Final Fantasy (Fainaru Fantajī) is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi

and owned by Square Enix that includes video games, motion pictures, and other
merchandise. The series began in 1987 as an eponymous console role-playing game
(RPG) developed by Square, spawning a video game series that became the central
focus of the franchise.The franchise has since branched out into other genres and
platforms, such as tactical RPGs,portable games, a massively multiplayer online role-
playing game, and games for mobile phones. As of March 2007, there are twenty-
eight games in the franchise—including twelve numbered games and numerous spin-
off titles.The series has spurred the release of three animated productions, two full-
length CGI films, and several printed adaptations.

Most Final Fantasy installments are independent stories (the numbers after the title
refers more to volumes than sequels); however, they feature common elements that
define the franchise. Such elements include recurring creatures, character names,
airships and character classes. The series has popularized many features that are
now widely used in console RPGs, and it is well known for its visuals, music, and
innovation,such as the inclusion of full motion videos, photo-realistic character
models, and orchestrated music by Nobuo Uematsu. The series have been
commercially and critically successful; it is the fourth-best-selling video game
franchise,with more than 80 million units sold as of December 2007.Many individual
titles in series have garnered extra attention and their own positive reception. In
addition, the series was awarded a star on the Walk of Game in 2006.

Games

The first installment of the series premiered in Japan on December 18, 1987. Each
subsequent title was numbered and given a unique story. Since the original release,
many Final Fantasy games have been localized for markets in North America, Europe,
and Australia, on numerous video game consoles, IBM PC compatible computers, and
mobile phones. Future installments will appear on seventh generation video game
consoles; two upcoming titles for the PlayStation 3 include Final Fantasy XIII and Final
Fantasy Versus XIII. As of March 2007, there are 28 games in the franchise.This
number includes the main installments from Final Fantasy to Final Fantasy XII, as well
as direct sequels and spin-offs. Many of the older titles have been re-released on
multiple platforms.

Main series

* Final Fantasy was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in Japan in
1987 and in North America in 1990.The story focuses on the four "Light Warriors" and
their elemental orbs, which have been darkened by four Elemental Fiends. Final
Fantasy introduced many concepts to the console RPG genre.

* Final Fantasy II was originally released on the Famicom in Japan in 1988.The story
centers on four youths who join a resistance to end the Emperor's military campaign
against the world. Final Fantasy II was the first game to introduce Chocobos and Cid.

* Final Fantasy III was released on the Famicom in Japan in 1990.The plot focuses
on four orphaned youths who come across a crystal, which grants them power and
instructs them to restore balance to the world. It was the first game to implement a
Job System, summoning and introduce Moogles.

* Final Fantasy IV was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in

1991; in North America, it was released as Final Fantasy II.The story centers on a
Dark Knight and his journey to save the world from the evil Golbez.It was the first
game to introduce the "Active Time Battle" system.

* Final Fantasy V was released on the Super Famicom in Japan in 1992.The story
focuses on a wanderer and his allies as they prevent the resurgence of Exdeath. It
features an expanded version of the Job System from Final Fantasy III.

* Final Fantasy VI was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in

1994,but it was released in North America under the title Final Fantasy III.[16] The
plot centers on a group of rebels as they attempt to overthrow an imperial
dictatorship. It has more battle customization options than its predecessors, as well
as the largest playable cast in the series.

* Final Fantasy VII was released on the PlayStation in 1997 and was the first title to
be officially released in Europe.The story centers on a group of adventurers as they
battle a powerful corporation. Final Fantasy VII was the first game in the series to use
3D computer graphics, which feature fully polygonal characters on pre-rendered
backgrounds. This is the first Final Fantasy to have the same number designation in
America and Japan since the original game was released.

* Final Fantasy VIII was released on the PlayStation in 1999.The plot focuses on a
group of young mercenaries who seek to prevent a sorceress from manipulating an
international war. It was the first game in the series to consistently use realistically
proportioned characters, and feature a vocal piece as its theme music.

