Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy[a] is a fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi which is owned, developed, and published by Square Enix (formerly Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy role-playing video games. The first game in the series was released in 1987, with 16 numbered main entries having been released to date.
This article is about the entire franchise. For the first game in the series, see Final Fantasy (video game). For other uses, see Final Fantasy (disambiguation).Final Fantasy
Square, Square Enix
Tetsuya Nomura
- Arcade
Android
BlackBerry OS
Game Boy
Game Boy Advance
GameCube
iOS
Java ME
MSX
Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo DS
Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo Switch
Ouya
PlayStation
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Vita
Stadia
Super NES
Wii
Windows
Windows Phone
WonderSwan
Xbox 360
Xbox One
Xbox Series X/S
Final Fantasy
December 18, 1987
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
February 29, 2024
The franchise has since branched into other video game genres such as tactical role-playing, action role-playing, massively multiplayer online role-playing, racing, third-person shooter, fighting, and rhythm, as well as branching into other media, including films, anime, manga, and novels.
Final Fantasy is mostly an anthology 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, and mythologies 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 of the greatest video games, with the series selling more than 185 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. The series is well known for its innovation, visuals, such as the inclusion of full-motion videos, photorealistic character models, and music by Nobuo Uematsu. It has popularized many features now common in role-playing games, also popularizing the genre as a whole in markets outside Japan.
Legacy[edit]
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.[231] In 1992, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto noted the impact of Final Fantasy on Japanese role-playing games, stating Final 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.[232] 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.[233] VII is considered to be one of the most important and influential video games in the series.[234][235][236][237]
The series affected Square's business on several levels. The commercial failure of Final 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 the Dragon 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 the Final Fantasy and Dragon 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 the shell company The Game Designers Studio and released Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, which spawned its own metaseries within the main franchise.[41] Final Fantasy XI's lack of an online method of subscription cancellation prompted the creation of legislation in Illinois that requires internet gaming services to provide such a method to the state's residents.[238]
The series' popularity has resulted in its appearance and reference in numerous facets of popular culture like anime, TV series, and webcomics.[239][240][241] Music from the series has permeated into different areas of culture. Final Fantasy IV's "Theme of Love" was integrated into the curriculum of Japanese school children and has been performed live by orchestras and metal bands.[242] In 2003, Uematsu co-founded The Black Mages, an instrumental rock group independent of Square that has released albums of arranged Final Fantasy tunes.[243][244] Bronze medalists Alison Bartosik and Anna Kozlova performed their synchronized swimming routine at the 2004 Summer Olympics to music from Final Fantasy VIII.[160] 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 called Ultimania books.[245][246]
The series has inspired numerous game developers. Fable creator Peter Molyneux considers Final Fantasy VII to be the RPG that "defined the genre" for him.[247] BioWare founder Greg Zeschuk cited Final Fantasy VII as "the first really emotionally engaging game" he played and said it had "a big impact" on BioWare's work.[248] The Witcher 3 senior environmental artist Jonas Mattsson cited Final Fantasy as "a huge influence" and said it was "the first RPG" he played through.[249] Mass Effect art director Derek Watts cited Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within as a major influence on the visual design and art direction of the series.[250] BioWare senior product manager David Silverman cited Final Fantasy XII's gambit system as an influence on the gameplay of Dragon Age: Origins.[251] Ubisoft Toronto creative director Maxime Beland cited the original Final Fantasy as a major influence on him.[252] Media Molecule's Constantin Jupp credited Final Fantasy VII with getting him into game design.[253] Tim Schafer also cited Final Fantasy VII as one of his favourite games.[254]
The Final Fantasy fandom includes large fan organizations like Final Fantasy Union. In 2023, Final Fantasy Union collaborated with British indie publisher Lost in Cult on the sixth volume of the imprint's art journal, Lock-On, which focused on the art of Final Fantasy and Legend of Zelda and featured an exclusive cover illustration of Terra Branford by Yoshitaka Amano alongside interviews with Hironobu Sakaguchi, Nobuo Uematsu, and Matt Mercer.[255]
In October 2007, a fan-made web series of CG action films called Dead Fantasy was created by late web-based animator and writer, Monty Oum. Dead Fantasy featured Final Fantasy characters competing against Dead or Alive characters in battle royale-style brawls.[256][257][258]