Throughout the history of video games, franchises have appeared that have captivated us and stolen hundreds of hours of entertainment and fun from our daily lives, but few as in the case of final Fantasy, who has been with us for 35 years telling us stories that are more strange, epic and spectacular. Here we are going to tell you what characterizes this IP from Square (later Square-Enix) that has become one of the most sacred that time has seen.
final Fantasy is synonymous with success hyping, from long waits in line when the games were only sold physically in stores. A series that was born in 1987 and is on its way to 200 titles among all versions, adaptations, remakes and consoles that have ever seen one of their developments arrive. A milestone within the reach of very few sagas that has its main supporter in Square Enix. And it is not an easy job to keep it fresh and always up to date with the technologies, tastes and tools of each era.
An atypical franchise
final Fantasy It is not a normal saga because unlike others that go on for decades releasing video games periodically and develop a homogeneous plot starring the same characters, the peculiarity of the creation of Square is that it forgets about such minutiae to put the focus on what at that moment he most seduces to tell us. In this way, it is not strange to see a game with references to different cultures and mythologies that go from reviews to Norse gods to Arthurian classics like Excalibur.
That has necessarily led Square Enix to have to place each game at a different time of that fantastic story that sometimes touches commonplaces and no longer enjoy a plot continuity that, a priori, could be considered a problem but that over the years has been confirmed to be an advantage and a way to revitalize the essence same of the franchise without falling into repetition and exhaustion.
Although before delving deeper, do you know why the final Fantasy are they called that?
The name
You have to go back to the year 1986 when Square is virtually bankrupt and one of his workers, the designer Hironobu Sakaguchi, begins to work on a sketch of what for him will be a new RPG that he wants to program for the Famicon. For fans of the genre it will not have gone unnoticed that that first idea was born from a success of the competition (at that time) that was Enix, which had released a title called Dragon Quest.
Sakaguchi's idea was none other than designing that new game for Square that I was planning to call it fighting fantasy Although as the months went by, he reflected a little more and made a promise: if that development was a failure, he would retire, so the best possible name would be final Fantasy, since if the blow was confirmed... after him no more would come.
What I did not imagine is that, indeed, that would be the first of a glorious franchise that has been 35 years old with dozens of video games. So yes, Hironobu Sakaguchi would end up retiring, but not because of a failure but rather the other way around, for having given birth to a series of video games that continue to promise to be the last with each new installment that hits stores.
What unites all the games?
We have already told you that it is difficult to find several final Fantasy the same with a continuity of characters, enemies, etc. They exist, but we could almost interpret them as moments of coincidence rather than continuity within a specific universe. For example, in all the games the heroes must face a deep, ancient evil that stalks the world with the desire to dominate and subdue it, whatever the price.
This background always leads us to play the role of a subject to the orders of a nation (Advance of Final Fantasy VII, returns in Final Fantasy VI, etc.) who is willing to sacrifice anything to defeat this evil, which always makes itself visible through enemies, almost always two. Because that is another differentiating element, and that is that the main enemies of the plots usually distribute the weight of their outrages, showing themselves progressively to give more drama to the stories.
It is not uncommon to see in a final Fantasy to a first villain who, with the passing of the phases, ends up giving way to another who had ties to some protagonists and that due to old revenge ends up becoming the nemesis of the characters we control in the game. If not remember the case of Kefka in Final Fantasy VI.
Turn-based combat, the lost essence
If something has defined final Fantasy and almost by extension many of the games that Square Enix has released over the decades are turn-based combat. A very Japanese concept, which practically defines what this genre means for oriental players and that in our country it has been constantly permeating since the explosion of consoles in the early 90s.
final Fantasy It is turn-based combat, EXP points and PH, those two references to which we always look at our character when it comes to dealing with a formidable enemy. And so it was for a long time, until almost a decade ago things began to change. Went with Final Fantasy XIII-2 y Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII when the hare jumped and Square Enix began to turn final decision to leave behind what was one of his hallmarks. From there, there were no more turns, nor did we have to wait for the enemy's move to continue dealing damage with our fatal blows.
