Fortress (cancelled video game)

Last updated
Fortress
Fortress - Judge.jpg
Concept art by Tony Holmsten, one of the artists for the game.
Developer(s) Grin
Publisher(s) Square Enix
Director(s) Ulf Andersson
Designer(s) Erik Lindqvist
Artist(s) Ulf Andersson
Anders De Geer
Björn Albihn
Writer(s) Ulf Andersson
Composer(s) Erik Thunberg
Series Final Fantasy
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
ReleaseCancelled
Genre(s) Action role-playing game

Fortress is the code name of a cancelled action role-playing video game that was in development by Swedish game developer Grin. Director Ulf Andersson devised the concept for Fortress before preproduction began in the second half of 2008. During development, Square Enix approached the developer and proposed making the game a spin-off of Final Fantasy XII . Grin reconceived the game in the recurring Final Fantasy world of Ivalice, and included elements of XII, such as stylistic motifs and character designs; additional elements included chocobos and other recurring creatures from the Final Fantasy series. It was to be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Contents

During development, Square Enix did not pay Grin over several months and disapproved of the game's Nordic art style. Grin worked to bring the game's art style closer to the Final Fantasy series, but after six months of development was told that no funding would ever come from Square Enix, and the developer filed for bankruptcy several days later. Word of the project leaked out through art portfolios of those who worked on the project and even a tech demo surfaced.

In 2011, Fortress was thought to have been in development by an undisclosed studio, but this was also suspended, and the game was not released in any form.

Premise

According to scenario writer Ulf Andersson, the story was set several years after the events of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings . The plot revolved a magical fortress designed to defend Ivalice from a being known as the Sea King Loemund, who rose every 10,000 years to attempt to conquer the land. During his last attempt, he was slain and his crown was lost in the fortress. Though the myth is mostly disregarded, the story is believed by Basch fon Ronsenburg, now serving the current Archadian Emperor Larsa Solidor under the name of "Judge Gabranth". Marching to the fortress' location, he and his forces would have needed to fend off the forces of Loemund, who seeks vengeance against his killer's descendant Queen Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca. A central character plot was to be a romantic connection between Basch and Ashe that would fade as Larsa and Ashe grew closer and Basch became entrenched in his fight against Loemund. Other characters involved included the sky pirate Balthier, and earlier main protagonists Vaan and Penelo. A new character, a demigod named Laegd, would join Basch after being defeated in single combat. The main aim of the story was to bring the entire cast of Final Fantasy XII back together for a final fight to save Ivalice. [1]

Development

Gameplay combat test of two characters from the leaked tech demo. Fortress tech demo.jpg
Gameplay combat test of two characters from the leaked tech demo.

Fortress started out as an original fantasy game concept designed by Ulf Andersson, Grin's co-founder. [2] Preproduction began in the second half of 2008. [3] Lead character artist Björn Albihn described Fortress as "a game with an epic scale both in story and production values". [4] The project was developed on a game engine compatible with Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. [4] The development team, led by Andersson as a creative director, produced concept art and 3D assets under art director Anders De Geer and Albihn. [4] [5] The game design was led by technical artist Erik Lindqvist. [6] The art style of the game was supposed to be realistic and similar to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim according to Guillaumue Mraz, a level designer at Grin. [7]

The game was pitched to various publishers, and the Japanese gaming company Square Enix took an interest in the project. Square Enix president Yoichi Wada visited Grin several times, and liked the action role-playing game concept and its Nordic visual style. [2] [7] After getting the chance to see a boss fight from Bionic Commando , which at the time was being developed by Grin for the Japanese company Capcom, Wada said he had seen enough, and decided that Square Enix would publish Fortress as a Final Fantasy spin-off. [2]

