Online Encyclopedia
Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy (Japanese: ファイナルファンタジー Fainaru Fantajii) is a very popular series of role-playing video games produced by Square (aka Squaresoft), now Square Enix. The Final Fantasy video game franchise originated in Japan in 1987 (with Final Fantasy I) and was brought over to North America in 1990 (also with Final Fantasy I) and finally to Europe in 1997 (with Final Fantasy VII). It is also very popular in Australia and New Zealand.
Games in the Final Fantasy series have been featured on the Famicom/NES, MSX, Super Famicom/SNES, PlayStation, WonderSwan Color, PlayStation 2, PC, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, and cellular phone. It will also grace the Nintendo DS in the near future, and will likely be on the upcoming PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. It is the best-selling Square Enix game series. According to Square Enix's press release, it sold over 40 million units worldwide before the Square Enix merger, which went into effect on April 1, 2003. Final Fantasy is considered one of the most influential video game franchises ever.
There have been over 15 Final Fantasy games in all, although few serve as direct sequels to each other. The franchise is associated more with quality, graphics, music, and gameplay than characters or settings.
Overview
The series' name comes from Square's brush with bankruptcy, and is an excellent example of gallows humor. Head designer Hironobu Sakaguchi decided to make the company's last project a fantasy role-playing game, as the name of Final Fantasy implies. The game's success brought the company to profitability, and the Final Fantasy video game franchise was born. Since then the Final Fantasy franchise has been considered Square Enix's most important asset. Figuratively, the name of Final Fantasy can also refer to any successful last chance to escape bankruptcy or any successful last chance to escape death or halt personal loss, based on this business situation.
Common Themes
The Final Fantasy series has many references to history, literature, religion and mythology from around the world, particularly in later games.
All the games in the series occur in different universes and were traditionally unrelated, although individual characters would sometimes appear in later games, often as a "hidden" character. Since the Square-Enix merger of April 1, 2003, this policy of non-continuous games has been set aside, as evidenced by the direct sequel Final Fantasy X-2, and the reappearance of the world from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance in Final Fantasy XII. Final Fantasy VII has also spawned a direct sequel, Advent Children (both a 2004 animated film and a game due 2005) and the spin-off Dirge of Cerebus (game due 2005), as well as other games using the same world, concepts and characters.
Several elements are traditional in the series; the following appear in multiple Final Fantasy games:
- Biggs and Wedge: minor characters in the game. Their names are a reference to minor characters in the original Star Wars movie who assist Luke Skywalker in the final assault on the Death Star. They appear in Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII. They also make a guest appearance in Square's Chrono Trigger, looking as they did in Final Fantasy VI.
- Cid: a character who is usually an engineer, and who often builds airships. Every game since Final Fantasy II, as well as the film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, features a Cid.
- Character development: characters grow and interact with each other over the course of the game. For example, one member might initially dislike and/or ridicule another member of the party, or a character might be struggling to overcome some weakness. There are often romantic relationships that appear throughout the game. This character development is a frequent source of humor.
- Creatures: including Moogles (an intelligent race who have appeared in every game since Final Fantasy III with the notable exception of Final Fantasy IV), Tonberrys, Cactuars (who have both appeared in every game since Final Fantasy V), and Chocobos (every game since Final Fantasy II).
- "Weapons": challenging bosses whose defeat is usually an optional quest, not essential to the game's main storyline.
- Summoned creatures: these are known by various names or titles including Espers, Guardian Forces, Eidolons, and Aeons. These powerful entities aid the party, usually with powerful elemental attacks, and usually include Ifrit (Fire), Shiva (Ice) and Leviathan (Water), among others. Another recurring character is Bahamut, the king of dragons, who may appear as a powerful ally or boss (or in some games, both). Summoned creatures have appeared in every Final Fantasy game since Final Fantasy III, with the exception of Final Fantasy X-2.
- Magical styles: Magic is usually divided into "styles" or "schools" including black magic (elemental spells), white magic (healing spells) and blue magic (the ability to learn the magical abilities of monsters). Sometimes red magic is also included; it is usually a mix of black and white magic.
- Spells: A number of spells are usually available to magic-using characters, the most common including fire, blizzard, thunder, and cure. A series of standard suffixes denotes increasing power; for example, fire is the basic elemental fire spell; fira and firaga are increasingly powerful versions. These suffixes have been present in every Japanese game except Final Fantasy II, but were only adopted in the English localisations after Final Fantasy VIII.
- Status ailments and cures: Characters in Final Fantasy games are usually subject to a number of standard "status ailments" which cause deleterious effects, including silence, poison, petrification and confusion. While these are present in most similar RPGs, Final Fantasy also has a standard list of items which may be used to cure specific ailments; for example the "Echo Screen" cures silence and "Soft" cures petrification. Additionally, all games include the "Phoenix Down", which revives a character who has been KO'd.
Design
Most Final Fantasy games have a considerable level of detail given to the plot and character development. For Final Fantasy XII, Yasumi Matsuno assumed the role of chief producer and designer. The character designers are Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy I-VI), Tetsuya Nomura (Final Fantasy VII, VIII, X), and Akihiko Yoshida (FF Tactics, Vagrant Story). Yoshinori Kitase is an integral part in the production of the Final Fantasy series. In October 2003, Kazushige Nojima , once an integral part of Final Fantasy production, resigned from Square Enix to form his own game scenario company, Stellavista . He partially or completely wrote the stories for Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX, X, and X-2. Despite no longer officially being with the company, however, Square continues to outsource story and scenario work to Nojima.
