Final Fantasy[a] is afantasyanthologymedia franchise created byHironobu Sakaguchi which is owned, developed, and published bySquare Enix (formerlySquare). The franchise centers on a series of fantasyrole-playing video games. Thefirst game in the series was released in 1987, with 16 numbered main entries having been released to date.
The franchise has since branched into othervideo game genres such astactical role-playing,action role-playing,massively multiplayer online role-playing,racing,third-person shooter,fighting, andrhythm, as well as branching into other media, including films,anime,manga, andnovels.
Final Fantasy is mostly ananthology series with primary installments being stand-alone role-playing games, each with different settings, plots and main characters, but the franchise is linked by several recurring elements, including game mechanics and recurring character names. Each plot centers on a particular group of heroes who are battling a great evil, but also explores the characters' internal struggles and relationships. Character names are frequently derived from the history, languages,pop culture, andmythologies of cultures worldwide. The mechanics of each game involve similar battle systems and maps.
Final Fantasy has been both critically and commercially successful. Several entries are regarded as some ofthe greatest video games, with the series selling more than200 million copies worldwide, making it one of thebest-selling video game franchises of all time. The series is well known for its innovation, visuals, such as the inclusion offull-motion videos andphotorealistic character models, and music byNobuo Uematsu. It has popularized many features now common in role-playing games, also popularizing the genre as a whole in markets outsideJapan.
| 1987 | Final Fantasy |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Final Fantasy II |
| 1989 | |
| 1990 | Final Fantasy III |
| 1991 | Final Fantasy IV |
| 1992 | Final Fantasy V |
| 1993 | |
| 1994 | Final Fantasy VI |
| 1995 | |
| 1996 | |
| 1997 | Final Fantasy VII |
| 1998 | |
| 1999 | Final Fantasy VIII |
| 2000 | Final Fantasy IX |
| 2001 | Final Fantasy X |
| 2002 | Final Fantasy XI |
| 2003 | Final Fantasy X-2 |
| 2004 | |
| 2005 | |
| 2006 | Final Fantasy XII |
| Final Fantasy III (2006) | |
| 2007 | Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings |
| XII International Zodiac Job System | |
| Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII | |
| Final Fantasy IV (2007) | |
| 2008 | Final Fantasy IV: The After Years |
| 2009 | Final Fantasy XIII |
| 2010 | Final Fantasy XIV (2010) |
| 2011 | Final Fantasy XIII-2 |
| 2012 | |
| 2013 | Final Fantasy XIV |
| Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII | |
| Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster | |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2016 | Final Fantasy XV |
| 2017 | Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age |
| 2018 | Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition |
| 2019 | |
| 2020 | Final Fantasy VII Remake |
| 2021 | |
| 2022 | |
| 2023 | Final Fantasy XVI |
| 2024 | Final Fantasy VII Rebirth |
Thefirst installment of the series was released in Japan on December 18, 1987. Subsequent games are numbered and given a story unrelated to previous games, so the numbers refer to volumes rather than to sequels. ManyFinal Fantasy games have beenlocalized for markets in North America, Europe, and Australia on numerousvideo game consoles,personal computers (PC), andmobile phones. As of June 2023, the series includes the main installments fromFinal Fantasy toFinal Fantasy XVI, as well as direct sequels andspin-offs, both released and confirmed as being in development. Most of the older games have been remade or re-released on multiple platforms.[1]
ThreeFinal Fantasy installments were released on theNintendo Entertainment System (NES).Final Fantasy was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America in 1990.[2][3] It introduced many concepts to the console RPG genre, and has since been remade on several platforms.[3]Final Fantasy II, released in 1988 in Japan, has been bundled withFinal Fantasy in several re-releases.[3][4][5] The last of the NES installments,Final Fantasy III, was released in Japan in 1990,[6] but was not released elsewhere until aNintendo DSremake came out in 2006.[5]
TheSuper Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) also featured three installments of the main series, all of which have been re-released on several platforms.Final Fantasy IV was released in 1991; in North America, it was released asFinal Fantasy II.[7][8] It introduced the "Active Time Battle" system.[9]Final Fantasy V, released in 1992 in Japan, was the first game in the series to spawn a sequel: a short anime series,Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals.[3][10][11]Final Fantasy VI was released in Japan in 1994, titledFinal Fantasy III in North America.[12]
ThePlayStation console saw the release of three mainFinal Fantasy games.Final Fantasy VII (1997) moved away from thetwo-dimensional (2D) graphics used in the first six games tothree-dimensional (3D) computer graphics; the game featurespolygonal characters onpre-rendered backgrounds. It also introduced a more modern setting, a style that was carried over to the next game.[3] It was also the second in the series to be released in Europe, with the first beingFinal Fantasy Mystic Quest.Final Fantasy VIII was published in 1999, and was the first to consistently use realistically proportioned characters and feature a vocal piece as its theme music.[3][13]Final Fantasy IX, released in 2000, returned to the series' roots, by revisiting a more traditionalFinal Fantasy setting, rather than the more modern worlds ofVII andVIII.[3][14]
Three main installments, as well as one online game, were published for thePlayStation 2.[15][16][17]Final Fantasy X (2001) introduced full 3D areas andvoice acting to the series, and was the first to spawn a sub-sequel (Final Fantasy X-2, published in 2003).[18][19] The first massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) in the series,Final Fantasy XI, was released on the PS2 and PC in 2002, and later on theXbox 360.[20][21] It introduced real-time battles instead ofrandom encounters.[21]Final Fantasy XII, published in 2006, also includes real-time battles in large, interconnected playfields.[22][23] The game is also the first in the main series to utilize a world used in a previous game, namely the land ofIvalice, which was previously featured inFinal Fantasy Tactics andVagrant Story.[24]