Once it became a Final Fantasy title, the Grin founders wanted to come in and revolutionize Final Fantasy in new ways with their project. [8] Fortress was to be set in the fictional world of Ivalice, specifically the version seen in Final Fantasy XII , only set some time in the future. [7] [9] In addition to many original characters and locations, concept art for the game included the character Ashe and a Judge from Final Fantasy XII, as well as chocobos and other recurring creatures of the Final Fantasy series. [4] [5] [10] [11] A portfolio video created by lead technical artist Anders Bodbacka revealed that Larsa Solidor and Basch fon Ronsenburg from Final Fantasy XII were also to be featured. [12] The setting was to be different from a normal Final Fantasy game, with familiar characters exploring a "Nordic" version of Final Fantasy, and "primarily set in a massive fortress" according to Linda Dahlberg, a Grin associate producer. [7] Other landscapes such as plains, forests, deserts and snowfields were also designed. [4] [5] [10] [11]

Invaders from the sea were to be the main enemies of the game. They were visually based on the Vikings and wielded armor and weapons decorated with sea and sea monster imagery. Planned boss battles included fighting a gargantuan version of the Final Fantasy monster Malboro, where the player would use the seaweed on its back to climb on top of it and drop bombs on the creature's weak spots. [4] According to a design document, the game was divided into at least seven chapters, starting at the gate of the Fortress and leading up to the top of the stronghold. [13] Grin's music director Erik Thunberg was responsible for the game's score, including a track that features a rearrangement of the "Prelude" theme from the Final Fantasy series. [14] [15] [16]

Cancellation

Square Enix was supposed to pay Grin US$16.5 million for the production of Fortress in successive waves in accordance with the project's milestones. No payments were made during the first two months of development, but Grin's co-founder Bo Andersson was initially not worried as he considered delayed payments common and had faith in the project. However, several more months went by without payments, costing the studio 12 million kr a month. Grin closed all of their offices except for the main one in Stockholm, but still no money came. [2] In 2009, Grin released Terminator Salvation , Wanted: Weapons of Fate , and Bionic Commando to negative reviews and poor sales, which caused further financial woes and seemed to make Square Enix nervous. [2] [3] [7] The publisher wanted updates and asked that all of the game's assets, including the code, the music files, and even the game's developer language be faxed to them. This move was described as impossible and "almost a criminal behavior" by Andersson. [7] [17]

Square Enix had changed its mind, and no longer liked the Nordic style of this spin-off game, so a last-minute style change was attempted. [2] The game had been such a well-guarded secret, and had been through so many changes, that most employees did not know they had been working on a Final Fantasy game until very late in development. [7] Grin attempted to change the art style to fit more with traditional Final Fantasy games, but still did not receive any positive feedback. In response, Grin sent Square Enix an image of one of the latter's own games, Final Fantasy XII, and were told that it does not look like a game in Final Fantasy's style. [2] [17] Following that exchange, Grin came to the conclusion that there was no longer any way to satisfy the publisher. [2]

In early August 2009, a call was received from Square Enix telling them that no payments were coming. [2] Grin's founders considered suing, but had run out of money, leading them to stop production after six months of work. Furthermore, Grin ceased production on all of their other projects and declared bankruptcy due to Sweden's severe laws against operating businesses under a debt load. [2] [3] [18] Magnus Ihrefors, one of the 3D artists who worked on the project, stated that he had only found out about the game's cancellation in August, but it was like a "punch in the belly" for their last chance to get on track again. [7] The developer closed its offices on August 12, stating that delayed payments from "too many publishers" caused "an unbearable cashflow situation" and referred to Fortress in a farewell note as an "unreleased masterpiece that [they] weren't allowed to finish". [19] [20] According to the bankruptcy papers, Square Enix felt that the development goals for Fortress "had not been met in a satisfactory way", whereas Andersson claimed the contrary, arguing that the milestones initially set up with a producer from Square Enix had been met. [2] Mraz stated that Grin seemed to have ignored Square Enix's requests for changes, and the Final Fantasy franchise was too important to overlook this behavior. [7] The Anderssons later called the game's cancellation a "betrayal", and said they have never received any payment for the initial work done on the game. [21]

Aftermath

After Grin's closure, the former existence of Fortress spread as mentions and concept art of the project appeared on former employees' resumes and portfolios. [9] In January 2010, footage from an alleged tech demo of Fortress was leaked onto the Internet. The video description stated the game's events are "set some time after Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings " and mentioned Square Enix's subsidiary Eidos Montreal as a possible new home for the project. [22] [23] Replying to a fan question in May, David Hoffman, director of business development at the North American branch of Square Enix, mentioned Fortress without confirming its existence, also saying that he had no involvement in the rumored project. [24] The Fortress project, still supported by Square Enix, was for a time being developed by a different, undisclosed studio, but this ended as well. [25] At an interview at the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Motomu Toriyama of Square Enix said that Fortress was suspended, saying that the game "won't be released". [25] In 2012, music director Erik Thunberg posted a music track intended for the game. [16]

