inal Fantasy V isn’t exactly remembered as the best game in the venerated series. It lacks the compelling characters and epic spark of other entries from the 16-bit era; with Cecil and Kain on one side of the Final Fantasy continuum and Kefka on the other, it’s not surprising that it doesn’t quite measure up to its contemporaries in terms of story.

Can an RPG survive without an intricate and twisting plot? In this case, absolutely. Regardless of the events at hand, there is one area where Final Fantasy V is unparalleled: its use of an innovative and addictive job system. This mechanic transforms regular random encounters into an ever-changing mixture of new abilities and strategies. I was constantly trying out new classes and skills (ninjas rule), and I enjoyed every minute of it as my party members slowly evolved into fully optimized machines.

This isn’t the first time I’ve experimented with this system. I, like other fans of the franchise, played this game on the PSone’s Final Fantasy Anthology. While the GBA port remains the same in many ways, there are plenty of improvements in just the right places. The new translation is much more bearable (no more Faris saying “D’yar” every other word), and the new jobs like Gladiator and Necromancer are cool – but only available late in the game.

Without question, this is the best way to experience Final Fantasy V. However, if you’re the kind of RPG fan who needs a strong story to keep you playing, even this definitive version won’t be satisfying. On the other hand, if you usually skip through dialogue just to get to the next battle, you’ll love this game’s unique blend of character-building and combat.