Final Fantasy

Last updated

Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy wordmark.svg
Genre(s) Role-playing
Developer(s) Square
Square Enix
Publisher(s) Square
Square Enix
Creator(s) Hironobu Sakaguchi
Producer(s) Hironobu Sakaguchi
Shinji Hashimoto
Yoshinori Kitase
Tetsuya Nomura
Naoki Yoshida
Artist(s) Yusuke Naora
Tetsuya Nomura
Shūkō Murase
Hiroshi Minagawa
Akihiko Yoshida
Roberto Ferrari
Composer(s) Nobuo Uematsu
Masashi Hamauzu
Junya Nakano
Hitoshi Sakimoto
Naoshi Mizuta
Mitsuto Suzuki
Masayoshi Soken
Yoko Shimomura
Masaharu Iwata
Hidenori Iwasaki
Ryo Yamazaki
Platform(s)
Various
First release Final Fantasy
December 18, 1987
Latest release Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
July 2, 2024
Spin-offs

Final Fantasy [lower-alpha 1] is a fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi which is owned, developed, and published by Square Enix (formerly Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy role-playing video games. The first game in the series was released in 1987, with 16 numbered main entries having been released to date.

Contents

The franchise has since branched into other video game genres such as tactical role-playing, action role-playing, massively multiplayer online role-playing, racing, third-person shooter, fighting, and rhythm, as well as branching into other media, including films, anime, manga, and novels.

Final Fantasy is mostly an anthology series with primary installments being stand-alone role-playing games, each with different settings, plots and main characters, but the franchise is linked by several recurring elements, including game mechanics and recurring character names. Each plot centers on a particular group of heroes who are battling a great evil, but also explores the characters' internal struggles and relationships. Character names are frequently derived from the history, languages, pop culture, and mythologies of cultures worldwide. The mechanics of each game involve similar battle systems and maps.

Final Fantasy has been both critically and commercially successful. Several entries are regarded as some of the greatest video games, with the series selling more than 185 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. The series is well known for its innovation, visuals, such as the inclusion of full-motion videos and photorealistic character models, and music by Nobuo Uematsu. It has popularized many features now common in role-playing games, also popularizing the genre as a whole in markets outside Japan.

Media

Games

The first installment of the series was released in Japan on December 18, 1987. Subsequent games are numbered and given a story unrelated to previous games, so the numbers refer to volumes rather than to sequels. Many Final Fantasy games have been localized for markets in North America, Europe, and Australia on numerous video game consoles, personal computers (PC), and mobile phones. As of June 2023, the series includes the main installments from Final Fantasy to Final Fantasy XVI , as well as direct sequels and spin-offs, both released and confirmed as being in development. Most of the older games have been remade or re-released on multiple platforms. [1]

Main series

Release timeline
1987 Final Fantasy
1988 Final Fantasy II
1989
1990 Final Fantasy III
1991 Final Fantasy IV
1992 Final Fantasy V
1993
1994 Final Fantasy VI
1995–1996
1997 Final Fantasy VII
1998
1999 Final Fantasy VIII
2000 Final Fantasy IX
2001 Final Fantasy X
2002 Final Fantasy XI
2003–2005
2006 Final Fantasy XII
2007–2008
2009 Final Fantasy XIII
2010–2012
2013 Final Fantasy XIV
2014–2015
2016 Final Fantasy XV
2017–2022
2023 Final Fantasy XVI

Three Final Fantasy installments were released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Final Fantasy was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America in 1990. [2] [3] It introduced many concepts to the console RPG genre, and has since been remade on several platforms. [3] Final Fantasy II , released in 1988 in Japan, has been bundled with Final Fantasy in several re-releases. [3] [4] [5] The last of the NES installments, Final Fantasy III , was released in Japan in 1990, [6] but was not released elsewhere until a Nintendo DS remake came out in 2006. [5]

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) also featured three installments of the main series, all of which have been re-released on several platforms. Final Fantasy IV was released in 1991; in North America, it was released as Final Fantasy II. [7] [8] It introduced the "Active Time Battle" system. [9] Final Fantasy V , released in 1992 in Japan, was the first game in the series to spawn a sequel: a short anime series, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals . [3] [10] [11] Final Fantasy VI was released in Japan in 1994, titled Final Fantasy III in North America. [12]

The PlayStation console saw the release of three main Final Fantasy games. Final Fantasy VII (1997) moved away from the two-dimensional (2D) graphics used in the first six games to three-dimensional (3D) computer graphics; the game features polygonal characters on pre-rendered backgrounds. It also introduced a more modern setting, a style that was carried over to the next game. [3] It was also the second in the series to be released in Europe, with the first being Final Fantasy Mystic Quest . Final Fantasy VIII was published in 1999, and was the first to consistently use realistically proportioned characters and feature a vocal piece as its theme music. [3] [13] Final Fantasy IX , released in 2000, returned to the series' roots, by revisiting a more traditional Final Fantasy setting, rather than the more modern worlds of VII and VIII. [3] [14]

Three main installments, as well as one online game, were published for the PlayStation 2. [15] [16] [17] Final Fantasy X (2001) introduced full 3D areas and voice acting to the series, and was the first to spawn a sub-sequel ( Final Fantasy X-2 , published in 2003). [18] [19] The first massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) in the series, Final Fantasy XI , was released on the PS2 and PC in 2002, and later on the Xbox 360. [20] [21] It introduced real-time battles instead of random encounters. [21] Final Fantasy XII , published in 2006, also includes real-time battles in large, interconnected playfields. [22] [23] The game is also the first in the main series to utilize a world used in a previous game, namely the land of Ivalice, which was previously featured in Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story . [24]

In 2009, Final Fantasy XIII was released in Japan, and in North America and Europe the following year, for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. [25] [26] It is the flagship installment of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy series [27] and became the first mainline game to spawn two sub-sequels ( XIII-2 and Lightning Returns ). [28] It was also the first game released in Chinese and high definition along with being released on two consoles at once. Final Fantasy XIV , a MMORPG, was released worldwide on Microsoft Windows in 2010, but it received heavy criticism when it was launched, prompting Square Enix to rerelease the game as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn , this time to the PlayStation 3 as well, in 2013. [29] Final Fantasy XV is an action role-playing game that was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016. [30] [31] Originally a XIII spin-off titled Versus XIII, XV uses the mythos of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series, although in many other respects the game stands on its own and has since been distanced from the series by its developers. [38] The sixteenth mainline entry, Final Fantasy XVI , [39] was released in 2023 for PlayStation 5. [40]

Remakes, sequels and spin-offs

Final Fantasy has spawned numerous spin-offs and metaseries. Several are, in fact, not Final Fantasy games, but were rebranded for North American release. Examples include the SaGa series, rebranded The Final Fantasy Legend , and its two sequels, Final Fantasy Legend II and III . [41] Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was specifically developed for a United States audience, and Final Fantasy Tactics is a tactical RPG that features many references and themes found in the series. [42] [43] The spin-off Chocobo series, Crystal Chronicles series, and Kingdom Hearts series also include multiple Final Fantasy elements. [41] [44] In 2003, the Final Fantasy series' first sub-sequel, Final Fantasy X-2, was released. [45] Final Fantasy XIII was originally intended to stand on its own, but the team wanted to explore the world, characters and mythos more, resulting in the development and release of two sequels in 2011 and 2013 respectively, creating the series' first official trilogy. [28] Dissidia Final Fantasy was released in 2009, a fighting game that features heroes and villains from the first ten games of the main series. [46] It was followed by a prequel in 2011, [47] a sequel in 2015 [48] and a mobile spin-off in 2017. [49] [50] Other spin-offs have taken the form of subseries— Compilation of Final Fantasy VII , Ivalice Alliance , and Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy. In 2022, Square Enix released an action-role playing title Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin developed in collaboration with Team Ninja, which takes place in an alternate, reimagined reality based on the setting of the original Final Fantasy game, depicting a prequel story that explores the origins of the antagonist Chaos and the emergence of the four Warriors of Light. [51] [52] Enhanced 3D remakes of Final Fantasy III and IV were released in 2006 and 2007 respectively. [53] [54] The first installment of the Final Fantasy VII Remake project was released on the PlayStation 4 in 2020. [55] The second and latest installment of the remake trilogy, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth , was released on the PlayStation 5 in 2024. [56]

Other media

Film and television

Final Fantasy in film and television
1994 Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals
1995–2000
2001 Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Final Fantasy: Unlimited
2002–2004
2005 Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Last Order: Final Fantasy VII
2006–2015
2016 Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV
2017 Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light
2018
2019Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn – Prologue

Square Enix has expanded the Final Fantasy series into various media. Multiple anime and computer-generated imagery (CGI) films have been produced that are based either on individual Final Fantasy games or on the series as a whole. The first was an original video animation (OVA), Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals , a sequel to Final Fantasy V. The story was set in the same world as the game, although 200 years in the future. It was released as four 30-minute episodes, first in Japan in 1994 and later in the United States by Urban Vision in 1998. In 2001, Square Pictures released its first feature film, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within . The film is set on a future Earth invaded by alien life forms. [57] The Spirits Within was the first animated feature to seriously attempt to portray photorealistic CGI humans, but was considered a box office bomb and garnered mixed reviews. [57] [58] [59]

A 25-episode anime television series, Final Fantasy: Unlimited , was released in 2001 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 , a feature length direct-to-DVD CGI film, and Last Order: Final Fantasy VII , a non-canon OVA, [60] were released as part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. Advent Children was animated by Visual Works, which helped the company create CG sequences for the games. [61] The film, unlike The Spirits Within, became a commercial success. [62] [63] [64] [65] Last Order, on the other hand, was released in Japan in a special DVD bundle package with Advent Children. Last Order sold out quickly [66] and was positively received by Western critics, [67] [68] though fan reaction was mixed over changes to established story scenes. [69]

Two animated tie-ins for Final Fantasy XV were released as part of a larger multimedia project dubbed the Final Fantasy XV Universe. Brotherhood is a series of five 10-to-20-minute-long episodes developed by A-1 Pictures and Square Enix detailing the backstories of the main cast. Kingsglaive , a CGI film released prior to the game in Summer 2016, is set during the game's opening and follows new and secondary characters. [70] [71] [72] [73] In 2019, Square Enix released a short anime, produced by Satelight Inc, called Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn – Prologue on their YouTube channel which acts as the background story for the final piece of DLC for Final Fantasy XV giving insight into Ardyn's past.

