Final Fantasy VI: Why the Hype? - SNESdrunk
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- Опубликовано: 16 фев 2014
- EDIT: never thought in a million years this would get this many views. Thank you for stopping by.
One of the ten best Super Nintendo games ever made, but not as timeless as you'd think.
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Still my favorite game of all time.
Final fantasy vii was way better
Yup, it is the GOAT.
@@solidsnake8331 It's way better to you, not to us.
The opera scene was vital to Celes' story arc- Her love for Locke (although I felt the developers downplayed it too much, maybe for 'younger players'), and her stepping out of her past life as a brainwashed Imperial General. Her suicide attempt later is the literal mirror to this scene, and it is probably the most emotional moment in gaming at the time it was released. She gave up because she had tasted freedom and love, and the (mistaken) realization that all of it was gone was just heartbreaking. And c'mon, that MELODY!
In a weird way, Celes is really the central female character in the game. Terra kinda steps aside as the game progresses.
All the scene in the island with Cid... it's so touching and to be honest, no other videogame has ever made me feel again the same as in the moment I watched Celes jumping to what I thought was a certain death.
You sound like someone who played it on an emulator or on ps years after it was actually current.🙄 And yeah I see this comment is 3 years old lol that wasn’t how the game was perceived or it’s reception in the early 90’s. Which is how most 40 year olds know when we read what people have to say about it today. That or when they call it ff 6. In 1992 99% of the population had no idea wtf was going on in Japan.
@@YellowIronMask Congratulations. You want a cookie? What was the point of your post? A humble brag that your old? Weird flex but ok.
People are fucking weirdos.
That's the real answer
And extra. Don't forget that they are extra.
you missed the point of the opera scene, it's a pivotal moment for Celese, showing that she doesn't HAVE to be a warrior, she has a range of untapped talent, it gives her a peek at her potential of being more than a soldier, she changes after that scene and becomes more compassionate and focuses more on being a person instead of just a weapon, it's known as one of, if not the best, scenes for a reason
This ☝️
This channel truly sucks because all he does is bash on great games to seem "edgy"
Unfortunately they copy and pasted that arc for Terra.
Originally she was conceived to be an agent sent by the Empire. This was hinted at... twice.
I guess you believe Contra III would be better too if it had an opera scene with Bill and Lance singing about how they want to get married and buy an elderberry farm instead of killing aliens.
Honestly, I think the impact of the Opera scene comes from Nobuo Uematsu's magnificence. He took something that otherwise would have been forgettable, possibly even bothersome, and made it worth our time. It's not memorable so much because of its context in the greater narrative but more because of its own merits.
But if you're wanting an emphasis on the context, it's there. It's one of the earliest examples I personally encountered of a story that shows an awareness of how stories interact with and impact our lives. By turning the Opera's music into a leitmotif for Celise and Lock, it evokes the timeless trend of "seeing yourself in fiction". It helps you identify with them by reminding you of your own experiences. You might not be a "star crossed lover" yourself, but odds are you're already identifying with one character (Tina/Terra for me) and you're relating that experience of identifying with fiction to the story's presentation of Lock's and Celise's identities compared to a fiction in their universe.
Yeah, I grew up with this game. I'm talking key formative years. I could write an entire book about it, like the way people write huge nerd-gasm analyses of any given Shakespeare play. :x
The fullest RPG I've ever experienced. Outstanding characters & storylines. Masterful music on par with the finest cinematic soundtracks. Absolutely timeless & ageless.
🥱
I was 15 years old and I used my first paycheck to finally buy myself an SNES and this game. It's a masterpiece, but it's always going to hold a special place in my heart for that very reason. The opera scene is a high point in the game because of what it means for Celes. The more I revisit that game the more I realize Celes was the best character in that roster. It comes at the high point of the story. Pretty much this is when everything is going best for our heroes in the world of balance. You get this uplifting interlude before everything starts going to shit again.
Also it's great because it's paced very well cutting between the action and the scenes of the opera and because the music is fantastic. It all comes together to deliver one of the most memorable scene I can think of from one of my childhood video games.
Well said. I was always fond of having Celes in my party. Her look, and strength, and her simple desire did take me. :)
Sabin, Edgar, Locke and Shadow.
This is literally my favorite FF and the first one I ever beat.
You haven't lived until you've revealed Shadow's backstory.
True story, I honestly never knew Shadow lived after the bombing. Not until about a decade of playing the story when someone had said almost the exact same thing.
"Story? You never got to know his story besides the rumors in the pub."
"Wait, what? You never waited for him, did you?"
"Whaaaaaaaaaa?!"
Mind blown. His story is so epic, beautiful, dark, sad...take your pick.
@PickingNamesSux I don't think anyone waited for him on their first playthrough, at least not in the 90s. Who was going to wait till there's 3 seconds left on the timer to see if he shows up? I didn't and missed out.
Also side note, you can get some of his back story earlier, you can hire him in Kohlingen after the battle against the imerial forces in Narshe, if you do and sleep in the inns or Figaro Castle, you can get some of his dreams, but not all.
The one in the one hotel with the bar, it makes that in and off droning noise and watching him run off from that guy that appeared freaked me out 20 years after I first played it hahaha
@@anthonydelfino6171 I didn't do it on the first play through, but the second time around I saw "Wait!" and realized what I might be waiting for, so I got Shadow after the first try.
For me, the opera scene is so memorable because nothing even remotely like this had never been done in a console video game that I had played up to that point. The genius of it was the "fake vocals" when Celes starts singing for the first time. That detail alone blew me away as a kid.
Exactly! The snes sang and my jaw dropped. Nothing has topped that moment in my gamer experience
Right!!!
He's a fukn Goofy hating on it
It's one of the most magical, whimsical, and mysterious storybooks you could ever play. Like opening a most rare music box. A beautiful lustrous gem to behold forever. 😥😢😭🤧🥺
Exactly how i felt playing this game decades ago.
*slow clap*
It's almost been twenty years since I picked up my first RPG, Final Fantasy VI. I still go back and listen to the music.
Not a bad review, but like many people here I'm not sure I agree on a few points.. so being the internet I have to tell you.
One is the huge cast; sure they're not all as developed, however the switching between multiple parties in dungeons was an actual interesting innovation which added to the gameplay, and for the final dungeon at least 12 were needed to facilitate that, then a secret one... and that sasquatch guy(ok, him I don't see any point to). Like most of the features I don't really feel like they were features for the sake of features; they were features added to improve gameplay and advance the genre.
