Square, now known as Square Enix, launched Final Fantasy in 1987. It was supposed to be their last video game before the company went under, but look at it now. Final Fantasy has grown to become one of the most beloved role-playing series today. There are now 13 main titles with numberous side titles and re-releases. It’s been on video gaming platforms such as the PC, Nintendo DS, PSP, all three Playstations and the Xbox 360, and more. There are even CG movies dedicated to Final Fantasy and a ton of merchandise. At the time of its initial launch, Square Enix never thought it would become such a success.
So. How did the first Final Fantasy do it? Why did people buy it?
1) Storyline & Gameplay. Final Fantasy had a deep and engaging storyline. According to critics, it was ,more interesting than a competitor, Dragon Quest, at the time. It was a fantasy, and of course, many became enthralled with this virtual world. They had mages, dragons, magic crystals, evil bosses that summon things! There dungeons to overcome, princesses to save, a time-traveling portal. To sum it up, things were epic for that time.
2) Graphics. If you looked at the graphics now, you mightbe like omg… SO UGLY AND PIXELATED!! Hey, its been 23 years since the release! Of course your standards have risen since then! At the time, these graphics were AMAZING! People must’ve been like “Whoaa!”
Graphics from a re-released version of Final Fantasy I
3) Music. Music in a video game is soooo very very important. It changes the mood of the game and influences your overall experience. For instance, during battle scenes an intense theme should be played to boost adrenaline. Music was created after the game was produced, for better scene fits. I have to say, Nobuo Uematsu (the composer of most of the series’s soundtrack) is a genius.
Overall, Final Fantasy was highly successful and is one major factor to the popularization of role-playing game genre. The game was a definitely an early adopter for the genre, and drove it towards a growth stage. Look at RPGs (Role-Playing Game) now. There are so many out in the market. A roleplaying game sells an experience. The player steps into the character’s shoes and explores the fantasy world, experiencing something they can never get in reality. There was perceived by consumers, so they bought it. Enough copies of the game were sold to save Square Enix and initiated the production of a sequel.
An amazing game will sell itself, and Final Fantasy definitely proves that.
The Final Fantasy Full Motion Video (FMV) into for the Playstation