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Final Fantasy Articles
From 1987 to Eternity? - [ Author: Sakura
]
A Tribute to the History of Final Fantasy.
Greetings ladies and gents. Welcome to my tribute to the past 14
or 15 years of Final Fantasy. This article is also written to celebrate
the release of FantasySquare's Layout 5.0. It is hard to believe
that in 1987 a little company known as SquareSoft started the Final
Fantasy phenomena and through out the years the popularity of the
game has with strengthened with each instalment. Hironobu Sakaguchi
has cemented himself in gaming history as the conceiver of Final
Fantasy and has been involved with each instalment as the producer.
In this article I will document each of the Final Fantasy games that
have been released over the years and I will continue to document
the games as I play them. Feel free to give me any feedback at sakura@fantasysquare.com
The Beginning and the End
Way back in the early days of the video game industry, RPGs were
largely text based with very little in the way of graphics (you literally
fought against a snapshot of an enemy). Before Final Fantasy came
out, DragonQuest (called DragonWarrior in the United States) was
the most popular RPG out. SquareSoft at the time made some games
not really known by the general gaming public such as Rad Racer or
3-d WorldRunner (both of which were on the NES). Square really didn't
make their mark until they released the revolutionary RPG; Final
Fantasy on the NES. Called "Final" Fantasy because this
would have been Squaresofts final game. Final Fantasy literally put
an end to the text heavy RPGs because it actually used sprites of
the main characters and enemies in the battle field as well as that
it utilised magic effects and you see the character actually "attack"
the enemy. The Class system used in Final Fantasy was also another
factor in it's success. You were able to pick a party of 4 character
classes out of a possible six and had to stick with the characters
advantages and disadvantages throughout the game. The story really
was not anything special compared to today's standards but the gameplay
more than made up for it. The first Final Fantasy was also very,
very, hard. You had to pick a balanced party and be prepared to do
a LOT of leveling just to survive the final boss at the end. Final
Fantasy marked the beginning of Square's dabble in the RPG genre
and since then has created many other games such as the Seiken Densetsu
series (better known as Secret of Mana), Chrono Trigger, Xenogears
and the SaGa series. It almost single handedly saved SquareSoft from
declaring bankruptcy and won a place in the hearts of many RPG fans.
Breaking the Ties
Due to the immense popularity of Final Fantasy, the sequel undoubtedly
followed again on the NES. The sequel surprisingly had no ties to
the story of the first game. This decision was made to broaden the
scope of the sequel. So instead of re-exploring places in the original
Final Fantasy you were given an entirely new world with brand new
characters, story and battle system. This tradition is happily continued
throughout all instalments with the only thing tying the games together
is the names of spells (like Ultima and Flare etc.) names of certain
characters, vehicles of transport (like the ever appearing airship)
and items. Final Fantasy II's battle system was also a complete change.
Instead of selecting your characters you are stuck with a pre-determined
party throughout the entire game. Characters were often changed due
to the story which was a lot better than the story of the first game.
Instead of receiving experience points, characters strengthened their
stats by doing actions. Eg. If a character attacks enough times s/he
will raise his/her strength, getting hit by the enemy enough times
raises HP, using magic raises magic power, getting hit by magic raises
magic defence etc. On paper this system sounds manageable but in
practice the results are quite mixed. Novices would often get killed
just trying to raise their stats and experts could abuse the system
to make their characters "gods."
Final Fantasy III (also on the NES) saw the return of the character
classes and used them in a new and innovative way. Instead of sticking
to one class for the entire game you are given the ability to change
your characters class provided you had enough CP (Capacity Points)
to make the change. A large number of classes were introduced in
this game(both useful and useless) along with all the classes from
Final Fantasy. Worthy mentions are Dragoons, Summoners, Magic Knight,
Ninja and others that have become well known. Classes such as the
Viking or Karateka never resurfaced again in future instalments.
Final Fantasy 3's battle system paved the way for future battle systems
in the Final Fantasy games. Unfortunately Final Fantasy II and III
for the NES were never translated for the U.S. Only Final Fantasy
I was released for the U.S. As you have noticed I have mentioned
very little about the plot of the first three games because their
main attractions were the battle system. There was very little focus
on story and character interaction. This all changed with Square's
first game on the Super Famicom (otherwise known as the SNES), Final
Fantasy IV.
The Evolution
Final Fantasy IV when it was released on the Super Famicom marked
a significant change within the series. Although it carried on the
tradition of setting up an new world, new characters and battle system.
