Final Fantasy II Part 2: Journey to Phin

Exploring My New Surroundings

New game mechanic alert! After my first random battle, I remember that there is no experience in this game. At the end of battle, I just get money. Looking at stats, I notice my sword and shield proficiency have gotten numbers by them. The first number must be the level, and the second number must be the amount of experience. A staple of the SaGa series is that characters don’t gain levels. Instead, they get stat increases based on how they fight in battle. It seems random and arbitrary, so I proceed with caution and the probability that I will be grinding in this entry too.

I know it's missing Guy, but that's because of the flicker. Look, though! I can cast on everybody now instead of just one person!

Graphically the world map looks nicer. The water actually moves now instead of being static! I try to use the select B trick, but nothing happens. Come to think of it, nobody told me where Phin is, but since I know that Palm is to the east, I will need to go anywhere but there!

While fighting some hornets, my characters become poisoned, but it goes away after a round! Is that lucky of me? Then Maria gains magic power, probably because I cast Cure on Firion. Naturally, I’ll want to play my characters the way I want them upgraded, but poor Maria has only 5 MP! At the end of the fight, my characters cheer and make their way across the enemies’ side of the screen. That’s a cute gimmick that never returned. 

Then I enter the town of Gatea, across the lake from Phin. An old man tells me to be careful in Phin because there are strong guards moving around. Another man tells me that there is a dying man who escaped the Empire being housed in the bar at Phin, definitely worth investigating when I get there. The Empire also appears to be constructing a Warship.

Look! I can buy revival items now…if only I could afford them.

After buying a leather armor for Maria (I also notice I can give any character any piece of equipment!), I continue my journey to Phin. I fight some goblins, and Maria loses some intelligence! I guess this is going to be one of those games where I have to be really careful how I play my characters.

In the next fight, Firion missed for the third time in a row (Somehow he is gaining agility after each of these kinds of fights.), while Maria and Guy take care of the threats (What is a Leg Eater anyway? It looks like a thorny plant.). After getting the crap kicked out of him, Guy gains HP. As I approach Phin, an airship approaches and flies by. It’s a really neat addition to what is becoming a more dynamic world map. Even though the others are getting hit every now and then, Guy gains more HP and vitality. I should have named him Tank because I am starting to see his role develop.

The Rescue Mission in Phin

Upon entering Phin, a captain recognizes me as a rebel and kills me with no effort. I can’t even run.

Good thing I saved. Why didn’t they tell me this was a fight I had to survive? Wasn’t like that in the intro!

The soldiers in town are everywhere, but I can walk in front of them without any problem—as long as I don’t talk to them. The town is completely abandoned, and I decide to make my way to the pub to find this wounded character.

The shops suck in Phin. Nobody's around to take my order!

Wait, a random encounter in a town? This place really sucks! Listen closely, Hornets. Do you work for the Empire?

There is a guard in my way to the pub, but I find a place in the back of town to walk behind some trees and grass to walk around the guard and make it there. It really is easier to sneak around in this game than it is in Metal Gear. I wonder if he feels asleep?!

Then a gang of leg eaters attacks me, and Firion joins the HP up club, leaving Maria in the dust. Guy still dominates with 70 HP. After a couple more random encounters, I reach the pub. If this were a stateside NES release, it probably would have been called a café.

AAAAHHH! They're everywhere! Keep those rounds coming, Barkeep!

The barkeep is angry that I approached him behind the counter but then completely changes his attitude when I utter Wild Rose. He tells me to investigate behind the wall to find the dying soldier. Under the pub, I find three potions and a man in bed. The man is Scott, Gordon’s brother from before, though he doesn’t look distinctive compared to the other men in hats I’ve found before.

I like that hat! Are you a red mage?

Scott tells us that he is dying, and he gives me a laundry list of people to talk to when I return to Altea.

I would have told him the same thing if I weren’t in such a hurry before!

I also have to tell the King that Phin was taken because Duke Borgan gave Phin up to the Empire to become a General! When Maria asks him if he knows what happened to Leon, he has no idea.

Oh, what a tease!

He gives me the ring that he was going to present to propose to Princess Hilda and then dies in bed. The game just started, and I already have one dead NPC; not good, people! With nothing else to do in town but pick fights with overpowered soldiers, I return to Altea to report the grim state of affairs.

Reporting to Base

On my way back to Altea, I stray a little too far, and a pack of werewolves kill Guy with one hit! Thankfully Maria makes the escape (and it’s funny to watch because the party slowly backs away from the screen.)! I stop at Gatea and step up to the altar again, and it lets me revive Guy for free, but now he’s back with 1 HP and poisoned (Weird! Was he poisoned before he died?), so I go to the inn and rest. Unfortunately, the poison is still there! Three rounds into the next random encounter, Guy still has not recovered from his poison, and I think I may need to buy an antidote back in Altea! When I see that Guy’s antidote will cost him 200G, I say no thanks and just decide to keep curing him when he gets low on HP! Never have I dipped so low in a console RPG.

In the rebel base, I hand the ring to Hilda, who hands it back to me. Firion does not mention that Scott loved her.

No really, Hilda. I insist! Otherwise, I sincerely hope that you will not be wasting my inventory space with this ring!

Then she tells me that I am (suddenly) strong enough to search for the legendary mithril to make better equipment for the army. I need to find Josef in Salmando because he knows where to find mithril.

Then wouldn't you want something better than mithril?

I walk over to Minh, who tells me that he will join my party and bring his canoe along. I open up the menu to find that Minh is quite the magician, and I use Heal on Guy to rid him of that pesky poison. I knew it paid off to be cheap! I look forward to having Minh in my party, but knowing how powerful sidekicks go, I know that I won’t have him forever. I notice that spells cost as many HP as the level. So the more I use a spell, the stronger the spell gets, the more expensive it becomes to use.

Does he hold the canoe in his turban?

I speak with Hilda one more time, and she reveals that the prisoners in Phin are being forced to buy the Warship, which is larger than Cid’s airship. When I ask about the airship, I learn that the white knight Cid lives in Poft and offers charter flights (Hey that was my idea!). A man with a hat outside of the meeting room tells me that the Warship is being built in Bofsk.

First game in the series with Cid in it! A Final Fantasy staple!

On my way out of town, I stop by the inn, where I find it costs 28G to restore my HP and MP. I perform an experiment by having Maria heal the party with Cure (I want it to become stronger!), and afterwards, the inn costs only 8G a night! Apparently, it’s based on how much HP and MP I need to recover! I show Gordon the ring, and although he reacts, nothing happens out of it. Leaving Gordon to his thoughts, I walk to the magic shop, where I still can’t afford any magic. I decide on my next run, I will get enough money to purchase Fire, Ice, and Lightning!

I'm not sure, but I think Minh is a white mage...

Coming next time! No, really, where DOES he keep that canoe?

Thanks for reading, and leave your comments below!