Square Enix also released Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light in 2017, an 8-episode Japanese soap opera based, featuring a mix of live-action scenes and Final Fantasy XIV gameplay footage.

As of June 2019, Sony Pictures Television is working on a live-action adaptation of the series with Hivemind and Square Enix. Jason F. Brown, Sean Daniel and Dinesh Shamdasani for Hivemind are the producers while Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton were attached as writers and executive producers for the series. [74]

Other media

Several video games in the series 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, which was followed by a manga adaptation of Final Fantasy III in 1992. [75] [76] Later years have seen an increase in the number of non-video game adaptations and spin-offs. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within has been adapted into a novel, the spin-off game Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles has been adapted into a manga, and Final Fantasy XI had a novel and manga set in its continuity. [77] [78] [79] [80] Seven 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 ended. [81] The Final Fantasy X and XIII series have also had novellas and audio dramas released. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance has been adapted into a radio drama, and Final Fantasy: Unlimited has received a radio drama sequel.

A trading card game named Final Fantasy Trading Card Game is produced by Square Enix and Hobby Japan, first released Japan in 2012 with an English version in 2016. [82] The game has been compared to Magic: the Gathering , and a tournament circuit for the game also takes place. [83] [84]

Common elements

Although most Final Fantasy installments are independent, many gameplay elements recur throughout the series. [85] [86] Most games contain elements of fantasy and science fiction and feature recycled names often inspired from various cultures' history, languages and mythology, including Asian, European, and Middle-Eastern. [87] Examples include weapon names like Excalibur and Masamune—derived from Arthurian legend and the Japanese swordsmith Masamune respectively—as well as the spell names Holy, Meteor, and Ultima. [86] [87] Beginning with Final Fantasy IV, the main series adopted its current logo style that features the same typeface and an emblem designed by Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano. The emblem relates to a game's plot and typically portrays a character or object in the story. Subsequent remakes of the first three games have replaced the previous logos with ones similar to the rest of the series. [86]

Plot and themes

Final Fantasy V is similar to the earlier games in the series, in that the heroes must attempt to retrieve crystals to save the world from an ancient evil. Final Fantasy V death crystal screenshot.png
Final Fantasy V is similar to the earlier games in the series, in that the heroes must attempt to retrieve crystals to save the world from an ancient evil.

The central conflict in many Final Fantasy games focuses on a group of characters battling an evil, and sometimes ancient, antagonist that dominates the game's world. Stories frequently involve a sovereign state in rebellion, with the protagonists taking part in the rebellion. The heroes are often destined to defeat the evil, and occasionally gather as a direct result of the antagonist's malicious actions. [3] [87] Another staple of the series is the existence of two villains; the main villain is not always who it appears to be, as the primary antagonist may actually be subservient to another character or entity. [3] The main antagonist introduced at the beginning of the game is not always the final enemy, and the characters must continue their quest beyond what appears to be the final fight. [87]

Stories in the series frequently emphasize the internal struggles, passions, and tragedies of the characters, and the main plot often recedes into the background as the focus shifts to their personal lives. [23] [88] Games also explore relationships between characters, ranging from love to rivalry. [3] Other recurring situations that drive the plot include amnesia, a hero corrupted by an evil force, mistaken identity, and self-sacrifice. [3] [89] [90] Magical orbs and crystals are recurring in-game items that are frequently connected to the themes of the games' plots. [87] Crystals often play a central role in the creation of the world, and a majority of the Final Fantasy games link crystals and orbs to the planet's life force. As such, control over these crystals drives the main conflict. [87] [91] The classical elements are also a recurring theme in the series related to the heroes, villains, and items. [87] Other common plot and setting themes include the Gaia hypothesis, an apocalypse, and conflicts between advanced technology and nature. [87] [89] [92]

Characters

The series features a number of recurring character archetypes. Most famously, every game since Final Fantasy II, including subsequent remakes of the original Final Fantasy, features a character named Cid. Cid's appearance, personality, goals, and role in the game (non-playable ally, party member, villain) vary dramatically, but two characteristics many versions of Cid have in common are being a scientist or engineer, and being tied in some way to an airship the party eventually acquires. Every Cid has at least one of these two traits.

Biggs and Wedge, inspired by two Star Wars characters of the same name, appear in numerous games as minor characters, sometimes as comic relief. [23] [86] The later games in the series feature several males with effeminate characteristics. [93] [94] Recurring creatures include Chocobos, Moogles, and Cactuars. [95] Chocobos are large, often flightless birds that appear in several installments as a means of long-distance travel for characters. Moogles are white, stout creatures resembling teddy bears with wings and a single antenna. They serve different roles in games including mail delivery, weaponsmiths, party members, and saving the game. Cactuars are anthropomorphic cacti with haniwa -like faces presented in a running or dashing pose. They usually appear as recurring enemy units, and also as summoned allies or friendly non-player characters in certain titles. Chocobo and Moogle appearances are often accompanied by specific musical themes that have been arranged differently for separate games. [3] [23] [86]

Gameplay

In Final Fantasy games, players command a party of characters as they progress through the game's story by exploring the game world and defeating enemies. [3] [87] Enemies are typically encountered randomly through exploring, a trend which changed in Final Fantasy XI and XII. The player issues combat orders—like "Fight", "Magic", and "Item"—to individual characters via a menu-driven interface while engaging in battles. Throughout the series, the games have used different battle systems. Prior to Final Fantasy XI, battles were turn-based with the protagonists and antagonists on different sides of the battlefield. Final Fantasy IV introduced the "Active Time Battle" (ATB) system that augmented the turn-based nature with a perpetual time-keeping system. Designed by Hiroyuki Ito, it injected urgency and excitement into combat by requiring the player to act before an enemy attacks, and was used until Final Fantasy X , which implemented the "Conditional Turn-Based" (CTB) system. [3] [23] [96] This new system returned to the previous turn-based system, but added nuances to offer players more challenge. [19] [97] Final Fantasy XI adopted a real-time battle system where characters continuously act depending on the issued command. [98] Final Fantasy XII continued this gameplay with the "Active Dimension Battle" system. [99] Final Fantasy XIII's combat system, designed by the same man who worked on X, [100] was meant to have an action-oriented feel, emulating the cinematic battles in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Final Fantasy XV introduces a new "Open Combat" system. Unlike previous battle systems in the franchise, the "Open Combat" system (OCS) allows players to take on a fully active battle scenario, allowing for free range attacks and movement, giving a much more fluid feel of combat. This system also incorporates a "Tactical" Option during battle, which pauses active battle to allow use of items. [101]

Like most RPGs, the Final Fantasy installments use an experience level system for character advancement, in which experience points are accumulated by killing enemies. [102] [103] [104] [105] Character classes, specific jobs that enable unique abilities for characters, are another recurring theme. Introduced in the first game, character classes have been used differently in each game. Some restrict a character to a single job to integrate it into the story, while other games feature dynamic job systems that allow the player to choose from multiple classes and switch throughout the game. Though used heavily in many games, such systems have become less prevalent in favor of characters that are more versatile; characters still match an archetype, but are able to learn skills outside their class. [23] [86] [87]

Magic is another common RPG element in the series. The method by which characters gain magic varies between installments, but is generally divided into classes organized by color: "White magic", which focuses on spells that assist teammates; "Black magic", which focuses on harming enemies; "Red magic", which is a combination of white and black magic, "Blue magic", which mimics enemy attacks; and "Green magic" which focuses on applying status effects to either allies or enemies. [3] [86] [96] Other types of magic frequently appear such as "Time magic", focusing on the themes of time, space, and gravity; and "Summoning magic", which evokes legendary creatures to aid in battle and is a feature that has persisted since Final Fantasy III. Summoned creatures are often referred to by names like "Espers" or "Eidolons" and have been inspired by mythologies from Arabic, Hindu, Norse, and Greek cultures. [86] [87]

Different means of transportation have appeared through the series. The most common is the airship for long range travel, accompanied by chocobos for travelling short distances, but others include sea and land vessels. Following Final Fantasy VII, more modern and futuristic vehicle designs have been included. [87]

Development and history

Origin

Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series Hironobu Sakaguchi 20070706 Japan Expo 1.jpg
Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series

In the mid-1980s, Square entered the Japanese video game industry with simple RPGs, racing games, and platformers for Nintendo's Famicom Disk System. In 1987, Square designer Hironobu Sakaguchi chose to create a new fantasy role-playing game for the cartridge-based NES, and drew inspiration from popular fantasy games: Enix's Dragon Quest , Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda , and Origin Systems's Ultima series. Though often attributed to the company allegedly facing bankruptcy, Sakaguchi explained that the game was his personal last-ditch effort in the game industry and that its title, Final Fantasy, stemmed from his feelings at the time; had the game not sold well, he would have quit the business and gone back to college. [106] [107] [108] Despite his explanation, publications have also attributed the name to the company's hopes that the project would solve its financial troubles. [107] [109] In 2015, Sakaguchi explained the name's origin: the team wanted a title that would abbreviate to "FF", which would sound good in Japanese. The name was originally going to be Fighting Fantasy, but due to concerns over trademark conflicts with the roleplaying gamebook series of the same name, they needed to settle for something else. As the English word "Final" was well known in Japan, Sakaguchi settled on that. According to Sakaguchi, any title that created the "FF" abbreviation would have done. [110]

