Final Fantasy III

 DS
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 259 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 196 out of 259
  2. Mixed: 51 out of 259
  3. Negative: 12 out of 259
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  1. Yojimbo2015
    Jun 24, 2023
    8
    Enjoyable update of the classic SNES game that contains pretty 3D graphics but keeps the original adventure intact. Very old school in its approach but that's where its appeal lies.
  2. LastResource
    Jan 14, 2023
    10
    worth it and glad to play ti this game again. so much memories and nostalgia within this third game in the series.
  3. CloudStrife05
    Aug 24, 2021
    9
    Fun game that was ported to the DS. I would highly recommend it to any FF fan out there.
  4. Archvile-UT
    Jul 27, 2021
    4
    Не сказать, что игра плохая, но по сути это сплошной гринд, состоящий из случайных схваток. В принципе самое то для портативных консолей.
    Сюжет чисто для галочки, простенькая картинка. Музыка неплоха, но нужно было додуматься использовать одну боевую мелодию на всю игру, состоящую из одних боев – это «гениально»!
    Задумку с профессиями убивает то, что при переключении между ними даются    Не сказать, что игра плохая, но по сути это сплошной гринд, состоящий из случайных схваток. В принципе самое то для портативных консолей.
    Сюжет чисто для галочки, простенькая картинка. Музыка неплоха, но нужно было додуматься использовать одну боевую мелодию на всю игру, состоящую из одних боев – это «гениально»!
    Задумку с профессиями убивает то, что при переключении между ними даются штрафы, которые снимаются через несколько боёв и каждую профессию нужно долго прокачивать, чтобы от нее была хоть какая-то польза, а различия между профессиями слабые. Итого опять один гринд.
    Еще игра несбалансированная – легко подбираются универсальные атаки, которые эффективны против всех врагов. Только иногда на боссах нужно подумать и использовать специфические навыки.
    Как в это играть без функции автобоя с ускорением я не представляю, но с ней играть можно – простенькие бои все же затягивают. В итоге игру осилил, но растягивая и небольшими порциями - 4/10.    … Expand
  5. Arfon
    Dec 12, 2020
    9
    Super addictive RPG, i finished it in less than a week. Story is kinda ok, grinding is necessary near the end. The job system was pretty cool. And it looks amazing!!
  6. Kingdomhear
    Dec 5, 2020
    5
    La trama troppo scontata e i personaggi sono sotto tono...livello di difficoltà bilanciato male in alcuni punti..si poteva fare di meglio
  7. agentbinky
    Oct 5, 2020
    5
    One of the weaker entries in the series in my opinion. They tried to give a little personality to the characters by giving them names other than "Onion Kid" but it didn't add much. I guess Ignus was the rebel? Whatever. At least it introduced the excellent "Job System" which came to underpin many of the best FF games ever.
  8. XV_
    Feb 3, 2020
    8
    My first hours with FF III were so fast that I almost didn't felt them, but once you go more deeply into the story, this game can feel at times like a chore.

    As far as narrative goes, the story is kind of similar to the one in Final Fantasy I but with more story-driven main characters, they're no blank slates this time, although they're not that interesting, they're ok, and for the most    My first hours with FF III were so fast that I almost didn't felt them, but once you go more deeply into the story, this game can feel at times like a chore.

    As far as narrative goes, the story is kind of similar to the one in Final Fantasy I but with more story-driven main characters, they're no blank slates this time, although they're not that interesting, they're ok, and for the most part, the story it's good, taking a nice turn near the end, not that memorable but good, it also seems to serve as some inspiration for FF XIV's Shadowbringers.

    The best part although is its turn-based gameplay, it has a nice rhythm, never too hard but never too easy, at least till you arrive at the final dungeon where the curve has a big spike and you require to do a lot of grinding or take a gamble and lose hours worth of exp, because you can't save indoors or in dungeons, this is unforgivable since this being a remake it doesn't make sense to be this punishing and also it can't be a technical limitation, or maybe it does who knows, this is not a problem in other dungeons since they're not that big, so if you die, you'll only lose like 20 min or so. Speaking of dungeons, it has a lot of boss fights and a lot of them are great and offer a good challenge, although be prepared for some dying.

