Slideshow: Choose Your Final Fantasy

Three new role-playing games in the legendary series hit store shelves this holiday season. Which is right for the special geek in your life? By Chris Kohler.
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Final Fantasy players used to hyper-realistic characters might have to get used to FFIII's cast of wide-eyed munchkins.Screenshot: Courtesy of Square Enix

See related story: Choose Your Final Fantasy

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FFV has been totally retranslated into English, more than making up for the original hack job translation the game got when it was first released.Screenshot: Courtesy of Nintendo

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Final Fantasy V features four new character classes with a variety of powers not found in the game's original version.Screenshot: Courtesy of Nintendo

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Although they've been done up in beautiful 3-D graphics, Final Fantasy III's battles are relatively simple affairs.Screenshot: Courtesy of Square Enix

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Battles take place in real-time, and you must assign automated battle strategies called "Gambits" to your adventurers if you want to keep up.Screenshot: Courtesy of Square Enix

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The world of Final Fantasy XII is larger and more detailed than anything the role-playing game series has ever managed before.Screenshot: Courtesy of Square Enix

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Much like the battles, FFIII's dungeons look pretty but suffer from a lack of depth or complexity.Screenshot: Courtesy of Square Enix

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FFXII's story, told in elaborate cinematic sequences, bears more than a few similarities to Star Wars.Screenshot: Courtesy of Square Enix