Music
Final Fantasy has been well recognized in the United States and Europe for its soundtracks. Nobuo Uematsu was the chief music composer of the Final Fantasy series until his resignation from Square in November 2004 (although he has stated that he may continue to work on the series as an outside contractor, similar to how Yasunori Mitsuda continued to work with Square on a number of projects after his departure in 1998). His music has played a large part in the popularity of the Final Fantasy video game franchise in the United States. In the 2004 Summer Olympics, the American synchronized swimming duo consisting of Alison Bartosik and Anna Kozlova were awarded the bronze medal using music from Final Fantasy VIII. Other music composers include Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano. Final Fantasy soundtracks and sheet music are getting more popular among non-Japanese Final Fantasy fans and have even been performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. On November 17, 2003, Square Enix U.S.A. launched an America Online radio station dedicated to the Final Fantasy series. It initially carried complete tracks from Final Fantasy XI and samplings from Final Fantasy VII through Final Fantasy X. Many video game and MIDI Web sites offer MIDI renditions of Final Fantasy music pieces. Several Final Fantasy fans play songs from the series on the piano. Final Fantasy is known not only by the video game community, but also in music circles. The game series is possibly a musical topic as well as a video game topic, due to its recognition for its music. An orchestral Final Fantasy music concert in the United States was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at Walt Disney Concert Hall on May 10, 2004. That concert was a three-day sell out. Most Final Fantasy fan sites offer Final Fantasy music files.
Critics
Although the franchise is extremely popular, it is not without critics. Some cite a lack of interactivity (overuse of Full Motion Video), rigid and often linear story structure and unoriginality. With the exception of Final Fantasy VII, the games that appeared in CD form on the Sony PlayStation and PlayStation 2 platforms that are scenario-written by Kazushige Nojima, are especially attacked by critics within the video game community. Nintendo's Legend of Zelda, Konami's Suikoden, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto, Square Enix's Chrono, and Dragon Quest franchises are strong competitors of Final Fantasy. Much of the Final Fantasy fanbase is believed to have conservative attitudes, especially since the time of Final Fantasy VII, and many critics have such attitudes. Some new school gamers and die-hard Final Fantasy fans believe that the nostalgia factor takes a role in many critics' opinions http://www.rpgamer.com/editor/2004/q2/061004mm.html on Final Fantasy VIII, IX, X, and X-2.
Graphics and technology
Final Fantasy graphics have transformed so much over the years; the first and last Final Fantasy's look completely different.
The 8-bit and 16-bit generations
Final Fantasy began on the Famicom (Nintendo Family Computer) as Final Fantasy I in 1987. In Japan, two sequels were released, Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III. On the main world screen, smaller sprites were used because of graphical limitations, and in battle screens, more detailed, full versions of one's character would show themselves in side view perspective. In North America, the Final Fantasy games were released for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
The system used for the Famicom games would be used again for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo, despite the fact that it did not have the same limitations. Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V , and Final Fantasy VI used updated graphics and effects, as well as higher quality music and sound than in previous games. Not until Final Fantasy VI would Squaresoft (now Square-Enix) realize the limitations of the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo console.
The early Final Fantasies in Japanese consisted purely of hiragana and katakana. The hiragana and katakana give the games the characteristic of "childish," despite their very serious demeanor. Many dialogues were simply clumps of text, making it especially hard for older gamers and foreigners learning Japanese. Finally, in Final Fantasy V, the games began to use kanji. This would continue to get more advanced in Final Fantasy VI, and the trend would continue to make the games much more erudite.
The 32-bit, 64-bit, and 128-bit generations
1997 saw the release of Final Fantasy VII. It marked the beginning of Squaresoft's separation from Nintendo. The characters and entire world were now 3-Dimensional. With beautifully pre-render ed backgrounds (another trend that would continue until Final Fantasy IX). The game spanned three discs. The characters were made cute yet serious (see chibi). Final Fantasy VII was also the first Final Fantasy game to use FMV sequences, or Full Motion Video. However, Final Fantasy VIIs FMVs lacked consistency, with Cloud (the main character) being tiny in one scene, and ultra-detailed in the next.
Final Fantasy VIII decided to go a realistic look. While it is debatable which of the Final Fantasy stories is more 'deep' or 'mature,' VIII tried to convey a serious atmosphere. This game kept pre-rendered graphics from the previous game, leaving only characters and important objects to be 3D-rendered. Final Fantasy VIIIs FMVs were done in a very cinematic fashion, and it would be the first to truly utilize a dual FMV-3D technique. Using this technique, FMV would play in the background while the polygon characters would be composited on top.
Final Fantasy IX returned to the more "chibi" style.
An interesting choice midway along the series would be Final Fantasy Tactics, a spinoff of the series, which used sprite s again for the characters, creating a very neat and efficient way to deploy objects onto an environment for the developers. Moreover, the only real user-interaction besides preparations and shops took place in battle. The developers saw no need for fully 3D-rendered overhead battles.
Final Fantasy X was released on the PlayStation 2 and all environments were completely rendered in 3D, as well as the characters. The FMV-scenes in Final Fantasy X were astonishingly realistic. Final Fantasy X also frequently used the pseudo-cutscene--while these would still show important events, it would not render them in FMV, merely adding voice-overs and enhanced story-significance. FFX was the first game in the series to use voice overs to any degree.
Final Fantasy X-2 sported basically the same graphics as Final Fantasy X, with realistic cutscenes (FMV scenes). The game had more of a J-Pop feel to it though. The 'dress-sphere' system (a simplified incarnation of the 'job system' used by Final Fantasy V and later, in a transformed way, the Final Fantasy Tactics series), which allowed character's to change "jobs" mid-battle, allowed for a variety in designs and costumes, renewing playability, allowing players to customize their party to the way they liked it.
Final Fantasy XI is a MMORPG, and many consider it simply "Final Fantasy Online." It is the first online Final Fantasy.
The much-awaited Final Fantasy XII is scheduled for release sometime in Square-Enix's next fiscal year (their current FY ends March 31, 2005) in Japan, with an American release date unannounced (as of November 23, 2004). The game takes place in the more medieval world of Ivalice , the same setting as Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (Characters in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance mention playing a game called "Final Fantasy," and a popular theory is that this game is actually Final Fantasy XII itself). The characters are similar to those in Final Fantasy X in design, and all five races of Ivalice will be represented. (Final Fantasy X also had 5 races, and racial bias was an important theme throughout the game.)