* Final Fantasy IX was released on the PlayStation in 2000.The story begins with
the protagonists attempting to stop a war sparked by an ambitious queen. It returned
to the series' roots by revisiting a more traditional Final Fantasy setting.

* Final Fantasy X was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2001.[20] The story focuses
on the protagonists trying to defeat a rampaging force known as Sin. Final Fantasy X
introduced fully three-dimensional areas and voice acting to the series, and it was the
first to spawn a direct sequel (Final Fantasy X-2).

* Final Fantasy XI was released on the PlayStation 2 and PC in 2002, and later on
the Xbox 360. The first MMORPG in the series, Final Fantasy XI is set in Vana'diel,
where players can experience hundreds of quests and stories. It is also the first game
in the series to feature real-time battles instead of random encounters.

* Final Fantasy XII was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006.The game takes place
in Ivalice, where the empires of Archadia and Rozarria are waging an endless war. It
features a real-time battle system similar to Final Fantasy XI, a "gambit" system that
automatically controls the actions of characters, and a "license board" that
determines which abilities and equipment the character can use.

* Final Fantasy XIII is in development for the PlayStation 3. It will be the flagship
installment of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII compilation.

Direct sequels and spin-offs

Final Fantasy has spawned numerous spin-offs and compilations. Three Square games
were released in North America with their titles changed to include "Final Fantasy":
The Final Fantasy Legend and its two sequels. Final Fantasy Adventure is a spin-off to
the Final Fantasy series and spawned the Mana series.Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was
developed for a United States audience, and Final Fantasy Tactics featured many
references and themes found in previous Final Fantasy games. In 2003, the video
game series' first direct sequel, Final Fantasy X-2, was released.Square Enix has
released numerous games featuring Chocobos, and the Kingdom Hearts series
includes characters and themes from Final Fantasy.Vagrant Story, another Square
game, is set in Ivalice, the same world featured in Final Fantasy Tactics and Final
Fantasy XII.Three Final Fantasy compilations—Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Ivalice
Alliance, and Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII—share many themes.

Overview

Common elements

Final Fantasy installments are independent, many themes and elements of gameplay
recur throughout the series. The concept of summoning legendary creatures to aid in
battle has persisted since Final Fantasy III; common summons include Shiva, Ifrit, and
Bahamut.Recurring creatures include Chocobos, Moogles, Tonberries, Behemoth,
Cactuars and Malboros.Some spin-off titles have cameo appearances of characters
from other games, and most titles feature recycled character names. For example,
there has been a character named Cid in each game since Final Fantasy II;however,
each appearance and personality is different. Airships and character classes—specific
jobs that enable unique abilities for characters—are other recurring themes.

Gameplay

Final Fantasy games typically have several types of screens, or modes of interaction, that are
broadly categorized by function. Screens are accessed either by the player's actions or by
automatic events. Such screens include: field screens, battle screens, world screens, menu
screens, cutscenes, and minigames. The player normally controls the character interaction with
the environment via Field, Battle, and World screens; minigames are sometimes used for this as
well.

"Field screens" are enclosed and interconnected areas—towns, caves, fields, and other
environments—through which the player can navigate the playable characters. Most of the
character dialogue and exploration occurs on the field screens. In the first ten titles (except Final
Fantasy VIII, where other characters follow the main character when you are not on the world
map), players can navigate the main character, which represents the whole party, around the
environment. Since Final Fantasy XI, multiple playable characters have been shown on the Field
screen, and battles have been incorporated into the Field screen.

"Battle screens" facilitate battles in an arena, usually with a change of scale and a background
that represents where the battle is occurring. For example, a random battle in a desert will have a
desert backdrop.Battles are normally either plot-relevant or random encounters. In Final Fantasy
XI and XII, battles screens were omitted by having battle sequences occur on the main field
screen;the change was influenced by a desire to remove random encounters.

