Kefkas Tower = Best Final Dungeon Ever

I just finished the GBA incarnation of FFVI today. Now while I've long since held that this game was leagues ahead of FFVII in many ways, I'd forgotten just how effin awesome the final dungeon was.

Lets just do some math here

14 characters to choose from.
12 characters to control.
3 groups
3 goddesses
2 dragons
1 Ultimate weapon
A three story living mountain of a mid-boss thats just the warm up too the fight with...
Kefka

and an awesome ending that feels like an emotional roller coaster.

Now while I do feel there are better RPG's (not many, but they do exist) I can't really say that I've ever seen a final dungeon in an RPG that can stand up to this masterpiece.

So, who agree's, who disagree's, and who has yet to play this game?

While the dungeon and boss designs were incredible, I would have to say I still prefer the series' more surreal final dungeons, such as Pandaemonium, the Lunar Core, the Dimensional Rift, and Memoria (although there are certainly other series which put FF's final dungeons to shame). But splitting up into teams was remarkably fun.

I didn't like it. I thought it was pretty long and boring. I only had 6 good characters, the rest had crap equipment and levels. I prefer using 1 party, using all 3 wasn't ideal for me. Surprisingly, my weak parties were able to kill the bosses which shows just how weak they are. It's probably one of my least favorite final dungeons (not counting the new FFs because they fail).

It's pretty much a garbage dump that doesn't serve any meaning except for the fight with Kefka.

That's why you switch around your parties' equipment before the boss fights. :)

I did that a couple times in the past, this time though I decided to go all out. I maxed out everyones levels with all the various subquests, gave everyone the high powered spells and relics. Scored enough cash to get the best equipment for everyone, I guess thats why I found it so interesting this time. Every party was balanced out with everyones unique skills, that switching between every group made me switch up how I was playing.

I also thought the mid-bosses were pretty cool. And crusader as a summon looks boss.

Yeah, I never switched anyone's equipment around. Also, I have the PS1 version of the game. I'm curious to see what the GBA version is like.

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Originally Posted by Xurts

Yeah, I never switched anyone's equipment around. Also, I have the PS1 version of the game. I'm curious to see what the GBA version is like.

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No wonder you found it long, the PS1 version had ridiculous load times. I only got to the point where your party gets back together at narshe after splitting up, and fights against kefka's army for the esper. It took me a week to get to that point with the load times, and by that point I lost my patience.

The Tower was one of the best parts of the game (if you can pump yourself up for it and get into it, lol). I need to get to the new dungeon they added, I think that will be really awesome to do.

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Originally Posted by Ishin Ookami

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Originally Posted by Xurts

Yeah, I never switched anyone's equipment around. Also, I have the PS1 version of the game. I'm curious to see what the GBA version is like.

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No wonder you found it long, the PS1 version had ridiculous load times. I only got to the point where your party gets back together at narshe after splitting up, and fights against kefka's army for the esper. It took me a week to get to that point with the load times, and by that point I lost my patience.

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ahaha, yeah, the load times suck. :(

I think it is possibly the last "good" final dungeon in FF, but not the best in the series. I would rate it far below FFII's Pandemonium and the Lunar Core from FFIV, and slightly below the N-Zone from FFV, maybe slightly better than FFIII's Crystal Tower/Dark World (from the original).

As far as the best final dungeons in console RPGs, I really don't know since my console RPG experience is very limited.

Taking all games into account, it doesn't even register for me as a final level in terms of entertainment value.

This is definetly one of the better final dungeons in the series though I'll admit that Lunar Core and Memoria hold very fond memories for me. I might be a minority for saying this but I actually enjoyed the final dungeon in VIII. Having your abilities sealed and having to fight to get them back... maybe it's just me.

VI holds a fond memory since you got to use most of your party and I liked the puzzle aspect of the dungeon (I really love the Dragon's Den btw:love: )

It's not as good as Ultimecia's Castle, but it's one of the better final dungeons in the series.

I wouldve prefered if everyone could be included, but it's still a good dungeon, Ive seen a few better ones but nothing i can think of off the top of my head

FFV's final Dungeon was kewl, four was better. Kefka's Tower was really long the first two times I went through it. But has anyone been to the Dragon's Den yet? I wonder if it's going to be better than Kefka's tower or not.

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Originally Posted by Lookout Zeromus_X

I would have to say I still prefer the series' more surreal final dungeons...

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Agreed. That's probably why the Floating Continent is my favorite dungeon in the game.

I liked Memoria, especially the Crystal World at the end of it.

there's a few i would put over it, pandaemonium had great music and it could be short or long depending on what kind of end-game experience you're looking for. Memoria is great because it's so many different dungeons in one, and i like how it hints at what was to come in X.

and i know i may get chased out of this forum, but i put VII's up there with those 2, i like how you get deeper and deeper into the planet's core until you finally get to the center of it all, literally and figuratively.

kefka's would come after those, i liked getting to use multiple parties to tackle it, that's one of my favorite aspects of VI, especially because i, unlike most, enjoyed all of the characters and welcomed the challenge of making each one useful