Two is, surprise surprise, the Opera; now I admit I certainly didn't have tears in my eyes, but it is an iconic scene from that video game generation. The two things I took from it were that Celes wasn't used to being feminine or expressive and the opera was a way she got to experience that role, and that her character in the opera is a prisoner who was longing for her beloved to save her while celes herself was a prisoner not long before, and was saved by someone she's now developing feelings for, and she's reflecting on that and her feelings. Sure nothing is explicit but that seems like a lot of similarities for it to be just coincidental.
Three, I can't agree with your point about Cyan's backstory, I mean he lost everything that mattered to him and blamed himself for letting it happen. In most games he'd have been a little mopey for a bit and maybe vengeful but otherwise it wouldn't really be touched on again, whereas in ff6 we got to see more of his anguish on the train and then later it's actually eating away at him so bad he's slipping away, which just seems like a reasonable reaction to that kind of trauma.. then later he's dealing with being so closed off emotionally by corresponding with that woman; his development just seemed very grounded and human rather than archetypal to me.
+Shion Kreth This is a good comment! Thanks
+SNES drunk
It kinda brings tears to my eyes everytime I see people who disagree but respect each other like this. Nice going guys.
+Lucas Maciel there is still hope !
+Shion Kreth Thank you so much. I'm so glad someone mentioned this about the opera scene.
I'm surprised people actually believe this scene was thrown in for the sake of a tech demo, rather than appreciate how well it helps Celes grow as a character in the overarching plotline. Celes becomes the main character in 'Act 2' of the game, after all, and she may never have had the strength to do it without the iconic opera scene.
At first I couldn't help but wonder if Celes herself WAS Maria, and performed under an alias to get away from the misery and death involved with being an Imperial General. But no, this scene was to help her change and grow as a person, to enjoy life and relate her struggles. --You hit the nail on the head, same with your other points. Thank you.
I fount that opera is scene memoriable because of the song,i mean Man hearing it makes me go wow,the song also being played in some but memoriable event in this game thus making the song itself memorable.
The reason the opera is so good is because of the character development between her and Locke. She isn't just singing for herself but also echoing his thoughs towards his feelings for her.
Yeah nice head canon
Exactly! I cringed so hard when I heard him say "There is no subtext and there is no reading between the lines"... Yeesh, missed the boat big time here...
Yeah... I was sort of feeling he had overlooked something with the opera.
@@olimphus26 Imagine thinking it's head canon because it went over your head, lol.
Yeah it’s also because Celes never owned her own identity, because she was made as a weapon for the empire. So dressing in costume is sort of like putting on a new mask / trying a new identity - somebody who can be vulnerable and who can have a relationship based on caring rather than cruelty. And this turns out to be more authentic to her, even though it’s a costume.
This is extended later with the fish sequence - when all the masks are stripped away and Celes chooses desperate compassion against all odds, even if she fails, because cruelty is pointless when the world is so cruel.
I actually liked Cyan's story. Remember, most of us played this as young gamers, so none of this was cliché to us (Though there aren't that many overused archetypes in the game)
I agree. The sequences with the wounded soldier are some of the most memorable for me in gaming. Most games didn't quite show how characters deal with loss at the time, this was a very deep aspect of the story.
@@WestwoodC21 Forme it was when Celes tried to nurse CId back to health on the lone island, and ,in my game, failed.
@@phaseshifter3d455 That Cid scene lost a lot of power for me when I figured out how to game it and succeed every time
His story was way too depressing lol... I guess it fit in with the narrative and tone, but goodness... There was like... Nothing good that happened to him, including in the WoR where he is pen-palling some chick posing as her dead husband. wtf? I just recently replayed this (probably the 10th time) in Pixel Remasters, and man did they just dive in full-force with destroying this man's life, and leaving it ruined.
The Opera was clearly supposed to be some sort of (read between the lines) touching moment for Celes and Locke's relationship. In the events in the game, yes, it's a really random scene, but in line of the story it's kind of suppose to show their growing relationship at it's height so far. This is contrasted with the very next major story scene, in the Magitek Labs, where Locke is forced to reevaluate things, and Celes expects him to trust her.
yeah he couldn't really say there was no "read between the lines" meaning, since they reused the aria's melody for celes's theme. there's a pretty superficial connection right there, and composers don't do stuff like that for no reason.
The opera's story is also a reflection of Celes herself and what going on with her, being stuck between these two armies and her feelings of helplessness. You can see earlier in the game--especially when they first meet Celes that she is not trusted in the least, and is literally a damsel in distress from this until her hero comes to save her. And yeah...she's singing about Locke in that scene.
I still don't see how a lot of ppl don't make the vital connection between the Opera scene and the suicide attempt either.. The ascent to the balcony to throw her roses (Love), and then her climb up the cliff side to fling herself off the same way (Loss of Love). Like that actually brings me to tears every time i see it. it's almost like Romeo and Juliet as cliche as that may sound hahah but it is an OPERA
thank you
I just found this video and was about to say many of the same things that are covered in here. The opera scene is a clinching moment in the development of Celes' character. There's at least 3 different layers of metaphor going on it in. Duty vs. Love. Loyalty vs. Moving On. and Humanity vs. Callousness. Celes' character is complex, yet understated through much of the game, because of her strong sense of duty and rejection of her human and feminine instincts. The opera scene serves as an outlet for her feelings while disguising them as mere performance. If this was not so, she would not so readily be able to create an intriguing character on stage. Her connection to the feelings of the character that form while studying the lines of the opera make her realize the depth of her own emotions, and the conflicts within. Art imitating life, as life imitates art and such.
The opera scene was emotional because of Celes' character. She was developed to be a weapon so she never had time to do girly things :[ ...
I remember you from somewhere. Something about religion...
Celes is cool too yea.
Good point. Also the whole scene is just another thing to do that break up the repetitive parts of RPG gameplay of the 90's. It was a welcome diversion
YES! I was about the write the same thing. If you grew up never knowing romance or love, as Celes did, this opera part was super emotional. The fact they connect the theme of her attempt at suicide, throwing herself off the balcony at that beach, and now throwing the flowers off the balcony for her "love"... if you didn't make the connection the first time, it's understandable, but this was by far the most emotional part of the game for me. No, in isolation the opera scene can be seen as kinda random or hollow (but I still think it stands alone in goofyness) but connected with that earlier part, and even the hint of love between her and Locke, should at least give it more credit and heft.
I’ve gotten so frustrated at that opera scene. Granted, I was 8 the first time I played, so I certainly didn’t breath in the scene. I was just annoyed. Lol.