The "World screen" is a low-scale map of the game world used to symbolize traveling great
distances that would otherwise slow the plot progression. The party can often traverse this screen
via airships, Chocobos, and other modes of transportation."Menu Screens" are used for character
and game management; typical menu screens include items, character status, equipment,
abilities, and game options.This screen is usually presented in a very simple table layout.
"Cutscenes" are non-interactive playbacks that provide instructions for the player or advance the
plot. They can either be pre-rendered video, also known as full motion video, or they can be
executed with the same engine as any of the first three modes. "Minigames" are small activities
that generally serve as diversions from the story.
Battle system

Combat in the Final Fantasy series started with a simple menu-driven, turn-based battle system.
Since Final Fantasy IV, the series has gradually introduced more real-time elements, culminating
in a full real-time system for Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XII.The traditional, turn-based
battle system was used in the first three games. At the beginning of each combat round, the
player chooses battle commands for all playable characters. These commands are carried out in
an order determined by the "speed" statistic of the characters.

With Final Fantasy IV, the turn-based battle system was replaced by the Active Time Battle (ATB)
system designed by Hiroyuki Ito. Square Co., Ltd. filed a United States patent application for the
ATB system on 1992-03-16, under the title "Video game apparatus, method and device for
controlling same" and was awarded the patent on 1995-02-21. On the battle screen, a status
summary of each character is displayed. These encompass HP levels, MP levels (where
applicable), and an ATB gauge. The ATB gauge determines when a character can take action.
When the gauge is filled completely, the player can issue an order to that character. It was
replaced by the Conditional Turn-Based Battle (CTB) system, or Count Time Battle which was
created by Toshiro Tsuchida and first used in Final Fantasy X. Battle system by the fact that when
a character's turn begins, all action stops while the player decides upon an action. The most
recent combat format is the Real Time Battle (RTB) system which was introduced in Final
Fantasy XI. It replaces the random encounter game mechanic that has featured in past Final
Fantasy games, instead allowing players to view the location of nearby enemies on the game
map, therefore allowing one to move around the landscape during battles, or to avoid battles
altogether. Characters start attacking automatically once they are in combat with an enemy, and
special commands and magic can be inputted by the player at any time; contrary to the system's
name it is not totally in real-time, with the exception of items, moving, certain special abilities and
the first physical attack, all actions have a "charge" time before they are executed. Square Enix
presented a short demo of Final Fantasy XIII at the 2006 E3 conference, in which a menu at the
bottom of the screen was used for inputting battle commands; the system was barely noticed
because of the cinematic nature of the battles.A variation, merged with the ATB system's time
meter and customized for single-player use, was used in Final Fantasy XII as the Active
Dimension Battle (ADB) system

Most installments use an experience level system for character advancement, in which
experience points are accumulated by killing enemies—however, defeating bosses in some titles
did not provide experience points.Battles also use a point-based system for casting magical
spells. Since Final Fantasy III, most titles have featured a variety of "special commands", such as
stealing items from enemies or performing more powerful attacks. These abilities are sometimes
integrated into the job system, which has appeared in several installments.

Music

Nobuo Uematsu was the critically acclaimed chief music composer of the Final Fantasy series
until his resignation from Square Enix in November 2004.Uematsu is also involved with the rock
group The Black Mages, which has released three albums of arranged Final Fantasy tunes.Other
composers who have contributed to the series include Masashi Hamauzu and Hitoshi Sakimoto.

Although each game offers a variety of music, there are some frequently reused themes. Most of
the games open with a piece called "Prelude", which has evolved from a simple, 2-voice,
arpeggiated theme in the early games to a complex melodic arrangement in recent
installments.Battle victories in the first ten installments of the series were accompanied by a
victory fanfare; this theme has become one of the most recognized pieces of music in the series.
The basic theme for Chocobos is rearranged in a different musical style for each installment. A
piece called "Prologue" or "Final Fantasy", originally featured in Final Fantasy I, is often played
during the ending credits.Although leitmotifs are often used in the more character-driven
installments, theme music is typically reserved for main characters and recurring plot elements.

