Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Destiny of an Emperor are wildly different games. One of them is a starter RPG, and the other is a very unique game with interesting gameplay. I have more memories of one of these games than the other one.
Both of these games are turn-based RPGs, and they have fantasy settings. Their stories, combat, and settings are very different. Games like this are fun to compare because they’re so different from each other.
I have memories of both games, but they’re aren’t the same. These are two games I played in the 1990s under different circumstances. I went into Destiny of an Emperor without a clue what the game was. It was the way I found out about quite a few games back in the day. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest got me excited at first because of the name, but it left me disappointed as I played it.
After revisiting both games, my opinion of Destiny of an Emperor hasn’t changed. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is better than I remember. Let’s get into these two games and see what they have to offer.
Game Descriptions/Overviews
There are some similarities between these two games. Both have fantasy settings, have turn-based combat, and have stories that end with a big confrontation with a boss character. After that, things are quite different.
Destiny of an Emperor is an alternate history RPG. It is based on historical events, but follows one character who is turned into the main protagonist. It is a low fantasy setting where magic takes the form of military tactics. In the game, you have to try to unify China. It roughly follows the events of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but is based on a manga.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is a high fantasy RPG. This is a starter RPG, where the player takes control of a solo protagonist and a rotating cast of characters. Magic exists in the game’s world, and the player’s character can use most of it. The plot follows a prophecy where the player’s character is trying to restore light to four crystals, and eventually fights a big bad guy. These are the brief overviews of both games. There are some major differences between them. One is a starter RPG, which is fairly simple in terms of gameplay, story, and difficulty. The other is more complex and has way more going on. Let’s get into the major differences between them.
Main Differences
There are quite a few differences between these two games. I’m going to try to focus on three or four things so I can keep things brief. The areas I’ll be focusing on are the story, gameplay, and settings.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest’s story is very basic. The player’s character has to restore the light to four crystals, which eventually leads to a fight against an evil wizard. It is a fairly basic high fantasy story. Destiny of an Emperor is an alternate history story. Everything in it is based on historical events, but the outcomes are different to fit into the narrative.
The gameplay is the same at its core, but very different once you take a closer look. Destiny of an Emperor uses a party of five characters, with two in reserve. It replaces magic with military tactics, battles are more strategic, and there are no monsters in the game. It also has random encounters instead of being able to see enemies.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest uses a party of two characters. One is always controlled by the player, and the other can be put on auto. This is a high fantasy setting where you’ll be fighting monsters and using magic. You can also see where the enemies are in dungeons, most of the time.
Both games follow a fairly linear path as you play. You’re allowed to do more exploring in Destiny of an Emperor than in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. The reason for this is that Final Fantasy Mystic Quest locks you into one path on the world map. You can’t explore the game’s world, and it acts closer to what you’d see in a tactical RPG.
Those are a few of the major differences between these games. There are more, but they’re minor. Also, I don’t want to write a lengthy section on all of the differences. I want to stick to the big things that separate these games. Let’s get into what each game does better than the other.
What Does Destiny of an Emperor do Better?
Destiny of an Emperor does quite a few things better than Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. It has a better story, more interesting gameplay, and it gives the player more freedom. Both games are linear, but Destiny of an Emperor offers a few options on how to complete specific quests.
The game’s story is more than the basic high fantasy plot of trying to defeat an evil wizard. Destiny of an Emperor follows historical events to some extent, which means you’re fighting against historical warlords. The game does take some liberties, but the player is fighting in the campaigns from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
The gameplay is way more interesting to me because it isn’t like any other RPG on the home console. You have a party of five characters, and two other characters in reserve. To use your “magic,” you have to have a tactician assigned. You can also recruit enemy generals once you defeat them in battle. This is something that I love about the game!
Destiny of an Emperor lets the player explore the game’s world. There are very few dungeons in the game, so most of your time will be spent exploring ancient China. While you do follow a basic path, there are a few side quests that make you backtrack a bit. You also go on one long quest to assemble your party, specifically the characters that gain levels over the course of the game.