The opera means so much because of where it sits in the main story line. It just happened after a point if intensity when your emotions were on edge, and it brought your emotions back into the same feeling you had when you started the game. That's why it's brilliant.
Still my favorite game of all time. Just beat it on SNES classic, and it was as good as I remember it being
Lots of folks believe that the scene is actually touching because it could be about Locke and how she feels about him
This is my favorite game of all time.
My play throughs generally require of myself to aim for maximum stats via Esper level-ups (and I generally prefer Speed so that includes low-level-game until I've collected all the characters in the World of Ruin).
In addition, steal from all the bosses and get the maximum amount of rare items. As such, Locke with maximum speed is best for stealing and is generally in my party as often as allowed. It was the first major purchase of my life to get this cartridge for the SNES (I paid $50, my older brother paid the other half plus the tax) so I could not have to rest this every week. My save file, I've managed to collect 252 items save for Cursed Shield and Ragnarok because they needed to be traded in for better items, Paladin Shield and Illumina. I forget what the last missing item is but it's probably Cursed Ring.
Pros: The game rewards exploration, there's lots of hidden treasures, the story has the best villain of all time, and the game allows for it to be replayed with challenges implemented (by your own accord) like using a single character, beating the game at low levels, not allowing your party to learn Esper magic, ect.
Cons: The battle system has many exploits that enable you to constantly dish out massive damage, bugs that let you instant-kill bosses, and is generally pretty easy once you get the hang of it. The final boss feels like one of the weakest in the series.
10/10
All their backstories is my favorite part of the game!
Lizard Queen the reason people like and symphaize with characters is first of all, what you wrote, and secondly: because they have characters, like real humans, where you which because of this, that they were real.
Agreed. I don't think we'd be as invested in the large assortment of characters if we DIDN'T get their backstories; And because we get to play through most of stories and they aren't just delivered in a cut-scene makes them so much more enjoyable and memorable.
@@xCrossBite exactly, a remake of this game in 2020 would be huge just because of character backstory playthrough. It would be an epic game.
@@Christopher-wg6ug I keep hoping that Square gives it a well deserved remake. FFVII was not that worthy of this much effort.
Typical American who just want action and no plot and storylines
if you were a kid in 94 this is badass. i didnt get it till 95. still my fav rpg what introduced the genre to me. i was used to seeing my friends play mario bros and stuff like that. at that age just having a somewhat compelling story was amazing.
The opera scene is a great character defining moment for Celes, who up to this point has been shown as stoic and maybe even a little bit apathetic. Celes is a character who has been bred for war since she was born. It doesn't matter what it is she's singing about here, it is the moment she realizes that she can be more than just a warrior, a magic fueled killing machine. It's what makes her different from Kefka.
It's emotional because most people who play this game probably care for Celes as a character, and this is a big moment in her life. Not to mention the fact that the score is beautiful and sweeping and the whole presentation of the scene is really well done.
Nobody cares about Maria and Draco, but people care about Celes, and this is one of her greatest scenes.
one where the villian actually succeded in his plans
@Spit Dragon I just like the game cause it was well writen an planned out dont judge me like the others before you know something an dont know something bout someone
Kefka > Thanos
Succeeded as much as sephiroth did.
@@trevorcarson5156 sephiroth didnt destroy anything though
@@akiro9635 sure he did. Meteor made holy/life stream come out and fucked up most of the world. Maybe not his desired success but the world(for humans) is pretty fucked if my memory serves correct.
I’m about 2 hours into the game at this point, and man the story and soundtrack is really cool so far. Some of the dialogue made me laugh out loud.
I've been a J-RPG player since about 1991 and FFVI to me is the entire package. It is a masterpiece. It is my favorite RPG and quite possibly my favorite game ever. Yes, some of that has to do with the stars in my eyes on that Christmas day in 1994 as I experienced it for the first time. But it holds up so well for me.
The music is some of the best you will ever hear in a game. The pace is perfect, for battles and the story line. Not only are there so many characters, but they are deeply developed, and each one has their very own reason for wanting to take down the Empire - some more than others like Cayene or Terra. Terra, btw, is my favorite game character ever, as well. That was the first time I had seen not only a female lead, but an incredibly strong one! You feel the pain in each person's struggle. Boy, that sequence about Setzer's dead girlfriend...
But of course, there's the apocalypse. And let's not forget they didn't just THREATEN it like in other games....it actually happened. Tragedies are simply the best in the way they get under your skin. It's very satisfying to recollect your allies and watch them obtain those personal victories! Not to mention the free reign you have in the World of Ruin - get as many or as little of them as you want, in mostly whatever order you prefer.
Being made near the end of the SNES's lifespan, the graphics are seriously awesome. I personally love that it's set in in the mid to late 1800s, or the Second Industrial Revolution. I LOVE medieval RPGs and all but I also am quite fascinated with that era. Or am I, because I have been playing this game since I was 9?? Haha.
Nowadays, things like the opera and Kefka's laugh seem dated. Okay, sure. But let me tell you...back then, we had NEVER seen anything like that. Not even imagined it. This game pushed the boundaries and drew new lines in the sand.
totally agreed. Been playing JRPGs since the late '80s and this is top 5, possibly #1 hands down. It's as complete as a JRPG gets, IMHO.
Shame about the random battles though. Makes it unplayable for me.
I agreed with you until I played Chronotrigger ;-)
Red88Rex yes this is the greatest game of all time don't get me wrong Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 10 are good but nothing touches this I haven't played it in 20 years and I really want to play it now I played through the game so many times in 1994 and 1995 I think the game that got me off of this one was Chrono Trigger why I jumped on Chrono trigger i played it for like 6 months straight
I also think people really take aspects of the game for granted since it's been spoiled to just about everyone who's played the game in the last 20 years. When this game first came out, people thought the floating continent was the last level. They were ready for a final boss fight, especially following the epic as fuck Atma Weapon fight. Then, boom. Kefka wins. The world is destroyed. The map changes, the gameplay changes.
Celes is singing about how she is waiting for the man she loves to come to her rescue and return to her side. Just before you go to the opera, when you first cross the mountain range with Edgar's castle. The small town you come across while heading south. In there you find that Locke has been preserving his lover's body with special flowers. Not just that but has employed people of her home village to make sure the flowers are changed out as to not allow her body to decompose even a little bit. This later comes full circle when he finally learns of the Phoenix's location in the second half of the game. But before that, if you have Celes with you. She shows a deep sadness to suddenly being 2nd string for Locke. Especially when he doesn't want to talk about it. To her, her love did save her life. And now she is just waiting for him. Very similar to the role she sings and plays in the opera scene.