Development

History

In the mid 1980s, Square entered the Japanese video game industry with a string of simple
RPGs, racing games, and platformers for Nintendo's Famicom Disk System (FDS). In 1987,
Square designer Hironobu Sakaguchi began work on a new fantasy role-playing game for the
cartridge-based Famicom, inspired in part by Enix's popular Dragon Quest. As Sakaguchi
planned to retire after completing the project, it was named Final Fantasy.Despite Sakaguchi's
explanation, the name of the game has also been attributed by various sources to the company's
hopes that the project would solve their financial troubles.Final Fantasy indeed reversed Square's
lagging fortunes,and it became their flagship franchise.

Following the success of the first game, Square immediately developed a second installment.
Unlike a typical sequel, Final Fantasy II features a world bearing only thematic similarities to its
predecessor. Some of the gameplay elements, such as the character advancement system, were
also overhauled. This approach has continued throughout the series; each major Final Fantasy
game features a new setting, cast of characters, and battle system.

Design

The first five games were directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, who also provided the original
concept. He served as a producer for subsequent games until he left Square in 2001.Yoshinori
Kitase took over directing the games until Final Fantasy VIII,and has been followed by a new
director for each new title. Hiroyuki Itō has designed several gameplay systems, including
Final Fantasy V's Job System, Final Fantasy VIII's Junction System and the Active Time
Battle concept, which was used from Final Fantasy IV until Final Fantasy IX. Itō also
co-directed Final Fantasy VI with Kitase.

Kenji Terada was the scenario writer for the first four games; Kitase took over as
scenario writer for Final Fantasy V through Final Fantasy VII. Kazushige Nojima
became the series' primary scenario writer from Final Fantasy VII until his resignation
in October 2003; he has since formed his own company, Stellavista. Nojima partially
or completely wrote the stories for Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X,
and Final Fantasy X-2. He has also worked as the scenario writer for the spin off
series, Kingdom Hearts.Square Enix continues to contract story and scenario work to
Nojima and Stellavista.

Artistic design, including character and monster creations, was handled by Japanese
artist Yoshitaka Amano from Final Fantasy through Final Fantasy VI. Amano also
handled title logo designs for all of the main series and all of the image illustrations
from Final Fantasy VII onward. Following Amano's departure, he was replaced by
Tetsuya Nomura,who worked with the series through Final Fantasy X; for Final Fantasy
IX, however, character designs were handled by Shukou Murase, Toshiyuki Itahana,
and Shin Nagasawa.Nomura is also the character designer of the Compilation of Final
Fantasy VII, and all three installments of the upcoming Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final
Fantasy XIII. Other designers include Nobuyoshi Mihara and Akihiko Yoshida. Mihara
was the character designer for Final Fantasy XI,and Yoshida served as character
designer for Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy XII, the Square-produced Vagrant
Story, and the Final Fantasy III remake.

Graphics and technology

Final Fantasy debuted on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. It featured
small sprite representations of the leading party members on the main world screen
because of graphical limitations, while in battle screens, more detailed, full versions
of all characters would appear in a side-view perspective. The Super Famicom
installments used updated graphics and effects, as well as higher quality music and
sound than in previous games, but they were otherwise similar to their predecessors
in basic design.

In August 1995, Square showed an interactive SGI technical demonstration of Final

Fantasy for the next generation.Articles in GameFan and Nintendo Power led fans to
believe the demo was of a new Final Fantasy title for the Nintendo 64 video game
console. However, 1997 saw the release of Final Fantasy VII for the Sony PlayStation
and not the Nintendo 64 as many had originally anticipated.This was due to a dispute
with Nintendo over its use of faster and more expensive cartridges, as opposed to the
slower, cheaper, and much higher capacity compact discs used on rival systems.Final
Fantasy VII introduced 3-dimensional graphics with fully pre-rendered backgrounds.It
was because of this switch to 3D that a CD-ROM format was chosen over a cartridge
format.