In 2009,Final Fantasy XIII was released in Japan, and in North America and Europe the following year, for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[25][26] It is the flagship installment of theFabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy series[27] and became the first mainline game to spawn two sub-sequels (XIII-2 andLightning Returns).[28] It was also the first game released in Chinese andhigh definition along with being released on two consoles at once.Final Fantasy XIV, a MMORPG, was released worldwide onMicrosoft Windows in 2010, but it received heavy criticism when it was launched, prompting Square Enix to rerelease the game asFinal Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, this time to thePlayStation 3 as well, in 2013.[29]Final Fantasy XV is an action role-playing game that was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016.[30][31] Originally aXIII spin-off titledVersus XIII,XV uses the mythos of theFabula Nova Crystallis series, although in many other respects the game stands on its own and has since been distanced from the series by its developers.[38] The sixteenth mainline entry,Final Fantasy XVI,[39] was released in 2023 forPlayStation 5.[40]
Final Fantasy has spawned numerousspin-offs andmetaseries. Several are, in fact, notFinal Fantasy games, but were rebranded for North American release. Examples include theSaGa series, rebrandedThe Final Fantasy Legend, and its two sequels,Final Fantasy Legend II andIII.[41]Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was specifically developed for a United States audience, andFinal Fantasy Tactics is atactical RPG that features many references and themes found in the series.[42][43] The spin-offChocobo series,Crystal Chronicles series, andKingdom Hearts series also include multipleFinal Fantasy elements.[41][44] In 2003, theFinal Fantasy series' first sub-sequel,Final Fantasy X-2, was released.[45]Final Fantasy XIII was originally intended to stand on its own, but the team wanted to explore the world, characters and mythos more, resulting in the development and release of two sequels in2011 and2013 respectively, creating the series' first official trilogy.[28]Dissidia Final Fantasy was released in 2009, afighting game that features heroes and villains from the first ten games of the main series.[46] It was followed by aprequel in 2011,[47] asequel in 2015[48] and amobile spin-off in 2017.[49][50] Other spin-offs have taken the form of subseries—Compilation of Final Fantasy VII,Ivalice Alliance, andFabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy. In 2022, Square Enix released anaction-role playing titleStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin developed in collaboration withTeam Ninja, which takes place in an alternate, reimagined reality based on the setting of the originalFinal Fantasy game, depicting a prequel story that explores the origins of the antagonistChaos and the emergence of the fourWarriors of Light.[51][52] Enhanced 3D remakes ofFinal Fantasy III andIV were released in 2006 and 2007 respectively.[53][54] The first installment of theFinal Fantasy VII Remake project was released on the PlayStation 4 in 2020.[55] The second and latest installment of the remake trilogy,Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, was released on the PlayStation 5 in 2024.[56]
| 1994 | Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals |
|---|---|
| 1995–2000 | |
| 2001 | Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |
| Final Fantasy: Unlimited | |
| 2002–2004 | |
| 2005 | Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children |
| Last Order: Final Fantasy VII | |
| 2006–2015 | |
| 2016 | Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV |
| Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV | |
| 2017 | Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn – Prologue |
Square Enix has expanded theFinal Fantasy series into various media. Multiple anime andcomputer-generated imagery (CGI) films have been produced that are based either on individualFinal Fantasy games or on the series as a whole. The first was anoriginal video animation (OVA),Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals, a sequel toFinal Fantasy V. The story was set in the same world as the game, although 200 years in the future. It was released as four 30-minute episodes, first in Japan in 1994 and later in the United States byUrban Vision in 1998. In 2001,Square Pictures released its first feature film,Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The film is set on a futureEarth invaded byalien life forms.[57]The Spirits Within was the first animated feature to seriously attempt to portray photorealistic CGI humans, but was considered abox office bomb and garnered mixed reviews.[57][58][59]
A 25-episode anime television series,Final Fantasy: Unlimited, was released in 2001 based on the common elements of theFinal Fantasy series. It was broadcast in Japan byTV Tokyo and released in North America byADV Films.
In 2005,Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, a feature lengthdirect-to-DVD CGI film, andLast Order: Final Fantasy VII, a non-canon OVA,[60] were released as part of theCompilation of Final Fantasy VII.Advent Children was animated by Visual Works, which helped the company create CG sequences for the games.[61] The film, unlikeThe Spirits Within, became a commercial success.[62][63][64][65]Last Order, on the other hand, was released in Japan in a special DVD bundle package withAdvent Children.Last Order sold out quickly[66] and was positively received by Western critics,[67][68] though fan reaction was mixed over changes to established story scenes.[69]
Two animated tie-ins forFinal Fantasy XV were released as part of a larger multimedia project dubbed theFinal Fantasy XV Universe.Brotherhood is a series of five 10-to-20-minute-long episodes developed byA-1 Pictures and Square Enix detailing the backstories of the main cast.Kingsglaive, a CGI film released prior to the game in Summer 2016, is set during the game's opening and follows new and secondary characters.[70][71][72][73] In 2019, Square Enix released a short anime, produced bySatelight Inc, calledFinal Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn – Prologue on their YouTube channel which acts as the background story for the final piece of DLC forFinal Fantasy XV giving insight into Ardyn's past.