Edgar's best attack is his chainsaw, where he dons a slasher mask when using it, and of course Sabin's train suplex.
Yup. I dont know about you, but I'm not about to fuck with someone that can suplex a damned ghost train.
I rocked the drill
Train suplex is so iconic to the game... I'm actually surprised and disappointed that as a monk main in FFXIV, they didn't let me suplex the train as my limit break when they brought that fight into the game.
@@anthonydelfino6171
Yup, would have been a nice easter egg to find. At least Machinists get the multi-bow.
"There's no read between the lines." Yes and no.
It's interesting how much of a focus she is during the first half of the game. Literally for this scene she is just filling a role, but as the audience/player it might come across that Celes is longing to be something like an opera singer (not a General), but she's never been given the chance. The character in the Opera is longing for her lover. It's a slight parallel (and a stretch) but its also a fun scene that's well put-together.
5 years late BUT
SPOILERS*
while I haven’t looked at the lines in a while I wanna say that one of the lines talks about not aging a day (similar to Rachel in that old guys basement) and the way the flowers fall is similar to the attempted suicide scene
@@HoneyICakes The fact that subtext like this went over SNES Drunk's head is proof that he is not the person to listen to if you want meaningful criticism of a game's story.
Role Playing Game = Story, Characters.
This is something missing in current console JRPGs
Better not tell that to the Shin Megami Tensei series and spin-offs, or the Legend of Heroes series, or No no Kuni, or Folklore, or Fire Emblem, or Disgaea, or...
Funny that you mention those games. I meant console JRPGs. Seems that some to most of these games are handheld JRPGs and they get it right. Especially (as of the last few years) the Dragon Quest series on DS.
lnsflare1 Ni no Kuni is fucking amazing IMO
Gimpler Da Happenin All of those games have had pretty major releases on console during the PS3/WiiU era, though.
And Hu Flung Dung, hell yeah.
Gimpler Da Happenin yess..! todays RPG just arent the same. i still love the super nintendo RPGs
I think people say that they cry or get watery eyed at the opera scene because of the music. As you mentioned, the opera performance is just part of the plot to get the airship they need to get to the empire. Still, I love the opera scene. It was something new, something different.
The many story arcs is what made this game so great and, you failed to mention how non-linear this game is in the second half. Which was something unheard of for an RPG at the time.
I think what it was is that the game begins on a linear approach outside of the "choose a scenario" and then the WoR section becomes an open world once you get the Falcon. FF5 followed this approach as well, but it was more limited.
He should have mentioned the game opens up, yes, but that was hardly "unheard of" at the time. Even if we discount computer RPGs like Ultima, which were entirely non-linear from the very beginning, even the first Final Fantasy was very non-linear as early as just a few hours into the game if you know what you're doing.
I just wish the plot of the first half was actually resolved in the second.
Also, Chrono Trigger did the same (later, I think), but they actually made all the plot make sense.
The second half of ff6 was a clusterfuck. I can't believe it's praised for having a million dungeons and no clear direction
@@matabishippuden6965 The million dungeons and the open world aspect are easily the best part of the game, and it makes it more revolutionary and fun in most people's eyes, maybe it doesn't appeal to you.
Just started playing this and I've gotta say it's my absolute favorite since my obsession with 7 in the late 90's. I can't believe I over looked it for so long. I've been playing it on a homebrewed Wii, but I'm also playing the mobile version at the same time, which has better visuals, but lacks the SNES charm. Either way, great game, and the fucking music! Omg!
this is a great game, it still holds up, in my humble opinion. I honestly felt FF7 was a huge letdown for me, it was much more linear and I hated having a main character because I had gotten used to not having one with FF6. To me, Square traded in story and content for the sake of graphics and cutscenes. Glad you discovered it... it was not too late.
Ive been listening to the OST on RUclips for years.. learned to play some select riffs on guitar
Great for working out to or getting work done
Liking the video as a show of support and because I like your content; however, I don't agree with your point of view on this game. I still cared about the story of the later characters and would have liked even more story! There was no point when playing the game where I experienced what you are talking about "I want to interact more often than not." To me this game was one of the defining games that made you associate square with high quality RPG games and the story and characterization were huge parts of that.
One of the most unforgettable moment for me is the Celes cliff scene, Cid died on me and she lost everything. I was shocked that a suicide scene is in a SNES game, play that first when it came out at 95 i was only 17. I don’t care much about Celes before, but after that her quest at searching her friends and restoring the world become some much more meaningful
FF III will always be my favourite RPG on the SNES.
SNES drunk AHEM! There's sand on my boots!
This review is the pits!
Son of a submariner!
"EDGAR YOU PINHEAD! WHY DID YOU BUILD YOUR CASTLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT"!?
@@esands36 Because, my guy, It moves, for.....reasons!
The only thing missing was an Actual Submariner. If they really wanted to showcase the platform, we needed a controllable submarine.
He insulted the holy FF3. Get him!
He called it FF3! Get him!
Don't tease the octopus, kids!
John Witulski WHELK!! GET THEM!!!!
Fuck whelk, I'm gonna paint his portrait
You kind of look like Trey Parker.
To me, this is the best game ever created.
Matthew Hyatt easily top game. I refused to get a PS because of how much I loved this one
This and Chrono Trigger, best on SNES and best in the Genre also.
@@Nebujin383 Pretty much pinnacle of video gaming.. from a short-lived golden era that has been fading for years.
I still prefer FF7, but this one is a close 2nd.
@@Nebujin383 If you like childish kawaii stuff, sure!!
Despite I agree with you in most points, there is something about this its important to keep in mind. At that time, plots on videogames weren't similar to storytelling in"movies". Games started to incorporate narrative elements from movies not that long ago, and in 1994, they were thinking in a storyline that matches the concept of playing a game. Pacing in this time/style of media are defined by the way devs think in the past. The whole game is kinda like a play. The ending have all characters, each one, stand up in the center of the screen and speak their develoments outloud! This is totally like a theater play. He nature of the villain, cartunesque ish and totally (and only) evil, etc. The opera scene, for me, is like when the game tells you a feeling similar to what you were expected to feel, maybe watching a interactive play.
This game blew my mind! A fully realized work of art! His criticisms have some merit but also have been influenced by previous internet reviews. He doesnt seem to get to feel some of the vibes, thanks to all the hype.
agreed
Yup, I totally agree with you. His criticisms are just stupid, especially when he talked about the characters' backstories.