    A mixed thing about the gameplay and the new addition to the series is its job system, you can assign different jobs to any character you like and raise their job level (you have a level gauge for the base character and a level gauge for their selected job), this can be fun, but it seems that a lot of jobs are clearly better than others so it's more like you'll be switching jobs when they're available to you, not because you like them but because they're better, the problem is that the best jobs are available near the end so you have to start their new job from zero and do a lot of grinding, if only every job was available from the start this mechanic wouldn't feel so punishing.

    Visually the game looks pretty nice, although I don't prefer to have the super stylish and cool designs of **** Amano and have the cute and anime like 3D models, once you forget that discrepancy you'll do fine, the music is also great, I loved so much the overworld theme, in fact, there are several musical cues that reminded me of Shadowbringers, so I was pleasantly surprised.

    All in all, there are certain issues to call this game as a better version than its predecessors, it is certainly a good time around, the story and gameplay may be a little generic by today standards but still they're pretty solid, so is easily to recommend to everyone, just be mindful of the last section of the game that has a stiff curve.    … Expand
  9. vodkaffee
    Dec 12, 2019
    8
    Loved the original Famicom game, the remake blew my mind, so many things added, charcters had personalities, the job system vas changed a bit but is still great, the music is from my favorite on the series.
    I loved they manteined the use of magic by uses and not changed it to a MP system like they did with FF1&2; played on PC, smartphone, DS, OUYA, Famicom emulator, absolutely love this    Loved the original Famicom game, the remake blew my mind, so many things added, charcters had personalities, the job system vas changed a bit but is still great, the music is from my favorite on the series.
    I loved they manteined the use of magic by uses and not changed it to a MP system like they did with FF1&2; played on PC, smartphone, DS, OUYA, Famicom emulator, absolutely love this game, simple and yet fantastic.    … Expand
  10. sebastianali
    Aug 10, 2019
    7
    Si bien le doy mas nota que las otras versiones, es solo porque es una DS. Por lo que sus malos gráficos son entendibles (de hecho, son buenos para los estándares de la DS). La historia también es interesante (pobre doga y une sniff...). Pero la dificultad lo mata.
  11. BasilZero
    Oct 27, 2018
    9
    Game: Final Fantasy III
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: Squareenix Publisher: Squareenix System: Nintendo DS (DS) Year of Release: 2006 Length of Playthrough: 35 Hours Total Score: 86/100 Value Score: 8.6/10 • Story: 9/10 • Characters: 8/10 • GamePlay: 8/10 • Graphics: 7/10 • Sound: 9/10 • Music: 10/10 • Length: 8/10 • Replay Value: 8/10 • Player Value: 9/10 Pros +3D Remake    Game: Final Fantasy III
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: Squareenix
    Publisher: Squareenix
    System: Nintendo DS (DS)
    Year of Release: 2006
    Length of Playthrough: 35 Hours

    Total Score: 86/100
    Value Score: 8.6/10

    • Story: 9/10
    • Characters: 8/10
    • GamePlay: 8/10
    • Graphics: 7/10
    • Sound: 9/10
    • Music: 10/10
    • Length: 8/10
    • Replay Value: 8/10
    • Player Value: 9/10

    Pros
    +3D Remake of the NES FF3
    +New protagonist characters with each their own backstory
    +New Jobs/classes and balancing
    +New Bosses and secret battles
    +Online system to trade letters
    +Ability to do a interruption save (temporary save) to turn off the game in return will allow player to load the temporary save file once after reloading the game