The game indeed reversed Square's lagging fortunes, and it became the company's flagship franchise. [58] [107] Following the success, Square immediately developed a second installment. Because Sakaguchi assumed Final Fantasy would be a stand-alone game, its story was not designed to be expanded by a sequel. The developers instead chose to carry over only thematic similarities from its predecessor, while some of the gameplay elements, such as the character advancement system, were overhauled. This approach has continued throughout the series; each major Final Fantasy game features a new setting, a new cast of characters, and an upgraded battle system. [5] Video game writer John Harris attributed the concept of reworking the game system of each installment to Nihon Falcom's Dragon Slayer series, [111] with which Square was previously involved as a publisher. [112] The company regularly released new games in the main series, but the time between the releases of XI (2002), XII (2006), and XIII (2009) were much longer than previous games. Following Final Fantasy XIV, Square Enix released Final Fantasy games either annually or biennially. This switch was to mimic the development cycles of Western games in the Call of Duty , Assassin's Creed and Battlefield series, as well as maintain fan-interest. [113]

Design

For the original Final Fantasy, Sakaguchi required a larger production team than Square's previous games. He began crafting the game's story while experimenting with gameplay ideas. Once the gameplay system and game world size were established, Sakaguchi integrated his story ideas into the available resources. A different approach has been taken for subsequent games; the story is completed first and the game built around it. [114] Designers have never been restricted by consistency, though most feel each game should have a minimum number of common elements. The development teams strive to create completely new worlds for each game, and avoid making new games too similar to previous ones. Game locations are conceptualized early in development and design details like building parts are fleshed out as a base for entire structures. [85]

The first five games were directed by Sakaguchi, who also provided the original concepts. [87] [115] He drew inspiration for game elements from anime films by Hayao Miyazaki; series staples like the airships and chocobos are inspired by elements in Castle in the Sky and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind , respectively. [116] Sakaguchi served as a producer for subsequent games until he left Square in 2001. [87] [115] Yoshinori Kitase took over directing the games until Final Fantasy VIII, [117] [118] [119] and has been followed by a new director for each new game. Hiroyuki Ito 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 IX. [87] [117] In designing the Active Time Battle system, Ito drew inspiration from Formula One racing; he thought it would be interesting if character types had different speeds after watching race cars pass each other. [120] Ito also co-directed Final Fantasy VI with Kitase. [87] [117] Kenji Terada was the scenario writer for the first three games; Kitase took over as scenario writer for Final Fantasy V through 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, VIII, X, and its sequel X-2. He also worked as the scenario writer for the spin-off series, Kingdom Hearts. [121] Daisuke Watanabe co-wrote the scenarios for Final Fantasy X and XII, and was the main writer for the XIII games. [122] [123] [124]

Final Fantasy VI artwork by Yoshitaka Amano, who provided designs for much of the series. Ff6 magitek.jpg
Final Fantasy VI artwork by Yoshitaka Amano, who provided designs for much of the series.

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 the image illustrations from Final Fantasy VII onward. [115] Tetsuya Nomura was chosen to replace Amano because Nomura's designs were more adaptable to 3D graphics. He worked with the series from Final Fantasy VII through X, then came back for XIII, and for the basic design of XV. [87] [115] For Final Fantasy IX character designs were handled by Shukō Murase, Toshiyuki Itahana, and Shin Nagasawa. [125] For Final Fantasy XV, Roberto Ferrari was responsible for the character design. Nomura is also the character designer of the Kingdom Hearts series, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, and Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy. [126] 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, the Square-produced Vagrant Story , and Final Fantasy XII. [43] [127]

Graphics and technology

Because of graphical limitations, the first games on the NES feature small sprite representations of the leading party members on the main world screen. Battle screens use more detailed, full versions of characters in a side-view perspective. This practice was used until Final Fantasy VI, which uses detailed versions for both screens. The NES sprites are 26  pixels high and use a color palette of 4 colors. 6  frames of animation are used to depict different character statuses like "healthy" and "fatigued". The SNES installments use updated graphics and effects, as well as higher quality audio than in previous games, but are otherwise similar to their predecessors in basic design. The SNES sprites are 2 pixels shorter, but have larger palettes and feature more animation frames: 11 colors and 40 frames respectively. The upgrade allowed designers to have characters be more detailed in appearance and express more emotions. The first game includes non-player characters (NPCs) the player could interact with, but they are mostly static in-game objects. Beginning with the second game, Square used predetermined pathways for NPCs to create more dynamic scenes that include comedy and drama. [128]

In 1995, Square showed an interactive SGI technical demonstration of Final Fantasy VI for the then next generation of consoles. The demonstration used Silicon Graphics's prototype Nintendo 64 workstations to create 3D graphics. [128] [129] Fans believed the demo was of a new Final Fantasy game for the Nintendo 64 console. 1997 saw the release of Final Fantasy VII for the Sony PlayStation. [129] [130] The switch was due to a dispute with Nintendo over its use of faster but more expensive cartridges, as opposed to the slower and cheaper, but much higher capacity compact discs used on rival systems. [131] [132] VII introduced 3D graphics with fully pre-rendered backgrounds. [131] [133] It was because of this switch to 3D that a CD-ROM format was chosen over a cartridge format. [131] [134] The switch also led to increased production costs and a greater subdivision of the creative staff for VII and subsequent 3D games in the series. [85]

Final Fantasy VIII, along with VII and IX, used pre-rendered backgrounds. FFVIIInavigation.png
Final Fantasy VIII, along with VII and IX, used pre-rendered backgrounds.

Starting with Final Fantasy VIII, the series adopted a more photo-realistic look. [135] [136] Like VII, full motion video (FMV) sequences would have video playing in the background, with the polygonal characters composited on top. Final Fantasy IX returned to the more stylized design of earlier games in the series, although it still maintained, and in many cases slightly upgraded, most of the graphical techniques used in the previous two games. [136] Final Fantasy X was released on the PlayStation 2, and used the more powerful hardware to render graphics in real-time instead of using pre-rendered material to obtain a more dynamic look; the game features full 3D environments, rather than have 3D character models move about pre-rendered backgrounds. It is also the first Final Fantasy game to introduce voice acting, occurring throughout the majority of the game, even with many minor characters. [19] This aspect added a whole new dimension of depth to the character's reactions, emotions, and development. [19] [137]

Taking a temporary divergence, Final Fantasy XI used the PlayStation 2's online capabilities as an MMORPG. [138] Initially released for the PlayStation 2 with a PC port arriving six months later, XI was also released on the Xbox 360 nearly four years after its original release in Japan. [139] 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 uses only half as many polygons as Final Fantasy X, in exchange for more advanced textures and lighting. [140] [141] It also retains the freely rotating camera from XI. Final Fantasy XIII and XIV both make use of Crystal Tools, a middleware engine developed by Square Enix. [142] [143]

Music

Nobuo Uematsu, primary composer for the series Nobuo uematsu 001.jpg
Nobuo Uematsu, primary composer for the series

Final Fantasy games feature a variety of music, and frequently reuse themes. Most of the games open with a piece called "Prelude", which has evolved from a simple, 2-voice arpeggio in the early games to a complex, melodic arrangement in recent installments. [23] [86] [108] Victories in combat are often accompanied by a victory fanfare, a theme that has become one of the most recognized pieces of music in the series. The basic theme that accompanies Chocobo appearances has been rearranged in a different musical style for most installments. Recurring secret bosses such as Gilgamesh are also used as opportunities to revive their musical themes.

A theme known as the "Final Fantasy Main Theme" or "March", originally featured in the first game, often accompanies the ending credits. [86] Although leitmotifs are common in the more character-driven installments, theme music is typically reserved for main characters and recurring plot elements. [58]

Nobuo Uematsu was the primary composer of the Final Fantasy series until his resignation from Square Enix in November 2004. [58] Other notable composers who have worked on main entries in the series include Masashi Hamauzu, Hitoshi Sakimoto, [144] [145] and Yoko Shimomura. Uematsu was allowed to create much of the music with little direction from the production staff. Sakaguchi, however, would request pieces to fit specific game scenes including battles and exploring different areas of the game world. [146] Once a game's major scenarios were completed, Uematsu would begin writing the music based on the story, characters, and accompanying artwork. He started with a game's main theme, and developed other pieces to match its style. In creating character themes, Uematsu read the game's scenario to determine the characters' personality. He would also ask the scenario writer for more details to scenes he was unsure about. [147] Technical limitations were prevalent in earlier games; Sakaguchi would sometimes instruct Uematsu to only use specific notes. [146] It was not until Final Fantasy IV on the SNES that Uematsu was able to add more subtlety to the music. [128]

Reception

Overall, the Final Fantasy series has been critically acclaimed and commercially successful, though each installment has seen different levels of success. The series has seen a steady increase in total sales; it sold 25 million units by 1999, [148] and reached 100 million units in 2011. [149] By June 2023, the series reached cumulative global physical and digital sales of 185 million units. [150]

Several games within the series have become best-selling games. At the end of 2007, the seventh, eighth, and ninth best-selling RPGs were Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and X respectively. [151] The original Final Fantasy VII has sold over 14.4 million copies worldwide, [152] [153] earning it the position of the best-selling Final Fantasy game. [154] 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. [155] Final Fantasy X sold over 1.4 million Japanese units in pre-orders alone, which set a record for the fastest-selling console RPG. [151] [156] The MMORPG, Final Fantasy XI, reached over 200,000 active daily players in March 2006 [157] and had reached over half a million subscribers by July 2007. [58] Final Fantasy XII sold more than 1.7 million copies in its first week in Japan. [158] By November 6, 2006—one week after its release—XII had shipped approximately 1.5 million copies in North America. [159] Final Fantasy XIII became the fastest-selling game in the franchise, [160] and sold one million units on its first day of sale in Japan. [161] Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, in comparison to its predecessor, was a runaway success, originally suffering from servers being overcrowded, [162] and eventually gaining over one million unique subscribers within two months of its launch. [163]