I think emotional is the wrong way to describe the opera scene. It was definitely a moment that set the game apart story-wise, but there were a lot more emotions during the other parts.
exactly, speaking of emotional moments cyan or shadow at the end...
the game was a hyperjump from FF IV (5 was skipped in the US). the graphics, music, story and gameplay were revolutionary. it was also the first FF for a lot of people (for me FFI was my first, but it wasn't a very attractive game compared to mario 3, so I didn't play it until way later when I started liking FF games). the hype is justified. also never played a game where there was so much emphasis put on character personalities. it's like a film.
I first got to "preview" this game 3 months before everyone else because I visited a cousin in Taiwan who was already battling the final boss in the Japanese version. I was impressed. One thing that stood out to me was... every character had their own theme song. It was nice touch!
Celes was actually streaming her real feelings for Locke when she sung at the opera
Harry Fisher which are completely absent prior to that point in the game? The only interaction they had was Celes unabashedly leaves the empire.
Team Hammer Bros yeah, you def haven’t paid attention to the game
Yes I was looking for this comment. People just aren't really taking the story in if they don't draw this conclusion. FF6 Is perfect in my eyes. Naysayers begone!
You can’t flip around a story to make it make sense, out of context. That just is not how storytelling is done.
I don't think it's for Locke.. it's just to be a woman and to love and be loved.
I just have to throw in there because you neglected to mention one of the most innovative aspects of this game which is splitting your party up into multiple groups to progress through dungeons, which was something I absolutely loved and I don't think I ever saw happen again in a Final Fantasy game.
Don't they literally do that in ff4? End game dungeon
FF8 also does this. So They did it again.
I remember as a kid my brother renamed all the characters just slightly, like Cryan and Celery, really broke that emotional connection until I played it by myself and renamed the characters to people I really cared about, from that moment on I've always been a little disappointed that modern RPGs don't let you rename characters.
Which I think is mostly because of voice acting... but yeah, I too miss the ability to rename characters.
I would play sometimes, naming them all after people close to me, and other times leaving their names untouched. Both were awesome.
rename everyone Turd Ferguson
@@Sephiroth144 Well, FF X HAD voice acting and you COULD rename Tidus, his name was never ever spoken out once aloud.
Did anybody ever notice that?
Nope? See, that's how you can cleverly, albeit, admittetly limited, "write around" this "problem"
@@Justforvisit Oh, I'm well aware, (part of the reason people still have questions about the proper (vs better sounding) pronunciation of Tidus)
But that only works for the main character- or any character who _weirdly_ never gets called by name.
Tough, but fair.
TBH, it's my favorite game, of all time, but your criticisms are grounded and well articulated. And, let's be honest, especially on a 2nd or 3rd playthrough, totally true and valid.
i would just replay this one over and over as a kid. It was like rewatching my favorite movie,
Intriguing... I find that the criticisms you have for FF6 are some of the main reasons why I would proselytize this game.
The opera scene, for one, is far more important than you make it out to be. The whole fact about it being an aria to longing and love with Celes as the lead... That's deep on many different levels. Especially given her specific story. THEN Ultros decides to crash the event with the main guy promising more adventures when the opera ends. It's literally FF6 in a nutshell. Seriousness, love, loss, crazy turns, fun and a promise for adventure. The opera is a quintessential scene to the game.
Not caring about Realm or Strago? What is wrong with you? I absolutely loved that there were 12+ characters and that it is so story-heavy. I think you should reevaluate your desire for JRPGs if you hold that notion of 'if I wanted a story like this I would read a book'. The whole reason I enjoy RPGs is that it is like I'm playing a book out.
Other than the more misguided criticisms, it was a good review :)
jvalex18 Perhaps take your own advice
Wii-UUUU-Wii-UUUU ALERT GRAMMERRRR POELICE OPPROACHING WARNENG........WARNENG
The opera scene is what it is because it proved what a good score, dramatic camera (screen?) work, and scenes that exist primarily for character development could do. Many of us who played this game when it released honestly pictured a live opera in our heads. It was a special moment where a game transported us completely out of what we were doing, and left a mark on us forever because for a lot of us, that's the first time a video game had ever done that. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
I'm willing to bet that I'm not the only one with an SNES cart that has a 6 hour and change save just before the opera house that they've refused to save over.
final fantasy 6 is my favorite final fantasy series. storyline, music, character designs and skills... i disagree with the narrative, FF6 had one of the best storylines of all games.
xxxxmimi agreed..... best in the series
I hate to disagree, but I hate that Celes and Locke never resolve anything. Like, we don't need them to _do_ anything, but there should have been a moment where all the plot set up in the first half was actually resolved.
@@gluegunassault2010 I'll give it that - it made characters that I care about.
But still, that was one of the main plotlines (like, it's the B-plot), and I still feel like it should have been outright finished. Probably in no more than in a conversation, tbh. Just _something._
The main issue with Part II of FF6 is that it just doesn't really finish off anything that it starts, except Kefka. The game is a masterpiece in subtle storytelling - all sorts of videos will explain that - but it relies on the subtlety so much that it gets in the way of the main plot. The Locke/Celes thing wasn't introduced subtly (not that there weren't shades of subtlety in there) so why resolve it subtly? It's just unsatisfying.
EDIT: There is a distinction between wanting a work of art/entertainment leaving you wanting more, and it leaving you wanting a compelete story. IX and X left me wanting more (though when I did play 'more' of X's world I was sorely disappointed), but I did feel that, even with their issues, those games had a complete story - so much so that they're probably my favourite too. On the other hand, I just don't feel like VI actually finished its plot. If you're going to be unsubtle about your exposition, at least have more than hints in your conclusion. The last cutscene was long enough! :P
Yeah the storyline is freaking awesome
Ff7.
one of my favorites growing up wish i could go back🙁
I've never seen a complaint of "They went too far making the game the best ever. It's already good enough, they should have never gone so far as to make it the best ever" ... interesting gripe to have. Almost like you know there is absolutely nothing wrong w/ this game so you had to make a problem up
Not caring about some parts of the story = making up a problem?
***** have to admit i haven't played this yet (about to), but i understand what you mean by "overwrought". i think its always going to be unpopular to point out a truism in the medium: games are seen (still, by most people) to be kids stuff, so sometimes developers go overboard in either A) raising the profile/status of games or B) pitching them at a wider audience/watering them down. some one had to tell it like it is. i believe that art is possible with video games, ive played some of them. but it can be patronising to telegraph something as art
7kurisu "but it can be patronising to telegraph something as art" That's well put and pretty much nails how I felt about the story
I think most people have found memories of the opera scene mostly because of the music, but not only : It happens at a moment of the game that really picks up narration wise, where a lot of crazy stuff happens at the same time, and in the middle of that, a character we only knew as cold and introverted is forced to perform a beautifully composed aria in a 15min long mini opera. I get why some can get a teary eye there.