The major change was in the story. This was the very first plot driven
Final Fantasy. The story begins with a dark knight named Cecil who
swore allegiance to the King of Baron. After undertaking a mission
where Cecil inadverdantly destroys a town to get its crystal he begins
to seriously question his morals. After being banished from Baron
(after questioning the King's orders) he sets out along with his
Dragoon friend, Kain to find a way to repent for his past sins and
cast off his dark armour. The themes of the story are quite mature
dealing with death and love etc. Of course what I have mentioned
is only the tip of the ice berg. Final Fantasy IV's battle system
was like Final Fantasy II's in that characters in the party was determined
by the story and like Final Fantasy I each character had a pre-determined
class that could not be changed. The battle system in Final Fantasy
IV also saw the Active Time Battle bar introduced casting off the
turn based system of Final Fantasy I, II and III. What the Active
Time battle meant is that each character had a bar and when it was
filled the character could do an action (such as attack or use magic
etc.) However unlike the turn based system you could not take your
time in your decisions as the enemy could attack you even while you
selected your magic! This added a sense of urgency to the battles
in Final Fantasy IV. The battle system although not as innovative
as Final Fantasy III's system was still good and the story moved
in leaps and bounds ahead of it's predecessors. Unfortunately for
the U.S they received a watered down version of Final Fantasy IV
in both difficulty and plot. Final Fantasy IV was renamed Final Fantasy
II in the U.S. However with the release of Final Fantasy Chonicles
on the PSX, the U.S were able to experience Final Fantasy IV with
all the plot and difficulty intact.
Final Fantasy V was a title that seemed to contrast with FFIV.
While the Story was good I found it was a little more simplistic
than FFIV's plot. In it you take the role of Butz, Lenna, Faris and
Galuf. They are the four warriors of the crystal and set out upon
a journey to see why the crystal's of their world are shattering.
There is a couple of plot twists thrown in to mix things up a little
but I enjoyed FFIV's story better. This is subject to opinion though.
However Final Fantasy V is heralded to have the best battle system
ever. It takes the job system of Final Fantasy III a step further.
It contains a huge number of jobs (gained by collecting shards of
the shattered crystals) for each of the characters and unlike FFIII
you can change each person's job at will. Each job however levels
up using AP. Job leveling is integral to the next tier of FFV's system.
Taking abilities from other classes and tacking them on to other
classes. For example you can give a knight the "black magic"
ability. However the knight's spells are restricted to how high the
Black Mage's level is. If a the Black Mage is lvl 3, you can get
your knight to use everything up to and only lvl 3 black magic. The
combinations of jobs and abilities in this game are endless. My explanation
may be confusing but once you play the game you will see what I mean.
Final Fantasy V had a less complex plot but made up for it with its
addictive battle system. Final Fantasy V was also never released
in the U.S but it was released in Final Fantasy Anthologies on the
PSX in that territory.
Drawing the Curtains: The End of the Nintendo
Era
Final Fantasy VI. Seen as the best RPG on the SNES some even say
it is the best RPG of all time. Final Fantasy VI has the series largest
collection of characters and returns to the more mature plot driven
stories. Crystals are nowhere to be found in Final Fantasy VI. Instead
magic has faded into something that is only read about in legends.
The war of the Magi was the place where magic was used last with
terrifying results. Then suddenly magic was sealed away. No one could
use magic again and the war of the Magi faded into legend and the
world went through an "Industrial Revolution." However,
Emperor Gestahl and General Kefka are seeking to find the secrets
of magic and unlock it once more to satisy their hunger for power.
However their opposition comes in the form of a rebellion group known
as the Returners. Tina (known as Terra in the U.S version) joins
the Returners after being under mind control from the empire and
attacks the town of Narshe. She is confused about her past and her
"gift." Her gift being the ability to use magic! Joined
by a memorable cast of characters such as Lock (Locke in the U.S),
Celes, Edgar, Mash (Sabin in the U.S) and many others they set about
to unlock the mystery behind her abilities and the Genjuu (known
as Espers in the U.S) which are somehow connected to the War of the
Magi. The story is truly quite epic. The battle system however is
less complex that Final Fantasy V's system. Each of the characters
have a class and a special ability that only they can use (for example
Tina can only use Morph, Lock can only use Steal, Mash can only use
Blitz etc.) but they also have the ability to learn magic from Genjuu/espers
when you reach a certain point in the game. Genjuu/espers also are
the summons in Final Fantasy VI. Characters learn magic by "equipping"
these summons. Also characters can gain extra abilities by equipping
Relics. Eg. You can get the "Jump" ability by equipping
the dragoon boots relic. Final Fantasy VI was the beginning of the
new direction that Final Fantasy was going. The combination of the
Sci-fi and medieval atmosphere was quite different from the crystals
and the mages from previous FFs. Combined with a beautiful soundtrack
Final Fantasy VI is truly one of the best.