Those are the areas that I feel are better in Destiny of an Emperor. There are several other things that can be considered better, but I don’t think they’re significant enough to mention. Let’s get into what Final Fantasy Mystic Quest does better.
What Does Final Fantasy Mystic Quest do Better?
I can think of a handful of things that are better in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Many of them are quality-of-life improvements, such as the inventory system and a lack of archaic gameplay mechanics. The difficulty is also more accessible when compared to Destiny of an Emperor.
The inventory system in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is much better and more straightforward. It helps that you only have one character to deal with, but it is still better than dealing with seven individual inventories that have everything in them. Destiny of an Emperor’s inventory system is similar to the first few Dragon Quest games.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest doesn’t use the menu system to talk to people or perform other actions like Destiny of an Emperor does. You have one action button to interact with NPCs and other items. This works better for me.
This is a much easier game to get into. Destiny of an Emperor has a lot of grinding in it, and the final battle can be brutal. Because Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is a starter RPG, it is far easier to pick up and play.
There is also some more variety in the gameplay. Each weapon has a secondary function outside of combat. This means there is some more action platforming to it, and more puzzle solving. It is one of the things that helps this to stand out in a good way.
Those are the areas that I think Final Fantasy Mystic Quest does better. This is a simpler game, and the gameplay reflects that. Let’s get into which game is better and which one I would rather play.
Which is Better Overall and Why?
This wasn’t all that hard a decision for me. Destiny of an Emperor is one of my favorite RPGs, and it has better gameplay than Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. The story and setting are also much better.
Destiny of an Emperor uses the story of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms as a base. It takes some liberties, but that makes for a better game. I love this setting and the alternate history take on these events. It is also pretty cool that it is based on a manga.
The gameplay is overall better than Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. You have more freedom to explore the game’s world, and while it is also a fairly linear game, it doesn’t feel like it. Late in the game, you have to do some more backtracking, which is part of the game’s plot. Since you’re not locked into set paths, this feels like a much bigger game.
I love the party system in Destiny of an Emperor. You go on a long quest to assemble your party, and you can recruit enemy generals to your side. Also, having five party members in battle makes it far more interesting than having only two.
To go along with all that, I have more memories of this game. I fell in love with the game from the first time I played it, and my opinion hasn’t changed over the years. It is very different from how I initially felt about Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. While I like it more now, it still isn’t enough to overtake Destiny of an Emperor.
Which Would I Rather Play?
I had another easy decision here with this one. While Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is somewhat new to me, Destiny of an Emperor is the game I would rather play. It is simply more fun for me to play, and it means more to me.
Games based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms are some of my favorite games. It is an awesome setting for a video game, and I wish more RPGs were set in this time period. I also like the low fantasy setting where magic exists, but is more in line with military tactics than actual spells.
This is a unique game that doesn’t play like other RPGs from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest feels like a dumbed-down version of Final Fantasy on the NES. There wasn’t another RPG in the NES that played like Destiny of an Emperor.
Revisiting Destiny of an Emperor is always fun for me. I love the gameplay, the graphics, and the story. It is a fun take on the events of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms story. I wish that the sequels had been released in North America.
Conclusion
These games are very different from each other. I do like both of them, but one is clearly better than the other. I also like Destiny of an Emperor much more than Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.
There are some interesting things in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. A part of me wishes that this game was made differently. If it wasn’t a starter RPG, then I think it could’ve been better. There are a few other RPGs that have similar gameplay elements, but are done much better.
Destiny of an Emperor is a game that I have a lot of memories of. From finding it online to looking for it in several retro game stores in the late 1990s, I’ve always liked this game. I have more fun with it than I do with any other RPG on the NES.
As I look at the other RPGs I’ve played, I can see some interesting comparisons coming up. I also have a few more that should be good. At this point, I’m not sure what I’m going to do next.
If you liked this post, check out the other posts in this series. For example, Dragon Quest II vs Final Fantasy Mystic Quest or Final Fantasy Mystic Quest vs Phantasy Star.