    Cons
    -Online system is defunct now and impossible to fight secret bosses unless you use cheat codes
    -Final dungeon has no way to save permanently    … Expand
  12. OwtDaft
    Jul 28, 2018
    4
    + Was the only way to play the game in Britain.
    - Huge fan of Final Fantasy but this game doesn't hold up very well.
    - Biggest flaw is it's difficulty spikes and it's requirement for large amounts of grinding.
    - The characters have a'lot of customisation but they also have little personality.
  13. BenjamiNook
    Aug 11, 2015
    5
    It might just be because I got Bravely Default at the same time, but this is kinda disappointing. There's nothing that makes it terrible, but particularly when compared to the other 3, actually 6, it just doesn't have that thing that makes me want to play it for more than about 2 minutes. I could only recommend it to hardcore FF fans, who probably already have it. To summarize, if you haveIt might just be because I got Bravely Default at the same time, but this is kinda disappointing. There's nothing that makes it terrible, but particularly when compared to the other 3, actually 6, it just doesn't have that thing that makes me want to play it for more than about 2 minutes. I could only recommend it to hardcore FF fans, who probably already have it. To summarize, if you have a 3DS, Bravely Default is better, and for DS, I'd actually recommend that Chocobo spin-off. I'm sorry internet, I liked that game.… Expand
  14. GoombaJMR
    Jan 12, 2014
    7
    A solid game that is a bit slow paced in the beginning. I highly recommend this to all FF and Donjon Crawling fans :D...the difficulty is also very high, which is something that people like me enjoy

