adaptations since.

 

[Tennyo]

Now I wish I had played the first game in order to comment.

Very interesting read, though. I look forward to more.

I also think it would be more exciting to go in order. That way people know what is coming and when and can look forward to it.

 

[Tetsujin]

I never finished FF1 so I only now the Chaos Shrine from the beginning of the game.

 

[ForceStealer]

Final Fantasy II: Pandaemonium

In stark contrast to the Chaos Shrine, Pandaemonium doesn't require nearly as much imagination to realize how freaking awesome it is. Again, with our experienced eyes, its not much to look at as you can see, but the PSP version helps this immensely with the crystal sheen moving across your screen.

But, regardless of version, the fact remains that David Bowie the Emperor that you have killed did not magick himself back into existence, or find some contrived loophole in death, no. Death was simply nothing that could hold him and so he decided to overthrow Hell. Yeah. Remember this series is not about final bosses but final dungeons, however, what makes Pandaemonium so cool is the fact that you are entering the palace of Hell to kill the Emperor who has conquered it and brought it to the surface of the planet. Satan's got some catching up to do. Damn.

You cannot deny how badass that looks. Keep in mind that those are mountains in the foreground.

Traveling through the dungeon is kinda frustrating with so many false doors and walls, and lots of overly long routes when you can see your destination when you first enter an area. But again, this is where the ruler of Hell lives, so...yeah.

The music is cool, and is the ever-appropriate "go forth!" sounding song. Triumphant with that hint of trepidation. The problem with it, again, something we've just been spoiled by in later games, is its length. Its very short and loops a lot. In a long dungeon, it really starts to get grating.

Once again, though, it is Hell. So maybe that was intentional.

In short, a huge step up from the Chaos Shrine if you ask me, which you did. Kinda. Maybe its just because it takes place in a realm commonly depicted in other forms. Telling someone the game ends in going to Hell means more to them than saying Memoria. However, I think its due to both the Emperor being awesome, and how connected the final dungeon is to him, rather than just a natural phenomenon where the Big Bad has taken up residence.

*pictures care of our friends at the FFWiki, except The Far Side, naturally, which belongs to Gary Larsen.

 

[Cat Rage Room]

The music is cool, and is the ever-appropriate "go forth!" sounding song. Triumphant with that hint of trepidation. The problem with it, again, something we've just been spoiled by in later games, is its length. Its very short and loops a lot. In a long dungeon, it really starts to get grating.

a-fucking-men to this.

 

[Alex Strife]

Great, Force Stealer! I actually loved the PSP version of the dungeon, there. It's a wonderful yet different depiction of hell, so yeah, thumbs up to Square for that.

I don't think it was much better than Chaos Shrine, but it was certainly more original, as the place itself.

 

[Cat Rage Room]

Also, I always said that FFII would be fucking baller if it was remade with FF12's engine. I'd love to see the "33 small countries fought together against an empire" story come to a modern fruition.

 

[ForceStealer]

Also guys, Final Fantasy III is the one game in the series I have never played. So if someone would like to do a guest spot for the final dungeon in that game in the next few days it would be greatly appreciated

 

[ForceStealer]

Anyone? I could watch it on youtube and offer thoughts that way, but it means more when you've played the whole game.

 

[ForceStealer]

Well fine, then I'll do it myself as I don't wanna spend too much time before getting to the ones more people will actually know.

Final Fantasy III: World of Darkness

Final Fantasy III is the entry with which I am least familiar. But I have done my best to look into the story and events leading up to the final dungeon and take into account the overall atmosphere it must have. But you'll have to forgive me if I don't place emphasis where it should be placed or vice versa.

This dungeon is very to the point. You are here to kill the Cloud of Darkness and you do not seek to do anything that does not directly relate to that end nor does the dungeon intend to provide you with anything contrary to that purpose save the boss gauntlet. The only items to be found in the whole thing are Ribbons, and as a matter of fact, the door to the final battle is literally directly in front of you when you enter the dungeon.

I admit I rather like the illusion of optionality in the boss gauntlet. It's not the fiends you've already killed coming to you for revenge, or just powerful enemies standing directly between you and your target, but the guardians of the dark crystals. These need to be bested in order to free the Warriors of Light's counterparts. In a nice a little touch, you require the four Warriors of Darkness' help. As much as you don't like each other, the cessation of existence for everything isn't really good for anyone, so it looks like you're just gonna have to work together. And I kinda like that, that to be a Warrior of Darkness doesn't necessarily equal a Warrior of Evil.

As I said, its a rather straightforward dungeon; sure it throws in some invisible walls and bridges, but its rather short compared to the last two. The music, eh, its not bad, but I like my final dungeon music to be more rousing. Its also a touch short, but with a brief dungeon its not nearly as annoying. You spend almost as much time listening to the boss music - which is very good.

And any dungeon that leads to an 8-bit peep show can't be all bad, right?

I expect to move rather quickly onto the next final dungeon, the Lunar Subterrane. They really start getting good from here on out, and I imagine more of you will have played them as I go on, so hopefully I'll get some more input.

 

[Dark and Divine]

Thanks for the effort, Force.

I can't comment on the World of Darkness because, like you, I haven't played FFIII yet. I've been looking for it in stores around here, but it's hard to find. D:

 

[Alex Strife]

Thank you for the effort, Force!

Thing is I have never went that far in FFIII. I had seen screen captures and stuff, and knew what was going on, but I hadn't played it myself. The 4 warriors of darkness' thing is really good, and original, especially by the time they made it, which is good.

The atmosphere's great for the theme of the game. Crystals are a bit more important here than before in FF, so the final dungeon looks more crystal-like, right?

I think it was a pretty decent final dungeon for a game that deserves a bit more credit than people give it.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Crystals are a bit more important here than before in FF ...

No more so than in the first FF.

 

[Alex Strife]

I take it they appear just a tiny bit more often than in the first FF, though?

 

[Glaurung]

Thanks, Force!

I didn't play the original version, but the NDS remake. It was very surprising that the final dungeon was so straightforward. Maybe that was compensated by the arcane labyrinth and that crystal tower. My mind is still very hazzy, since there had been years since I last played it. I remember the remake was overall very charming and enjoyable.

 

[ForceStealer]

And a crystalline final dungeon had already been established in II (though I realize, Alex, you're referring to the actual crystals), which the FFWiki attributes to a reference of one of Dante's circles of Hell being crystalline. Which is entirely possible, but I find it equally possible that it just came about from Final Fantasy's obsession with crystals.

 

[Cat Rage Room]

I've actually never played FFIII. Am I missing out (much)?

 

[Glaurung]

It's kinda simple, but they added a bit of depth with the job system (assuming that it didn't exist in the original version). I would recommed it.