The series has received critical acclaim for the quality of its visuals and soundtracks. [58] In 1996, Next Generation ranked the series collectively as the 17th best game of all time, speaking very highly of its graphics, music and stories. [164] In 1999, Next Generation listed the Final Fantasy series as number 16 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that "by pairing state-of-the-art technology with memorable, sometimes shamelessly melodramatic storylines, the series has successfully outlasted its competitors [...] and improved with each new installation". [165] It was awarded a star on the Walk of Game in 2006, making it the first franchise to win a star on the event (other winners were individual games, not franchises). WalkOfGame.com commented that the series has sought perfection as well as having been a risk taker in innovation. [166] In 2006, GameFAQs held a contest for the best video game series ever, with Final Fantasy finishing as the runner-up to The Legend of Zelda . [167] In a 2008 public poll held by The Game Group plc, Final Fantasy was voted the best game series, with five games appearing in their "Greatest Games of All Time" list. [168]

Many Final Fantasy games have been included in various lists of top games. Several games have been listed on multiple IGN "Top Games" lists. [169] [170] [171] [172] [173] [174] Twelve 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 VII coming first and second, respectively. [175] The series holds seven Guinness World Records in the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008, which include the "Most Games in an RPG Series" (13 main games, seven enhanced games, and 32 spin-off games), the "Longest Development Period" (the production of Final Fantasy XII took five years), and the "Fastest-Selling Console RPG in a Single Day" (Final Fantasy X). [151] [176] The 2009 edition listed two games from the series among the top 50 consoles games: Final Fantasy XII at number 8 and VII at number 20. [177] In 2018, Final Fantasy VII was inducted as a member of the World Video Game Hall of Fame. [178]

However, the series has garnered some criticism. IGN has commented that the menu system used by the games is a major detractor for many and is a "significant reason why they haven't touched the series". [23] The site has also heavily criticized the use of random encounters in the series' battle systems. [179] [180] IGN further stated that 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. [11] In 2007, Edge criticized the series for a number of related games that include the phrase "Final Fantasy" in their titles, which are considered inferior to previous games. It also commented that with the departure of Hironobu Sakaguchi, the series might be in danger of growing stale. [58]

Several individual Final Fantasy games have garnered extra attention; some for their positive reception and others for their negative reception. Final Fantasy VII topped GamePro's "26 Best RPGs of All Time" list, [181] as well as GameFAQs "Best Game Ever" audience polls in 2004 and 2005. [182] [183] Despite the success of VII, it is sometimes criticized as being overrated. In 2003, GameSpy listed it as the seventh most overrated game of all time, while IGN presented views from both sides. [184] [185] 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. [186] [187] [188] 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. [189] Though Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was praised for its visuals, the plot was criticized and the film was considered a box office bomb. [57] [58] [59] [190] 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. [130] [191] The predominantly negative reception of the original version of Final Fantasy XIV caused then-president Yoichi Wada to issue an official apology during a Tokyo press conference, stating that the brand had been "greatly damaged" by the game's reception. [192]

Rankings and aggregators

Various video game publications have created rankings of the mainline Final Fantasy games. In the table below, the lower the number given, the better the game is in the view of the respective publication. By way of comparison, the ratings provided by Famitsu magazine and the review aggregator Metacritic are also given; in these rows, higher numbers indicate better reviews. Note that Metacritic ratings up until Final Fantasy VII largely represent retrospective reviews from online websites years after their initial release, rather than contemporary reviews from video game magazines at the time of their initial release.

Publication I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV
Retro Gamer (2004) [193] 21
GamePro (2008) [181] 12
Stuff (2008) [194] 21
Empire (2009) [195] 12
Jeuxvideo (2011) [196] 321
Kotaku (2013) [197] 101183514627912
Popular Mechanics (2014) [198] 213
Slant Magazine (2014) [199] 3142
Den of Geek (2016) [200] 1417659131042871511
VentureBeat (2016) [201] 121413103259171541186
Famitsu (2017) [202] 98711153264
GamesRadar+ (2022) [203] 17713211081418321415
Game Informer (2018) [204] 43125
IGN (2018) [205] 712845161139210
Polygon (2018) [206] 141512431856101121379
Rock, Paper, Shotgun (2018) [207] 78314265
VG247 (2018) [208] 94325186107
Digital Spy (2019) [209] 12131067431121589
Digital Trends (2019) [210] 131511691725310412814
NHK (2020) [211] [212] 241812863274191514510
TV Asahi (2021) [213] 87431105296
Famitsu rating (out of 40) [214] 34 [215] 35363634 [216] 373837383938403939 [217] 38 [218]
Metacritic rating (out of 100) [219] 7979778583929290949285928383 [220] 85 [221]

Legacy

Final Fantasy has been influential in the history of video games and game mechanics. Final Fantasy IV is considered a milestone for the genre, introducing a dramatic storyline with a strong emphasis on character development and personal relationships. [222] In 1992, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto noted the impact of Final Fantasy on Japanese role-playing games, stating Final Fantasy's "interactive cinematic approach" with an emphasis on "presentation and graphics" was gradually becoming "the most common style" of Japanese RPG at the time. [223] Final Fantasy VII, having been the first title of the series to be officially released in the PAL territories of Europe and Oceania, is credited as having the largest industry impact of the series, [131] and with allowing console role-playing games to gain global mass-market appeal. [224] VII is considered to be one of the most important and influential video games in the series. [225] [226] [227] [228]

The series affected Square's business on several levels. The commercial failure of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within resulted in hesitation and delays from Enix during merger discussions with Square. [59] [108] Square's decision to produce games exclusively for the Sony PlayStation—a move followed by Enix's decision with the Dragon Quest series—severed their relationship with Nintendo. [3] [130] Final Fantasy games were absent from Nintendo consoles, specifically the Nintendo 64, for seven years. [114] [131] Critics attribute the switch of strong third-party games like the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games to Sony's PlayStation, and away from the Nintendo 64, as one of the reasons behind PlayStation being the more successful of the two consoles. [3] [130] [134] The release of the Nintendo GameCube, which used optical disc media, in 2001 caught the attention of Square. To produce games for the system, Square created the shell company The Game Designers Studio and released Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles , which spawned its own metaseries within the main franchise. [41] Final Fantasy XI's lack of an online method of subscription cancellation prompted the creation of legislation in Illinois that requires internet gaming services to provide such a method to the state's residents. [229]

The series' popularity has resulted in its appearance and reference in numerous facets of popular culture like anime, TV series, and webcomics. [230] [231] [232] Music from the series has permeated into different areas of culture. Final Fantasy IV's "Theme of Love" was integrated into the curriculum of Japanese school children and has been performed live by orchestras and metal bands. [233] In 2003, Uematsu co-founded The Black Mages, an instrumental rock group independent of Square that has released albums of arranged Final Fantasy tunes. [234] [235] Bronze medalists Alison Bartosik and Anna Kozlova performed their synchronized swimming routine at the 2004 Summer Olympics to music from Final Fantasy VIII. [151] Many of the soundtracks have also been released for sale. Numerous companion books, which normally provide in-depth game information, have been published. In Japan, they are published by Square and are called Ultimania books. [236] [237]

The series has inspired numerous game developers. Fable creator Peter Molyneux considers Final Fantasy VII to be the RPG that "defined the genre" for him. [238] BioWare founder Greg Zeschuk cited Final Fantasy VII as "the first really emotionally engaging game" he played and said it had "a big impact" on BioWare's work. [239] The Witcher 3 senior environmental artist Jonas Mattsson cited Final Fantasy as "a huge influence" and said it was "the first RPG" he played through. [240] Mass Effect art director Derek Watts cited Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within as a major influence on the visual design and art direction of the series. [241] BioWare senior product manager David Silverman cited Final Fantasy XII's gambit system as an influence on the gameplay of Dragon Age: Origins . [242] Ubisoft Toronto creative director Maxime Beland cited the original Final Fantasy as a major influence on him. [243] Media Molecule's Constantin Jupp credited Final Fantasy VII with getting him into game design. [244] Tim Schafer also cited Final Fantasy VII as one of his favourite games. [245]

The Final Fantasy fandom includes large fan organizations like Final Fantasy Union. In 2023, Final Fantasy Union collaborated with British indie publisher Lost in Cult on the sixth volume of the imprint's art journal, Lock-On, which focused on the art of Final Fantasy and Legend of Zelda and featured an exclusive cover illustration of Terra Branford by Yoshitaka Amano alongside interviews with Hironobu Sakaguchi, Nobuo Uematsu, and Matt Mercer. [246]

In October 2007, a fan-made web series of CG action films called Dead Fantasy was created by late web-based animator and writer, Monty Oum. Dead Fantasy featured Final Fantasy characters competing against Dead or Alive characters in battle royale-style brawls. [247] [248] [249]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ファイナルファンタジー, Hepburn: Fainaru Fantajī

Related Research Articles

Square Co., Ltd., also known under its international brand name SquareSoft, was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It was founded in 1986 by Masafumi Miyamoto, who spun off part of his father's electronics company Den-Yu-Sha. Among its early employees were designers Hironobu Sakaguchi, Hiromichi Tanaka, Akitoshi Kawazu and Koichi Ishii, artist Kazuko Shibuya, programmer Nasir Gebelli, and composer Nobuo Uematsu. Initially focusing on action games, the team saw popular success with the role-playing video game Final Fantasy in 1987, which would lead to the franchise of the same name being one of its tentpole franchises. Later notable staff included directors Yoshinori Kitase and Takashi Tokita, designer and writer Yasumi Matsuno, artists Tetsuya Nomura and Yusuke Naora, and composers Yoko Shimomura and Masashi Hamauzu.

<i>Final Fantasy II</i> 1988 video game

Final Fantasy II is a 1988 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the PlayStation, the Game Boy Advance, the PlayStation Portable, iOS, Android and Windows. As neither this game nor Final Fantasy III were initially released outside Japan, Final Fantasy IV was originally released in North America as Final Fantasy II, so as not to confuse players. Following enhanced versions for iOS and Android in 2010 and 2012 respectively, the game was re-released again as part of the 2021 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series.