Square Enix also releasedFinal Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light in 2017, an 8-episode Japanese soap opera based, featuring a mix of live-action scenes andFinal Fantasy XIV gameplay footage.
As of June 2019,Sony Pictures Television is working on a live-action adaptation of the series with Hivemind and Square Enix. Jason F. Brown, Sean Daniel and Dinesh Shamdasani for Hivemind are the producers while Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton were attached as writers and executive producers for the series.[74]
Several video games in the series have either been adapted into or have had spin-offs in the form ofmanga and novels. The first was the novelization ofFinal Fantasy II in 1989, which was followed by a manga adaptation ofFinal Fantasy III in 1992.[75][76] Later years have seen an increase in the number of non-video game adaptations and spin-offs.Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within has been adapted into a novel, the spin-off gameFinal Fantasy Crystal Chronicles has been adapted into a manga, andFinal Fantasy XI had a novel and manga set in its continuity.[77][78][79][80] Sevennovellas based on theFinal Fantasy VII universe have also been released. TheFinal Fantasy: Unlimited story was partially continued in novels and a manga after the anime series ended.[81] TheFinal Fantasy X andXIII series have also had novellas and audio dramas released.Final Fantasy Tactics Advance has been adapted into aradio drama, andFinal Fantasy: Unlimited has received a radio drama sequel.
Atrading card game namedFinal Fantasy Trading Card Game is produced by Square Enix andHobby Japan, first released Japan in 2012 with an English version in 2016.[82] The game has been compared toMagic: the Gathering, and a tournament circuit for the game also takes place.[83][84]
Although mostFinal Fantasy installments are independent, manygameplay elements recur throughout the series.[85][86] Most games contain elements of fantasy and science fiction and feature recycled names often inspired from various cultures' history, languages and mythology, includingAsian,European, andMiddle-Eastern.[87] Examples include weapon names likeExcalibur and Masamune—derived fromArthurian legend and the Japanese swordsmithMasamune respectively—as well as the spell names Holy, Meteor, and Ultima.[86][87] Beginning withFinal Fantasy IV, the main series adopted its current logo style that features the sametypeface and an emblem designed by Japanese artistYoshitaka Amano. The emblem relates to a game's plot and typically portrays a character or object in the story. Subsequent remakes of the first three games have replaced the previous logos with ones similar to the rest of the series.[86]
The central conflict in manyFinal Fantasy games focuses on a group of characters battling an evil, and sometimes ancient, antagonist that dominates the game's world. Stories frequently involve asovereign state in rebellion, with the protagonists taking part in the rebellion. The heroes are often destined to defeat the evil, and occasionally gather as a direct result of the antagonist's malicious actions.[3][87] Another staple of the series is the existence of two villains; the main villain is not always who it appears to be, as the primary antagonist may actually be subservient to another character or entity.[3] The main antagonist introduced at the beginning of the game is not always the final enemy, and the characters must continue their quest beyond what appears to be the final fight.[87]
Stories in the series frequently emphasize the internal struggles, passions, and tragedies of the characters, and the main plot often recedes into the background as the focus shifts to their personal lives.[23][88] Games also explore relationships between characters, ranging from love to rivalry.[3] Other recurring situations that drive the plot includeamnesia, a hero corrupted by an evil force, mistaken identity, and self-sacrifice.[3][89][90] Magical orbs and crystals are recurring in-game items that are frequently connected to the themes of the games' plots.[87] Crystals often play a central role in the creation of the world, and a majority of theFinal Fantasy games link crystals and orbs to the planet'slife force. As such, control over these crystals drives the main conflict.[87][91] Theclassical elements are also a recurring theme in the series related to the heroes, villains, and items.[87] Other common plot and setting themes include theGaia hypothesis, an apocalypse, and conflicts between advancedtechnology andnature.[87][89][92]
The series features a number of recurring character archetypes. Most famously, every game sinceFinal Fantasy II, including subsequent remakes of the originalFinal Fantasy, features a character namedCid. Cid's appearance, personality, goals, and role in the game (non-playable ally, party member, villain) vary dramatically, but two characteristics many versions of Cid have in common are being a scientist or engineer, and being tied in some way to an airship the party eventually acquires. Every Cid has at least one of these two traits.
