FINAL FANTASY III

Before the cinematic storytelling of Final Fantasy IV and the genre-defining polish of Final Fantasy VI, there was Final Fantasy III—a game that quietly revolutionized the series with innovation over narrative. Originally released in 1990 for the Famicom (and much later in the West via DS and remastered editions), FFIII remains a fascinating bridge between the early, experimental days of the franchise and its more refined future.
Narratively, Final Fantasy III doesn’t break much ground. You play as four youths drawn together by a mysterious crystal to restore balance to a world on the brink of ruin. It's a classic “heroes of light” premise, and the original version kept the characters nameless and mostly blank.
However, later versions (like the 3D DS remake and Pixel Remaster) flesh out the protagonists a bit more, giving them personalities and backstories—though still far simpler than later entries. The story serves its purpose: to drive exploration, provide stakes, and deliver some epic moments (especially near the end), but it’s not the emotional core of the game.
Where FFIII truly shines is in its gameplay—particularly the introduction of the job system, a feature that would go on to define many future Final Fantasy titles.
Players can freely switch between jobs like Warrior, Black Mage, Dragoon, Summoner, and more, unlocking new strategies and playstyles. This freedom brings a surprising amount of depth and replayability. There's a genuine thrill in experimenting with party compositions, optimizing for boss fights, or just trying out quirky combos for fun.
Later versions of the game also rebalanced some of the job mechanics and grinding requirements, making experimentation more accessible.
Final Fantasy III doesn’t pull punches. It can be grind-heavy, and some dungeons are long and unforgiving—especially in the original NES version, which lacked modern quality-of-life features. The final dungeon, in particular, is infamous for its length and lack of save points.
The Pixel Remaster and DS versions smooth out some of these rough edges, but FFIII still demands patience and tactical thinking. It’s a game that rewards players who are willing to engage deeply with its mechanics.
The original 8-bit visuals were charming but limited. The Pixel Remaster modernizes the graphics beautifully, offering crisp sprites, richer environments, and a UI tailored to modern screens. The 3D DS version, while more dated now, gave the world more personality and cinematic flair.
Nobuo Uematsu’s soundtrack deserves special mention. Tracks like “Eternal Wind” are hauntingly beautiful and have become series staples. The remastered music is even more moving, and it brings out the emotional resonance that the story itself sometimes lacks.
Final Fantasy III is a foundational entry in the series—less remembered for its characters, more for its systems. It’s where Square Enix began to dream bigger, giving players control over their roles and embracing non-linear progression. It’s also the last of the truly “old-school” Final Fantasy games before the series matured into deeper storytelling.
While the simplicity of its story and occasional difficulty spikes may not appeal to everyone, the inventive job system, strategic combat, and sheer sense of adventure make it well worth playing—especially in its remastered forms.
For fans of classic JRPG mechanics and those interested in the roots of the franchise's most beloved features, Final Fantasy III is a must-play.
Rating: 9/10

Final Fantasy III Pixel Remastered is a fantastic revival of a beloved classic. The game's pixel art has been beautifully updated, retaining the nostalgic charm while enhancing the visual experience. The job system is a standout feature, allowing players to experiment with different character classes and build a unique party composition. This adds a layer of depth and strategy to the gameplay, making each playthrough exciting and engaging.

The soundtrack is another highlight, with the original compositions beautifully rearranged to sound fresh and vibrant. The addition of quality-of-life improvements, such as autosave and a minimap, makes the game more accessible without losing its classic appeal. Overall, Final Fantasy III Pixel Remastered is a must-play for both long-time fans and newcomers to the series.

Final Fantasy III is a big improvement from the first 2 entries. The gameplay is more diverse than I, and III reverts back to a better leveling system/encounter rate vs II. Additionally, the story felt a bit more full vs both FFI and FFII... though don't go expecting an incredible story as usual. The music features a few new soundtracks (alongside the old soundtracks) that I thought were really nice. The game is still old, but I enjoyed playing FFIII.

This one is a bit more annoying to 100% since there are more missable things + more regions to hit up, but if you follow a guide... it still shouldn't be hard.

this is the first final fantasy ive ever beaten. ive been playing the series for my whole like it feels and never beat one of the games till this one. im not sure why i always give up but i felt like i didnt want to give up this time around

The Origins of the Job System
Just like the first two games, I’ve played multiple remakes of this one, and while it’s still a pretty basic JRPG by today’s standards, it somewhat holds up and remains enjoyable.
The story is a slight improvement over Final Fantasy II, though it’s still not as deep as later entries. There’s a bit more world-building and adventure, but it’s still very much a classic “heroes on a grand quest” setup.
The biggest improvement in Final Fantasy III is the introduction of the Job System. It’s not as polished or in-depth as what we’d later see in games like Final Fantasy V or Tactics, but it’s cool to see where it all started. Experimenting with different jobs and figuring out the best combinations for your party adds a layer of strategy that wasn’t present in the first two games.
The Pixel Remaster version does a great job with updated visuals and an amazing soundtrack. The quality-of-life improvements, like auto-battling, also help smooth out some of the game’s rougher edges.
Overall, while it’s still a fairly simple RPG, Final Fantasy III is worth playing just to experience the roots of the Job System. It may not be the best in the series, but it’s still a fun and rewarding adventure.

it is a Final Fantasy game. It is better then the previous FF I and FF II

I didn't really like the first half of the game because of how you are forced to flee or use toad/mini on yourself, but the story and music were great, I found myself In a huge grind in early game and think I spent more time grinding on this game then actually playing it. I enjoyed FF1 and FF2 better then 3. Also this is only my 3rd final fantasy game, I am playing them in order wish me luck FF4 is next!