Game screens
Here is a general look at the 5 traditional Final Fantasy scenes, which will be changed in the new Final Fantasy XII. The games usually have several types of screens, or modes of interaction, broadly categorized as:
- Field screens: These are where the main interaction between the characters occurs, and indeed most of the exploration of the world occurs on these screens. Dialog mostly occurs on these screens. Final Fantasy VII marked the point that Final Fantasy would have realistic computer graphics, while Dragon Warrior stayed with anime style cel-shaded graphics. Prior to Final Fantasy VII, they were pseudo-orthographic, using a simple 2D engine. Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX used pre-render ed and pre-painted backgrounds over which 3D models were overlaid. Final Fantasy X used a completely 3D field screen system, which allowed the camera angle to change as the characters moved about.
- Battle screens: Battles occur on a separate type of screen (or arena), usually with a change of scale and a backdrop "arena" that usually generically represents where the battle is occurring in the game. (For example, a random battle in a desert gets a desert backdrop.) Plot-relevant battles (as opposed to battling random monsters) may have a specially built battle screen/arena however. In Final Fantasy VII and later, these screens are fully 3D, but very restricted in size. Final Fantasy XII will do away with "scene-battles."
- World screen: A low-scale screen used to symbolize travelling great distances in times that would otherwise slow the game down unacceptably plot-wise. These are usually not to scale, as a character may appear the size of a small mountain. Relatively little plot occurs here, but there are exceptions. The world screen was cut off by Final Fantasy X.
- Cutscenes: These scenes are non-interactive playback that usually advances the plot. They can either be pre-render ed video (FMV), or they can be executed in with the same engine as the field screens. In some cases, pre-render ed video was overlaid with real-time rendered field screen graphics (FMV-3D).
- Menu Screen: This screen is used for navigating your party's status, equipment, magic, etc. This screen is usually a very simple blue-table layout, with a gloved hand to select one's options. In some games, the option to change the color of the tables is given. Final Fantasy VIII saw much more advanced menus with more options, and by Final Fantasy X the menus were part of the style of the game.
The games often feature various mini-games with their own graphical engines.
How to play
Final Fantasy immensely borrowed from its rival, Dragon Quest. Therefore, Final Fantasy is a menu-based role-playing video game series. Final Fantasy I set up the foundation for the basic battle gameplay, originally using panes in the original version as a guide. Final Fantasy II for the Famicom eliminated the panes that separated between the allies and the enemies. Final Fantasy VII transformed the Battle Screen to make it look three-dimensional, and that was ameliorated by Final Fantasy X. Like Dragon Quest, when walking on the field or in dungeons, the playable characters face random encounters. As they win the random battles, they gain experience points. Death is more of a threat in Final Fantasy I than in its successors. Generally, death is less of a threat in Final Fantasy than in Dragon Quest.
The battles in these games are usually semi-turn based, using a system known as the Active Time Battle - introduced in Final Fantasy IV. The battle system differs somewhat among all the games, particularly in the use of weapons, magic (such as Black, White, and Summon), items, and limit breaks (a.k.a. Overdrives (FF X) and Trance (FF IX)). Limit breaks (introduced in FF VI) are particularly potent attacks.
The games
| Other Final Fantasy games | Year | System |
|---|---|---|
| Makaitoushi SaGa - Released in the US as Final Fantasy Legend | 1989/1990 | Game Boy |
| SaGa II - Released in the US as Final Fantasy Legend II | 1990/1991 | Game Boy |
| SaGa III - Released in the US as Final Fantasy Legend III | 1991/1992 | Game Boy |
| Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden - Released in the US as Final Fantasy Adventure | 1991 | Game Boy |
| Final Fantasy Mystic Quest - Released in Japan as Final Fantasy USA | 1992 | Super Famicom/SNES |
| Final Fantasy Tactics | 1997 | PlayStation |
| Final Fantasy Tactics Advance | 2003 | Game Boy Advance |
| Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles | 2003 | GameCube |
Note on numbering system
Originally, Final Fantasy II and III for the Famicom and V for the Super Famicom were not released in America, so Square of America decided to change the numbers of the US releases to hide this fact. Final Fantasy IV became "II" and VI became "III". Starting with Final Fantasy VII for the PlayStation, it was decided to drop the pretense and refer to all subsequent games by their true numbering, leading to an apparent "jump" over 3 games. This has been a source of endless confusion, with many American fans continuing to refer to this day to IV and VI by the original American numbers. To solve this, many fans use the disambiguating suffixes "us" and "j" for American numbering and Japanese numbering respectively, e.g. FF3us or FFVIj.
Later ports include translations of the Japanese games with their original numbering. Final Fantasy IV was released in Final Fantasy Chronicles for the PlayStation, while Final Fantasy V and VI were released in Final Fantasy Anthology for PlayStation. The original Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II are released in Final Fantasy Origins, and for the Game Boy Advance as Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls. Final Fantasy III has not yet officially been released in the US.
Final Fantasy I
- Main article: Final Fantasy I
- Originally released for the Nintendo Famicom. Ported to MSX. Remade for the Bandai WonderSwan Color, Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Game Boy Advance.
Only the first in the Japanese series was available in America until the fourth in the Japanese series. At the beginning of that first game the player chose one of six classes for four characters from a stock list: Fighters, Thieves, Black Belts, White Mages, Black Mages, and Red Mages. These four chosen characters, named by the player, became the Light Warriors, carrying four darkened orbs. The adventure started with the rescue of Princess Sara from Garland, allowing a small amount of gameplay before the game's true opening sequence, during which the song played is also present in other Final Fantasy games. This game featured various vehicles for use in crossing different terrains, including a pirate ship, a canoe, and ultimately an airship. This game has been re-released in an upgraded version in the package "Final Fantasy Origins" for the Sony PlayStation, alongside Final Fantasy II, which was formerly Japan-only. Orbs are called crystals in Final Fantasy Origins, and Blackbelts are called Monks.