Biggs and Wedge, inspired by twoStar Wars characters of the same name, appear in numerous games as minor characters, sometimes as comic relief.[23][86] The later games in the series feature several males witheffeminate characteristics.[93][94] Recurring creatures includeChocobos,Moogles, andCactuars.[95] Chocobos are large, often flightless birds that appear in several installments as a means of long-distance travel for characters. Moogles are white, stout creatures resembling teddy bears with wings and a single antenna. They serve different roles in games including mail delivery,weaponsmiths, party members, andsaving the game. Cactuars areanthropomorphiccacti withhaniwa-like faces presented in a running or dashing pose. They usually appear as recurring enemy units, and also assummoned allies or friendlynon-player characters in certain titles. Chocobo and Moogle appearances are often accompanied by specificmusical themes that have been arranged differently for separate games.[3][23][86]
InFinal Fantasy games, players command a party of characters as they progress through the game's story by exploring the game world and defeating enemies.[3][87] Enemies are typicallyencountered randomly through exploring, a trend which changed inFinal Fantasy XI andXII. The player issues combat orders—like "Fight", "Magic", and "Item"—to individual characters via a menu-driven interface while engaging in battles. Throughout the series, the games have used different battle systems. Prior toFinal Fantasy XI, battles were turn-based with the protagonists and antagonists on different sides of the battlefield.Final Fantasy IV introduced the "Active Time Battle" (ATB) system that augmented the turn-based nature with a perpetual time-keeping system. Designed byHiroyuki Ito, it injected urgency and excitement into combat by requiring the player to act before an enemy attacks, and was used untilFinal Fantasy X, which implemented the "Conditional Turn-Based" (CTB) system.[3][23][96] This new system returned to the previous turn-based system, but added nuances to offer players more challenge.[19][97]Final Fantasy XI adopted a real-time battle system where characters continuously act depending on the issued command.[98]Final Fantasy XII continued this gameplay with the "Active Dimension Battle" system.[99]Final Fantasy XIII's combat system, designed by the same man who worked onX,[100] was meant to have an action-oriented feel, emulating the cinematic battles inFinal Fantasy VII: Advent Children.Final Fantasy XV introduces a new "Open Combat" system. Unlike previous battle systems in the franchise, the "Open Combat" system (OCS) allows players to take on a fully active battle scenario, allowing for free range attacks and movement, giving a much more fluid feel of combat. This system also incorporates a "Tactical" Option during battle, which pauses active battle to allow use of items.[101]
Like most RPGs, theFinal Fantasy installments use anexperience level system for character advancement, in which experience points are accumulated by killing enemies.[102][103][104][105]Character classes, specific jobs that enable unique abilities for characters, are another recurring theme. Introduced in the first game, character classes have been used differently in each game. Some restrict a character to a single job to integrate it into the story, while other games feature dynamic job systems that allow the player to choose from multiple classes and switch throughout the game. Though used heavily in many games, such systems have become less prevalent in favor of characters that are more versatile; characters still match an archetype, but are able to learn skills outside their class.[23][86][87]
Magic is another common RPG element in the series. The method by which characters gain magic varies between installments, but is generally divided into classes organized by color: "White magic", which focuses on spells that assist teammates; "Black magic", which focuses on harming enemies; "Red magic", which is a combination of white and black magic, "Blue magic", which mimics enemy attacks; and "Green magic" which focuses on applyingstatus effects to either allies or enemies.[3][86][96] Other types of magic frequently appear such as "Time magic", focusing on the themes of time, space, and gravity; and "Summoning magic", whichevokes legendary creatures to aid in battle and is a feature that has persisted sinceFinal Fantasy III. Summoned creatures are often referred to by names like "Espers" or "Eidolons" and have been inspired by mythologies fromArabic,Hindu,Norse, andGreek cultures.[86][87]
Different means of transportation have appeared through the series. The most common is the airship for long range travel, accompanied by chocobos for travelling short distances, but others include sea and land vessels. FollowingFinal Fantasy VII, more modern and futuristic vehicle designs have been included.[87]
In the mid-1980s, Square entered the Japanesevideo game industry with simple RPGs,racing games, andplatformers forNintendo'sFamicom Disk System. In 1987, Square designerHironobu Sakaguchi chose to create a new fantasy role-playing game for the cartridge-based NES, and drew inspiration from popular fantasy games:Enix'sDragon Quest, Nintendo'sThe Legend of Zelda, andOrigin Systems'sUltima series. Though often attributed to the company allegedly facing bankruptcy, Sakaguchi explained that the game was his personal last-ditch effort in the game industry and that its title,Final Fantasy, stemmed from his feelings at the time; had the game not sold well, he would have quit the business and gone back to college.[106][107][108] Despite his explanation, publications have also attributed the name to the company's hopes that the project would solve its financial troubles.[107][109] In 2015, Sakaguchi explained the name's origin: the team wanted a title that would abbreviate to "FF", which would sound good in Japanese. The name was originally going to beFighting Fantasy, but due to concerns over trademark conflicts with theroleplaying gamebook series of the same name, they needed to settle for something else. As the English word "Final" was well known in Japan, Sakaguchi settled on that. According to Sakaguchi, any title that created the "FF" abbreviation would have done.[110]
