What if FFVI had been a 32-bit 3D game?

[Wolf Kanno]

Sephex's post in this amusing VII thread started by Pike made me wonder, what if VI had been released later and was the first actual Playstation release? For me, it's been hard to imagine what it would have looked like.

[The Man]

I don't think there'd have been any way it would have been as pretty. Apart from the pre-rendered backgrounds and the FMVs, FFVII's graphics haven't aged gracefully. Granted, the pre-rendered backgrounds and FMVs would probably have been gorgeous, since FFVI has some of the best art direction in the series as it is. However, to me a lot of the charm of FFVI comes from the stunning sprite artwork. That would have been lost with polygons.

The music would likely have been even more awesome, as Uematsu would have had a more versatile synthesizer to work with. Dancing Mad with choral vocals like One-Winged Angel's? Yes please. (Granted, they already did that with Distant Worlds, didn't they?)

[VeloZer0]

I don't think it would have made all that much impact. I am of the mind that sans graphical differences FF6 and 7 are very similar, so you would probably just be looking at an experience more similar to FF7.

[Sephex]

I came here to comment on this and be all clever by reversing the post Wolf Kanno linked of mine. Now I can't.

But yeah, I still stand by my theory.

[Bubba]

Intriguing indeed.

People might say the style of FFVII would be more suited to the FMV sequences but I'm not so sure. Some of the scenes like the opera, the breaking of the world and the attempted suicide scenes I think would have made for some amazing FMV.

Whether FFVI or FFVII was the first 32Bit game... I think both would have had the same kind of impact that FFVII had back in 1997.

[Psychotic]

Never mind a 32-bit game, can you imagine if it was released now? That opening scene where the MagiTeks trudge through the snowy wildnerness and see the lights of Narshe on the horizon... god damn.

[Flying Arrow]

I don't think it would be the same game. I don't think Square would have approached it the same way. I agree with Velo when he says that VI and VII are very similar (I've said before that VII really just plays like a souped up SNES game), but I think VII was the first game in the series where Square really knocked it out of the park with unique location design. The great part about VII and the other two PS1 games is that every single area is completely distinct, not just in terms of layout but visually. VI is obviously a fabulous SNES game but the art and tilesets are also very SNES - rearranged cleverly so as to not get tedious. But IMO they still lack that spark that brings each screen alive the way VII does, hell even the way Chrono Trigger or Super Mario RPG do.

[blackmage_nuke]

I cant imagine any type of laugh that would be as good as kefka's 8bit guffaw

[Spooniest]

Mark Hamill Laughing - YouTube

[sabin101]

Not sure if final fantasy six would look good in a 32 bit format. It would change the whole entire game. I actually like the way the game looks even today it blows me away. Not sure if I would want a 3d version of the game of course it would look awesome having kefka in 3d.

[Roogle]

I think it might have been more fondly remembered by the populace in the same vein as Final Fantasy VII. Final Fantasy VII gets a lot of its popularity because it was many gamers' first experience with Final Fantasy. If Final Fantasy VI had been on Playstation and released a little bit later, it may very well have taken that spot in gamers' hearts.

[Necronopticous]

No thanks.

[espritduo]

PSX quality graphics? No thanks. The primitive polygons just can't compare to the quality of FFVI's sprites, as noted above.

Now, PS3 quality graphics? Yes, please.