Final Fantasy VI was renamed Final Fantasy III in the U.S and it
wasn't as watered down as the Final Fantasy IV luckily. Final Fantasy
VI also marks the end of Square's relationship with Nintendo as Final
Fantasy VII will be released for the Sony PlayStation. Nintendo were
quite bitter about Square developing for the PSX instead of the N64
and have since vowed to never work with Square ever again.
Breaking into the Mainstream
Final Fantasy VII is considered a landmark title for many reasons.
Tetsuya Nomura took over the role of character/image designer from
Yoshitaka Amano (who designed the characters from FFI to FFVI) and
it brought a distinct change in look for the characters, becoming
more anime like. and It was the first Final Fantasy to bring the
American audience up to speed with the series (it was_not_ renamed
Final Fantasy IV for the U.S) It is the first RPG to use Full Motion
Video (FMV) and the first truly techno/sci-fi Final Fantasy with
not a castle or crystal in sight. The entire script was maintained
in the english translation (swearing and cussing included). With
some aggressive advertising Final Fantasy VII and the RPG genre in
general broke into huge popularity with the mainstream audience.
FF7 gained millions of fans worldwide. The game also began to make
use of a full 3D makeover for the series. The Character models are
rough but adequate and the pre-rendered backgrounds were stunning.
FF7's plot was as mature as ever and is quite dark. The hero is a
cold hearted mercenary named Cloud who is paid by the rebel group
AVALANCHE in order to assist them in blowing up a mako reactor in
Midgar. Cloud's training in Shin-Ra's elite force known as SOLDIER
makes him quite an asset. The huge city of Midgar is controlled by
the corporation known as Shin-Ra. Shin-Ra powers up Midgar by using
huge mako reactors that suck up the resources of the earth. What
starts off as the battle against a corrupt corporation turns into
a struggle that affects every life on the planet. The Materia system
it uses is quite simplistic. On each weapon and armour there are
slots. In these slots you insert orbs called materia. Materia may
grant the wearer the ability to use black or white magic and various
commands as well as increase HP or MP. Materia lvls up using AP received
through battle. For example at level one the "lightening"
materia allows you to use Bolt but when it upgrades to lvl 2 it allows
you to use Bolt 2. Also the summons received a facelift with some
breathtaking attacks but play no part in the story. Final Fantasy
VII was hyped quite a bit before release and whether it lived up
to it is up to it is for you to decide but Final Fantasy VII truly
was a pivotal point in the PlayStations short history.
Eyes on Final Fantasy 8
With the huge success of Final Fantasy VII, Square once again amazed
audiences with the release of Final Fantasy VIII. No longer using
the super deformed anime like characters, they instead used more
lifelike character models in both the field and battle. The major
theme of FF8 was indeed "love." The early screenshots wowed
audiences and the playable demo that came with Brave Fencer Musashi
further increased the hype. The growing hype around the game in both
Japan and the U.S saw Final Fantasy 8 become the fastest selling
Final Fantasy game. It gained acclaim from various gaming publications
for having a drastic improvement in the graphics department, the
narrative being tightly translated and the gameplay being very different.
However Final Fantasy 8 also left a sour taste in the mouths of a
lot of Final Fantasy fans due to the "junction" system.
This system was subject to controversy as it let go of many "traditional"
elements of RPG's such as having no MP. Characters stay with the
same weapon through out the game only upgrading when certain items
are found. There is also no armour or accessories. Many accused Final
Fantasy 8 as simply being eye candy due to the much improved summon
animations (which were breathtaking but a little long) and the increased
use of FMV. Final Fantasy 8 also used parallel leveling which is
often found in the SaGa games. What this meant is that enemies would
level up as your main characters levelled. Some also say that Final
Fantasy 8's love story was fairly shallow and too Squall-Rinoa centric.
But Final Fantasy 8 was also the very first Final Fantasy to use
a vocal theme. Eyes on me sung by famous Hong Kong singer, Faye Wong
gained immediate popularity hitting the top 10 in the charts at Japan.
