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Tag: Final Fantasy (Series)

Genre: Japanese Role-Playing Game

Creator: Hironobu Sakaguchi

Developer: Square, Square Enix

Publisher: Square, Square Enix

Sales: 159 million units *As of 2020

 

Final Fantasy is a long running Japanese Role-Playing Game (JRPG) series for video game consoles. It has received both commercial and critical success over decades. Because of its success, it is often the first thing that comes to mind when someone says JRPG or even RPG.

 

Series’ Origins

 

Final Fantasy’s first installment was released in 1987 in the form of Final Fantasy for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, Final Fantasy was almost called “Fighting Fantasy” before the company settled on “Final Fantasy” in order to avoid trademark issues.

Prior to making Final Fantasy, Sakaguchi was not a well-liked figure within the company. Only a few employees volunteered to help him on his Final Fantasy project, and only after years of unsuccessfully trying to pitch the game’s idea to Squaresoft’s executives, at the time. Squaresoft would greenlight Final Fantasy, only after Dragon Quest showed that Role-Playing Games could be hugely successful in Japan.

 

Dragon Quest remained the king of Japanese RPG sales in Japan, but Final Fantasy was successful enough to save Squaresoft from the brink of extinction in the late 80s, and unlike Dragon Quest, Sakaguchi’s creation went onto become a global success.

 

Top Selling Title: Final Fantasy VII (13,258,000)

 

Released in 1997 on the original PlayStation, Final Fantasy VII was an influential title. The 7th installment in the Final Fantasy franchise brought J-RPGs into the mainstream and helped Sony’s debut console outsell the Nintendo 64 in the mid 1990s.

 

Final Fantasy VII is credited with igniting the golden era of Japanese Role-Playing Games as it drove the genre to previously unseen levels of commercial success during the late 90s and early 2000s. Final Fantasy VI did not sell well on the US, leaving many wondering whether Final Fantasy VII would be the one JRPG to finally break through western audiences.

 

Sony, who at the time faced fierce competition from Nintendo, and Sega, gave Square Enix (Squaresoft at the time) an unprecedented deal with major royalties for Squaresoft. This, even though Sony itself would publish the game outside of Japan. Sony, alongside Squaresoft, spent millions of dollars in a huge marketing campaign that went from TV spots, to major Magazine Advertisements and press coverage.

 

Sony’s gamble paid off as Final Fantasy VII arrived on US shores to universal critical acclaim, and chart-topping sales on September 7, 1997. Even today, Final Fantasy VII frequently ranks in the top three spots of “Greatest Final Fantasy Games Ever” lists. With more than 13 million copies sold across different platforms, and various re-releases, Final Fantasy VII remains the series’ most iconic, and commercially important entry.

 

Highest Rated Title: Final Fantasy IX (Metacritic: 94)

 

Hironobu Sakaguchi’s final ‘Final Fantasy’ entry on the PlayStation, is also the series’ finest chapter. As far as critical scores go, no Final Fantasy entry has ever received higher critic scores than Final Fantasy IX.

 

Final Fantasy IX ditched the futuristic, and steam punk scenarios of the series’ previous three entries in favor to a return to the Sword and Sorcery themes of the first five entries in the franchise.

 

Lowest Rated Title: Final Fantasy XIV Online (2010)

 

Final Fantasy XIV was so bad (49 Metacritic) that it was canned before it ever made it to consoles and had to be rebuilt by Square Enix in order to salvage it a few years later. Naoki Yoshida (Director) and his team built a new engine, and completely overhauled the game into Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn which because a big commercial, and critical success in place of the FFXIV’s catastrophic failure.

 

Latest Title: Final Fantasy VII Remake

 

First teased as a PlayStation 3 technological demo in 2006, the long-awaited Final Fantasy VII Remake finally arrived after 14 years on the PlayStation 4 home console. Powered by the Unreal 4 engine, the game updated the iconic cast of heroes, and villains with modern visuals. Remake in name, but a sequel set in an alternate reality, Final Fantasy VII Remake launched to positive reviews, but without the fanfare, or critical acclaim to match the original 1997 classic.

As part 1 of a planned multi-episode series, Final Fantasy VII Remake covers only an alternate reality of the Midgar section of the original game. While a sequel has been announced, there is no time frame or date announced for its release.

 

Titles (Main):

 

1987: Final Fantasy (NES)

1988: Final Fantasy II (NES)

1990: Final Fantasy III (SNES)

1991: Final Fantasy IV (SNES)

1992: Final Fantasy V (SNES)

1994: Final Fantasy VI (SNES)

1997: Final Fantasy VII (PS1)

1999: Final Fantasy VIII (PS1)

2000: Final Fantasy IX (PS1)

2001: Final Fantasy X (PS2)

2002: Final Fantasy XI *MMORPG (PS2)

2006: Final Fantasy XII (PS2)

2009: Final Fantasy XIII (X360, PS3)

2010: Final Fantasy XIV *MMORPG (Windows PC)

2013: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn *MMORPG (Windows PC, OS X, PS4, PS3)

2016: Final Fantasy XV (Xbox One, PS4, Windows PC)

 

Spin offs and Sequels:

 

1990: Final Fantasy Legend (GameBoy)

1991: Final Fantasy Legend II (GameBoy)

1992: Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (SNES)

1993: Final Fantasy Legend III (GameBoy)

1998: Final Fantasy Tactics (PlayStation)

2003: Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA)

2003: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (GameCube)

2003: Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2)

2008: Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (DS)

2008: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS)

2008: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (Wii)

2009: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (DS, Wii)

2009: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Dark Lord (Wii)

2009: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii)

2020: Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster

Final Fantasy Should be “Political”: Has Sakaguchi Been Misunderstood By News Outlets?

