Final Fantasy V became one of my favourite games among the Pixel Remasters. I enjoyed its characters, its expanding world and the freedom of its job system. It brought together many of the things I had enjoyed in the earlier games while continuing to try new ideas.
The party was a big part of that. Bartz and his companions felt more developed and entertaining to get to know. Spending time with them gave me a stronger connection to the journey.
Bartz, Galuf and Faris
Bartz was my favourite character, with Galuf close behind. Getting to know them and watching their story unfold was one of the reasons I enjoyed the game so much.
Faris was another character I liked, especially her connection with her crew. Those relationships helped give the party members lives and histories beyond the immediate adventure. I enjoyed learning more about them as the game progressed.
Galuf’s place in the story made Krile stepping into his role particularly meaningful. Watching her join the others and continue the effort to save the world made the change in the party feel like part of the story rather than simply replacing one character with another.
More jobs to explore
After enjoying the jobs in Final Fantasy III, I was excited to see how Final Fantasy V expanded the system.
The crystals shattering and leaving behind fragments tied the new jobs directly to what was happening in the world. There were more roles to explore, and the ability to develop jobs and use learned abilities in different combinations gave me more ways to work with the party.
Berserker was one of my favourites. Alongside the other options, it was part of what made experimenting with the jobs enjoyable. I liked seeing the series take a familiar idea and give it more depth.
A world that kept changing
Exploring Bartz’s world, travelling to Galuf’s world and eventually seeing the merged world was another highlight.
Each stage expanded the adventure. I enjoyed discovering how these places connected and seeing the game do more with its setting as the story continued. The changing worlds gave me new places to explore while also changing how I understood the journey.
The overworld music was another part of the experience I really enjoyed. Travelling through these settings with that soundtrack helped make the exploration memorable.
Hearing Final Fantasy V in Endwalker
One of the connections that stayed with me was “The Day Will Come.” Its arrangement in Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker plays at the Baldesion Annex in Old Sharlayan, a meeting place for your allies.
Recognising that connection made the music more meaningful to me. Having experienced Endwalker, going back to Final Fantasy V let me hear an earlier piece of that musical history. It was another example of how playing the older games has added to my appreciation of XIV.
I would recommend Final Fantasy V to most players interested in exploring the series. Its party, jobs, music and changing worlds made it one of my favourite Pixel Remasters.
Bartz, Galuf, Faris and the rest of the party gave me characters I enjoyed getting to know, while the job system and exploration kept offering more to experience. It was a game I enjoyed on its own, and one that made my connection to the wider Final Fantasy series even stronger.