I would argue that the number of characters, their background, and how they all evolve, helped to build a detailed, complex, and believable world with its politcs, mythology, and crepuscular atmosphere. It never fell flat or felt like padding to me (except the usual level grind). It makes you care about the world before tearing it down before you, and then makes you fight for what remains.
The emotional charge of the score and art direction, the depth of the characters and villains personalities and subsories, the originality of the power and ability system, the steampunk setup : All that had never been seen or heard in a videogame before.
It's the first game that made me see videogames as an art. It managed to make me really care about the people in it, their stories, outcomes and the world they live in, and yes, I cried, too. Even if it wasn't at the opera scene.
It takes a massive amount of suspension of disbelief to think some random girl off the street can not only memorize a 15-minute aria in the matter of a day but to perform it at the level of a professional opera singer, it's just not happening in any universe
@@Cyzure I've suspended way worse. Plus she's from a rich imperial background, who told you she isn't musically trained or has never sang before ?
I don't get what people got so upset about FF3 is one of my Favorite Final Fantasy games. His arguments are valid while at the same time not bias, he doesn't detract from what the game does good just mentioned some things where the game may have over extended itself. If this was an outright attack on the game for hating sake he could have just targeted the completely optional esper and weapon grinding like so many do.. none the less this was a fair review and retrospective on one of the best SNES titles ever made.
Thank you for acknowledging that I actually, you know, LIKE THIS GAME. A LOT.
6 has always been my favorite FF. Characters, music, artwork, story... game has it all.
I think I that most of us feel emotional during the opera scene due to nostalgia. There was literally nothing like it when this game was released and the music is incredibly emotive. Add nostalgia and an incredibly written song and you have something very emotional
Why does have to be nostalgia? Why can't it just be because it is an amazing scene?
@@Ian-ky5hf its just okay without the nostalgia. I beat the game a week ago and didnt know this scene was considered such a masterpiece. I liked it but thats the extend of it.
I absolutely LOVE this game. It is literally why I wanted a SNES. It is still to this day my favorite Final Fantasy! Gau is also my favorite character lol. I do agree with a lot of your criticisms but Final Fantasy has kind of always been like that ever since the beginning. Though Final Fantasy 10 is where it went all crazy cut scene. You say “I could just read a book” but that game says “go watch a movie”.
I see where he’s coming from, but FF VI was the first time I experienced an epic story where you had a dozen+ smaller, but immensely emotional stories spread across a cast of characters that actually made you care deeply about each and every one of them.
After that, when I played the loyalty missions of Mass Effect 2... or watch flashbacks for the characters in Lost or other tv shows... it always strikes a chord with me that makes me emotional remembering the once-in-a-lifetime story that Final Fantasy VI was for me.
Not to mention one of the best plot twists in gaming.
I also disagree about the multiple characters just being there. The end scene was pretty awesome when it asks you to split up your team into 3 separate groups. I realized at that point I should've built up all my characters, not just my fav ones. It put an interesting spin on things and I hadn't seen a video game ever do that.
I think you have missed the point of the emotional value of the game. By the time you reach opera scene, you have spent many hours developing your character, and your mind does more character development than the game itself. You sleep, you go to work patching sailors and Marines (I was a Navy Corpsman when the game was released) the next day, you imagine the back stories of your characters beyond what is provided in the game--and you develop a deep connection to them. When I played the opera scene in '94, Celes (in my imagination) used the moment to express feelings from her own life. There are basically two schools of acting, put simply--acting is imagination; acting is autobiography. Proponents in either camp will hotly debate with the other side, but when FF III SNES was released, I was in the autobiography camp (now that I have an MFA in Acting, I use whatever works for the character), so Celes was using the opera as a catharsis for her own life, in my mind at least, which gives the game a stronger emotional impact than what is explicitly given in the game. I created as much of the character as the devs did.
You are a much younger reviewer who was not alive in '94 (or you were an infant or toddler), and you have the benefit of the multitude of technological and narrative advances that have been made in the years since. If you owned an SNES in '94, FF III was a pivotal moment in your life. Decades from now when someone is looking back at say, Fortnite and wondering why it was so popular, and not understanding the reasons because it's i.e., 2046, you may have something to say, if Fortnite is your game right now.
dude you nailed it perfect explanation
@@wizzardgame8343 That is very generous, thank you.
Others here have done a great job explaining why the opera scene is great. I didn't quite have tears in my eyes, but it was one of many times in this game where the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I do wonder - when was it that you first played this? Did you feel this way about the story when you first played? Because I can tell you that when I first played this game - after begging my dad to get it for me for Christmas for the months that passed from the second I started seeing the ads on TV (he kept calling it "Magic Mountain 19" to stir me up, which worked brilliantly - onya, dad) - I was hanging on every plot turn, every character's story, and not for a moment did I feel like any of it was gratuitous for the sake of it. As you note, it was an epic story across a huge world - two, actually - at a time when that had never been done (or at least not well.)
Don't judge it by 2023, even though I think it holds up brilliantly. Judge it by 1994, and it is one of the greatest video games ever made. Top 10 on the SNES? That's like saying "Final Fantasy 7 was one of the top 50 games of 1997". You're selling this masterpiece short.
One thing that blew my mind - I moved back to the country I was born, Australia, in 2009, and discovered that *FINAL FANTASY III NEVER CAME OUT HERE.* These poor fucking kids.
I think text allows telling a much deeper and richer story and better interaction/more complex systems then any voiced game IMO. Even the best voiced game just loses depth. Its one of those things lost to time. it has benefits (more immersive) but its not just flat out better.
Opera side note:
I believe they got the story of FFXV from the Opera scene.
I disagree. The FF6 opera scene was good. FFXV just sucked.
@@jb111082 Well that doesn't mean anything.
Pixel sucked but the short episode of futurama with living videogames attacking earth was good.
A scene who was supposed to last 10 minutes expanded in a story often sucks.
There's also the fact that Terra is the cutest Final Fantasy girl.
Edit: It is actually the glasses catgirl at the start of Final Fantasy XIV but no one remembers her so Terra it is.
Aeris > all
Yeah I do love Terra!
@@EHonda-ds6ve For some reason I've never found Aeris remotely adorable, cute or anything like that.
The opera scene blew my mind as a kid. Like here I am, less than 10 years old, and I'm helping conduct an opera. Back then, games barely scratched the surface of artistic expression. After years of playing the lion king video game, sonic, Mario, etc, the opera scene was a massive departure from what people considered to be everyday gaming back then.
