Released in 1990, Final Fantasy II was the second installment to the series. At the time, it was only released in Japan. America would not see this title until almost 13 years later.
Final Fantasy II is perhaps the most unique of all in the series. This is most apparent in the leveling up system. In other Final Fantasy titles, you level up when you reach a certain number of experience points. In Final Fantasy II, the leveling system is more true to real RPG’s. Your individual stats raise (and fall) depending on what you do in battle. An example would be if Firion uses his sword, his sword skill, strength, or attack might increase. If Maria uses a spell so many times, her magic, and wisdom might increase.
The other significant change is in the magic spells themselves. Rather then getting new levels of spells, such as fire 1 and 2, you buy a single scroll. As you use the spell, the level will increase, as will the power or healing potency of the spell. Also the success of the spell being cast has to do with its level.
The music for Final Fantasy II was as well done as its predecessor. Nobou Uematsu once again supplied a great score of music, setting the mood for every sequence in the game.
The graphics were also improved over the first title, and the story was given just a hair bit more depth. The invention of the word memory system added to the games depth and appeal. The only two things not quite fixed were the fighting in the black void, and the failure to fix the auto-targeting found in later titles. Final Fantasy II also introduced two of the most famous Final Fantasy characters to date. One of them was cid, who makes an appearance in almost every title afterwards. The other is the infamous Chocobo’s. these timid birds have appeared in every Final Fantasy title to date, as well as in The Spirits Within. In later titles, Chocobo’s have a much larger role to play, but for now they are simply a mode of transportation.
It should also be noted, that this is the only title in the series not to have the dragon lord Bahamut. He has been in every other main Final Fantasy title, but somehow II missed him… The overall reaction was mixed. There were those who praised it for the inventiveness of the leveling system, and challenges Final Fantasy II offered. There were those who did not like the game, because it was not like the original, and it was too difficult to get the hang of.
Either way, it was another success for Squaresoft when released in Japan. It solidified the growing reputation of Square being a leader in console RPG's.