The Game Boy Advance version of Final Fantasy I is known as Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a port of Final Fantasy Origins. Though it features much the same graphics, and the sound may have been tweaked, the magic system has been completely reworked, monsters now drop classic items from throughout the series and there are four additional dungeons known collectively as the Soul of Chaos, which feature bosses from the third, fourth, fifth and sixth titles in the series.
Final Fantasy I has also graced the cellular phone alongside Dragon Quest 1.
External Link: Final Fantasy Classic http://www.planetnintendo.com/ff1
Final Fantasy II
- Main article: Final Fantasy II
- Originally released for the Nintendo Famicom. Remade for the Bandai WonderSwan Color, Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Game Boy Advance.
Final Fantasy IIs plot revolved around four friends (Firion, Maria, Gus, and Leon) who survived an invasion of their hometown, Fynn, from the Empire of Palamecia. Their parents were killed by the Empire. Three of them met up again in the resistance headquarters in Altair, and from there they travel around the world and take on temporary companions in their fight against the Palamecian Empire. FF2 is stylistically very similar to its predecessor, using the same battle system and similar graphics (both in the original and in the remake). It is the first game in the series to have a playable female character (though the White Mage class from FF1 is thought by some to be female) and a man named Cid. Maria is Final Fantasy's first playable female character, and Leila is the second playable female character and a temporary one. FF2 also introduced spears and Chocobos. The waters are in motion since FF2 (they were a still image in the original version of FF1). Though unofficially translated by a fan called NeoDemiforce in 1998 and widely available on the Internet, this game was never released in America or Europe until 2003 with the "Final Fantasy Origins" package enhanced for the Sony PlayStation Console. Final Fantasy II is not to be confused with Final Fantasy II for the SNES, which was the original US name for Final Fantasy IV.
Final Fantasy II also had a unique leveling up system, different from classic "Gain levels". In Final Fantasy II, there are no levels to gain, you gain hit-points by losing a specific number of hit-points, defense by being hit a specific number of times, accuracy for hitting enemies, and vice versa.
The Game Boy Advance remake of this game can be found on Final Fantasy I&II: Dawn of Souls. It has most of the same enhancements as the Playstation Origins version.
Final Fantasy III
- Main article: Final Fantasy III
- Originally released for the Nintendo Famicom. A remake for the Nintendo DS is currently in the works.
For the NES/Famicom, this was only released in Japan, but it was later translated into English through emulation by Alex W. Jackson and SoM2Freak and distributed by NeoDemiforce. The game featured 4 children on a quest to save the Crystals of the Elements from a force known only as the Dark Cloud. Traveling around the world, they go from the dark world to the Realm of Dreams, where they discover a plot by the gods to destroy the world. They can be changed into many character classes using the first incarnation of the job system that later was used in FFV, FFT, FFX-2, and FFXI. FFIII for the NES is not to be confused with FFIII for the SNES, which was the original US name for FFVI. The chances are unknown of whether Final Fantasy III will be remade for Sony PlayStation. A remake was in planning for Bandai's WonderSwan, but Square eventually cancelled the project and worked on a WS port of FFIV instead. As of late, however, SquareEnix has announced a port of the title to the Nintendo DS, http://ds.ign.com/articles/554/554889p1.html with Nintendo saying that the game will be released in the U.S. http://ds.ign.com/articles/555/555151p1.html The remake will take advantage of the handheld's two screens and the touchpad. No release date for the game has been set.
Final Fantasy IV
- Main Article: Final Fantasy IV
- Originally released for the Nintendo Super Famicom. Ported to the Sony PlayStation.
Final Fantasy IV introduced the Active Time Battle (ATB) system. It is the first game in the series to have more than one world map. It also introduced window color adjustment. The plot focuses on a main character named Cecil Harvey. The game begins when Cecil and the air force he captains (called the Red Wings) are forced to steal a Crystal. Cecil questions the need for this to his king, King Baron, who promptly deprives him of the command of the Red Wings and sends him off (along with his friend Kain Highwind) on an errand to carry a package to a place called Valley Mist, the home of Rydia of Mist. Starting from Mount Ordeals, the party soon encounters the Fiends of the Elements who are planning, with their leader Golbez, to free an enslaved black wizard.
In Japan, there were two versions of Final Fantasy IV: the original, or "hard" version, and a subsequent "easy" version, which made many enemies easier to defeat and simplified the magic system somewhat. Many items, some of the characters' abilities, and some spells were removed for FFIV Easytype, as it is commonly known.
Square of America modified the "easy" version, releasing it for the Super NES as Final Fantasy II. The game's content was also censored somewhat in that version, to comply with Nintendo of America's family-friendly image: references to death, religious content (such as the word holy), references to bloodshed in battle, and mild sexual content were all removed.
Final Fantasy IV was released a second time in the United States under Final Fantasy Chronicles alongside Chrono Trigger. The Final Fantasy Chronicles version is based on FF4 Hard. Most of the censorship and feature omissions from Final Fantasy 2 U.S. version have been reversed in the Final Fantasy Chronicles version, and like most of the Playstation remakes, this version features FMV sequences, though few other changes were made.
External Link: Sygnus -- FFIV Fan Archives http://www.sygnus.org
External Link: Dawezy's Final Fantasy IV Network http://www.geocities.com/thedawezy
Final Fantasy V
- Main article: Final Fantasy V
- Originally released for the Nintendo Super Famicom. Ported to the Sony PlayStation.