<i>Final Fantasy IV</i> 1991 video game

Final Fantasy IV, titled Final Fantasy II in its initial North American release, is a 1991 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The fourth main installment of the Final Fantasy series, the game's story follows Cecil, a dark knight, as he tries to prevent the sorcerer Golbez from seizing powerful crystals and destroying the world. He is joined on this quest by a frequently changing group of allies. Final Fantasy IV introduced innovations that became staples of the Final Fantasy series and role-playing games in general. Its "Active Time Battle" system was used in five subsequent Final Fantasy games, and unlike prior games in the series, IV gave each character their own unchangeable character class — although at a few points in the story, a dark knight will choose the path of a paladin, or a summoner will evolve to a new tier of spellcasting.

<i>Final Fantasy VI</i> 1994 video game

Final Fantasy VI, also known as Final Fantasy III from its initial North American release, is a 1994 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the sixth main entry in the Final Fantasy series, the final to feature 2D sprite based graphics, and the first to be directed by someone other than series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi; the role was instead filled by Yoshinori Kitase and Hiroyuki Ito. Long-time collaborator Yoshitaka Amano returned as character designer and concept artist, while composer Nobuo Uematsu returned to compose the game's score, which has been released on several soundtrack albums.

<i>Final Fantasy VII</i> 1997 video game

Final Fantasy VII is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation. The seventh main installment in the Final Fantasy series, it was released in Japan by Square and internationally by Sony Computer Entertainment, becoming the first game in the main series to have a PAL release. The game's story follows Cloud Strife, a mercenary who joins an eco-terrorist organization to stop a world-controlling megacorporation from using the planet's life essence as an energy source. Ensuing events send Cloud and his allies in pursuit of Sephiroth, a superhuman who seeks to wound the planet and harness its healing power in order to be reborn as a god. Throughout their journey, Cloud bonds with his party members, including Aerith Gainsborough, who holds the secret to saving their world.

<i>Final Fantasy IX</i> 2000 video game

Final Fantasy IX is a 2000 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth game in the main Final Fantasy series. The plot focuses on a war between nations in a medieval fantasy world called Gaia. Players follow a thief named Zidane Tribal who kidnaps princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII as part of a ploy by the neighboring nation of Lindblum. He joins Garnet and a growing cast of characters on a quest to take down her mother, Queen Brahne of Alexandria, who started the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nobuo Uematsu</span> Japanese composer and keyboardist (born 1959)

Nobuo Uematsu is a Japanese composer and keyboardist best known for his contributions to the Final Fantasy video game series by Square Enix. A self-taught musician, he began playing the piano at the age of twelve, with English singer-songwriter Elton John as one of his biggest influences.

<i>Final Fantasy III</i> 1990 video game

Final Fantasy III is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Family Computer. The third installment in the Final Fantasy series, it is the first numbered Final Fantasy game to feature the job-change system. The story revolves around four orphaned youths drawn to a crystal of light. The crystal grants them some of its power, and instructs them to go forth and restore balance to the world. Not knowing what to make of the crystal's pronouncements, but nonetheless recognizing the importance of its words, the four inform their adoptive families of their mission and set out to explore and bring back balance to the world.

Dragon Quest, previously published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005, is a series of role-playing games created by Japanese game designer Yuji Horii, character designer Akira Toriyama, and composer Koichi Sugiyama and published by Square Enix. Since its inception, development of games in the series have been outsourced to a plethora of external companies until the tenth installment, with localized remakes and ports of later installments for the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Switch being published by Nintendo outside of Japan. With its first game published in 1986, there are eleven main-series games, along with numerous spin-off games. In addition, there have been numerous manga, anime and novels published under the franchise, with nearly every game in the main series having a related adaptation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Square Enix</span> Japanese entertainment company

Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational holding company, video game publisher and entertainment conglomerate. It releases role-playing game franchises, such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, among numerous others. Outside of video game publishing and development, it is also in the business of merchandise, arcade facilities, and manga publication under its Gangan Comics brand.

Final Fantasy 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 role-playing video game developed by Square, spawning a video game series that became the central focus of the franchise. The music of the Final Fantasy series refers to the soundtracks of the Final Fantasy series of video games, as well as the surrounding medley of soundtrack, arranged, and compilation albums. The series' music ranges from very light background music to emotionally intense interweavings of character and situation leitmotifs.

<i>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII</i> Metaseries produced by Square Enix

The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII is a metaseries produced by Square Enix. A subseries stemming from the main Final Fantasy franchise, it is a collection of video games, animated features and short stories set in the world and continuity of Final Fantasy VII (1997). Officially announced in 2003 with the reveal of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, the series' core products are three video games and one film release. Alongside these are tie-in products and spin-offs including books, mobile games, and an original video animation. Advent Children and the mobile title Before Crisis are a sequel and prequel to VII respectively, focusing on Cloud Strife, the original game's main protagonist, and covert operatives known as the Turks. Crisis Core follows Zack Fair, a minor character in VII, while Dirge of Cerberus, a sequel to Advent Children, follows Vincent Valentine, one of the original's optional characters. The series has since been expanded to include more products, most notably a planned trilogy of games remaking the 1997 original; the first installment in this trilogy, Final Fantasy VII Remake, was released in 2020, while the second installment, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, was released in 2024.

The Chrono series is a video game franchise developed and published by Square, and is currently owned by Square Enix. The series began in 1995 with the time travel role-playing video game Chrono Trigger, which spawned two continuations, Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki, and Chrono Cross. A promotional anime called Dimensional Adventure Numa Monjar and two ports of Chrono Trigger were also produced. As of March 31, 2003, Chrono Trigger was Square Enix's 12th best-selling game, with 2.65 million units shipped. Chrono Cross was the 24th, with 1.5 million units shipped. By 2019, the two games had sold over 5.5 million units combined. The games in the series have been called some of the greatest of all time, with most of the praise going towards Chrono Trigger. The series' original soundtracks, composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, have also been praised, with multiple soundtracks being released for them.

<i>Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII</i> 2007 video game

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable. The game was first released in 2007, and serves as a prequel to the 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII. It is part of the metaseries Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, which includes other products related to the original game.

<i>Final Fantasy</i> (video game) 1987 video game

Final Fantasy is a 1987 role-playing video game developed and published by Square. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series, created by Hironobu Sakaguchi. Originally released for the NES, Final Fantasy was remade for several video game consoles and is frequently packaged with Final Fantasy II in video game collections. The first Final Fantasy story follows four youths called the Warriors of Light, who each carry one of their world's four elemental crystals which have been darkened by the four Elemental Fiends. Together, they quest to defeat these evil forces, restore light to the crystals, and save their world.

Tetsuya Nomura is a Japanese video game artist, designer, producer, and director working for Square Enix. He was hired by Square initially as a monster designer for Final Fantasy V (1992), before being shifted towards secondary character designer alongside Yoshitaka Amano for Final Fantasy VI (1994). Final Fantasy VII (1997) had him working in the original story alongside Hironobu Sakaguchi, and marked his debut as the lead character designer, a capacity he would retain for several future installments of the series, as well as other Square Enix titles such as The Bouncer and The World Ends with You. He also created well-known Cactuar, Gilgamesh and Tonberry characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hironobu Sakaguchi</span> Japanese video game designer (born 1962)

Hironobu Sakaguchi is a Japanese game designer, director, producer, and writer. Originally working for Square from 1983 to 2003, he departed the company and founded independent studio Mistwalker in 2004. He is known as the creator of the Final Fantasy franchise, in addition to other titles during his time at Square. At Mistwalker, he is known for creating the Blue Dragon and Terra Battle series among several standalone titles, moving away from home consoles and creating titles for mobile platforms.

Final Fantasy is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and developed and owned by Square Enix. The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science fantasy role-playing video games (RPGs). The eponymous first game in the series, published in 1987, was conceived by Sakaguchi as his last-ditch effort in the game industry; the game was a success and spawned sequels. While most entries in the series are separate from each other, they have recurring elements carrying over between entries, including plot themes and motifs, gameplay mechanics, and visual elements.