Evolution to a more open mode
That change was not easy because many fans wanted what they understood to be part of the DNA of a JRPG to stick as is, but the tide of the times was too powerful and the Japanese could not stay anchored in a resource that was born, precisely, as a response to the technical limitations of the first consoles. from those Final Fantasy XIII The saga already offers more open scenarios, characters that we can move as we hit, and enemies that become more intelligent to anticipate what we plan to do.
It is precisely with Final Fantasy XV when that transformation is truly complete, when the concept of open world arrives something less linear than the titles of the saga had been. Our group of characters goes out into the open and can face (or stop facing) any group of enemies we encounter.
A glorious musical universe
Undoubtedly, another of the backbones that run through the saga final Fantasy and define it completely is their music, the huge amount of suites y leitmotifs that we have been listening, memorizing and humming each of the games and that They have acquired over the years the category of masterpieces.
The person in charge of this musical universe is nothing more and nothing less than Nobuo Uematsu, a composer and musician who has accompanied the franchise since its inception and even the last of the successes of the saga, such as the Remake of Final Fantasy VII. But not only the Square Enix franchise should enjoy his talent, since it has lent it to other well-known titles such as Chrono Trigger, Blue Dragon, Front Mission, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and many more.
Below you have all the Final Fantasy games that he has signed:
- final Fantasy (1987)
- Final Fantasy II (1988)
- Final Fantasy III (1990)
- Final Fantasy IV (1991)
- Final Fantasy V (1992)
- F (1994)
- Final Fantasy VII (1997)
- Final Fantasy VIII (1999)
- Final Fantasy IX (2000)
- Final Fantasy X (2001) | shares credits with Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano.
- final fantasy XI (2002) | shares credits with Naoshi Mizuta and Kumi Tanioka.
- Final Fantasy XII (2006)
- Final Fantasy XIV (2010)
- Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020)
If you want to hear more of the saga final Fantasy, you can do it from here.
The (canonical) games through their characters
Cloud, Tidus, Noctis, Yuna, Yitan, Vann... surely they all sound familiar to you and they are an essential part of that asymmetrical universe of final Fantasy. In all cases, We are talking about heroes who have to face colossal enemies in adventures that have completely different settings and worlds. It has nothing to do with the (medieval) environment through which Zidane moves in Final Fantasy IX with that technological cyberpunk future of Cloud in Final Fantasy VII and that clearly marks the nature of each adventure.
As a rule, all games have the same structure and they resort to characters of a very specific cut. Apart from those who dominate the main posters, there are those that experts and scholars of the franchise call Cid, who are the most adult, wise and expert and who play roles such as engineers and scientists, while Biggs and Wedge (yes , indeed, they sound familiar to you Star Wars because they took them from the names of Luke's friends) appear in the background to support the story, accompanying the chorus of protagonists destined to change the world.
Do you remember those characters? Here we leave you the most remembered…
Warriors of Light (Final Fantasy)
It was the first of all and does not have as such a main protagonist since responsibility falls on a whole group, known as Warriors of light, which were made up of several classes of characters, such as the warrior, the monk, the thief and the white, black and red magicians.
Firion (Final Fantasy II)
Leader of the leading group, vHe will travel with María and León to fight as part of the Rose Rebellion against the Palamecian empire.
Luneth (Final Fantasy III)
Orphan of the Ur people, was raised by Nina and the legend Topapa and he will use all his power to destroy the Cloud of Darkness as Onion Knight.
Cecil (Final Fantasy IV)
It is about a Dark Knight who ends his appearance in Final Fantasy IV like a true paladin. He is the captain of the Red Wings of Baronia and during the story of the game he will be removed, which will completely change the purpose of his existence.
Bartz (Final Fantasy V)
is a young man travels with his chocobo Boko following the advice of his father, one of the four Warriors of Dawn. In the game he will meet Lenna and Galuf after the impact of a meteorite that will change everything.