These days, artsy games are all over the place, but back then, the opera scene (and subsequent suicide scene, the removal of hope after the hope this scene generates) that draws a lot of nostalgia out of people. I don't cry during it, but it's such a satisfying scene. There was nothing like it, and that made it intensely memorable.
Also, I'm certain the song hooks Locke as the love interest (she wouldn't receipcate until later). The back story of his torn love for her and Rachel basically starts there.
I never got this big moment from the opera.
The twins sacrificing themselves in the U.S. version of FF2 was that big moment.
This is one of the truely great games. I love this game so much.
I absolutely loved this game the first time I played it, but I haven't finished it again since. Something about it just doesn't grab me a second time.
I thought I was the only one who felt that way! I tried to play it again four or five times, but I didn't feel as inspired as in my several replays of FFIV and FFV (which I played after FFVI) and stopped playing. A real shame because I love the characters and this is one of the games I used to learn English but I can't help getting bored with it.
+Liam Monteith
Try a "Fewest Steps Challenge", where you try to finish the game with the lowest possible Steps count.
That's a pretty fun challenge, actually.
Personally this is me with most RPGs. Generally, the longer a game is, the longer it'll be until I come back for a second playthrough. Not shaming long games at all here, especially if they're genuinely long without any added fluff, it's just how I tend to operate with all types of media (aka you'll see me re-watch a movie much more than I would re-watch a show, unless it's something extremely important to me).
Every character had a great (albeit dark for many of them...Cyan 😢😥).
Every musical number was beautifully composed so that it easily looped back into itself and didn't feel like it was just on repeat.
Every scene was filled with purpose and drove the story forward, if only to give you more context and connection to the characters and world you're in.
The Espers are challenging, but if you're a diverse player like me, it gives everyone the chance to be useful to have. And later on, that is essential.
The split party system is also what makes the game enjoyable, as just stated. If you didn't work on your whole team, you end up regretting it when that part happens.
My biggest problem with this game is that I find the second half to be dull and tedious. For one, it takes so much time to level up one character to be strong enough to go against Kefka's palace, let alone 13 others. And I wasn't able to find a lot of places to be able to do this without it being straight up slow, which meant grinding in this one cave for 15+ hours. I had a set party that I was going to fight Kefka with, only to discover I need more than four people, which really forces me to be a complitionist. I didn't even finish this game, and I'm not touching it again. I'm not saying it's bad, just it is too long for me.
“I’m the darkness, you’re the starlight.” This phrase sums up the importance of the opera scene. It is a critical character development point for Celes and her relationship with Locke.
Celes at many points in the game including one of the most pivotal gives up hope and has no sense of self worth. Multiple times in the game the idea that hope is lost, the world is destroyed what is left worth living for?
In fact these are the questions Kefka poses to the party at the very end of the game. The opera explores this dynamic between Celes - the darkness and Locke- the Starlight who is always there to reassure and give hope to a character who struggles to find it.
The game touches on some very deep, emotional ideas and concepts and I think that is why the game has always been one of my favorites.
Despair, hope, loss and love. These themes are what truly makes the game amazing, much of that has to do with each character and their personal journey in finding something to live for.
Dang man, I might shed a tear! :)
This is on my list of best games of all time.
The game is HUGE and also has a GREAT storyline. Definitely an easy game to play multiple times since there's so much to do. I love this game but would be nice if it was just a little shorter. LOL
Since the opera scene is performed by Celes, with Locke intervening when Ultros crashes it, I always viewed it as foreshadowing for Locke’s story. How he misses Rachel but must move on although he doesn’t want to, etc. Celes performs the opera because she’s Locke’s love by the end of the game, and she symbolizes Locke’s future and how he must move on from his past.
First time I ever had to quit watching a SNES Drunk review
So damn true
I do find it odd that, in a genre known for story and character development, your issues with this game are those very things. You clearly like the game, but with that mindset, RPGs may not actually be a genre meant for you.
That whole "If I wanted to read a book, I'd read a book." and "I prefer my games more interactive." perspective is pretty skewed. III/VI has plenty of gameplay. But, again, RPG. It's going to be story heavy. That's literally the point. There *ARE* RPGs that focus less on story, and those would likely be more your speed.
As a kid i was a square/enix homer, and i wont apologize for that. So winning me over isnt a hard task. But what propelled this game into top 3 for me all time was that key moment when you beat Kefka on the floating island. Part of you thinks you beat the game, another part says no way there has to be more. But never in my wildest imagination was i prepared for the world to be destroyed, only to have to re adventure through a whole new landscape. To that date of release i had never seen anything like that as a kid. Replaying that game now on my SNES mini brings back so many memories. Still to this date my top 3 RPGs are 1. FF3 2. Chrono trigger and 3. (wild card) Suikoden . With all the great new systems coming out it still havent found an RPG with the same enjoyment as the classics
I played this when I was 15 worked for like 2 months to save enough for it. I still remember when I finished I had 60 hrs logged on. Fucking so much feels
The story is supposed to be a major selling point of an RPG. I didn't feel it was overindulgent or long-winded just for the sake of padding or exhibition. Look at any of the Final Fantasy games from VI on, hell, after this they started to need multiple disks because they were so damn long (I know, the FMV's were mostly to blame). I respect your opinion, I just don't quite understand your complaints.
Celes' opera lines are deepened by her burgeoning relationship with Locke.
and her attempt at suicide on the cliff, which is presented in a the same way with the same music... if it wasn't deep enough before... ffs that takes the cake over aerith dieing, especially if you ever felt suicidal yourself...
@@blahuhm6782 As a kid when FF3/FF6 first released, I never realized that connection. That's a great point and makes me want to replay the game now that I'm an adult to see what else I may have missed.
Good video. Hit the nail on the head about the slightly overbearing number of plot arcs going on all the time.
There was like 1 damn copy of this game in my city when it came out and I had to spend nearly 100 bucks to buy it. Still have it, so I guess it was worth it...
This is my favorite game of all time.
Well, some of the criticism is well warranted here. As much as I love FF6 (it's my favorite FF, screw the FF7 fanboys), I'll be the first to admit it's got a lot of faults. That said, some criticisms are not quite so warranted.