References

  1. ↑ Jason Schreier (July 8, 2012). "What In The World Is Final Fantasy? A Beginner's Guide To The Biggest RPG Series On The Planet". Kotaku. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Final Fantasy - Release Summary". GameSpot . Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Vestal, Andrew. "The Main Final Fantasies". The History of Final Fantasy. GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Final Fantasy II - Release Summary". GameSpot . Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 "Final Fantasy Retrospective Part II". GameTrailers. July 23, 2007. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Final Fantasy III - Release Summary". GameSpot . Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Final Fantasy II (SNES) - Release Summary". GameSpot . Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  8. ↑ Square Co, ed. (1991). Final Fantasy II instruction manual. Square Co. p. 74. SFS-F4-USA-1.
  9. ↑ "Final Fantasy Chronicles". IGN. July 18, 2001. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Final Fantasy V - Release Summary". GameSpot . Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  11. 1 2 Isler, Ramsey (December 17, 2007). "Gaming to Anime: Final Fantasy VI". IGN. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Final Fantasy III (SNES) - Release Summary". GameSpot . Archived from the original on September 13, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Final Fantasy VIII - Release Summary". GameSpot . Archived from the original on April 15, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Final Fantasy IX - Release Summary". GameSpot . Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Final Fantasy X - PlayStation 2 - IGN". IGN. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Final Fantasy XI - PlayStation 2 - IGN". IGN. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Final Fantasy XII - PlayStation 2 - IGN". IGN. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Final Fantasy X - Release Summary". GameSpot . Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "Final Fantasy Retrospective Part VII". GameTrailers. August 28, 2007. Archived from the original on June 22, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Final Fantasy XI - Release Summary". GameSpot . Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  21. 1 2 "Final Fantasy Retrospective Part VIII". GameTrailers. September 4, 2007. Archived from the original on June 22, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Final Fantasy XII - Release Summary". GameSpot . Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kolan, Patrick (January 18, 2007). "The Evolution of Final Fantasy". IGN. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  24. ↑ "Interview". FFWorld.com (in French). 2004. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved May 25, 2007.
  25. ↑ Thang, Jimmy (July 14, 2008). "E3 2008: Final Fantasy XIII Coming to Xbox 360". IGN. Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  26. ↑ Magrino, Tom (May 5, 2009). "Square Enix fast-tracking FFXIII localization - Report". GameSpot . Archived from the original on December 6, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  27. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (May 17, 2006). "Famitsu with More on Fabula Nova". IGN. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  28. 1 2 Yoon, Andrew (October 24, 2013). "Fabula Nova Crystallis & a decade of Final Fantasy XIII: an interview with producer Yoshinori Kitase". Shacknews. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Final Fantasy XIV Online Release". GameSpot . Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  30. ↑ Andrew Webster (June 10, 2013). "Sony reveals new PlayStation 4 games at E3, including 'Final Fantasy XV', 'The Order: 1886' and 'Transistor'". TheVerge. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  31. ↑ Brown, Peter (August 6, 2015). "Final Fantasy 15 Release Date Confirmed for 2016". GameSpot . Archived from the original on August 6, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Interview: Tetsuya Nomura". Edge Online. June 25, 2007. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  33. ↑ Schammell, David (February 13, 2014). "Final Fantasy 15 'quite far into development, given high priority' by Square". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  34. ↑ "【PS4クリエイターインタビュー】『ファイナルファンタジーXV』新世代機で描かれる『FF』を野村哲也氏が語る". Famitsu. September 20, 2013. Archived from the original on January 28, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  35. ↑ Juba, Joe (May 2016). "Final Fantasy XV - The Clearing Storm". Game Informer . No. 277. GameStop. pp. 38–64.
  36. ↑ 『ファイナルファンタジーXV』発売時期を示唆、『Just Cause 3』との技術協力も決定【gamescom 2015】. Famitsu (in Japanese). August 7, 2015. Archived from the original on August 7, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  37. ↑ "Gamescom 2015: Hajime Tabata Interview (English)". Finaland. August 11, 2015. Archived from the original on August 11, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  38. ↑ Citations: [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37]
  39. ↑ Final Fantasy 16 Announced for PS5 [Update: Square Retracts PC Announcement] - IGN, September 16, 2020, archived from the original on September 17, 2020, retrieved September 17, 2020
  40. ↑ "Final Fantasy XVI launches June 22, 2023". Gematsu. December 9, 2022. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  41. 1 2 3 "Final Fantasy Retrospective Part XI". GameTrailers. October 10, 2007. Archived from the original on June 9, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  42. ↑ "Final Fantasy Retrospective Part X". GameTrailers. September 25, 2007. Archived from the original on June 5, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  43. 1 2 "Final Fantasy Retrospective Part IX". GameTrailers. September 15, 2007. Archived from the original on June 9, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  44. ↑ "Tetsuya Nomura Interview". Edge . No. 177. Future Publishing. July 2007. pp. 80–81. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013.
  45. ↑ "Final Fantasy X-2 - Release Summary". GameSpot . Archived from the original on August 18, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  46. ↑ Clements, Ryan (August 14, 2009). "Dissidia Final Fantasy Review". IGN. Archived from the original on August 25, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  47. ↑ Clements, Ryan (February 22, 2011). "Heroes of Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy". IGN. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  48. ↑ "Square Enix announces Dissidia Final Fantasy for Japan Arcades". IGN. February 13, 2015. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  49. ↑ Romano, Sal (January 31, 2017). "Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia launches February 1 in Japan". Gematsu. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  50. ↑ Lada, Jenni (January 24, 2018). "Dissidia Final Fantasy: Omnia Opera Arriving On January 30, 2018". Siliconera. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  51. ↑ ""STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN ANNOUNCED FOR 2022 RELEASE ON PLAYSTATION 5, PLAYSTATION 4, XBOX SERIES X|S, XBOX ONE AND PC" - Square Enix North America Press Hub". press.na.square-enix.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  52. ↑ "Team Ninja's Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Announced". Siliconera. June 13, 2021. Archived from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  53. ↑ "Final Fantasy III". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  54. ↑ Final Fantasy IV [2007] - IGN, archived from the original on July 31, 2020, retrieved July 2, 2020
  55. ↑ Final Fantasy VII Remake - IGN, archived from the original on June 30, 2020, retrieved July 2, 2020
  56. ↑ Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - IGN, archived from the original on February 29, 2024, retrieved February 29, 2024
  57. 1 2 3 "Overview over Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on August 28, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  58. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Final Frontiers". Edge . No. 177. Future Publishing. June 25, 2007. pp. 72–79. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  59. 1 2 3 Long, Andrew (2003). "Square-Enix Gives Chrono Break Trademark Some Playmates". RPGamer. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  60. ↑ Studio BentStuff, ed. (2008). Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania File 2: Scenario (in Japanese). Square Enix. p. 226. ISBN   978-4-7575-2251-0.
  61. ↑ McLaughlin, Rus (April 30, 2008). "IGN Presents: The History of Final Fantasy VII". IGN. Archived from the original on September 17, 2008. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
  62. ↑ Santos, Carlo (April 28, 2006). "Anime News Network: Final Fantasy VII Advent Children review". Anime News Network . Archived from the original on August 8, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  63. ↑ Mielke, James (September 16, 2005). "Final Fantasy VII Advent Children review". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on March 23, 2006. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
  64. ↑ Beckett, Michael. "Final Fantasy VII Advent Children – Staff Review". RPGamer. Archived from the original on November 13, 2010. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  65. ↑ "Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete". Square Enix. May 12, 2009. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
  66. ↑ Crocker, Janet; Smith, Lesley; Henderson, Tim; Arnold, Adam. "The Legacy of Final Fantasy VII". AnimeFringe. Archived from the original on May 29, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  67. ↑ Douglass, Todd Jr. (March 7, 2007). "Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children: Limited Edition". DVD Talk . Archived from the original on March 23, 2010. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  68. ↑ Carle, Chris (February 16, 2007). "Double Dip Digest: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (Limited Edition Collector's Set)". IGN. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  69. ↑ McCarthy, Dave (April 28, 2008). "Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII UK Interview". IGN. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
  70. ↑ Sato (March 30, 2016). "Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Revealed As An Advent Children-Style CGI Film". Siliconera. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  71. ↑ Sato (March 31, 2016). "Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Is Being Directed By Advent Children Director". Siliconera. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  72. ↑ Lada, Jenni (March 30, 2016). "Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV Follows Noctis From Childhood To Adulthood". Siliconera. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  73. ↑ 『FFXV』の期待値を最大限に高めるプロジェクト"FINAL FANTASY XV UNIVERSE"――"UNCOVERED FINAL FANTASY XV"詳細リポ. Famitsu . April 1, 2016. Archived from the original on April 1, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  74. ↑ Thorne, Will (June 27, 2019). "'Final Fantasy' Live-Action Series in the Works at Sony Pictures Television". Variety. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  75. ↑ ファイナルファンタジー2 夢魔の迷宮. Yahoo! Japan: Books (in Japanese). Yahoo!. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  76. ↑ 悠久の風伝説 ファイナルファンタジー3より 3. Yahoo! Japan: Books (in Japanese). Yahoo!. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  77. ↑ Smith, Dean Wesley (2001). Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (Mass Market Paperback). Pocket Books/Star Trek. ISBN   0743424190.
  78. ↑ "FF Crystal Chronicles Goes Comic". IGN. December 18, 2003. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  79. ↑ ファイナルファンタジー11 星の誓い. Yahoo! Japan: Books (in Japanese). Yahoo!. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  80. ↑ "Final Fantasy XI T-1" (in French). Fleuve Noir. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  81. ↑ "Final Fantasy: Unlimited To End at 26". Anime News Network . March 20, 2002. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  82. ↑ Fahey, Mike (September 29, 2016). "Oh No, The Final Fantasy Trading Card Game Launches in English Next Month". Kotaku. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  83. ↑ Duffy, Owen (May 7, 2017). "The 'Final Fantasy Trading Card Game' Unpicks a Very Particular Secret of Mana". Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  84. ↑ Vincent, Brittany (July 13, 2017). "Final Fantasy's Trading Card Game is Getting Its Own Tournament". Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  85. 1 2 3 Morris, Dave (2004). "Insider Secrets: Final Fantasy X-2b". The Art of Game Worlds. HarperCollins. pp. 98–102. ISBN   0-06-072430-7.