Earth (Final Fantasy VI)
Terra is the first character we will meet in F so that many consider him the real protagonist within a life full of identity and memory problems that will lead him to not know who he really is. For many, she is the best of the female protagonists seen in the final-fantasy
Cloud (Final Fantasy VII)
He is one of the best known characters and with the best prestige among the parish of fans, who The remake that we have enjoyed lately on PS4 and PS5 has helped a lot. Without a doubt, one of the most moving and that has best connected with the players of the Square Enix franchise.
Squall (Final Fantasy VIII)
Squall is a lonely young Seed and hides a dark past, although when the time comes, he will not hesitate to become the inspiration for those who must fight against the evil that ravages the world.
Zidane (Final Fantasy IX)
This is one of the most remembered characters of the saga on PlayStation, with an immeasurable game. This character is a thief, who works in the Tantalus Theater Group and who will star in one of the best magical adventures in the franchise. He is also known as Zidane in the US and Jitan in Japan.
Tidus (Final Fantasy X)
This character lives marked by the destruction of his people at the hands of Sinh, a monster of epic dimensions, which will lead him to travel to Spira where he will join other iconic characters such as Yuna, who will help him find his way home.
Yuna (Final Fantasy X-2)
Yuna becomes a key character in the saga where will show that she is one of the most powerful summoners who is capable of using the so-called Eons to fight against evil. His goal will be to kill Sihn and that is why he will start a path of redemption in search of peace.
But (Final Fantasy XII)
Vaan is an orphan Rabanasta who wants to see the Arcadian empire destroyed after causing the death of his brother Reks. His greatest desire is to become a pirate of the skies to travel to all the ends of Ivalice, although one day, when his attempt to rob the Royal Palace goes badly wrong, he will find himself involved in a complicated plot within the kingdom of Dalmasca itself.
Lightning (Final Fantasy XIII)
It was with the Final Fantasy XIII that Lightning entered the saints of the saga through a character determined to save his sister Serah, who has been immersed in a conspiracy in the Nest. Without a doubt, we are facing one of the best warriors dedicated to the protection of the goddess Etro and protagonist of the three titles of this minitrilogy which is completed with Final Fantasy XIII-2 y Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII.
Serah (Final Fantasy XIII-2)
She is the sister of the iconic Lightning who, during the first game is simply a non-playable character, and who change roles in this second installment. She is engaged to Snow, whom Lightning will accuse of not having protected her as she should.
Noctis (Final Fantasy XV)
His full name is Noctis Lucis Caelum although during the game we will see that he practically refers to him as Noc, and he is the crown prince of Lucis, a kingdom that has immense wealth in its possession thanks to the fact that it possesses the Santálita, a crystal capable of recovering the strength of the old monarchs. As the legends say, he will be the Enthroned One who will save the world from darkness.
Clive (Final Fantasy XVI)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoYP_3E-bvM
Final Fantasy XVI It's already on the way, and Square has promised to go even further. on this occasion we will have as protagonist Clive, the Archduke of Rosaria, a Shield who protects his brother Joshua, the one known as Dominant of the Phoenix. We do not know more, except that once again a great evil will stalk the world of Valisthea. We will see…
What about the online versions?
As you have been able to verify we have left out two games within the calls canonical, which are the ones that are not an essential part of that offline and more plot branch of the franchise. Is about final fantasy XI y Final Fantasy XIV, which came to the market as primarily online titles, that is, we could only enjoy connected and fighting side by side with other players.
It is, without a doubt, the two most unknown because they focused on a type of public, that of MMORPGs, much more specific and faithful to this type of bet than the rest of the releases where history has enormous weight and is practically irreplaceable.
These two releases they still have followers who play them officially, is the case of Final Fantasy XIV, while with Final Fantasy XIIThose who want to relive their old battles will have to resort to the scenes and dedicated servers. In all cases it is final Fantasy original, where we forge our own hero and become part of a world that is clearly inspired by the heroes, settings and enemies of the main franchise.
