Bring the on-key fantasy back to RPGs !
Despite its long and grand history as the pioneer for phantasy RPGs , Square Enix has gradually misplace its footing in the genre given the subpar success of its more recent passing , and now the company has declared ahuge rollbackon numerous projects . While sure nothing Modern in the diligence , the root of Square Enix ’s crisis lies in pitiable decision - making — specifically , their strange decision to force their greatest concepts into a AAA package .
To get back on the good track and find the individual of true RPG craft once more , they need to leave behind that farce behind .
The beginning of Square Enix and Final Fantasy
Beginning as a much smaller company in the 1980s call " Square , " their bold vision for play was no less aspirational and full of ingenious ideas that would pay off handsomely from the get - go . While their debut text adventure - style IP The Death Trap was a resonating winner , it was n’t until the release of games like Dragon Slayer and specially Sir - Tech ’s Wizardry serial that Square ’s roadmap was observably steering toward a specific direction - RPGs .
In 1987 , Square director Hironobu Sakaguchi brought forth a new IP that would start to redefine what constitutes an RPG and called it Final Fantasy . It introduced eccentric fictional character division for players to take from , incorporated a world-wide magic system , and innovative gameplay mechanics such as turn - based combat . The game injected a unexampled , first - of - its - tolerant " fantasy " element that mold seamlessly with classic elements already established in the musical genre , invigorate them all together into a new rule that would in the end skyrocket its popularity .
The first Final Fantasy game was a resonant success , earning nearly universal plaudit and selling over half a million copy in Japan alone for the Famicom ( NES ) console . However , it was the game ’s NES cabinet sacking soon after in the US that proved what Final Fantasy was truly capable of - connect RPG fan in two of the industry ’s biggest player demographic and pave the elbow room for the genre ’s unfeigned debut on the world stage . Not only that , the biz single - handedly saved Sakaguchi ’s life history and Square from a tower bankruptcy .
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Square finds its footing with fantasy RPG
With that clear sign of good lot , Square ’s stress pivoted almost exclusively to the RPG genre and the development of Final Fantasy as both a franchise and a bastion for its endeavors . Other notable authoritative RPGs such as Secret of Mana , Chrono Trigger , and Xenogears would further bolster up the company ’s portfolio and reputation .
All the while , Final Fantasy installments followed in relatively quick succession , often only a year or two apart , and the franchise ’s success would only continue to grow thanks to the technology of Sony ’s premier gaming console , the PlayStation .
The PS1 allowed Square to push its originative boundaries even further , particularly by incorporating new tale elements into each game to make the Final Fantasy lore deeper and more captivating . This culminate in claim like Final Fantasy 6 and , of course , the iconic Final Fantasy 7 , which is still revered decades later for its unique storytelling and reference development . ( This by and by make it several spin - off game , such as the beloved prequel Crisis Core , a canyon characteristic film , and now a budget - break remaking trilogy . )
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The PlayStation 2 helped push things even further with Final Fantasy 10 , the episode that bridge over the enfranchisement to a more mainstream , global interview with then - unprecedented graphic , modernized turn - based gameplay , and an incredibly aroused story . With near - perfect scores across the board , the plot broke all projections and sold over two million units on day one . This newfound level of achiever would instal Square as a power to be depend with across the industry and as the new touchstone for the RPG literary genre .
Square’s first MMORPG opens more doors
work up off of its novel mainstream audience , Square next choose for a bold new boulevard in the RPG region and in 2002 debut its first MMO title , Final Fantasy XI : Online . Despite taking the dip into a unique histrion pool that would become fiercely dominated by Blizzard ’s World of Warcraft just a match of years later , the conclusion to bring the Final Fantasy experience to an on-line multiplayer political platform would turn out to be a benediction in disguise .
FF11 brought together the best element of Final Fantasy and fused it with all the appeal of the MMO musical genre . While keep to the lore and classic roots of the franchise , this Modern type of secret plan proved to be a successful experiment , with contributor counts consistently climbing in the first few yr of its release . It was clear that players enjoyed not only the new social ingredient of Final Fantasy but the literal - fourth dimension gameplay as well .
With a path clearly lay and typeset for even bigger aspiration , Square ’s fatal fusion with Enix Corporation in 2003 would determine how well that path would be followed . Soon enough , the company set its sights on ways to modernize Final Fantasy further , for better or worse . last Fantasy 12 was universally praise for breaking turn - based conventionalism with its one - of - a - kind ploy system , undecided - cosmos gameplay , and fabulously rich traditional knowledge . However , the Final Fantasy 13 trilogy was where Square Enix ’s gilt path genuinely started to vary .
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Square Enix attempts to modernize Final Fantasy
Further shatter the tradition of the installments that preceded it , Final Fantasy 13 brought the serial into a Modern and very uncertain age . After a notably rocky maturation , the game debuted with a very different vibe equate to classical Final Fantasy title , prefer for aerodynamic natural action sequences , modern weaponry and technology , and the most dissentious version of the ATB scheme yet . Despite encounter favourable reviews for breaking the mould and innovate the series ' struggle system , the secret plan ’s reputation would become one of the most mixed in the entire serial over time .
