2. Final Fantasy VI (1994)
Final Fantasy VI didn’t just perfect the 16-bit turn-based RPG, it elevated it to a whole new level with characters much bigger and multi-dimensional than their pixel-art sprites might initially suggest. It begins with a group of revolutionaries attempting to rescue a brainwashed magician from an evil empire and ends with a varied cast of post-apocalyptic survivors fighting together to overthrow god. The Esper system taught characters magic while also letting you tinker with their stats, powering a combat system that was both meaty and elegant. Every character could learn any spell, double casting flare or dual-wielding the most powerful swords in the game, nailing a free-form sweet spot between Final Fantasy IV’s rigid classes and Final Fantasy V’s sprawling job system.
16-bit Final Fantasy has always been praised for its music and storytelling, but Final Fantasy VI was a watershed moment for the series, with every piece of the game’s design aligning to produce a cinematic and touching journey that felt unbounded by the hardware it was limited to at the time. It branched out beyond its archetypal warriors of light more than any prior game in the series to tell a tale of friendship, despair, and ultimately, triumph. That Kefka guy was pretty memorable, too. — Ethan Gach
