For a decade, Final Fantasy embodied the definition of excellence and only grew more popular with every sequel. As a teenager, a Final Fantasy sequel was the only game that I would reserve before-hand, and buy on the day of it's release. Keep in mind, this was at a time when a video game was not showcased at every stage of it's development.
We most often bought games that we had played at a friends house, or bought them blindly in the hope that they would live up to our expectations. For years the Final Fantasy franchise met and exceeded those expectations in a way that left us dizzy at the possibility of even further greatness.
Most of us know the story of Square's humble beginnings. Struggling from the video game crash of 1983, Square was purportedly on the verge of bankruptcy and Final Fantasy was to be the company's last game released before they closed their doors. Developer Hironobu Sakaguchi had planned to leave the video game industry and go back to school if the game was not a success. The games title was a personal statement for the developer.
In the U.S. Final Fantasy found it's audience and was released with a degree of commercial and critical success in 1987, single handedly saving the company and opening the door for more games to be produced. From there Square grew and became more ambitious. The sequels introduced innovative game play mechanics that were simply unheard of at the time and have since become staples in RPG genre. Did you enjoy creating and customizing your class in Mass Effect? Well, you have Final Fantasy to thank for that.
Fast forward 4 years. Final Fantasy 2 (4 in Japan) has made waves in the U.S. Over the next few years the game gathered a loyal fan base and reignited U.S. interest in RPG's ( I personally have spent an embarrassing number of hours playing it ). Then suddenly, seemingly from out of nowhere we were introduced to Final Fantasy 3 ( 6 in Japan ).
The game rendered fans speechless and we knew immediately that we had discovered something special. The innovations to game play mechanics were in line with what we had come to expect from a Final Fantasy game, offering a simple yet strategic combat system while allowing for overwhelmingly deep customization options.
A more mature story line, a wealth of complex characters, and the enthralling steam punk world all combined into one of the most engrossing experiences we had witnessed in a video game. And I think it goes without saying that the music is bar none some of the best that has ever been rendered in 16-bit.
FF 6 was a masterpiece, there is no denying it, but where could Square possibly go after that? The series had reached a level of popularity it had never known and fans couldn't be happier. We were so enamored with FF 6 that we couldn't even conceive what the next phase would be. However, rumors began circulating that yet another Final Fantasy game was being developed.
At the time, the PlayStation had made it's way onto the market along with the Nintendo 64. Which system was superior was a matter of taste and gamers were split on the issue, however, the choice became clear for Final Fantasy fans when it was announced that the franchise had been acquired by Sony and Final Fantasy 7 would find a home on the PlayStation.
The announcement for FF 7 sent a shock wave through the gaming community. The three dimensional capabilities of the current generation consoles promised a more fully realized world than we had ever experienced. The fact that the game was no longer licensed by Nintendo was an after thought and gamers couldn't wait to sink their weekends into this new creation. The hype for this game was so substantial that this was the first time I ever remember seeing an advertisement for on television.
FF 7 was released in North America in 1997, which was the year I entered High School. I don't remember my first day of High School, but I remember the first time I played Final Fantasy 7. This game kicked our ass. It sucked us into it's world, pounded our brains into submission, and left us begging for more.
The fact that 15 years after it's release fans are still clambering for a remake on a modern console is a testament to it's popularity. It has even spawned a full length film that picks up where the game ended. To this day if someone pops in an old copy of FF 7, I can sit down and watch them play it from beginning to end. That's how good it is.
FF 7 was such a monumental success, critically and commercially, that we knew it was only a matter of time before yet another sequel was announced. In retrospect FF 7 was a bittersweet experience ( Not because I still shed a tear every time I hear Aerith's theme music....because ugh.....I totally don't ). Everything about the game is the definition of classic, unfortunately, this would mark the high point of the series. It would all be down hill from here. Check back for "Why Final Fantasy Sucks" Part 2.
6 vs 7. Which Final Fantasy game did you prefer? Please comment below.
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