The game indeed reversed Square's lagging fortunes, and it became the company's flagship franchise.[58][107] Following the success, Square immediately developed a second installment. Because Sakaguchi assumedFinal Fantasy would be a stand-alone game, its story was not designed to be expanded by a sequel. The developers instead chose to carry over only thematic similarities from its predecessor, while some of thegameplay elements, such as the character advancement system, were overhauled. This approach has continued throughout the series; each majorFinal Fantasy game features a new setting, a new cast of characters, and an upgraded battle system.[5] Video game writer John Harris attributed the concept of reworking the game system of each installment toNihon Falcom'sDragon Slayer series,[111] with which Square was previously involved as a publisher.[112] The company regularly released new games in the main series, but the time between the releases ofXI (2002),XII (2006), andXIII (2009) were much longer than previous games. FollowingFinal Fantasy XIV, Square Enix releasedFinal Fantasy games either annually or biennially. This switch was to mimic the development cycles of Western games in theCall of Duty,Assassin's Creed andBattlefield series, as well as maintain fan-interest.[113]
For the originalFinal Fantasy, Sakaguchi required a larger production team than Square's previous games. He began crafting the game's story while experimenting with gameplay ideas. Once the gameplay system and game world size were established, Sakaguchi integrated his story ideas into the available resources. A different approach has been taken for subsequent games; the story is completed first and the game built around it.[114] Designers have never been restricted by consistency, though most feel each game should have a minimum number of common elements. The development teams strive to create completely new worlds for each game, and avoid making new games too similar to previous ones. Game locations are conceptualized early in development and design details like building parts are fleshed out as a base for entire structures.[85]
The first five games were directed by Sakaguchi, who also provided the original concepts.[87][115] He drew inspiration for game elements from anime films byHayao Miyazaki; series staples like the airships and chocobos are inspired by elements inCastle in the Sky andNausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, respectively.[116] Sakaguchi served as a producer for subsequent games until he left Square in 2001.[87][115]Yoshinori Kitase took over directing the games untilFinal Fantasy VIII,[117][118][119] and has been followed by a new director for each new game.Hiroyuki Ito designed several gameplay systems, includingFinal Fantasy V's "Job System",Final Fantasy VIII's "Junction System" and the Active Time Battle concept, which was used fromFinal Fantasy IV untilIX.[87][117] In designing the Active Time Battle system, Ito drew inspiration fromFormula One racing; he thought it would be interesting if character types had different speeds after watching race cars pass each other.[120] Ito also co-directedFinal Fantasy VI with Kitase.[87][117]Kenji Terada was the scenario writer for the first three games; Kitase took over as scenario writer forFinal Fantasy V throughVII.Kazushige Nojima became the series' primary scenario writer fromFinal Fantasy VII until his resignation in October 2003; he has since formed his own company, Stellavista. Nojima partially or completely wrote the stories forFinal Fantasy VII,VIII,X, and its sequelX-2. He also worked as the scenario writer for the spin-off series,Kingdom Hearts.[121]Daisuke Watanabe co-wrote the scenarios forFinal Fantasy X andXII, and was the main writer for theXIII games.[122][123][124]
Artistic design, including character and monster creations, was handled by Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano fromFinal Fantasy throughFinal Fantasy VI. Amano also handled title logo designs for all of the main series and the image illustrations fromFinal Fantasy VII onward.[115]Tetsuya Nomura was chosen to replace Amano because Nomura's designs were more adaptable to 3D graphics. He worked with the series fromFinal Fantasy VII throughX, then came back forXIII, and for the basic design ofXV.[87][115] ForFinal Fantasy IX character designs were handled byShukō Murase, Toshiyuki Itahana, and Shin Nagasawa.[125] ForFinal Fantasy XV, Roberto Ferrari was responsible for the character design. Nomura is also the character designer of theKingdom Hearts series,Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, andFabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy.[126] Other designers include Nobuyoshi Mihara andAkihiko Yoshida. Mihara was the character designer forFinal Fantasy XI, and Yoshida served as character designer forFinal Fantasy Tactics, the Square-producedVagrant Story, andFinal Fantasy XII.[43][127]
Because of graphical limitations, the first games on the NES feature smallsprite representations of the leading party members on the main world screen. Battle screens use more detailed, full versions of characters in a side-view perspective. This practice was used untilFinal Fantasy VI, which uses detailed versions for both screens. The NES sprites are 26 pixels high and use acolor palette of 4 colors. 6 frames of animation are used to depict different character statuses like "healthy" and "fatigued". The SNES installments use updated graphics and effects, as well as higher quality audio than in previous games, but are otherwise similar to their predecessors in basic design. The SNES sprites are 2 pixels shorter, but have larger palettes and feature more animation frames: 11 colors and 40 frames respectively. The upgrade allowed designers to have characters be more detailed in appearance and express more emotions. The first game includesnon-player characters (NPCs) the player could interact with, but they are mostly static in-game objects. Beginning with the second game, Square used predetermined pathways for NPCs to create more dynamic scenes that include comedy and drama.[128]