It was not officially released in America until 1999 (in Final Fantasy Anthology), although the group RPGe released a English translation for the emulation community in 1997. FF5 used the idea of a 'Job' system in which a character could become any type of warrior he/she wanted. FF5 involved the adventures of Butz (Bartz in the PS1 version), Lenna (Reina in the re-released PS1 version), her sister Faris, Galuf and his granddaughter KuRuru (Krile in the PS1 version), who had to stop a powerful necromancer named Exdeath (X-Death in the PS1 version, Exodes in the anime) from taking all of the crystals of the elements, and using them to open a portal of nothingness, called the Mu{Void}. The party travels from their home world to the ravaged world of Exdeath, where they battle his plans. Exdeath, however, succeeds in melding the 2 worlds into one{Planet-R}; doing so to unlock the power of a thing called the void, or Mu contained in the Cleft of Dimensions (N-Zone in the PS1 version). Once they get the 4 hidden monoliths to open the way to 12 powerful weapons, the 4 characters battle Exdeath, defeating him & restoring all lands consumed by Mu. A anime sequel to the game, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals, took place centuries after the game.
Final Fantasy VI
- Main article: Final Fantasy VI
- Originally released for the Nintendo Super Famicom. Ported to the Sony PlayStation.
The game concerns a group of mystical creatures called Espers, who live in a world parallel to the one in which humans live. A half-human, half-Esper named Terra is controlled by the evil Empire in the game - they believe they can use her magical powers to lay waste to their adversaries, the rebellious Returners. Over the course of the game, over a dozen characters join Terra in her quest to both stop the Empire from harnessing the power of the Espers as well as to find out more about her mysterious past. Considered one of the best games of all-time, the story is unique for both exploring the detailed lives of the main characters as well as its adult handling of serious themes, such as suicide and abortion (which had never been dealt with before in a video game). The game was released as Final Fantasy III on the SNES by Square of America. It was re-released by Square EA on the PlayStation with Final Fantasy V under Final Fantasy Anthology. Final Fantasy VI has the best graphics that the SNES has to offer (and was the first to feature a 3d-scaled world map), and it laid the foundation for the following Final Fantasy games, making the Final Fantasy franchise have realistic computer graphics from the next installment on.
Final Fantasy VII
- Main article: Final Fantasy VII
- Originally released for the Sony PlayStation. Ported to PC.
This is the first release where the characters' names aren't arbitrarily capitalized. It is also the first Final Fantasy with 3D graphics. The plot focuses on a character named Cloud Strife. Cloud is beginning his employment for a group called AVALANCHE, headed by Barret Wallace, after quitting from the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company's super-soldier unit named SOLDIER for reasons that he cannot recall, to become a mercenary. They are attempting to sabotage a Mako reactor, a device which drains energy from the Planet to generate electricity, to create monsters, and to create Materia, magical crystals. These reactors are created and maintained by the Shin-Ra EPC. However, Cloud goes beyond being a hired mercenary with AVALANCHE by his side, and is drawn in to a vast storyline, centering on Sephiroth, who was the ultimate SOLDIER member. Sephiroth has a striking, handsome appearance and is considered one of Squaresoft's most popular villains. He appeared in Kingdom Hearts as an extremely difficult secret boss, appearing through a literal sephiroth.
Final Fantasy VII seems to be the most popular Final Fantasy game. It is the best selling Final Fantasy game installment-wise. Final Fantasy VII will soon have a motion picture sequel, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. A prequel game, Final Fantasy VII: Before Crisis, is available for users of certain Japanese cell phones. A proper sequel, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, focusing on the "hidden" character Vincent, is in early development. Also, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, a new game for PlayStation Portable, has been announced on October 27, 2004.
Final Fantasy VIII
- Main article: Final Fantasy VIII
- Originally released for the Sony PlayStation. Ported to PC.
This release featured a dramatic improvement in graphics and cutscene quality. A highly artistic addition to the series, it involved a group of orphans about 17 years of age who were adopted by the 'Balamb Garden', a school that trains its students to become mercenaries. There are 2 other 'Gardens' established within the FF8 world. The students' of the Gardens are called SeeDs and their main (but secretive) duty is to protect the world from the threat of powerful Sorceresses, as the last one caused a great war.
This addition to the series was surprising in its incredible level of detail, including ancient stories of a being that gave humans magical powers, an unknown force that makes radio transmissions impossible, the mysterious lineage of the game's main character Squall Leonhart and a burgeoning love between Squall and a young girl, Rinoa Heartilly. While many hold that FF8 created a new zenith in RPGs for artistry and character/plot development, critics disliked the opaqueness of Squall's motives and his unpleasant, unlikable and distant behavior, as well as the interminably long summoning cut scenes. Therefore, Final Fantasy VIII created controversy among Final Fantasy's pre-32-bit-era fans.
Final Fantasy IX
- Main Article: Final Fantasy IX
- Originally released for the Sony PlayStation.
This release is a return to Final Fantasy's roots - likable characters, a main character with an unknown past, and stereotypical examples of the original series' various character classes (unlike the "Job" system of FFIII, FFV and FFT, the characters can't change their type of fighting). The plot revolved around a mysterious villain who needs the people of a devastated culture to gain power as he disrupts the "flow of souls" in the natural cycle of life and death. There are several main characters: Zidane, Princess Garnet a.k.a. Dagger, Eiko, Amarant, Vivi, Adelbert Steiner, Freya and Quina. Chocobos and airships figure strongly in the gameplay. Intended as a return to the series' "roots" after the mixed reaction to FFVIII, it abandoned the sci-fi look of FFVII and FFVIII, reduced the length of cutscenes, and contains many references to the previous Final Fantasy games, especially Final Fantasy I (The fiends of Final Fantasy I, Lich, Marilith, Kraken, and Tiamat, were carried over, as well as a major villain called Garland). Kuja is the main villain: a narcisstic sociopath who wishes to destroy everything as time goes on, who realizes he is a mortal, as is evident in his saying "why should this world exist without me? Now that wouldn't be fair." While cruel and deranged, his articulate self serving rants, sarcasm, and wit make him the perfect villain.