All games, movies and books
| Year | Game | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | final Fantasy | NES - MSX2 (1989) - PSP (2007) - Android/iOS (2012) |
| 1988 | Final Fantasy II | NES - PSP (2007) - Android/iOS (2011) |
| 1990 | Final Fantasy III | NES - Nintendo DS (2006) - Android/iOS (2011) - PSP (2011) |
| 1991 | Final Fantasy IV | SNES - GBA (2005) - Nintendo DS (2007) - PSP (2011) - iOS (2012) - Android |
| 1992 | Final Fantasy V | SNES - PlayStation (1999) - GBA (2006) - Android/iOS (2013) |
| 1994 | Final Fantasy V: Legend of the Crystals | VHS |
| 1994 | F | SNES - PlayStation (1999) - GBA (2006) - Android/iOS |
| 1997 | Final Fantasy VII | PlayStation - PC - Android/iOS - Nintendo Switch |
| 1999 | Final Fantasy VIII | PlayStation - PC - Nintendo Switch |
| 2000 | Final Fantasy IX | PlayStation - Android/iOS |
| 2001 | Final Fantasy X | PS2 - PS3 - PC (2016) |
| 2002 | Final Fantasy XI Online | PS2 - PC - Xbox 360 (2006) |
| 2003 | Final Fantasy X-2 | PS2-PS3 |
| 2004 | Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII | Android / iOS |
| 2005 | Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children | DVD-UMD |
| Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode: Final Fantasy VII | Android / iOS | |
| Final Fantasy VII: Last Order | DVD-UMD | |
| On the Way to a Smile | Book | |
| The Maiden who Travels the Planet | Book | |
| 2006 | Final Fantasy XII | PS2 |
| Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII | PS2 | |
| 2008 | Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings | Nintendo DS |
| Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII | PSP | |
| 2009 | Final Fantasy XIII | PC - PS3 - Xbox 360 (2010) |
| Final Fantasy IV: The After Years | WiiWare (2009) - PSP (2011) - Android/iOS (2011) | |
| Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete | BD | |
| On the Way to a Smile Episode Denzel: Final Fantasy VII | BD | |
| Final Fantasy Fragments of Before | Book | |
| 2011 | Final Fantasy XIII-2 | PC - PS3 - XBox 360 |
| 2013 | Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII | PC - PS3 - Xbox 360 |
| Final Fantasy XIV: The Realm Reborn | PC - PS3 - PS4 (2014) | |
| 2014 | Final Fantasy Fragments of After | Book |
| 2015 | Final Fantasy XIV: Heavenward | PC - PS3 - PS4 |
| 2016 | Final Fantasy XV | PC - PS4 - Xbox One |
| Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV | Mini Anime Online | |
| Kingsglaive Final Fantasy XV | DVD - BD - Digital Download | |
| 2017 | Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood | PC - PS4 |
| 2019 | Final Fantasy XIV: Shadow Bringers | PC - PS4 |
| TBA | Final Fantasy XVI | PC - PS5 |
The most important Final Fantasy sales
| Name of the game | Sold units |
|---|---|
| final fantasy i | 2.490.000 units |
| Final Fantasy II | 1.730.000 units |
| Final Fantasy III | 3.801.000 units |
| Final Fantasy IV | 4.453.112 units |
| Final Fantasy V | 3.072.000 units |
| F | 4.002.000 units |
| Final Fantasy VII | 16.080.000 units |
| Final Fantasy VIII | 8.864 000 units |
| Final Fantasy IX | 5.761.000 units |
| Final Fantasy X | 8.005.113 units |
| Final Fantasy X-2 | 7.003.000 units |
| final fantasy XI | 3.515.000 Units |
| Final Fantasy XII | 5.296.000 units |
| Final Fantasy XIII | 7.700.000 units |
| Final Fantasy XIII-2 | 3.555.550 units |
| Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII | 1.007.000 units |
| Final Fantasy XIV | 10.210.431 units |
| Final Fantasy XV | 8.100.000 units |
I think the only thing that all Final Fantasy have in common, or almost all at least, are the chocobos.