In 1995, Square showed aninteractive SGI technical demonstration ofFinal Fantasy VI for the thennext generation of consoles. The demonstration usedSilicon Graphics's prototypeNintendo 64 workstations to create 3D graphics.[128][129] Fans believed the demo was of a newFinal Fantasy game for the Nintendo 64 console. 1997 saw the release ofFinal Fantasy VII for the Sony PlayStation.[129][130] The switch was due to a dispute with Nintendo over its use of faster but more expensivecartridges, as opposed to the slower and cheaper, but much higher capacitycompact discs used on rival systems.[131][132]VII introduced3D graphics with fullypre-rendered backgrounds.[131][133] It was because of this switch to 3D that aCD-ROM format was chosen over a cartridge format.[131][134] The switch also led to increased production costs and a greater subdivision of the creative staff forVII and subsequent 3D games in the series.[85]
Starting withFinal Fantasy VIII, the series adopted a more photo-realistic look.[135][136] LikeVII,full motion video (FMV) sequences would have video playing in the background, with the polygonal characters composited on top.Final Fantasy IX returned to the more stylized design of earlier games in the series, although it still maintained, and in many cases slightly upgraded, most of the graphical techniques used in the previous two games.[136]Final Fantasy X was released on the PlayStation 2, and used the more powerful hardware to render graphics in real-time instead of using pre-rendered material to obtain a more dynamic look; the game features full 3D environments, rather than having 3D character models move about pre-rendered backgrounds. It is also the firstFinal Fantasy game to featurevoice acting, occurring throughout the majority of the game, even with many minor characters.[19] This aspect added a whole new dimension of depth to the character's reactions, emotions, and development.[19][137]
Taking a temporary divergence,Final Fantasy XI used the PlayStation 2's online capabilities as an MMORPG.[138] Initially released for the PlayStation 2 with a PC port arriving six months later,XI was also released on the Xbox 360 nearly four years after its original release in Japan.[139] This was the firstFinal Fantasy game to use a free rotating camera.Final Fantasy XII was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and uses only half as many polygons asFinal Fantasy X, in exchange for more advanced textures and lighting.[140][141] It also retains the freely rotating camera fromXI.Final Fantasy XIII andXIV both make use ofCrystal Tools, amiddleware engine developed by Square Enix.[142][143]
Final Fantasy games feature a variety of music, and frequently reuse themes. Most of the games open with a piece called "Prelude", which has evolved from a simple, 2-voicearpeggio in the early games to a complex, melodic arrangement in recent installments.[23][86][108] Victories in combat are often accompanied by a victoryfanfare, a theme that has become one of the most recognized pieces of music in the series. The basic theme that accompanies Chocobo appearances has been rearranged in a different musical style for most installments. Recurring secret bosses such as Gilgamesh are also used as opportunities to revive their musical themes.
A theme known as the "Final Fantasy Main Theme" or "March", originally featured in the first game, often accompanies the ending credits.[86] Althoughleitmotifs are common in the more character-driven installments, theme music is typically reserved for main characters and recurring plot elements.[58]
Nobuo Uematsu was the primary composer of theFinal Fantasy series until his resignation from Square Enix in November 2004.[58] Other notable composers who have worked on main entries in the series includeMasashi Hamauzu,Hitoshi Sakimoto,[144][145] andYoko Shimomura. Uematsu was allowed to create much of the music with little direction from the production staff. Sakaguchi, however, would request pieces to fit specific game scenes including battles and exploring different areas of the game world.[146] Once a game's major scenarios were completed, Uematsu would begin writing the music based on the story, characters, and accompanying artwork. He started with a game's main theme, and developed other pieces to match its style. In creating character themes, Uematsu read the game's scenario to determine the characters' personality. He would also ask the scenario writer for more details to scenes he was unsure about.[147] Technical limitations were prevalent in earlier games; Sakaguchi would sometimes instruct Uematsu to only use specific notes.[146] It was not untilFinal Fantasy IV on the SNES that Uematsu was able to add more subtlety to the music.[128]
Overall, theFinal Fantasy series has been critically acclaimed and commercially successful, though each installment has seen different levels of success. The series has seen a steady increase in total sales; it sold25 million units by 1999,[148] and reached100 million units in 2011.[149] By March 2025, the series reached cumulative global physical and digital sales of 200 million units.[150]