Final Fantasy X
- Main article: Final Fantasy X
- Originally released for the Sony PlayStation 2.
Visually much like Final Fantasy VIII, in that the characters have normal proportions. There are some noticeable differences between Final Fantasy X and the previous members of the Final Fantasy series. Final Fantasy X introduced voice acting. Under the direction of Toshiro Tsuchida, the battle system is changed from the traditional "Active Time Battle" to a new "Conditional Time Battle" system which was more turn-based and ostensibly allowed for a greater degree of strategic depth. The leveling system has also received an overhaul, with the advent of the Sphere Grid. The story is still the primary focus (as seen by the linearity), aided by exceptional graphics, but some critics have an opinion in reverse of this regard.
The main character is Tidus (pronounced tee-dus), a cheerful blitzball player from Zanarkand, who escapes an attack on his home city by a creature called "Sin". He is transported to the world of Spira, 1000 years in the future, where he is enlisted in a quest to destroy the creature, which reappears every ten years to wreak havoc until defeated by a "summoner". Tidus joins the summoner Yuna of Bevelle (daughter of Lord Braska the High Summoner), and her guardians Wakka of Besaid, Lulu of Besaid, Auron, and Kimahri Ronso. Kimahri is Yuna's most faithful guardian. He knew Yuna for ten years before the events of Final Fantasy X. Tidus is later reunited with Al Bhed thief Rikku, who had rescued him earlier in the game. Wakka and Rikku become close associates of Tidus. (Interestingly, Wakka had a racist attitude agains the Al Bhed, until after he learns of Rikku's nationality.) These characters make up the playable cast of the game. Tidus of Zanarkand was voiced by James Arnold Taylor. Yuna of Bevelle was voiced by Hedy Burress. Wakka and Kimahri were voiced by John DiMaggio. Rikku the Al Bhed was voiced by Tara Strong.
One notable song is Suteki Da Ne, performed by Rikki of Amami. It is derived from Yuna's Theme. There are four versions of Suteki Da Ne. The Eternal Calm video, interquel of Final Fantasy X and X-2, was never in English until the time of the American release of Final Fantasy X-2, when it was featured on the demo disc of the Official PlayStation Magazine.
Note that Square developed a demo for the Nintendo 64 using characters from Final Fantasy VI in 3D. It was called Final Fantasy X, and was designed to test the capabilities of Nintendo's new platform. Square decided to stick with the PlayStation and Final Fantasy VII instead, due to higher storage capacity and texture memory, among other factors. The X in this case represents a variable, not the numeral ten. That cancelled project is later known as Final Fantasy SGI after the release of the PS2 game Final Fantasy X.
Final Fantasy X-2
- Main article: Final Fantasy X-2
- Originally released for the Sony PlayStation 2.
The first true sequel in the series, Final Fantasy X-2 (officially pronounced "ten two," though some gamers also say "ecks two") continues the story of Spira from a point two years after the end of Final Fantasy X. The story is different from the other games in the fact that it is quite non-linear. You can go through the game without having to see most of the story. The game also adopts the job system from FF5. The game also does not have any summon magic (something that is understandable to those who played FFX through to its conclusion) and has been rid of the sphere grid from FFX and utilises the basic experience point basis of character growth. The plot revolves around Yuna, now an adventure-seeking "Sphere Hunter", looking for her lost love Tidus (the main character of FFX) after finding some evidence that might indicate he is still alive. You play with the characters of Yuna, Rikku (from FFX) and a new character, Paine, who in terms of personality seems to be a combination of Lulu and Auron from the earlier game. The story eventually evolves to find out that a spirit from before Sin came was trying to use a giant machina (machine) that could destroy the world. Although popular, this game is somewhat controversial among "old-school" Final Fantasy players for a perceived overreliance on the sex appeal of its all-female party.
The characters use "Dresspheres", which give them abilities similar to a Job (Thief, White Mage, etc.). They can change the Dressphere used outside or inside a battle, and experience from the battle applies to abilities learned from a list unique to each Dressphere. Each character must learn each ability independently.
Although the story is non-linear, it keeps track of certain events to display what percentage of the game you have seen, including previous games using the same memory card. The player is presented with certain major choices that affect how the story unfolds, and, by association, the completion percentage. However, since the total percentage equals more than 100% (it is closer to 110%, although the game does not display percentages over 100), it is possible to attain 100% completion during a single game play, provided the player makes certain choices (specifically, choosing to align with the Youth League at the beginning of chapter two, rather than New Yevon: with the former, 100% completion can be attained, whereas with the latter the maximum percentage possible is 99.2%). The percentage of completion determines the type of ending the player sees. A low percentage yields the "bad" ending, fairly high results in the "good" ending, and 100% allows the player to witness the "perfect" ending. For the bad ending, Yuna never actually finds Tidus. For the good ending, they are reunited at the end. The perfect ending adds an additional scene after the credits are finished.
Final Fantasy XI
- Main article: Final Fantasy XI
- Originally released for Sony PlayStation 2. Ported to the PC.
A sharp break from the rest of the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XI is an MMORPG. Final Fantasy XI takes place in the world of Vana'Diel, a world divided by three nations in friendly competition. The game has a traditional Final Fantasy plot told through cutscenes shown after the completion of special Missions. The Job system returns; each player can change his or her job in town. Its gameplay is fairly new to the genre as well, with a unique mix of menu-based combat and real time combat, and for this game at least, quests, cash-earning and missions can consume as much time as leveling.
The game is server-side, meaning that all character information is stored in the company's computers and not your PlayStation 2/PC. Players need only pay for standard internet access and game membership (called PlayOnline) to connect. PlayStation 2 and PC players from all over the world mingle together on the same servers, making for a truly unique MMORPG experience. Though this game was much anticipated most people consider it not a "true Final Fantasy game" especially since important characters like "arso" were not included as of yet also because it held no true story or mission to fulfill.
