The crystals powers are being drained, and soon the wind stops. the crystal is on the verge of shatering. The hope of the world lays within the hands of four young adventurers. With the aid of the crystal shards, they set out to stop the crystals from breaking. Little do they know the evil that is imprisoned by the crystals power. Can they stop the destruction of the crystals? Across three worlds, their friendship, love, and hope will be all that stand between peace, and destruction.

Final Fantasy V was released soley in Japan, in 1992. Though it was slated to be released in America for some time, the plan was put on hold. Square decided to release Final Fantasy VI instead. They tried again to release Final Fantasy V as Final Fantasy Extreme after the release of VI, and even a whisper of it being ported to the PC was made. But the plan was finally shut down completely. It would be seven years before Final Fantasy V saw release outside of Japan.
Final Fantasy V is definately one of the more addictive games in the main series to date. The gameplay is solid to a fault, again utilizing the ATB introduced in IV. The mechanics of the battle system, ability, and Job menu's were very easy to get the hang of. The job system found in III was taken, andgiven a complete overhaul. This is actually considered by many to be the selling point of the game itself. You have 20+ different classes to choose from. You can also mix abilities together, creating totally unique characters. This made for a more personalized party, favoring what the player wanted, rather than what the game was set for. You also had a better ability to make a more strategic party for the tougher fights in the game.
This is also the first title to really embark on the side quests deal, that has become a prominent Final Fantasy ritual. Things like finding the ultimate magics, summons, and neat little mini-quests, added a nice diversion from the storyline. The optional bosses were well done. They had a great deal of challenge to them, but they were not so overwhelming, that you could not win.
The graphics are definately a step up from IV in certain areas, such as enemy/boss sprites. But it seemed things such as character, and maps were the same if not a step below IV. It was a bit disapointing to not see the entire graphics go up a notch in this release. That said, there is an aboundance of vivid colors, that are completely enjoyable to the senses. The characters, battle fields, and even the world map is vibrant, and lush. It was nice to see a brighter approach to the game, rather than the darkness of the later, more deep titles.
The music found in V is not quite the masterpiece of IV or VI, but it does stand well enough on it's own. The scores set the scenerio's well. The blending of a bit of the older music, and some news chords were brilliant. If you took the music, and change it, it would just throw the entire gaming feel out the door.
Final Fantasy V is also the first title in the series to introduce Blue Magic (Enemy Skills). These spells you gain from enemies has become a lasting ritual in the main series. They are unique spells that can only be learned if an enemy casts it on your party first. Blue Magic has a higher MP cost than regular spells, but they are definately more potent. Most of the spells also cannot eb blocked by magical defenses.
The only real slugger to the game is its story/plot. It almost seems very rushed and unplanned, as far as the translation is concerned. The story itself, at times, is as bad as the story line for Mystic Quest. Some of the actions and reactions of the characters are bad as well. There is a scene where one of the crystals is about to shatter! Everything is coming down on the party hard! And what does Bartz say..."oh crap!"
Despite the slow story, the game itself is definately of the Final Fantasy legend, and can be played over and over again. The job system, and the easiness of getting the hang of the mechanics, make this a great choice for even novice Final Fantasy players. It is certainly worthy of the Final Fantasy Title.

In 1999 the USA finally got to see this great title. Final Fantasy V was released along side Final Fantasy VI, as Final Fantasy Anthology. outside of the way the battles initiate and end, there were no real changes made in the game. This is mostly due to there being no earlier release to rename things, such as the spell Holy. If V had been released on the Snes, it would have most likely been called White. CGI scenes were added to the intro and the ending of the game. However these scenes are definately not the cgi quality of VI. (Again with the rushed feeling there.)
There is also something worth mentioning with the PS1 version of V. It was one of the few games to not have a 100% compatability with the PS2. more times than not the save screen will wig out, and you will have to re-enter it a few times before it will fix itself. It does nothing bad to the saves, that I am aware of. but it can get a bit frustrating. Hopefully this will be fixd with the PS3.