  86. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Vestal, Andrew. "Final Fantasy Series". The History of Final Fantasy. GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 9, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  87. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Final Fantasy Retrospective Part XIII". GameTrailers. November 2, 2007. Archived from the original on September 5, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  88. ↑ Craig, Timothy J. (2000). Japan Pop!: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture . M.E. Sharpe. ISBN   0-7656-0561-9.
  89. 1 2 Clarke, Andy; Mitchell, Grethe (2007). Videogames and art. Intellect. ISBN   978-1-84150-954-9.
  90. ↑ "Interview with Yoshinori Kitase and Tetsuya Nomura". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 196. October 2005. Archived from the original on August 18, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  91. ↑ Smith, Luke (June 7, 2006). "FFXIII Interview: Nomura, Kitase, Hashimoto and Toriyama". 1up.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  92. ↑ Fahey, Rob (October 31, 2006). "This Great Fantasy Interview". Eurogamer . p. 2. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  93. ↑ Cork, Jeff (February 28, 2007). "Ten Gaming Clichés". Game Informer . Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  94. ↑ "Final Fantasy XII Q&A". IGN. November 20, 2003. Archived from the original on June 20, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  95. ↑ Adler, Matthew (April 6, 2020). "Why Final Fantasy is the Biggest RPG Series of All Time". IGN India. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  96. 1 2 Jenkins, David (February 28, 2007). "(Never the) Final Fantasy". Virgin Media. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  97. ↑ "Final Fantasy X (PS2) Reviews". 1UP.com . January 1, 2000. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  98. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (January 2, 2002). "Final Fantasy XI". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  99. ↑ BradyGAMES, ed. (2006). Final Fantasy XII Official Strategy Guide. DKPublishing. pp. 35–36. ISBN   0-7440-0837-9.
  100. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (May 9, 2006). "E3 2006: FFXIII Staff Check". IGN . News Corporation. Archived from the original on April 3, 2008. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
  101. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (June 7, 2006). "FF to look like Advent Children?". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on June 24, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2008.
  102. ↑ Loguidice, Bill; Barton, Matt (2009). Vintage Games. Focal Press/Elsevier. ISBN   978-0-240-81146-8.
  103. ↑ David Cassady. (1999). Final Fantasy Anthology Official Strategy Guide. BradyGames. ISBN   1-56686-925-0.
  104. ↑ Sutajio bento sutaffu. (2004). Final Fantasy VIII Ultimania (in Japanese). Studio BentStuff. ISBN   4-7575-1243-0.
  105. ↑ Sutajio bento sutaffu. (2004). Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania Omega (in Japanese). Square-Enix. ISBN   4-7575-1161-2.
  106. ↑ Fear, Ed (December 13, 2007). "Sakaguchi discusses the development of Final Fantasy". Develop . Intent Media. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  107. 1 2 3 Berardini, César A. (April 26, 2006). "An Introduction to Square-Enix". TeamXbox . IGN. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  108. 1 2 3 "Final Fantasy Retrospective Part I". GameTrailers. July 15, 2007. Archived from the original on June 8, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  109. ↑ Vestal, Andrew. "The History of Final Fantasy: Introduction". The History of Final Fantasy. GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  110. ↑ "『FF』はどのように世界に広がっていったのか？坂口博信氏と浜村弘一ファミ通グループ代表が"国際日本ゲーム研究カンファレンス"にて語る". Famitsu . May 24, 2015. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  111. ↑ John Harris (July 2, 2009). "Game Design Essentials: 20 RPGs - Dragon Slayer". Gamasutra . p. 13. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  112. ↑ Kurt Kalata. "Dragon Slayer". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  113. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (November 21, 2011). "SE wants to release a Final Fantasy every year or two". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on November 23, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  114. 1 2 Kent, Steven (2001). "The Mainstream and All Its Perils". Ultimate History of Video Games . Three Rivers Press. pp. 541–542. ISBN   0-7615-3643-4.
  115. 1 2 3 4 Vestal, Andrew. "Staff Spotlight". The History of Final Fantasy. GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 9, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  116. ↑ Rogers, Tim (March 27, 2006). "In Defense of Final Fantasy XII". Edge . Next Generation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  117. 1 2 3 "Final Fantasy III (SNES) - Tech Info". GameSpot . Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  118. ↑ "Final Fantasy VII - Tech Info". GameSpot . Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  119. ↑ "Final Fantasy VIII - Tech Info". GameSpot . Archived from the original on April 12, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  120. ↑ Jeremy Parish. "30 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Final Fantasy". 1UP.com . p. 6. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  121. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (January 25, 2008). "Super Smash Bros. Brawl Storyline Penned By Final Fantasy VII Writer". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  122. ↑ Studio BentStuff. Final Fantasy X Ultimania Omega (in Japanese). Square Enix. pp. 191–193, 476.
  123. ↑ "Video interview with FINAL FANTASY XII Directors". FINAL FANTASY XII Collector's Edition Bonus DVD. Square Enix Co., Ltd. October 31, 2006. Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2011. Hiroshi Minagawa: In the course of development, Jun Akiyama and Daisuke Watanabe came up with many ideas but ultimately we had to abandon many of them. I'd heard their original ideas and I wish we could have included them all. Once we began development and many of the systems were in place, the team had many progressive ideas. It was the most enjoyable part of the project. But as we approached the project's end, I had to point out features we had to drop in order for the game to be finished. Which is unfortunate, since I'm sure people would have enjoyed the game that much more if we could have left all our original ideas in.
  124. ↑ "『ファイナルファンタジーXIII REMINISCENCE -tracer of memories-』著者、渡辺大祐氏にインタビュー" [Final Fantasy XIII: Reminiscence -tracer of memories-: Interview with author Daisuke Watanabe]. Famitsu . July 11, 2014. Archived from the original on July 11, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  125. ↑ "Final Fantasy IX - Tech Info". GameSpot . Archived from the original on April 28, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  126. ↑ "The Hot 100 Game Developers of 2007". Edge . Next Generation. March 3, 2007. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  127. ↑ "Final Fantasy XI Tech Info". Archived from the original on December 21, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  128. 1 2 3 "Final Fantasy Retrospective Part IV". GameTrailers. August 5, 2007. Archived from the original on June 11, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  129. 1 2 3 4 Casamassina, Matt (July 19, 2005). "State of the RPG: GameCube". IGN. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  130. 1 2 3 4 5 "Final Fantasy Retrospective Part V". GameTrailers. August 13, 2007. Archived from the original on June 11, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  131. ↑ "10 Years of PlayStation Through the Eyes of PSM". PlayStation: The Official Magazine . No. 127. Future Publishing. September 2007. pp. 34–43.
  132. ↑ "Final Fantasy VII (PS1) - Review". 1UP.com . May 9, 2004. Archived from the original on November 4, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  133. 1 2 Buchanan, Levi (September 30, 2008). "Nintendo 64 Week: Day Two". IGN. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  134. ↑ "Interview with Final Fantasy VIII developers". Famitsu Weekly (in Japanese). June 5, 1998. Archived from the original (Translation by Coxon, Sachi) on July 17, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  135. 1 2 "Final Fantasy Retrospective Part VI". GameTrailers. August 20, 2007. Archived from the original on June 4, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  136. ↑ "Behind The Game The Creators". Square Enix. 2001. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  137. ↑ "Final Fantasy XI – Big Plans, Big Money". IGN. May 10, 2002. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  138. ↑ Thorsen, Tor (April 17, 2006). "Shippin' Out 4/17-4/21: Final Fantasy XI Online, Brain Age". GameSpot . Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  139. ↑ "Final Fantasy XII (PS2) Previews". 1UP.com . November 9, 2003. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  140. ↑ Winkler, Chris (December 4, 2003). "Final Fantasy XII - Preview First Look". RPGFan. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  141. ↑ Shoemaker, Brad; Tochen, Dan (May 8, 2006). "E3 06: Square Enix announces trio of Final Fantasy XIII games". GameSpot . Archived from the original on November 18, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  142. ↑ Yoon, Andrew (February 22, 2008). "GDC08: Square Enix unveils Crystal Tools engine". Joystiq . Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  143. ↑ "Artist: 浜渦正志". MusicBrainz. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  144. ↑ "Artist: 崎元仁". MusicBrainz. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  145. 1 2 Mielke, James (February 15, 2008). "A Day in the Life of Final Fantasy's Nobuo Uematsu". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on May 1, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  146. ↑ VanBurkleo, Meagan (May 25, 2009). "Nobuo Uematsu: The Man Behind The Music". Game Informer . Archived from the original on June 5, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  147. ↑ J@pan, Inc. Vol. 1–10. LINC Japan. 1999. pp. 1, 56. Square Co. is the maker of the Final Fantasy series, of which it's sold more than 25 million units worldwide. (...) Final Fantasy series, sales of which have reached some 25 million copies.
  148. ↑ Rose, Mike (June 7, 2011). "Final Fantasy Series Hits 100M Units Shipped". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on August 19, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  149. ↑ https://www.hd.square-enix.com/jpn/ir/library/pdf/ar_2023_06feature.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  150. 1 2 3 4 Craig Glenday, ed. (March 11, 2008). "Record Breaking Games: Role-Playing Games". Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008. Guinness World Records. Guinness. pp.  156–167. ISBN   978-1-904994-21-3.
  151. ↑ "Annual Reports｜Investor Relations | SQUARE ENIX HOLDINGS CO., LTD". www.hd.square-enix.com. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  152. ↑ ""THRILLING NEW TRAILER FOR FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH SPOTLIGHTS NOTORIOUS VIDEO GAME ANTAGONIST" - Square Enix North America Press Hub". Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  153. ↑ "Square Enix Announces Release Date of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children". Square Enix. May 15, 2005. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  154. ↑ "Final Fantasy VIII Tops Videogame Charts". IGN. October 5, 1999. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  155. ↑ "Final Fantasy X Sells Like Crazy; World Not Shocked". IGN. July 19, 2001. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  156. ↑ Woodard, Christopher (March 24, 2006). "GDC: Creating a Global MMO: Balancing Cultures and Platforms in Final Fantasy XI". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on December 7, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  157. ↑ Jenkins, David (March 24, 2006). "Japanese Sales Charts, Week Ending March 19". Media Create . Gamasutra. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  158. ↑ "Square Enix Announces Record Shipment With Final Fantasy XII". Square Enix. November 6, 2006. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  159. ↑ Sharkey, Mike (March 19, 2010). "Final Fantasy XIII: Biggest First Week in Franchise History". GameSpy. Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2010.
  160. ↑ Alexander, Leigh (December 18, 2009). "FFXIII Tops 1 Million Units Day One". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on May 10, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
  161. ↑ Plunkett, Luke (August 25, 2013). "Early Final Fantasy XIV Launch Goes (Surprise!) Badly". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 27, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  162. ↑ Ligman, Kris (October 30, 2013). "Final Fantasy XIV hits 1.5M registrations after relaunch woes". Gamasutra . Think Services. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  163. ↑ "Top 100 Games of All Time". Next Generation . No. 21. United States: Imagine Media. September 1996. p. 64.