    Gameplay: 7/10
    Story: 8/10
    Music: 8/10
    Presentation: 7.5/10
    Length: 7.5/10
    Overall: 7.5/10
  15. HeroinePandora
    Sep 29, 2013
    8
    This game, while light on story just kept pulling me forward with the fun of it. The job system is excellent and you can really make it work for your style, although most people use a traditional team in the end. The strange thing about my experience was that I accidentally beat it. I was playing through this to pass time until another game's release, and I didn't realize I had went past aThis game, while light on story just kept pulling me forward with the fun of it. The job system is excellent and you can really make it work for your style, although most people use a traditional team in the end. The strange thing about my experience was that I accidentally beat it. I was playing through this to pass time until another game's release, and I didn't realize I had went past a point of no return, with no save points anywhere. So, I decided to just keep playing until I died. I beat every mini boss and the final boss instead. So, I guess it was a good oops.
    Art: 8
    Music: 7
    Story: 6
    Gameplay: 8    … Expand
  16. Caestus
    Mar 4, 2013
    9
    Never played the original but really like the remake. The graphics and characters are lovely, the battle system is good with a job system, that succeds.
  17. 6xdandangp
    Dec 29, 2012
    5
    A remake of an incredible JRPG for the NES. However, a number of gameplay changes caused the game to lose its charm. Battles are way too slow compared to the NES version and the weak hardware of the DS results in frame rate problems.
  18. chronoT
    Sep 5, 2012
    7
    This game is hard for me to review because personally it isn't my favorite but I still know how important it is. Final Fantasy 3 is really for the die hard FF player only, the game is seriously challenging and very time consuming for a SNES title. I have to be honest, for its' time this game was extremely well written and pretty much brought FF to life (NES didn't have as much attention).This game is hard for me to review because personally it isn't my favorite but I still know how important it is. Final Fantasy 3 is really for the die hard FF player only, the game is seriously challenging and very time consuming for a SNES title. I have to be honest, for its' time this game was extremely well written and pretty much brought FF to life (NES didn't have as much attention). I don't think the graphics are on par with Chrono Trigger and the battles are pretty generic, with little to no animation. With that being said, if your up for the challenge this game presents it, especially the end!!!… Expand
  19. Kirisoul
    Feb 23, 2012
    7
    Final Fantasy III
    Average User Score: 7.6
    7 It's not bad, but not astounding. Final Fantasy is known for having very high production values, but this remake for the DS isn't quite up to speed it seems. Honestly, if only uses 1 screen for most of the game, and no attempts to update the classic but ancient JRPG formula have been made. This makes it somewhat repetitive at times and may turn    Final Fantasy III
    Average User Score: 7.6
    7
    It's not bad, but not astounding. Final Fantasy is known for having very high production values, but this remake for the DS isn't quite up to speed it seems. Honestly, if only uses 1 screen for most of the game, and no attempts to update the classic but ancient JRPG formula have been made. This makes it somewhat repetitive at times and may turn newcomers off, as and even the best tactician will probably have to grind to get through this game. Still despite all this, FFIII uses a lot of creative and fun concepts in its gameplay, the shining example of this being the job system. This system alone brings unlimited strategic depth to your combat team, almost like pokemon. To sum it up, this game is a remake, but the graphics (which are still bad) are basically the only thing that has been modernized, and it can feel like a very monotonous game at times. Nevertheless, RPG fans will find this game decent, and it still has that FF atmosphere we all know and love.    … Expand
  20. Luigibarqs
    Jan 4, 2011
    9
    The old school masterpiece Final Fantasy III finally gets localized and was it worth the wait? Yes!
    Modern fans might be put off by its classic mechanics and rough difficulty spike but if things like that don't bother you, what will be found is a deep and rewarding nostalgic RPG with a good challenge.
    The music and graphics are modernized but still have the intended classic feel which is    The old school masterpiece Final Fantasy III finally gets localized and was it worth the wait? Yes!
    Modern fans might be put off by its classic mechanics and rough difficulty spike but if things like that don't bother you, what will be found is a deep and rewarding nostalgic RPG with a good challenge.
    The music and graphics are modernized but still have the intended classic feel which is always nice for a remake. The story although hasn't aged well over the years is still pretty interesting and even if it is rather predictable and the main characters who where not explained all too well in the original are given interesting personalities and are fleshed out in a great manner over the course of the storyline and you get a real sense of what each of them is going through. Any fan of Final Fantasy or fans of old school RPGs from the late 1980s to early 1990s should definitely take a look at this great title.    … Expand
  21. Tubie
    Oct 23, 2010
    6
    Not the best port, yes they updated the graphics and all but the game could have a received a better treatment. I guess some games don't translate well into modern graphics.
  22. Alex
    Aug 31, 2010
    9
    Square pull it off once again with the DS remake of Final Fantasy III. An RPG that wasn't originally released in US and UK has now been remade into a 2-million-selling must-have for a wide audience. Perfect for the DS, this single-player old school RPG has a plot expected of a 20 year old game; 4 "chosen" orphans who go out on a mission when instructed by crystals to cave the world.Square pull it off once again with the DS remake of Final Fantasy III. An RPG that wasn't originally released in US and UK has now been remade into a 2-million-selling must-have for a wide audience. Perfect for the DS, this single-player old school RPG has a plot expected of a 20 year old game; 4 "chosen" orphans who go out on a mission when instructed by crystals to cave the world. Simple, effective, fun.
