http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3153183

by Jeremy Parish

Final Fantasy V is one of the more obscure entries in Square's
long-running RPG series. Aside from the third chapter (due soon in a
dramatically revamped form for DS) it's put in the fewest appearances
in America to date, having been totally passed up in the 16-bit days.
And the one official release to date -- on Final Fantasy Anthology for
PlayStation -- was plagued by horrible loading times and an even worse
translation.

But time heals all wounds, or at least all classic RPGs, and FFV is
getting a second (well, third) chance at life in America on Game Boy
Advance. Much like parts I, II and IV, FFV's GBA incarnation features
enhanced graphics, expanded gameplay and a greatly improved new
translation. What makes FFVA unique is that unlike its portable
predecessors, this is a completely new remake; where the others showed
up on the Japan-only WonderSwan first, this release marks FFV's first
handheld outing.

Nevertheless, based on our hands-on time with the game at PAX, it seems
safe to say that the same amount of care and effort has been invested
in this remake as in the others. In fact, this may well end up being a
superior port; Final Fantasy IV Advance suffered from some odd
technical glitches during combat, most of which seemed to stem from its
heritage as a WonderSwan-to-GBA port and the complexities of FFIV's
unique five-character combat system. (The gameplay lag appeared only
when the combat roster was completely full.) As FFVA is a completely
new adaptation and the battle system is limited to four characters, it
should hold up much better.

The PAX demo -- which appeared to be a near-final English version of
the game -- certainly didn't demonstrate any issues, even with a full
four-man party. Combat was smooth (though admittedly simplistic due to
FFV's slow start) while transitions and SNES-specific special effects
were replicated without a hitch.

Graphically, the game is a huge improvement over the original. FFV has
a reputation for being a visual downgrade from its predecessor, which
is pretty rough considering that FFIV practically resembled an enhanced
8-bit game. The Advance version sticks to the same outlines for sprites
but colors in the details with more variety. Character sprites during
dungeon crawling and story sequences are tiny but colorful, while their
battle versions look much nicer. Monster sprites look even better, as
does the scenery.

FFVA sports some significant under-the-hood improvements as well. The
menus have been completely redesigned and are much cleaner-looking and
easier to navigate; character portraits appear during dialogue events;
then, of course, there's the new translation. Monster names are no
longer bizarre misinterpretations of Japanized English but have instead
been brought into line with series standards -- Wyverns, for instance,
are Wyverns rather than Y-Burns. And the characters actually resemble
people who speak English natively rather than brain damage victims.
Dialogue that was alternately bizarre or embarrassing is now crisp and
sometimes even clever. Galuf, for instance, speaks in boisterous
idioms, while seafaring Faris is less a stereotyped "Pirates of the
Caribbean" automaton and more like a nuanced, archaic Olde English
type.

Of course, the real draw of FFV is its gameplay. The story has always
been fairly basic, the characterization perfunctory. But the Job system
had much of the depth Final Fantasy Tactics within the context of a
standard FF framework. We didn't make it far enough into the game to
see the Job system in action, but we know there will be four new
classes available: Cannoneer, Gladiator, Prophet and Necromancer.
Additionally, FFV will offer a new 30-floor dungeon in which to make
the most of the extra skills, likely similar to the Lunar Dungeon in
FFIV Advance...

...but probably more challenging. FFV is regarded as one of the most
hardcore entries in the series due to its emphasis on combat and
skills, and the optional bosses like Shinryuu and Omega are among the
toughest fights in the series.

FFV is one of Final Fantasy's more acquired tastes, and to date it
hasn't been offered to American gamers in a particularly palatable
form. FFVA's November release will offer a sweet new chance... assuming
it's not lost amidst this fall's Final Fantasy glut.