  164. ↑ "Top 50 Games of All Time". Next Generation . No. 50. Imagine Media. February 1999. p. 79.
  165. ↑ "2006 Walk of Game Inductees". Walk of Game. Archived from the original on July 2, 2008. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  166. ↑ "Summer 2006: Best. Series. Ever". GameFAQs . Archived from the original on June 6, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  167. ↑ "Greatest Games Results". The Game Group plc. 2008. Archived from the original on February 6, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  168. ↑ "IGN's Top 100 Games". IGN. 2003. Archived from the original on February 22, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  169. ↑ "IGN's Top 100 Games". IGN. 2005. Archived from the original on February 27, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  170. ↑ "Top 99 Games of All Time: Readers' Pick". IGN. 2005. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  171. ↑ IGN PlayStation Team (March 16, 2007). "The Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time". IGN. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  172. ↑ "Top 100 PlayStation 2 Games". IGN. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  173. ↑ "Top 100 PlayStation 2 Games". IGN. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  174. ↑ Campbell, Colin (2006). "Japan Votes on All Time Top 100". Edge . Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  175. ↑ Parsons, Doug (July 30, 2008). "Record Breaking Final Fantasy Series heads to The Record Breaking Nintendo DS". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on June 2, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  176. ↑ "Top 50 Console Games". Guinness World Records 2009 Gamer's Edition. Guinness World Records. Guinness. February 3, 2009. pp.  190–191. ISBN   978-1-904994-45-9.
  177. ↑ Locklear, Mallory (May 3, 2018). "Video Game Hall of Fame inducts 'Tomb Raider' and 'Final Fantasy VII'". Engadget. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  178. ↑ Lundigran, Jeff (September 10, 1999). "IGN: Final Fantasy VIII Review". IGN. Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  179. ↑ Smith, David (November 22, 2000). "IGN: Final Fantasy IX Review". IGN. Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  180. 1 2 "The 26 Best RPGs of the All Time". GamePro . November 5, 2008. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  181. ↑ "Spring 2004: Best. Game. Ever". GameFAQs . Archived from the original on February 9, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  182. ↑ "Fall 2005: 10-Year Anniversary Contest—The 10 Best Games Ever". GameFAQs . Archived from the original on March 16, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  183. ↑ "25 Most Overrated Games of All Time". GameSpy. September 2003. Archived from the original on April 12, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  184. ↑ Buchanan, Levi (March 3, 2009). "Is Final Fantasy VII Overrated?". IGN. Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  185. ↑ "Top 10 Weekly Software Sales". January 23–29, 2006. Archived from the original on February 5, 2006. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  186. ↑ "Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on June 25, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  187. ↑ "Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  188. ↑ Dormer, Dan (February 8, 2006). "Famitsu Digs Into Dirge of Cerberus". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  189. ↑ Ebert, Roger (July 11, 2001). "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  190. ↑ "Reviews: FF: Crystal Chronicles". 1UP.com . January 1, 2000. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  191. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (September 27, 2011). "Square Enix CEO: Final Fantasy XIV Damaged FF Brand". Andriasang.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  192. ↑ Thorpe, Nick (January 6, 2016). "Flashback: Retro Gamer Readers' Top 100 Games (Circa 2004)". Retro Gamer . Future Publishing Limited. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  193. ↑ "100 Greatest Games". Stuff : 116–126. October 2008.
  194. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Games Of All Time". www.empireonline.com. Empire. 2009. Archived from the original on May 15, 2011.
  195. ↑ "Les 100 meilleurs jeux de tous les temps". Jeuxvideo.com. March 4, 2011. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  196. ↑ Schreier, Jason (January 29, 2013). "Let's Rank The Final Fantasy Games, Best to Worst". Kotaku. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  197. ↑ Moore, Bo (June 16, 2014). "The 100 Greatest Video Games of All Time". Popular Mechanics . Archived from the original on December 2, 2016.
  198. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Video Games of All Time". slantmagazine.com. June 9, 2014. Archived from the original on July 12, 2015.
  199. ↑ Hardgrave, Laura (November 29, 2016). "Final Fantasy: Ranking the Main Games". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  200. ↑ Minotti, Mike (December 12, 2016). "Final Fantasy I to XV: Ranking the series from worst to best". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  201. ↑ Brian (September 4, 2017). "Famitsu readers choose the top 100 best games of all time". Nintendo Everything. Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  202. ↑ Agnello, Anthony John (February 3, 2022). "The 25 best Final Fantasy games". Gamesradar. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.Note: To make ranks comparable this list skips the ranks given to non-mainline games.
  203. ↑ "The Top 100 RPGs Of All Time". Gameinformer. January 1, 2018. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2018.Note: It shows these Final Fantasy games do not only rank higher than the other Final Fantasy games, but are also part of the top 100 RPGs of all time.
  204. ↑ "Ranking the Final Fantasy Games". IGN. May 15, 2016. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  205. ↑ Parish, Jeremy (December 19, 2017). "Ranking the numbered Final Fantasy games". Polygon. Archived from the original on October 16, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  206. ↑ "The Best of Final Fantasy". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. March 2, 2018. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  207. ↑ "Final Fantasy is nearly 30, so let's rank the 10 best games in the series - VG247". VG247. December 5, 2017. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  208. ↑ Reynolds, Matthew (April 18, 2019). "Ranking the Final Fantasy games from worst to best". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  209. ↑ Petite, Steven (July 15, 2018). "Here are the Final Fantasy games, ranked from best to worst". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on September 10, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  210. ↑ "全ファイナルファンタジー大投票" [All Final Fantasy Big Vote]. NHK (in Japanese). 2020. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  211. ↑ "Japan Votes For Its Favorite Final Fantasy Games And Characters". NintendoSoup. March 1, 2020. Archived from the original on March 15, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  212. ↑ "Over 50,000 Japanese users vote for their favorite console games in TV Asahi poll - Top 100 announced". Gematsu. December 27, 2021. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  213. ↑ "Famitsu Hall of Fame". Geimin. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  214. ↑ "ファイナルファンタジーV [スーパーファミコン]" [Final Fantasy (Famicom)] (in Japanese). Famitsu. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  215. ↑ "ファイナルファンタジーV [スーパーファミコン]" [Final Fantasy V [Super Famicom]] (in Japanese). Famitsu. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  216. ↑ Gifford, Kevin (September 25, 2013). ""I'm glad I'm back home": Famitsu reviews FF14: A Realm Reborn". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  217. ↑ Romano, Sal (December 13, 2016). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1463". Gematsu. Archived from the original on December 14, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  218. ↑ "Data Tracker: How Does "Final Fantasy XIII" Compare?". Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 14, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  219. ↑ "Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 9, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  220. ↑ "Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  221. ↑ Kasavin, Greg (December 12, 2005). "Final Fantasy IV Advance Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  222. ↑ "The Future of RPGs – Developer Interviews". The Super Famicom (in Japanese). Vol. 3, no. 22. November 27, 1992. pp. 89–97. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  223. ↑ Kraus, Alex (August 30, 2006). "'Dirge of Cerberus' defies expectations, for better and worse". USA Today . Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  224. ↑ Satterfield, Shane; Fielder, Lauren (2001). "15 Most Influential Games of All Time". GameSpot . CNET. Archived from the original on May 20, 2007. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  225. ↑ Boba Fatt; GamePros (April 25, 2007). "Feature: The 52 Most Important Video Games of All Time (page 4 of 8)". GamePro. Archived from the original on September 13, 2008. Retrieved April 25, 2007.
  226. ↑ "20 Games That Changed Gaming Forever". GamePro . PC World. June 24, 2009. Archived from the original on March 14, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  227. ↑ Loguidice, Bill; Barton, Matt (2012). "Final Fantasy (VII): It's Never Final in the World of Final Fantasy". Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time. CRC Press. pp. 77–92. ISBN   978-1-136-13758-7. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  228. ↑ "Record Breaking Games: Role-Playing Games". Guinness World Records 2009 Gamer's Edition. Guinness World Records. Guinness. February 3, 2009. pp.  174–175. ISBN   978-1-904994-45-9.
  229. ↑ Craig, Timothy J. (2000). Japan Pop!: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture. M.E. Sharpe. p.  140. ISBN   0-7656-0561-9.
  230. ↑ Kuchera, Ben (May 23, 2006). "Robot Chicken pokes fun at Final Fantasy". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  231. ↑ "Adventure Log". VG Cats. Archived from the original on April 18, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  232. ↑ "Final Fantasy Retrospective Part III". GameTrailers. July 30, 2007. Archived from the original on June 9, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  233. ↑ "Nobuo Uematsu's Profile". Square Enix. Archived from the original on August 8, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  234. ↑ "The Black Mages-Darkness and Starlight" (in Japanese). Dog Ear Records. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  235. ↑ "Final Fantasy X Ultimania Guide". IGN. August 20, 2001. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  236. ↑ "Square Enix Game Books Online" (in Japanese). Square Enix. Archived from the original on August 31, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  237. ↑ "Molyneux: Final Fantasy VII Defined the RPG Genre". Gematsu. September 23, 2008. Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  238. ↑ "Gamers Heart Japan (54 minutes)". YouTube . GameSpot. April 3, 2011. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  239. ↑ Kamen, Matt (January 29, 2015). "How The Witcher III deals with art and sex in games". Wired . Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  240. ↑ "BioWare: Final Fantasy movie influenced Mass Effect". Gematsu. June 28, 2011. Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  241. ↑ Totilo, Stephen (October 19, 2009). "You Can Play Dragon Age: Origins Sort Of Like Four Other Games". Kotaku . Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  242. ↑ "Gamers Heart Japan (7 minutes)". YouTube . GameSpot. April 3, 2011. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  243. ↑ "Gamers Heart Japan (30 minutes)". YouTube . GameSpot. April 3, 2011. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  244. ↑ "Gamers Heart Japan (32 minutes)". YouTube . GameSpot. April 3, 2011. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  245. ↑ Joshua, Orpheus. "Gaming Magazine ‘Lost in Cult’ Reveals Final Fantasy Artwork by Yoshitaka Amano Depicting Terra Branford", Noisy Pixel, 18 October 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  246. ↑ Kietzmann, Ludwig (October 3, 2007). "Haloid creator mashes up Final Fantasy and Dead or Alive | Joystiq". Joystiq. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  247. ↑ Sweet, Meredith (July 7, 2009). "GD at AX: Interview with Monty Oum". Gaming Dead. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  248. ↑ de Klerk, Rick (February 2, 2015). "Monty Oum, creator of RWBY, Dead Fantasy, has died". NAG. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.