Which is better? Final Fantasy vs Phantasy Star III

Phantasy Star III and Final Fantasy are both turn-based RPGs that I’ve changed my mind about over the years. One of them is a game that I’ve become very tired of playing, and the other is something that I’ve gotten a newfound interest in. Both are good games, and they have some great things in them.

I had very different reactions to these games when I first played them back in the 1990s. The first Final Fantasy is the game that got me into RPGs, and Phantasy Star III was a bit disappointing. My opinions have changed on both games.

Both games are a lot of fun to play. They have a few similarities but take different approaches to reaching their respective endings. While they’re fantasy games, one leans more into science fiction than the other. Let’s get into them and see what they have to offer.

Game Descriptions/Overviews

These are turn-based RPGs where you assemble a party of characters to fight against a big bad guy. They have different settings, but share some of the tropes of the genre. You can tell that one was an early console RPG, while the other had the advantage of being the third game in a series.

Final Fantasy is a high fantasy RPG, which has a few elements of science fiction in it. There are a few robots, but most of the enemies are going to be monsters. The player takes control of four characters that are essentially blank slates. You have to restore the light to four elemental crystals (or orbs, depending on the version you’re playing), and then you fight Chaos. There is a 2000-year time loop that you end up breaking.

Phantasy Star III is a science fantasy game. This means there are more elements of science fiction in this game. The game takes place on a spaceship that has been traveling through space for thousands of years. In the game, you have to face off against Dark Force, who is the big bad guy of the series. The story takes place across three generations of heroes, and there are four possible endings.

These are the general descriptions for each game. As I look at them, I can see a number of differences between them. Neither is a bad game; they just do things differently. Let’s get into the main differences and some of the core mechanics.

Main Differences 

There are quite a few differences between these games. I’ll mostly be talking about the setting, party, magic systems, and storytelling. Those are the major things to me, and I’ll save some of the more minor differences for later.

The settings are very different. Final Fantasy is a high fantasy setting that takes place on a planet. There are quite a few dungeons and castles to explore. Phantasy Star III takes place on a very large spaceship and is a science fantasy setting. There is a mix of robots and monsters, and you have a few characters who are androids.

Phantasy Star III has you assemble a party of five characters, and you have a rotating cast of characters due to the episodic storytelling. Characters come and go as you move through the different generations, but there are a few who stay with you throughout the game. Final Fantasy has you assemble a party of four characters. They don’t have names, personalities, or backstories. It is up to the player to do that if they’re so inclined.

These games have totally different magic systems. Final Fantasy’s makes more sense to me, but that is probably due to me playing the game and series so much. It has an annoying magic point system that I’m glad was abandoned. Phantasy Star III is more creative with its magic/technique system. It also uses a magic point system that is found in more console RPGs.

The way these games tell their stories is quite different. Final Fantasy is less cinematic and feels rather basic. Much of this is due to when the game was made. Phantasy Star III uses comic book cutscenes and uses an episodic approach of storytelling. I’m not going to mention graphics too much because of the differences in console generations.

Those are the things that I think are the major differences. There are more, but I felt like these were the biggest differences. I’ll get into the minor areas in the next section.

Comparing Core Mechanics (Combat, Story, Visuals, etc)

There are a number of little things that I can talk about here. I’m going to try to keep this to three or four things that stand out to me. These games have different approaches in several areas, especially when it comes to combat, stories, and visuals.

Phantasy Stat III has the player go on a quest to find party members. This happens in each of the three sections of the game. Final Fantasy doesn’t do this, and the game is relying on the player to add some personality to its characters. Their motivations aren’t as clear as those in Phantasy Star III, because we don’t learn about who they are aside from them being connected to a prophecy.

It is much easier to navigate Final Fantasy’s world. Phantasy Star III has a series of biomes that are connected to a central hub. The player has to go through a short dungeon to get to each section, and it makes this a little confusing. Final Fantasy is one world with dungeons and castles. It is simply easier to get around in.

The visual styles aren’t too different. Aside from the visual storytelling that I’ve mentioned, their combat screens look different. Final Fantasy has a side view where you can see the attack and magic animations for the player’s party. The enemies are static photos. Phantasy Star III has a first-person perspective with animations for the enemies and the player’s party.

Those are a few of the areas that are different. There are probably more, but I want to try to keep this brief. Let’s get into what each of these games does better than the other.

What Does Phantasy Star III do Better?

There are a lot of things in Phantasy Star III that are better than in Final Fantasy. It has a better story, I like the characters more, and the visuals are better. I won’t be harping on the graphics too much, but I do have to acknowledge them a bit.

The story in this game feels fresher. It is a game that I have a newfound appreciation for, and the story is part of it. I love the episodic way the developers chose for this game, and I like that the player has some control over where it goes. It helps to have played the other games in the series, but that isn’t necessarily a requirement.