Starting with Final Fantasy VIII, the series adopted a more photo-realistic look.Like
Final Fantasy VII, some full motion video sequences would have video playing in the
background, with the polygonal characters composited on top. Final Fantasy IX
returned briefly to the more stylized design of earlier games in the series. It still
maintained, and in many cases slightly upgraded, most of the graphical techniques
utilized in the previous two games in the series. Final Fantasy X was released on the
PlayStation 2,and made use of the much more powerful hardware to render many
cutscenes in real-time, rather than in pre-rendered FMV sequences. Rather than
having 3D models moving about in pre-rendered backgrounds, the game featured full
3D environments, giving it a more dynamic look, though the camera angle was fixed.
It was also the first Final Fantasy game to introduce voice acting, occurring
throughout the majority of the game, even with many minor characters. This aspect
added a whole new dimension of depth to the character's reactions, emotions, and
development.

Taking a temporary divergence, Final Fantasy XI used the PlayStation 2's online
capabilities as an MMORPG.Initially released for PlayStation 2 with a PC port arriving
6 months later, Final Fantasy XI was also released on the Xbox 360 nearly four years
after its first release in Japan.This was the first Final Fantasy game to use a free
rotating camera. Final Fantasy XII was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and
utilizes only half as many polygons as Final Fantasy X in exchange for more advanced
textures and lighting.It also retains the freely rotating camera from Final Fantasy XI.
Final Fantasy XIII was shown at E3 2006 and is slated to be the first game in the main
series for PlayStation 3.The game will make use of Crystal Tools, a middleware engine
developed by Square Enix.

Merchandise and other media

Square Enix has expanded the Final Fantasy series into various different mediums. In
addition to the games, there have been CGI films, animated series, books, and
different types of merchandise.Many of the games have been re-released on multiple
platforms, and several have been adapted into manga and novels. Final Fantasy
Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy: Unlimited have been adapted into radio dramas.
Many of the titles' official soundtracks have been released for sale as well.
Companion books, which normally provide in-depth game information, have also
been published. In Japan, they are published by Square and are called Ultimania
books. In North America, they take the form of standard strategy guides.

Anime and films

There have been several anime and CGI films produced that are based either directly
on individual Final Fantasy games or on the series as a whole. The first was an OVA
titled Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals and was based on Final Fantasy V. The
story was set on the same world as the game though 200 years in the future. It was
released as four 30-minute episodes first in Japan in 1994 and later released in the
United States by Urban Vision in 1998.In 2001, Square Pictures released their first
feature film, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The story was set on a future-Earth that
had been invaded by alien life forms.The Spirits Within was the first animated feature
to seriously attempt to portray photorealistic CGI humans, but was considered a box
office bomb.One reviewer points out that the environmentally-themed plot may have
been ahead of its time.2001 also saw the release of Final Fantasy: Unlimited, a 25
episode anime series based on the common elements of the Final Fantasy series. It
was broadcast in Japan by TV Tokyo and released in North America by ADV Films.In
2005, Final Fantasy VII Advent Children and Last Order: Final Fantasy VII were
released as part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. Advent Children was a CGI
film directed by Tetsuya Nomura and Last Order was a short OVA directed by Morio
Asaka.

Printed adaptations

Several of the video games have either been adapted into or have had spin-offs in
the form of manga and novels. The first was the novelization of Final Fantasy II in
1989 and was followed by a manga adaptation of Final Fantasy III in 1992.The past
decade has seen an increase in the number of adaptations and spin-offs. Final
Fantasy: The Spirits Within has been adapted into a novel,Crystal Chronicles has been
adapted into a manga,and Final Fantasy XI has had a novel and manhwa set in its
continuity.Two novellas based on the Final Fantasy VII universe have also been
released. The Final Fantasy: Unlimited story was partially continued in novels and a
manga after the anime series had ended.