    The game in itself has been described by many as too difficult for the casual gamer. I for one found it easy, but this may be due to the fact that I use the levelling system (the more battles you win, the stronger your characters become) and level up as much as possible before entering, for example, a new cave, or a new part of the landscape where monsters (who appear in "random battles", which occur while on the world map) may be tougher than in previous locations. This is a key feature in the game; if you do not level up enough, you will suffer and have increased difficulty progressing. Online features (such as mailing other players whose individual game codes you have collected) allow opportunities for side quests, of which there is many. This adds some extra hours onto the end of the game.
    The game has a low age rating. There is no explicit language or scenes, but the violence which occurs with swords and other weapons could become a problem amongst younger players, earning the game a PEGI 12+ age rating.
    The game includes about 25 solid hours of gameplay, and if one wishes, an extra 5 hours minimum of side quests. The dungeons aren't too long, and advancing doesn't take too much time, although increasing levels for ease of progression may become a chore, as enemies can be quite repetitive. There is often a case of tapping the A button repeatedly for as many battles as it takes to level up enough to be able to defeat the next boss. Boss fights can be hard, although the final boss was a disappointment, and at a character level that wasn't too drastic, I found the final boss relatively easy, defeating it about 5 minutes in on my first try. One can save at any point on the world map, as long as you are not in a battle or a conversation. There are also places in dungeons (often appropriately placed just before boss battles) where you can save the game and heal up your characters, which is often a point where you may find your self relaxing, knowing that you can retry a boss battle without having to go through the entire dungeon again. There is also a "Quicksave" feature; you can do this in any dungeon or town, which literally pauses the game, while you turn the DS off.
    There is replay value in the form of Job systems and online-triggered side quests. The job system is a feature of the game where you choose what kind of skills you want each of your characters to gain with progress. These include general fighters, mages, ninjas, etc., all of which have different and vital abilities.
    The game is easily controlled with the D-pad. I didn't at any point find myself wishing the touch screen had more use, which is admirable. It is easy to control, and you will quickly become accustomed to navigating through menus, the world map and the battle system.
    Graphics are amazing; characters are distinctly different, and appearance changes with your choice of Job. The environment is amazing also, and while not realistic, the system makes full use of the DS' technicality and the developers have produced a graphics system which has been used in other successful games since. Computer animation is up to par and the colourful cartoon-esque world is perfect for DS and Final Fantasy.
    There is no voice acting; one of the biggest disappointments of the game. On the other hand, a masterful soundtrack and appropriate sound effects live up to Final Fantasy standards.
    CGI scenes are just the same graphically, but from different angles and close-ups. The amazing CGI scene which starts on the main menu is astounding. Realistic (for the DS) and just something every game needs; a perfect start-up video to give a taste of the entire game.
    This game is greatly under-rated. Every aspect seems perfect, and the Square team have really done a great job, as is evident with 2 million sales. At the moment it is listed as the DS' 32nd best selling game. The game has been a success; over 1,000 games have been released for the DS and only around 60 have been million-sellers.
    9/10. Why? Although being a brilliant and worthwhile game, and it is a remake so there is little expectancy for this, there is nothing new; nothing to make the player feel they are experiencing something no other game has done before.    … Expand
  23. JeremyS
    Aug 21, 2009
    7
    First and foremost, this is a Famicom game with a graphical overhaul. Besides this and a small tweaking to the story to accommodate some difficulty curve, very little else has been changed. Rightfully so the game is extremely difficult, and some of the time completely unfair. The final boss/dungeon is excruciatingly hard, but my lord when you have defeated the Cloud of Darkness you will First and foremost, this is a Famicom game with a graphical overhaul. Besides this and a small tweaking to the story to accommodate some difficulty curve, very little else has been changed. Rightfully so the game is extremely difficult, and some of the time completely unfair. The final boss/dungeon is excruciatingly hard, but my lord when you have defeated the Cloud of Darkness you will raise your fist in victory and sing Hallelujah! The reward of beating this game is what makes it worth the purchase (It is now a budget title at $19.99) However, If you are not completely compelled to get from start to finish, this game may not be for you. You have been warned.… Expand
  24. ScottW
    Feb 27, 2008
    9