First off is the opera scene. Celes was a general of the empire who decides to leave, or messes up, or something, it's not clear what she does that lands her in a cell, and honestly the ambiguity works for her character. This is because it's in the past, and it doesn't matter to her anymore. What does matter is her new life and Locke. That song was essentially her love letter to him. Before, she had no hope, she didn't want to be rescued as she protested Locke rescuing her at first. But he did it anyway and she decided to begin a new life, to set herself apart from what she was literally bred to do. She was more than a dog of war, she could sing if she wanted to, or do anything with her life really, and Locke showed her that (why do you think she referred to herself as the darkness and him the stars in the song?). So the opera scene is very beautiful and not just self-indulgent and certainly not to show off.
Cyan's backstory ain't over-the-top. People lose their loved ones in war all the time, and the phantom train bit afterwards was done well. It was silent and a rather plain goodbye, which is actually quite brilliant when you think about it. There was no melancholic tune playing or anything, no poetry or any other type of special words exchanged (things like a reference or an ironic saying, like "Ditto" in Ghost), it was a simple farewell and nothing more. This actually hits the tragedy home. Their deaths were sudden and meaningless, just a few more souls in the growing death pile. There would be no funeral, and he didn't have any real time to mourn them because of the conflict at hand. All he got was a simple goodbye, and that's quite sad when it sinks in.
You did not just piss on General Leo...
Okay bud, what you call a mere show-off is actually one of the greatest moments in gaming. I mean, far greater than Aeris's death in FF7. Here's why: The major theme in FF6 is individuality.
Through Kefka, we see the empire as evil and corrupted, that nothing good can come of it. Then there's General Leo. He's honorable, cares for even the lowliest of grunts, and genuinely wants what's best for everyone. And he's not just some grunt or anything, he's a big dog, a mover and shaker. Hell, he outranks Kefka. So he drives home the theme of individuality by going against the standard of the empire being evil.
Then he gets stabbed in the back, both figuratively and literally by Kefka. And that's just when you think the empire has changed for the better, slamming you hard in the gut.
So yeah, while some of your criticisms are valid, some clearly aren't. One of 'em's downright insulting as well. Not cool, bro.
+Epicarp RE: opera scene. A lot of people have made similar points, but nobody has offered specific examples of anything actually said or done in the scene that implies this. Just a lot of vague hindsight. I've only read a lot of people superimpose what they WANT it to mean.
Also, I would recommend not taking it personally that some nobody on the internet doesn't like certain aspects of your favorite game. Life goes on.
Epicarp Dude that comment was awesome. I also love how the ghost train is a somber farewell, and follow up on Cyan. You know what I hate in rpg? When someone goes trough an incredibly traumatic event but it's never ever mentioned again in the game. Here we get a recall/follow up that's nuanced in tone, and that's welcomed.
The soundtrack is what adds the emotional punch to many of the Final fantasy games.
I remember watching my brother play this as a kid. This brought a smile to my face.
i understand your point of view on the game but youve got to think about the fact that in that moment in time, this kind of story wasnt already overused.
Yeah. It's a little like blaming the Odissey for its use of common monsters and stories.
Still the best Final Fantasy ever made. No one RPG shows interactions between characters so well. With Chrono Trigger, the best RPG, in the historical development of japanese role-playing games.
There are only a handful of games I ever took notes on in order to crack all the secrets. This is one of them. I took careful notes on the Zozo puzzle. Once I realized that all the citizens were telling me lies, meaning the truth is whatever none of them said, it didn't take long for me to crack.
The best games are the ones that when my dad plays them, he raids the printer for note paper. it takes a really good puzzle to motivate me to do it.
This game was my first entry into RPG's. I had just gotten my SNES and had traded some random game for this one, to a friend. I had no idea what I was doing in this game. The world map confused the fuck out of me. But I stuck with it, and to this day, I still play this game.
This game had such an impact on my childhood. I can also tell you were too young to truly value this game.
A lot of people don't understand that it's an allusion to various epics and traditional stories and plays. I was a child when I first played it and I got that even then!
Idk if anyone else had this problem, but I tried playing this game about 3 different times, and always got bored after a few hours in. I think the reason was because I'd be really engrossed in the initial characters/ plotline and then they'd just add a whole bunch of new characters and storylines I wasn't very interested in and force me to play with them instead of the party/ characters I was already invested in- both through grinding and through their backstory. FFVII never forced me to play as Cait Sith for hours on end, or follow up with too many irrelevant plotlines I wasn't interested in. FFVI was a game I always wanted to like because it was hyped up by so many people, but I couldn't get through the constant switching of parties to embark on plotlines I wasn't engaged in
Don't get me wrong i love 7 but after playing FF6 it was lame only having 2 characters because you can't switch out cloud. Why didn't they leave it to 4 like they did in 9?
Your criticism of the opera wasn't horrible. You are making a valid point. But look at how Celes acts just prior to the opera scene, her nervous preparation, vulnerability. There's some support from Locke that she genuinely seems to appreciate. Then, she does the opera and it's beautiful, and the fact that she succeeds at something so different from what she is used to, and gets into the role has to be an emotional awakening for her, just as it was for me to realize I was giving a shit about getting an opera right, and not just to progress the story, but because I actually enjoyed it. Hope that helps.
I remember, it was 1996 and I skip one day of school to go buy this game as it was not easy to find game back then... Best day ever...
(spoiler alert)
Actually the opera scene with Celes kinda reflects her relationship with Locke.
It's the theme of love growing in the middle of conflict (Romeo and Juliet). Its not exactly the same since Celes is an imperial general and Locke is a rebel.
But it's still the same theme presented in a different way. What I like about the opera scene is that it evokes this relationship between Locke and Celes and somehow adds depth to it in a very subtle and original way.
I think much of the story was lost in translation.
The reason that the opera was touching was because of what the opera is about. Not the events leading up to the opera, or what the other characters are doing aside from the opera, but the opera itself. Yes, Celes is filling a roll, but so is every stage actor... ever. The opera is about a woman who is left waiting for her lover who was sent to fight this war. The war is lost and her castle is taken so he's being forced to wed the new ruler, but she never stops pining for her lover to return to her. That's what this entire song is about. She knows that she has to marry this invading king, but still loves the man that left for war. It's very heart felt and I'm surprised that you didn't get that at all.
I agree with the Opera scene being more hollow than people take it. I never found it as moving as, say, the deserted island scene with Celes, or the scene in Darryl's Tomb. I totally agree, when you look at it retrospecively, it does seem like a lot of events are done simply for the sake of doing them. Another great example is the branching storylines at the beginning of the game, or saving Terra from the guards or battling the invasion of Narshe.
That being said, this still ends up being one of the greatest games I've ever played, even by today's standards. Sometimes I wish they expounded more into the dynamics of what they were going for to make it feel more cohesive with my aforementioned scenarios. Even drawing out the story a bit more.