Several games within the series have become best-selling games. At the end of 2007, the seventh, eighth, and ninth best-selling RPGs wereFinal Fantasy VII,VIII, andX respectively.[151] The originalFinal Fantasy VII has sold over 14.4 million copies worldwide,[152][153] earning it the position of the best-sellingFinal Fantasy game.[154] Within two days ofFinal Fantasy VIII's North American release on September 9, 1999, it became the top-selling video game in the United States, a position it held for more than three weeks.[155]Final Fantasy X sold over 1.4 million Japanese units in pre-orders alone, which set a record for the fastest-selling console RPG.[151][156] The MMORPG,Final Fantasy XI, reached over 200,000 active daily players in March 2006[157] and had reached over half a million subscribers by July 2007.[58]Final Fantasy XII sold more than 1.7 million copies in its first week in Japan.[158] By November 6, 2006—one week after its release—XII had shipped approximately 1.5 million copies in North America.[159]Final Fantasy XIII became the fastest-selling game in the franchise,[160] and sold one million units on its first day of sale in Japan.[161]Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, in comparison to its predecessor, was a runaway success, originally suffering from servers being overcrowded,[162] and eventually gaining over one million unique subscribers within two months of its launch.[163]
The series has received critical acclaim for the quality of its visuals and soundtracks.[58] In 1996,Next Generation ranked the series collectively as the 17th best game of all time, speaking very highly of its graphics, music and stories.[164] In 1999,Next Generation listed theFinal Fantasy series as number 16 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that "by pairing state-of-the-art technology with memorable, sometimes shamelessly melodramatic storylines, the series has successfully outlasted its competitors [...] and improved with each new installation".[165] It was awarded a star on theWalk of Game in 2006, making it the first franchise to win a star on the event (other winners were individual games, not franchises). WalkOfGame.com commented that the series has sought perfection as well as having been a risk taker in innovation.[166] In 2006,GameFAQs held a contest for the best video game series ever, withFinal Fantasy finishing as the runner-up toThe Legend of Zelda.[167] In a 2008 public poll held byThe Game Group plc,Final Fantasy was voted the best game series, with five games appearing in their "Greatest Games of All Time" list.[168]
ManyFinal Fantasy games have been included in various lists of top games. Several games have been listed on multipleIGN "Top Games" lists.[169][170][171][172][173][174] Twelve games were listed onFamitsu's 2006 "Top 100 Favorite Games of All Time", four of which were in the top ten, withFinal Fantasy X andVII coming first and second, respectively.[175] The series holds sevenGuinness World Records in theGuinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008, which include the "Most Games in an RPG Series" (13 main games, seven enhanced games, and 32 spin-off games), the "Longest Development Period" (the production ofFinal Fantasy XII took five years), and the "Fastest-Selling Console RPG in a Single Day" (Final Fantasy X).[151][176] The 2009 edition listed two games from the series among the top 50 consoles games:Final Fantasy XII at number 8 andVII at number 20.[177] In 2018,Final Fantasy VII was inducted as a member of theWorld Video Game Hall of Fame.[178]
However, the series has garnered some criticism.IGN has commented that the menu system used by the games is a major detractor for many and is a "significant reason why they haven't touched the series".[23] The site has also heavily criticized the use of random encounters in the series' battle systems.[179][180]IGN further stated that the various attempts to bring the series into film and animation have either been unsuccessful, unremarkable, or did not live up to the standards of the games.[11] In 2007,Edge criticized the series for a number of related games that include the phrase "Final Fantasy" in their titles, which are considered inferior to previous games. It also commented that with the departure ofHironobu Sakaguchi, the series might be in danger of growing stale.[58]
Several individualFinal Fantasy games have garnered extra attention; some for their positive reception and others for their negative reception.Final Fantasy VII toppedGamePro's "26 Best RPGs of All Time" list,[181] as well as GameFAQs "Best Game Ever" audience polls in 2004 and 2005.[182][183] Despite the success ofVII, it is sometimes criticized as being overrated. In 2003,GameSpy listed it as the seventh most overrated game of all time, while IGN presented views from both sides.[184][185]Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII shipped 392,000 units in its first week of release, but received review scores that were much lower than that of otherFinal Fantasy games.[186][187][188] A delayed, negative review after the Japanese release ofDirge of Cerberus from Japanese gaming magazineFamitsu hinted at a controversy between the magazine and Square Enix.[189] ThoughFinal Fantasy: The Spirits Within was praised for its visuals, the plot was criticized and the film was considered a box office bomb.[57][58][59][190]Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for theGameCube received overall positive review scores, but reviews stated that the use ofGame Boy Advances as controllers was a big detractor.[130][191] The predominantly negative reception of the original version ofFinal Fantasy XIV caused then-president Yoichi Wada to issue an official apology during a Tokyo press conference, stating that the brand had been "greatly damaged" by the game's reception.[192]
Various video game publications have created rankings of the mainlineFinal Fantasy games. In the table below, the lower the number given, the better the game is in the view of the respective publication. By way of comparison, the ratings provided byFamitsu magazine and the review aggregatorMetacritic are also given; in these rows, higher numbers indicate better reviews. Note thatMetacritic ratings up untilFinal Fantasy VII largely represent retrospective reviews from online websites years after their initial release, rather than contemporary reviews fromvideo game magazines at the time of their initial release.