Uematsu made a lot of the music reflect the mood of scenes in the
game and thus it was more emotional than his other soundtracks. So
Final Fantasy 8's release brought with it mixed results. Many started
to think Square was beginning to "lose its touch" while
others found Final Fantasy 8 to be a remarkable title and a classic
in it's own right.
Can't Say Goodbye to Yesterday
In a stark contrast to the sci-fi atmospheres of the previous Final
Fantasy's, Square announced that they would "return to their
roots" with the release of Final Fantasy IX as a celebration
of Final Fantasy's 10 year anniversary. Combining elements of the
old Final Fantasy's with the technology of the PlayStation, Final
Fantasy 9 was a nostalgic treat. Yoshitaka Amano returns as character
designer and the characters returned to the super deformed style
like in Final Fantasy 1-7. Brimming with references to all the Final
Fantasy's before it and having a brighter more cheerful story that
was more like an adventure rather than the more darker plots of Final
Fantasy 7 and 8, Final Fantasy 9 was Square's salute the past ten
years of Final Fantasy. The backgrounds were literally brimming with
life in the towns and the FMVs now acted as a story telling tool
rather than a slab of eye candy. The hero of the story (Zidane) was
not a lonewolf like Cloud or Squall. Rather he is cheerful and even
a bit of a smartass at times. Vivi was one of the most endearing
characters of the series, being a black mage and it was heartbreaking
when he finds out the truth of his origins. Final Fantasy 9 also
had quite a simplistic battle system. It was kind of similar to Final
Fantasy 7's materia system but this time all the characters had pre-determined
classes that could not be changed. Also four member parties have
made a come back after previously only three members were in party
for FF7 and 8. This game would be the PlayStations last Final Fantasy
and though some people may not have enjoyed the more cheerful story
or simple battle system, it gives the feeling of Nostalgia with a
return to the medieval atmosphere, dragons and naive princesses.
Final Fantasy IX saw the end of an era that changed the face Final
Fantasy and the RPG genre as we knew it.
A Step in the Next Generation
On July of 2001 Final Fantasy X was released with much fanfare in
Japan. Changing hands from the PSone to the PS2 was a big step and
it shows. The backgrounds in Final Fantasy X are now in complete
3D instead of pre-rendered stills. It put the PS2's emotion engine
through it's paces with detailed polygon models of the characters
that now included detailed facial expressions. Tetsuya Nomura returns
as character designer and as a result the characters are now more
life like and also have become more Asian in appearance. The atmosphere
is distinctly more natural than any of the previous Final Fantasy's.
The story is now just as an intriguing as previous Final Fantasy's
and now an extra dimension has been added to the characters with
the inclusion of voice acting. The traditional world map that was
in all the Final Fantasy's before it has now been discarded with
your party progressing from one area to the next. However when the
airship is attained you get a large map of the world so you can return
to places you previously visited. The sphere board system discards
the use of leveling up to upgrade your stats. You gained AP at the
end of battles and when you gain a certain number of AP you gain
a sphere level. Using one sphere level granted you to move across
one space on the sphere board. The spaces on the sphere board allowed
the increase in particular stats and grant a new ability as well.
Each of the characters start off in their area of the sphere board
(eg. Lulu begins in the black magic area) characters can branch off
into other characters areas but they would have a lot of ground to
cover and sometime the paths to certain areas are blocked until you
find the right items. Final Fantasy X also discarded the ATB system
instead returning to turn based battles. This gave things a tactical
edge and allows you to plan your actions and battles go really fast
as a result. You can also change characters and equipment in the
middle of battle without losing a turn. Battles in Final Fantasy
10 became far more tactical than previous Final Fantasies. Final
Fantasy X is an amazing title and shows Square are open to new ideas
and innovations, breaking away from the old and looking on to the
future SquareSoft will continue to push the boundaries.
Whew that was one long article don't you think? Hopefully you may
have learned more about the history of this magnificent game. I certaintly
enjoyed writing this article as Final Fantasy remains as one of my
favourite series of all times. From it's conception to the Final
Fantasy's of today, it has continued to amaze audiences and set the
standard for RPGs to come and will continue to do so until the day
it finally finishes. Now we don't want to think about that too much
do we? :)
I will update this article as I see fit later on in my career as
writer for FantasySquare so I would love to hear any feedback. Send
feedback and criticisms to sakura@fantasysquare.com
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