Final Fantasy XII
Main Article: Final Fantasy XII
- Not yet released.
Possibly the last Final Fantasy game on the PlayStation 2 if Square keeps the tradition of three games per console. It was originally scheduled for a release during the last few months of 2003; however Square Enix postponed the Japanese release to middle 2004 and then, most recently, to 2005. The first piece of information released was a poster showing a huge city and its population back in 2002. Since then the main characters, basic plot, and game system details have been revealed.
The story is set in the world of Ivalice, the same world as the one seen in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy Tactics (though in the latter the world name is the only similarity). The game will feature the same races as seen in Tactics Advance. The buildings and architecture appear to be Mediterranean in style.
The main character is Vaan, a seventeen-year-old thief of the Dalmaska Kingdom and a carefree boy who is consumed by thoughts of pirating and of owning an airship.
On the other hand is Ashe, the other main character of the game. Ashe is the nineteen-year-old heir to the throne of Dalmaska whose world is changed by the appearance of Vaan.
As of December 11th 2003, two more characters, named Fran and Balflear, have been revealed. Fran is of the Viera race (seen in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance) and Balflear is of the Hume race. He uses a firearm and owns his own airship. Fran is skilled with a variety of weapons but prefers the bow judging from the game trailers released so far. The game will probably sport many characters, as is the norm of a game developed by Square Enix's fourth production team.
As of December 17, 2003, Final Fantasy XIIs battle system has been revealed to be similar to that of Final Fantasy X-2. Also, there will be three slots for crystals.
Preliminary trailers suggest that the game will have a graphical style extremely similar to Vagrant Story--a previous work of FFXIIs new director Yasumi Matsuno.
On April 2004, a new character named Penelo was revealed. She is a sixteen-year-old and the neighbor and girlfriend of Vaan. Although she lost her family in the war, she is cheerful and thinks positively. She is not experienced in battle, but she bears extensive knowledge of military technology. She loves playing instruments as well as dancing. In addition, she works in a bazaar.
Quite recently, the sixth character had been revealed. Thirty-six-year-old Basch, a known traitor to Dalmaska, plays a part in the developing game. A character conflict is likely to arise as Basch is the murderer of Ashe's father (presumably the Dalmaskan king). His weapon of choice is the sword.
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
- Main article: Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
- Originally released for the Nintendo GameCube.
This is the first Final Fantasy game on a Nintendo console since Final Fantasy VI. Since Sony partially owns Squaresoft, the company that makes Final Fantasy, it seemed unlikely that it would ever see a Nintendo system again. However, Squaresoft created a 2nd party studio that included people who had worked on Final Fantasy games for PlayStation to make Final Fantasy games for Nintendo consoles. This new Final Fantasy game shares little in common with its predecessors, aside from the name. For this latest game, the designers chose to abandon the Active Time Battle system in favor of real time approach. It is this approach that makes the game more akin to action RPGs, like Secret of Mana or (relevantly, given the Square-Enix merger) Enix's Illusion of Gaia for the Super NES.
The world of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is covered in a poisonous fog called Miasma. The only thing keeping civilization alive is the presence of Crystals, which have the ability to repel the miasma. Crystals come in two sizes - the small ones protect small groups of individuals, while the large ones are able to protect entire towns.
However, there is a problem...
The large crystals lose their ability to repel miasma after one year, and must be cleansed with Myyrh, which can only be gathered from Myyrh trees scattered throughout the land. Thus, your goal in the game is to go around gathering Myyrh to replenish the crystal protecting your hometown.
The game centers on the caravan that gathers Myyrh, led by the player. The Myyrh trees cannot give Myyrh more than once every other year, which means the player has to gather Myyrh from one set of trees one year, then another more distant set the next year, then on the third year returning to the first set of trees. This cycle continues until the game ends.
The main allure of the game is its multiplayer capability. Players use a Game Boy Advance with a link cable to the GameCube, rather than controllers. This allows them to manage their character's status screens without them being displayed on the television. The (up to four-player) cooperative play is more expensive though; four Game Boys and four link cables are required for four players.
- A Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles game is also in development for the Nintendo DS.
Compilations
Final Fantasy Anthology
- For the Sony PlayStation.
This game is a compilation of Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI, including some CG movies and bonus features not available in the original games. In Europe, this compilation consists of Final Fantasy V and the "hard type" version of Final Fantasy IV, but not FF6. Final Fantasy VI was released for the Sony PlayStation in Europe as a standalone game just before the compilation.
Final Fantasy Chronicles
- For the Sony PlayStation.
This was the second multi-release of old games for the PSX, including Chrono Trigger (which had been previously released for the Super Nintendo) and the "hardtype version" of Final Fantasy IV. (The "easytype version" of FFIV was included in the Japanese release of Final Fantasy Anthology, but not in the US release. The "easytype version" of FFIV had been previously released in the US as Final Fantasy II for the SNES). FF4 featured new CG animation, while Chrono Trigger featured new anime style cutscenes.
Final Fantasy Origins
- For the Sony PlayStation.
This is the third (and presumably final) compilation of old Final Fantasy titles for the PSX. It includes the original Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II, both released for the NES/Famicom. Final Fantasy II was never previously released in the U.S., and Final Fantasy I was never previously released in Europe. Both games have undergone graphical and audio improvements and gameplay streamlining, unlike the other Final Fantasy compilation games. See Final Fantasy Origins for more information. See also enhanced remake and Super Mario All Stars.
Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls
- For the Game Boy Advance.
This a re-release of Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II in one gamepak. While visually very similar to the WonderSwan/PlayStation versions (they use the same sprites), Dawn of Souls includes new bonus dungeons for each game, is far less difficult to complete, and has the added ability to save the game at any point. Other changes include a new magic point (MP) system for Final Fantasy I, a tweaked Thief character, and items from the later Final Fantasy games (such as Hi-Potions and Phoenix Downs).