Uncertainty about the dealership was soon washed over by the incredible revitalisation of Square Enix ’s second MMO venture , Final Fantasy 14 . The original version of the plot was a massive technological loser after its launch in 2010 , but producer Naoki Yoshida took the wheel and rebuild the MMO from the ground up , re-introduce it with the name " A Realm Reborn " in 2013 . Relaunching with a revamped , polished , and far more appealing gameplay organization for both PC and PlayStation , FF14 was eventually prepare for succeeder ( if musician were unforced to give it another chance , that is ) .
Final Fantasy XIV proves the franchise is well-suited for MMOs
This astronomically astounding arcdegree of success has all but ferment FF14 into an institution for Square Enix , as well as a bottomless piggy bank of exploitation fund . Naoki Yoshida has become a figurehead for how Final Fantasy is have in mind to be enjoy in the modern age , and FF14 encapsulates the good elements of the long - darling enfranchisement into a world-wide , multi - platform synergistic experience that nearly anyone can savour — even those who have never played another standalone FF game .
Square Enix falters yet again with Final Fantasy 15 & 16
However , the rest period of Square Enix apparently had their own ideas in creative thinker for the direction that Final Fantasy needed to go in , and the party as a whole . While their turning point enfranchisement remained at the forefront , a few surprise titles , such as their 2023 visual novel plot Paranormasight , profit significant adhesive friction , though mostly within Japan . While still mostly publish games from other studio apartment , they set their heap or else on bringing Final Fantasy ( boot and screaming ) into a raw domain it had never really set base in before : AAA games .
A genre of its own mostly occupied by first - somebody shooters and too - big - to - fail games like Minecraft , Grand Theft Auto , and Fortnite , the Triple - A shot is arguably the most serious crew to hazard into . Defined by motion picture - level budgets and the massive corp that provide them , such games ground their fundamental principle success by stick alone to mainstream trends and prioritizing the most visually appealing gameplay for a broad consultation . Somehow , Square Enix thought this was what Final Fantasy ask to adjust to .
This creative friction manifest in the development of Final Fantasy 15 , which struggled for twelvemonth and years to get off the primer and ended up as a tragically unfinished product upon release in 2016 . Committing to an absolutely monolithic open - world setting that FF13 tried and ultimately failed to do , FF15 bit off fashion more than it could or should have masticate . The result was an underwhelming and empty earth to explore , despite its scale , and the game was only check up by the principal protagonist , Noctis , and his plot line , which was about as tragic as the game itself .
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Despite promises to the perverse , Square Enix arguably repeated this blunderous mistake again with Final Fantasy 16 , which opted for a more medieval aesthetic while still striving to create a gigantic open - world setting with more compelling persona and plot line . However , FF16 still fell far short of expectations , and once again buff point mostly to its empty straw of a world . Despite being beautiful on the aerofoil , Valisthea ’s kingdoms leave little to be desired . This exactsame problemwas also chew over in Forspoken ( another Square Enix title ) , asour reviewof the biz explains .
Final Fantasy thrives on maximalism
This let out the overall issue with Square Enix trying to push Final Fantasy from one genre into another , or assay to coalesce it in a agency that simply does n’t work . As evidenced by the latest installment in the enfranchisement , at the expense of hyper - modernistic esthetic , the serial is in danger of misplace what made it so wizardly and beloved to set about with - maximalism .
Final Fantasy has always prided itself on filling its secret plan to the brim with lush storytelling , compelling characters everywhere you change by reversal , vibrantly unique environments , an extensive archive of fascinating wight and minacious beasts , and so much more . If you take all of that away and pass on nothing but the master graphic symbol ’s story , then it ’s hard to even accurately call it a Final Fantasy game at that full point .
Ironically , the Final Fantasy 7 remaking trilogy has done well to counterbalance many of the antecedently mentioned mistake and so far has provided a much more interactional open humans despite stick to a linear approach with the story . However , despite the supposed hype , the sales for Square Enix ’s swelled project to date still have n’t met anticipation , which has left the company in a rather unsettled position .
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Square Enix must find its way back to the soul of RPGs
Perhaps finally realizing that desexualize what was n’t broken to start with was n’t the best mind , Square Enix hit the proverbial pinch button on the wall , announcing in April’searnings reportthat they were canceling an undisclosed number of game projection . Despite the financial passing , the design is apparently to " be more selective and focused " about what games will get push through the company pipeline which , among other thing , may very well imply that Final Fantasy will ( hopefully ) come back to its root . While further pricy remakes of Final Fantasy classic may be off the table , at least once the FF7 trilogy is complete , the Dragon Quest 3 remake is plainly stillon the docket .
While craft up its new ontogenesis roadmap for the futurity , I genuinely desire Square Enix line up its way back to what made its troupe so magisterial in the first place and rediscovers that unique magick that ’s given us some of the best phantasy - themed RPGs of all time , including an outstandingly successful MMO .
If Final Fantasy 14 is meant to be anything at all , it ’s at least a societal interactive representation of Square Enix ’s cracking achievement , embraced by meg of fans around the world . genuinely , if there ’s one thing Square Enix can do that too few other companies care to , it ’s listen to its residential district .
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Be certain to check over out all of our guides and tidings for everything Final Fantasy at Pro Game Guides , such as howYoshi - P wants to put old pixel Final Fantasy games in FFXIV & how he ’d do it .
Image via Square Enix
Image via Square Enix
Image via Square Enix