The characters in Phantasy Star III feel more real. You learn about who they are, where they’re from, and why they’re doing what they are doing. They have more of a role in the story of this game aside from simply showing up one day.

The little animations in this game add a lot to the combat. Enemy sprites move a little when they attack, and while it isn’t amazing, it makes this better. You can also see the attacks and spells in a more elaborate way when compared to Final Fantasy. Phantasy Star III also uses comic book cutscenes to tell its story. While they aren’t the best in the series, they’re better than what other games have to offer.

Those are the big areas that I think Phantasy Star III has over Final Fantasy. I’m sure there are some other things, but I want to stick to the areas that stood out to me. Let’s take a look at what the other game does better.

What Does Final Fantasy do Better?

Final Fantasy does do a few things better than Phantasy Star III. It has a better main villain, the world map is easier to navigate, and quests are better. Those are the three areas I want to focus on. I’m sure there are other things, but I want to keep this brief.

Chaos/Garland is the better villain. He and his minions do more to the people of this game’s world. They have a bigger impact on the world by sabotaging the four elemental crystals. Dark Force works behind the scenes and only really makes his presence known at the end. While Chaos shows up at the end, the four fiends have a more active role in the game’s plot.

Final Fantasy has the better world map. It is easier to navigate, which might be a product of my playing this game so much. Phantasy Star III has an annoying world map where you have to travel to a central hub if you want to get anywhere. Maybe I’ll like it more as I play the game, but at the moment, I like Final Fantasy’s map much more.

The side and main quests are better in Final Fantasy. It feels like you’re having more of an impact on the game’s world by restoring light to the crystals. I also like the quests for your character’s class change and the vehicles. They feel more rewarding to me.

Those are the things that I think are better in Final Fantasy. There are probably some other things that I’m missing, but these are the ones that stuck out to me when I looked at these games. Let’s get into which I think is better overall, and which game I want to revisit.

Which is Better Overall and Why? 

Phantasy Star III is the better game overall. It is more creative, has a better story, and is more fun to play. This game is much better than I remembered it being, and it is the game that I like more in this case.

I like science fiction more than fantasy at this point. Phantasy Star III leans more into science fiction, much like the other games in the series. The way this game tells its story is more creative as it takes place across three generations of heroes. It also takes one part from the second game and turns it into something that feels unique from other console RPGs.

The game’s story is a lot of fun. The characters have been in space for so long that they’ve created kingdoms. Because they’re being influenced by Dark Force, they’re at war with each other. I also like that you have some control over which ending you get depending on the choices you make.

I haven’t played this game as much as Final Fantasy. It also has more things that I like in a retro RPG. The comic book cutscenes add a lot to the game. The battles are better, and this is the game that I have the most reason to play again.

Phantasy Star III is an RPG that I enjoy quite a bit. When I first played it, I didn’t enjoy the game as much as I do now. At this point, this is the game that I enjoy more, and I had more fun playing.  

Which Would I Rather Play?

Phantasy Star III is the game that I would like to revisit. It has the more interesting story, better gameplay, and it is the game that I had the most fun with. While I enjoyed both games, this is the one that I have the most reason to revisit, and the one I enjoyed more.

The way that Phantasy Star III tells its story is much better than Final Fantasy. Being told across three generations helps this game to stand out. This was ambitious for a console RPG, and it is done well. I also like how it ties into the other games in the series.

I like the gameplay in this more than in Final Fantasy. It helps that the way this game tells its story, but I also like that you meet more characters and the battles are more complex. I like having a party of five characters and how you can change things up a bit by taking the different paths through the game.

All of that is why I enjoyed this game more than Final Fantasy. This is also the game that I haven’t played to death. It feels fresher than several other games, and I like how different it is from many of the other console RPGs that I’ve played.

I haven’t seen all the endings to this game. Having four endings gives you a reason to play this game. It is something that would become a standard for RPGs, but back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, this wasn’t uncommon for a console RPG.

Conclusion 

These are both very good RPGs. Phantasy Star III has several things that help to separate it from other console RPGs. Final Fantasy is a perfectly fine game, and it is the RPG that I tend to use as a measuring stick. I’ve just played Final Fantasy way too much over the years.

Phantasy Star III is newer to me, and it is a game that I’m glad I gave a second chance to. My friend Eric rented it after we had played the fourth game, and I remember not liking it much. When I revisited it about six years ago, I found it to be a very good game with an interesting story.

Final Fantasy was one of the first RPGs that I played. That was way back in the early 1990s, and it got me into the genre. I have quite a bit of fatigue with the game, but I still enjoy it, just not as much as I used to.

It is always fun to look at retro RPGs. Each of them has something that separates them from the others. Developers were trying new things and attempting to move the genre forward. Not all of the mechanics that were tried worked out, and even if people like them now, it doesn’t always mean they were good back in the day.

If you liked this post, check out some of the other posts in this Vs series. Such as Sweet Home vs Final Fantasy Mystic Quest or Destiny of an Emperor vs Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.