Posted on September 4, 2024 by Samuel Rivera

About 5 days ago, The Gamer published an article titled “Final Fantasy Creator Says Games Need To Be Political“. Obviously, this generated a large controversy in social media forums. I assume The Gamer‘s article was shooting for massive clicks and controversy, as going deeper into the actual Inverse interview with Final Fantasy Creator Hironobu Sakaguchi,…

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Final Fantasy XVI

A Version of Final Fantasy XVI for the PS4 Existed at One Point

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Samuel Rivera

Given Square Enix’s recent financial woes, Final Fantasy XVI’s PS5 exclusivity was questioned by some. The game’s confinement to a single platform was bound to hurt its sales. In our review of the game we remarked that some of the texture work, and effects present in the game were of last generation quality. The confirmed…

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Yoshida P

Final Fantasy Continues its Struggle to Find an Identity: Creative Business Unit 3’s FFXVI Team Has Been Disbanded

Posted on December 20, 2023January 1, 2024 by Samuel Rivera

Identity, who you are, is essential to success in life, sports, and yes, video games. Final Fantasy hasn’t settled in an identity of its own as a franchise since series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi was forced to walk away from Square Enix two decades ago.  The first nine Final Fantasy games followed a similar template, despite…

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Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth’s Big Surprise: Aerith Lives?

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Samuel Rivera

This is a Pseudo News/Opinionated article. The news part is that FFVII: Rebirth’s director confirmed what we all have speculated since the end of Final Fantasy VII: Remake…Which is that Final Fantasy VII: “Remake” was more of a sequel with a “remade” timeline, as he let it slip that Rebirth’s take on the events that…

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Final Fantasy VII’s Cast Depth Helped in Improving the Writing of Baldur Gate 2’s Companions

Posted on October 13, 2023 by Samuel Rivera

While it might be hard to believe now, before the Witchers, Elder Scrolls, Mass Effects of the world, Japanese RPGs were known for their great stories, and writing focused on deep character development. No game was more popular, and did those things better than Final Fantasy VII (Xenogears fans might disagree). How influential was Final…

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Final Fantasy XVI World

Final Fantasy XVI Review: The Most Entertaining Final Fantasy in Decades

Posted on July 21, 2023July 21, 2023 by Samuel Rivera

Yoshida, and Creative Business Unit III, crafted an experience in Final Fantasy XVI, that in my opinion, delivers a storyline, and audio/visual presentation on par with some of Sakaguchi’s best work. Yes, in my opinion, Final Fantasy XVI is a worthy successor to Final Fantasy X (XI, and XIV were online entries, FFXII was great,…

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Final Fantasy XVI Bene

Final Fantasy XVI’s Initial Sales Disappoint Fans: Should Square Enix Panic?

Posted on July 12, 2023July 12, 2023 by Samuel Rivera

So, give it or take, Final Fantasy XVI has sold about 3 million copies, as we quickly approach its first month of sales. Square Enix hasn’t given further updates from that early number, which likely means that the majority of people who wanted Final Fantasy XVI, already bought it, and any other sales beyond that…

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Star Ocean 2 Remake Cover

JRPG Fans Rejoice! Star Ocean: The 2nd Story and Super Mario RPG are Getting Remakes This Year!

Posted on June 22, 2023 by Samuel Rivera

In the middle of the Final Fantasy XVI commotion, due to Metacritic finally awarding it an aggregate score; Nintendo held one of its most memorable Nintendo Direct episodes in recent memory. Plenty of interesting games were revealed, but for starved JRPG fans, two particular announcements were Mana from heaven. Super Mario RPG Remake Will Arrive…

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Final Fantasy VI art

Square Enix: Remaking Final Fantasy VI Would Be Difficult

Posted on June 21, 2023 by Samuel Rivera

Given that rumors abound of an “in the works” Final Fantasy IX Remake, and Final Fantasy VII’s resurrection as Sequel/Remake of sorts, gamers have turned their attention to the other popular – and most revered – game in the franchise: Final Fantasy VI. While Final Fantasy VI did not set the sales world on fire…

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FFXVI COVER

Final Fantasy XVI Preview: The Best Final Fantasy in Two Decades

Posted on June 15, 2023June 15, 2023 by Samuel Rivera

Given that it has been over two decades since the last great Final Fantasy  (2001’s FFX), saying that FFXVI is the greatest Final Fantasy in two decades, is not necessarily a grand statement.  However, after playing Final Fantasy XVI’s demo, which chronicles the early stages of the game, I have no choice but to feel…

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