Final Fantasy I includes four new dungeons containing items, weapons, and bosses from Final Fantasy III through VI. Final Fantasy II has a special dungeon called the "Soul of Re-Birth" in which four characters who die in the main story return for a more difficult story.
The game was released by Nintendo in Australia on November 25, 2004, in North America on November 29, 2004, and in Europe on December 3, 2004. In Japan, the game was released under the title Final Fantasy I & II Advance.
Spinoffs
- Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
- Final Fantasy Legend
- Final Fantasy Adventure (Seiken Densetsu)
- Final Fantasy Tactics
- Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
- Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon
- Chocobo Racing
- Final Fantasy VII: Before Crisis
- Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus
- Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Notable people
- Yoshitaka Amano - character, artwork, and logotype designer
- Mayuko Aoki - end-motion capture for Rinoa and Japanese voice actor for Yuna
- Hedy Burress - English voice actor for Yuna
- Jade of Sweetbox - The English vocalist in the English version of Final Fantasy X-2
- John DiMaggio - English voice actor for Wakka and Kimahri
- Masashi Hamauzu - video game musician
- Yoshinori Kitase - producer
- Koda Kumi - Japanese vocalist in the Japanese version of Final Fantasy X-2
- Yasunori Mitsuda - sound effects
- Minoru Akao - sound/music engine programmer
- Masakazu Morita - end-motion capture for Zell and Japanese voice actor for Tidus
- Junya Nakano - video game musician
- Tetsuya Nomura - character and artwork designer
- Risa Ohki - vocalist for album Final Fantasy: Pray and Final Fantasy: Love Will Grow
- Nakano Ritsuki (later known as Rikki) - vocalist in Final Fantasy X
- Hironobu Sakaguchi - originator of Final Fantasy, producer
- Hitoshi Sakimoto - video game musician
- Tsuyoshi Sekito - video game musician
- Tara Strong - English voice actor for Rikku
- Naoshi Mizuta - video game musician
- James Arnold Taylor - English voice actor for Tidus
- Toshiro Tsuchida - battle system director for Final Fantasy X
- Tetsu Tsukamoto - alternate costume designer for Final Fantasy X-2
- Nobuo Uematsu - video game musician and composer of most of the series' music
- Faye Wong - vocalist in Final Fantasy VIII
- Emiko Shiratori - vocalist in Final Fantasy IX
- Kumi Tanioka - video game musician
See also
Final Fantasy related
- Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, a Hollywood movie released on July 11, 2001. Its plot is not related to any game in the series.
- Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, another Final Fantasy movie released in Japan in late 2004, direct sequel of Final Fantasy VII.
- Final Fantasy: Unlimited, a recently released anime series.
- List of character classes
- List of Final Fantasy characters
- List of Final Fantasy locations
- Races of Final Fantasy
- Square Enix
Fantasy & role playing related
Music
- Final Fantasy music
- List of video game music
- Video game music
- Pink Floyd references in FF7
Misc
Similar games
External links
- Eyes on Final Fantasy http://www.eyesonff.com/ , also covers the Chrono Trigger series, Kingdom Hearts and Xenogears.
- Final Fantasy Online http://www.ffonline.com/
- Final Fantasy: Worlds Apart - Contains over 500 pages of Final Fantasy content http://www.ffwa.org/
- The Final Fantasy: Digital Exclusive Final Fantasy Coverage http://www.thefinalfantasy.com/
- Final Fantasy XI Top 200 http://www.gamesites200.com/ffxi/ - ranks Final Fantasy XI site by user popularity.
- Final Fantasy Alpha http://www.ffalpha.com/
- The Square Haven http://www.squarehaven.com/ Comprehensive coverage of all Square Enix titles, especially Final Fantasy
- Final Fantasy Addicts http://www.ffaddicts.com/
- Final Fantasy Compendium http://www.ffcompendium.com/h/
- Final Fantasy Shrine http://www.ffshrine.org/
- Final Fantasy Horizon http://www.ffhorizon.com/
- Final Fantasy Impulse http://www.ffimpulse.com/
- Final Fantasy Republic http://www.ffrepublic.com/
- Final Fantasy Spirit - Spirit Within http://www.ffspirit.net/
- Final Fantasy Warpzone, Liquid Temptation http://www.ffwarpzone.com/
- Final Fantasy Insider http://www.ffinsider.com/
- FFX-2 Online http://www.ffx2online.com/
- Final Fantasy Gurus http://www.ffgurus.net/
- Gameshrine http://www.gameshrine.uk.tt/ - New and developing Final Fantasy Site that covers more than just final fantasy
- Square Ultima http://www.squareultima.com/ , also covers the Chrono Trigger and Seiken Densetsu series.
- Square-X http://www.square-x.com - Fan site covering the majority of Square Enix games.
- Square Insder http://www.squareinsider.com - Fan site covering the majority of Square Enix games.
- Final Fantasy XI Gil http://www.finalfantasyxigil.org/
- Final Fantasy Music http://ffmusic.tgnetwk.com/
- Final Fantasy music in MIDI format http://www.vgmusic.com/
- Final Fantasy XI Online http://www.finalfantasyxionline.com - Guide website.
- Total FFXI http://www.totalffxi.net
- Final Fantasy XI OGaming http://ffxi.ogaming.com/ - Covers the online only Final Fantasy XI.
- That FFXI Site http://www.thatffxisite.com/ - provides information on Final Fantasy XI
- The Final Fantasy Wiki http://ffwiki.blueshinra.com
- 8-bit Theater http://www.nuklearpower.com A webcomic based on Final Fantasy I.
- Final Fantasy Classic http://www.planetnintendo.com/ff1/ - Final Fantasy 1 page