| Publication | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | XIII | XIV | XV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retro Gamer (2004)[193] | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| GamePro (2008)[181] | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Stuff (2008)[194] | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Empire (2009)[195] | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Jeuxvideo (2011)[196] | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Kotaku (2013)[197] | 10 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 12 | |||
| Popular Mechanics (2014)[198] | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Slant Magazine (2014)[199] | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |||||||||||
| Den of Geek (2016)[200] | 14 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 11 | |
| VentureBeat (2016)[201] | 12 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 6 |
| Famitsu (2017)[202] | 9 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 4 | |||||
| GamesRadar+ (2022)[203] | 17 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 18 | 3 | 21 | 4 | 15 | ||
| Game Informer (2018)[204] | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||
| IGN (2018)[205] | 7 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 10 | |||
| Polygon (2018)[206] | 14 | 15 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 9 |
| Rock, Paper, Shotgun (2018)[207] | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | |||||||
| VG247 (2018)[208] | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 7 | |||||
| Digital Spy (2019)[209] | 12 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 9 | ||
| Digital Trends (2019)[210] | 13 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 14 |
| NHK (2020)[211][212] | 24 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 10 |
| TV Asahi (2021)[213] | 8 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 6 | |||||
| Famitsu rating (out of 40)[214] | 34[215] | 35 | 36 | 36 | 34[216] | 37 | 38 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 38 | 40 | 39 | 39[217] | 38[218] |
| Metacritic rating (out of 100)[219] | 79 | 79 | 77 | 85 | 83 | 92 | 92 | 90 | 94 | 92 | 85 | 92 | 83 | 83[220] | 85[221] |
Final Fantasy has been influential in the history of video games and game mechanics.Final Fantasy IV is considered a milestone for the genre, introducing a dramatic storyline with a strong emphasis on character development and personal relationships.[222] In 1992,Nintendo'sShigeru Miyamoto noted the impact ofFinal Fantasy onJapanese role-playing games, statingFinal Fantasy's "interactive cinematic approach" with an emphasis on "presentation and graphics" was gradually becoming "the most common style" of Japanese RPG at the time.[223]Final Fantasy VII, having been the first title of the series to be officially released in the PAL territories of Europe and Oceania, is credited as having the largest industry impact of the series,[131] and with allowing console role-playing games to gain global mass-market appeal.[224]VII is considered to be one of the most important and influential video games in the series.[225][226][227][228]
The series affected Square's business on several levels. The commercial failure ofFinal Fantasy: The Spirits Within resulted in hesitation and delays from Enix during merger discussions with Square.[59][108] Square's decision to produce games exclusively for the Sony PlayStation—a move followed by Enix's decision with theDragon Quest series—severed their relationship with Nintendo.[3][130]Final Fantasy games were absent from Nintendo consoles, specifically the Nintendo 64, for seven years.[114][131] Critics attribute the switch of strong third-party games like theFinal Fantasy andDragon Quest games to Sony's PlayStation, and away from the Nintendo 64, as one of the reasons behind PlayStation being the more successful of the two consoles.[3][130][134] The release of the Nintendo GameCube, which used optical disc media, in 2001 caught the attention of Square. To produce games for the system, Square created theshell companyThe Game Designers Studio and releasedFinal Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, which spawned its ownmetaseries within the main franchise.[41]Final Fantasy XI's lack of an online method of subscription cancellation prompted the creation of legislation inIllinois that requires internet gaming services to provide such a method to the state's residents.[229]
The series' popularity has resulted in its appearance and reference in numerous facets of popular culture like anime, TV series, andwebcomics.[230][231][232] Music from the series has permeated into different areas of culture.Final Fantasy IV's "Theme of Love" was integrated into thecurriculum of Japanese school children and has been performed live by orchestras and metal bands.[233] In 2003, Uematsu co-foundedThe Black Mages, aninstrumental rock group independent of Square that has released albums ofarrangedFinal Fantasy tunes.[234][235]Bronze medalistsAlison Bartosik andAnna Kozlova performed theirsynchronized swimming routine at the 2004 Summer Olympics to music fromFinal Fantasy VIII.[151] Many of the soundtracks have also been released for sale. Numerous companion books, which normally provide in-depth game information, have been published. In Japan, they are published by Square and are calledUltimania books.[236][237]
The series has inspired numerous game developers.Fable creatorPeter Molyneux considersFinal Fantasy VII to be the RPG that "defined the genre" for him.[238]BioWare founderGreg Zeschuk citedFinal Fantasy VII as "the first really emotionally engaging game" he played and said it had "a big impact" on BioWare's work.[239]The Witcher 3 senior environmental artist Jonas Mattsson citedFinal Fantasy as "a huge influence" and said it was "the first RPG" he played through.[240]Mass Effect art director Derek Watts citedFinal Fantasy: The Spirits Within as a major influence on the visual design and art direction of the series.[241] BioWare senior product manager David Silverman citedFinal Fantasy XII's gambit system as an influence on the gameplay ofDragon Age: Origins.[242]Ubisoft Toronto creative director Maxime Beland cited the originalFinal Fantasy as a major influence on him.[243]Media Molecule's Constantin Jupp creditedFinal Fantasy VII with getting him into game design.[244]Tim Schafer also citedFinal Fantasy VII as one of his favourite games.[245]
TheFinal Fantasyfandom includes large fan organizations like Final Fantasy Union. In 2023, Final Fantasy Union collaborated with British indie publisherLost in Cult on the sixth volume of the imprint's art journal,Lock-On, which focused on the art ofFinal Fantasy andLegend of Zelda and featured an exclusive cover illustration of Terra Branford by Yoshitaka Amano alongside interviews with Hironobu Sakaguchi, Nobuo Uematsu, and Matt Mercer.[citation needed]
In October 2007, a fan-madeweb series of CG action films calledDead Fantasy was created by late web-based animator and writer,Monty Oum.Dead Fantasy featuredFinal Fantasy characters competing againstDead or Alive characters inbattle royale-style brawls.[246][247][248]
Hiroshi Minagawa: In the course of development, Jun Akiyama and Daisuke Watanabe came up with many ideas but ultimately we had to abandon many of them. I'd heard their original ideas and I wish we could have included them all. Once we began development and many of the systems were in place, the team had many progressive ideas. It was the most enjoyable part of the project. But as we approached the project's end, I had to point out features we had to drop in order for the game to be finished. Which is unfortunate, since I'm sure people would have enjoyed the game that much more if we could have left all our original ideas in.
Square Co. is the maker of theFinal Fantasy series, of which it's sold more than25 million units worldwide. (...)Final Fantasy series, sales of which have reached some25 million copies.
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