Reception

The Final Fantasy series has been overall critically well received and commercially
successful, though each installment has seen different levels of success. In July 2007,
the series was listed as the fourth-best-selling video game franchise.The series has
had a steady increase in total sales. By August 2003, the series had sold 45 million
units worldwide and 63 million units by December 2005.As of December 2007, the
series has sold over 80 million units worldwide.Several titles have been commercially
successful as well. At the end of 2007, the seventh, eighth, and ninth best-selling
RPGs were Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, and Final Fantasy X respectively.Final
Fantasy VII has sold more than 9.5 million copies worldwide, earning it the position of
the best-selling Final Fantasy title.Within two days of Final Fantasy VIII's North
American release on September 9, 1999, it became the top-selling video game in the
United States, a position it held for more than three weeks. Though not as
commercially successful as Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX was
a top seller at the time of its release.Final Fantasy X sold over 1.4 million Japanese
units in pre-orders alone,which set a record for the fastest-selling console RPG.Final
Fantasy XII sold more than 1,764,000 copies in its first week in Japan.By November 6,
2006—one week after its release—Final Fantasy XII had shipped approximately 1.5
million copies in North America.
Critical response

The series and several specific games within it have been credited for introducing and
popularizing many concepts and features that are widely used in console RPGs. In addition, it
has been praised for the quality of its visuals and soundtracks.The Final Fantasy series was
awarded a star on the Walk of Game in 2006. WalkOfGame.com commented that the series has
sought perfection as well as been a risk taker in innovation.[8] IGN has commented the menu
system used by the series is a major detractor for many and is a "significant reason why they
haven't touched the series."The site has also heavily criticized the use of random encounters in
the series' battle systems.They also stated the various attempts to bring the series into film and
animation have either been unsuccessful, unremarkable, or did not live up to the standards of the
games.In July 2007, Edge magazine criticized the series for a number of related titles that include
the phrase "Final Fantasy" in their titles, which are considered to be not of the same quality as
previous titles. They also commented that with the departure of Hironobu Sakaguchi, the series
might be in danger of growing stale.

Many Final Fantasy games have been included in various lists of top games. Two games were
listed on GameFAQs' "The 10 Best Games Ever" contest in Fall 2005, with Final Fantasy VII
voted as the "Best Game Ever." Six other Final Fantasy titles were included in the additional 90
games listed.GameFAQs has also held a contest for the best video game series ever, with Final
Fantasy being the runner-up, behind The Legend of Zelda.Several games have been listed on
multiple IGN "Top Games" lists.Eleven games were listed on Famitsu's 2006 "Top 100 Favorite
Games of All Time", four of which were in the top ten, with Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy VII
being first and second, respectively.Many Final Fantasy characters have been included in
GameFAQs' "Character Battle" contests. Final Fantasy VII's Cloud Strife and Sephiroth have both
won once and have been listed as the runner-up multiple times.In ScrewAttack's list of "Top Ten
Coolest Characters", Cloud was rated the number two "coolest" character; Sephiroth was also
considered but the list stipulated one character per franchise.

Several individual Final Fantasy titles have garnered extra attention; some for their positive
reception and others for their negative reception. Final Fantasy VII won GameFAQs' "Best.
Game. Ever." tournament in 2004.Despite the success of Final Fantasy VII, it is sometimes
criticized as being overrated. In 2003, GameSpy listed it as the 7th most overrated game of all
time.Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII shipped 392,000 units in its first week of release,but
received review scores that were much lower than that of other Final Fantasy games.A delayed,
negative review after the Japanese release of Dirge of Cerberus from Japanese gaming
magazine, Famitsu, hinted at a controversy between the magazine and Square Enix.[104] The
MMORPG, Final Fantasy XI, reached over 200,000 active daily players in March 2006 and had
reached over half a million subscribers by July 2007.Though Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
was praised for its visuals, the plot was criticized and was considered a box office bomb.Final
Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for the GameCube received overall positive review scores, but
reviews stated that the use of Game Boy Advances as controllers was a big detractor.