Several times during the game you are asked to split your party up into groups of three or four in order to win a long battle or take on separate tasks. The first time is right near the beginning, when Terra is passed out and Locke has to protect her with the help of the Moogles. It requires long-term strategy, a rarity in video games.

It occurs again when you’re trying to protect Tritoch from Kefka. Here the battle is even more fun, as it’s not just a dozen random Moogles you’re employing, but every party member you’ve acquired to this point. There are countless ways to divide your team. Do you put a healer on each squad? Do you make one squad super powerful and try to use them to chase down every enemy? Do you hope Edgar’s autocrossbow is enough to get by on a weak team?

Through out the game you’re given other opportunities to split your party up. The Phoenix Cave has been mentioned already. And, of course, Kefka’s tower requires you to separate into three groups for a long haul. It’s one of my favorite parts of the second half of the game, even though by that point every team is just one big Ultima orgy.