Final Fantasy V Advance on GBA, the SNES FFV long inaccessible in the West. Flexible and unique job system, endearing story. A RPG gem finally accessible to all.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player12+
Description
GBA port of remastered Final Fantasy V, published by Square Enix in Europe in April 2007. Bartz and his companions Lenna, Galuf, Faris and Krile fight the entity Exdeath to protect the world's four Crystals. Ultra-flexible Job system with over 20 classes - including Knight, Black Mage, Blue Mage, Bard and Mime - and hundreds of ability combinations to master. Four new Jobs exclusive to the GBA version and two new bonus dungeons.
Final Fantasy V Advance review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Vivid colours, varied worlds and expressive creatures give the adventure a delightful exuberance. The richness of the 16-bit settings and the charm of the sprites carry a universe brimming with whimsy. This graphic vitality, generous and readable, showcases Square's craft at its peak.
From the pen of Nobuo Uematsu, the adventure sparkles with energy, culminating in the legendary "Battle on the Big Bridge" and its duel with Gilgamesh. Between playful themes and epic flights, the music embraces the story's whimsy. This generous score, now cult, remains a treat for enthusiasts.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Mild"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Switching among some twenty jobs to shape unexpected combinations offers a tactical depth that holds you long, controller in hand. Learning a skill, grafting it onto another class and then testing the next boss chains rewards and challenges. The grind makes itself felt before certain spikes, but this job system stays an ever-thrilling playground for experimentation.
Difficulty
"Very easy"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Mastering the Job system, with its twenty-odd classes and hundreds of ability combinations, can swallow dozens of hours on its own. Add the four fresh Jobs and two bonus dungeons reserved for the GBA version, and you get an ideal playground to experiment and optimize your parties. That freedom of customization, rare for its day, is exactly why enthusiasts keep coming back to it.
Official GBA port of Final Fantasy V in PAL form, the first Square Enix release to offer an official European localization of the fifth entry, which had never appeared on a dedicated cartridge outside Japan before. Square Enix packaging with a remastered Amano illustration, content extended with four extra job classes and brand new dungeons. European run was short with the GBA's end of life close, which makes it for the PAL market a central yet fragile in box piece.
Memorable bosses
A realm of the job system, this adventure rewards experimenting with classes right into its boss fights. The boisterous Gilgamesh, returning again and again to a theme turned cult, steals the show before the evil tree Exdeath and its ultimate chaotic form. A varied bestiary, brand-new superbosses and tactical freedom make these duels an endless playground for strategists.
Is Final Fantasy V Advance still worth playing in 2026?
Final Fantasy V Advance finally provides a clean, properly localized doorway into one of the most singular classic Final Fantasies, long held as a holy grail by Western fans. The combinable job system reaches its full potential here, the min maxing loops feel strikingly modern and the bonus dungeon with its extra jobs pushes the replay value further. The translation of this version flows nicely while honoring the iconic naming. For anyone seeking a classic Japanese RPG with truly open ended design, this is a peak.