    The negative reviews of this game really goes to show how gamers are being spoonfed and led by the hand in games these days. The lack of save points added a bit more excitement for me...every battle was crucial, one wrong move and you're in deep trouble. Although being beaten by the final boss aafter slugging it in the tower for 3-4 hours is a hard pill to swallow...Regardless, The negative reviews of this game really goes to show how gamers are being spoonfed and led by the hand in games these days. The lack of save points added a bit more excitement for me...every battle was crucial, one wrong move and you're in deep trouble. Although being beaten by the final boss aafter slugging it in the tower for 3-4 hours is a hard pill to swallow...Regardless, it's nice to see an RPG that properly challenges the gamer. It's looking and sounding beautiful on the DS now. Brilliant remaster.… Expand
  25. WillyG.
    Jan 19, 2008
    4
    Man its terrible compared to all the modern FF games. Theres almost no character development, no plot twists, extremely predictable storyline(not to mention extremely cliched and old). Im glad the new FF games are so much better. Also, you can only save on the world map, which is terrible at the end of the game when you have to go up in a tower for 3 hours. The final boss is very hard so Man its terrible compared to all the modern FF games. Theres almost no character development, no plot twists, extremely predictable storyline(not to mention extremely cliched and old). Im glad the new FF games are so much better. Also, you can only save on the world map, which is terrible at the end of the game when you have to go up in a tower for 3 hours. The final boss is very hard so if you lose you have to repeat those 3 hours again and hope that you do better the next time. I was getting ready to destroy my DS at this point. I recommend that if you REALLY REALLY want a handheld FF game, then you should get it, or if you have never played a different FF game before like 7 8 9 10 you might like this. Otherwise its a pretty terrible game.… Expand
  26. ChristineW.
    Sep 16, 2007
    9
    It's more difficult than most FF games which is a good thing. I love the graphics and the opening before the game start is so pretty looking! It's extremely easy to die in this game and Phoenix Downs are limited, making the game harder. I hate that you can't save at all in dungeons though. I was at the last boss and I died. I nearly pulled my hair out!
  27. SteveW.
    Jul 22, 2007
    6
    Not as good as I expected. The graphics are impressive but the game is tedious and has a horrible story. I understand that it was a remake of an old final fantasy however it gets boring. If you really really like final fantasy games...then give it a try, but if you are new to the series i would start somewhere else.
  28. KLS.
    May 30, 2007
    9
    Class system is innovative and lets you experiment i.e. choose different jobs at any time w/o too much of a penalty. Lands and missions are vast but don't feel overwhelming, and each give enough satisfaction (reward) upon completion. Graphics are good for the DS. Hard to find any fault in this game it's in my top5 of all time. If you like RPG's it's a must have title.
  29. StevenC.
    May 13, 2007
    8
    The job system is a great plus in this game, its very enjoyable to be able to pick out a team of classes exactly how you want and utilize there strengths within battles - you can pretty much field any team you like (of course, having a healer of some sort is near essential, and some job classes perform better and give advantages in certain fights / areas). The jobs seem nicely balanced The job system is a great plus in this game, its very enjoyable to be able to pick out a team of classes exactly how you want and utilize there strengths within battles - you can pretty much field any team you like (of course, having a healer of some sort is near essential, and some job classes perform better and give advantages in certain fights / areas). The jobs seem nicely balanced out (I hear they have been tuned since the original game) and you'll most likely develop favourite jobs for specific characters. The Graphics are very nice for the DS - from the limited ammount of games i've played its by far the best looking. Summoning magic is especially great looking, but the battle sequences in general for the most part really gives some oomph and makes you feel like you're actually doing/taking some damage. The world map is nice, although it can at times look a bit bland. The game is not without its problems, although for the most part they are minor; the storyline is average, and sometimes even the instructions for where you have to go next are a bit vague. The lack of saving can be a problem - especially when it comes to the final encounter where you'll be catapulted back quite some time if you wipe. For all the time bar that though it was no real problem for me, as quicksaving allows you to stop at anypoint bar combat. The battles CAN drag, but only in the small fights where you're trying to go as quick as possible. The boss fights can be fairly lengthy and rightfully so. All in all a very enjoyable game. -1 for the minor niggles, -1 because its just over to soon, but i'm already replaying it just to try those jobs i didnt have a go with last time. Worth the money, another great FF game.… Expand
  30. Joeking
    Apr 19, 2007
    10
    Pure brilliance. The job-leveling system is a bit odd at first, but I couldn't stop playing as I really wanted to get to the next job set. By far the best rpg I've played so far on the DS.
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Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Best DS Game of 2006
3
#3 Most Discussed DS Game of 2006
6
#6 Most Shared DS Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 45
  3. Negative: 0 out of 45
  1. GameBrink
    88
    An excellent remake that remains very much true to the original game. [JPN Import]
    Read full review
  2. NintendoWorldReport
    65
    It is only the production values: graphics, music, and pedigree that make this game stand out. At its heart, Final Fantasy III is a dated and mediocre RPG that will only please the most die-hard Final Fantasy fans. [JPN Import]
    Read full review
  3. 1UP
    80
    Hardcore RPG players may enjoy it more than modern Final Fantasy titles, thanks to its emphasis on skill development and combat. Casual players may find themselves surprised by how addictive simple level-grinding and monster-slaying can be.
    Read full review
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