Related Research Articles

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

Final Fantasy Tactics is a 1997 tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. Released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998 by Sony Computer Entertainment, it is the first game of the Tactics series within the Final Fantasy franchise, and the first entry set in the fictional world later known as Ivalice. The story follows Ramza Beoulve, a highborn cadet placed in the middle of a military conflict known as The Lion War, where two opposing noble factions are coveting the throne of the kingdom.

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

Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its RPG franchises, such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Star Ocean, and Kingdom Hearts, 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.

Yasumi Matsuno is a Japanese video game designer. Matsuno was first introduced to video games in arcades while waiting for the train, and first played Space Invaders and Xevious there. He attended Hosei University for foreign policy but dropped out, and after working for a time as an economic reporter, he joined Quest Corporation.

<i>Final Fantasy XII</i> 2006 video game

Final Fantasy XII is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. The twelfth main installment of the Final Fantasy series, it was first released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. It introduced several innovations to the series: an open world; a seamless battle system; a controllable camera; a customizable "gambit" system, which lets the player control the artificial intelligence (AI) of characters in battle; a "license" system, which determines what abilities and equipment can be used by characters; and hunting side quests, which allows the player to find and defeat increasingly difficult monsters in the game's open world. Final Fantasy XII also includes elements from previous games in the series, such as Chocobos and Moogles.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivalice</span> Fictional universe setting

Ivalice is a fictional universe setting primarily appearing in the Final Fantasy video game series. The world was created by Yasumi Matsuno and has since been expanded upon by several games as the Ivalice Alliance series. Ivalice is described as a complex world with a very long history, and the stories of Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy XII take place in it.

Vaan is a fictional character in the Final Fantasy series from Square Enix. Created by Yasumi Matsuno and designed by Akihiko Yoshida, he first appeared in Itadaki Street Special and then appeared in Final Fantasy XII as the protagonist. Final Fantasy XII establishes Vaan as an orphaned teenager from Rabanastre who dreams of becoming a sky pirate. He and his best friend Penelo join Dalmasca Princess Ashe in her fight against the tyranny of the Archadian Empire. Vaan also takes a more active role in the sequel Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings and has also been featured in few Final Fantasy crossover games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akitoshi Kawazu</span> Japanese video game producer and designer

Akitoshi Kawazu is a Japanese game designer, director, producer and writer. After joining Square in 1985, he went on to become a central developer for the first two Final Fantasy titles, then acted as creator and lead developer for the SaGa series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balthier</span> Fictional character in Final Fantasy

Balthier is a 25-year-old fictional character in the Final Fantasy series, and a protagonist in Final Fantasy XII. He was designed by Akihiko Yoshida, was voiced by Gideon Emery and Hiroaki Hirata in the English and Japanese versions respectively, and is one of the most positively received characters of the game, compared by some to the likes of James Bond and Han Solo.

Characters of <i>Final Fantasy XII</i>

Final Fantasy XII, a role-playing video game released by Square Enix in 2006, revolves around the attempt to liberate the kingdom of Dalmasca from the Archadian Empire. The story is told through the eyes of Vaan, an orphan who wishes to be a sky pirate, and the cadre of other characters he encounters throughout the adventure. The visuals of the characters were designed by Akihiko Yoshida, while their stories were created by Daisuke Watanabe. The characters were designed to look and behave unlike any that had existed in the Final Fantasy series. Their stories were written to create a script where neither side was truly right or wrong, but instead just had different opinions and interpretations of the events occurring in the game.

Hiroyuki Ito, is a Japanese game producer, director and designer who works for Square Enix. He is known as the director of Final Fantasy VI (1994), Final Fantasy IX (2000) and Final Fantasy XII (2006) and as the creator of the Active Time Battle (ATB) system in the Final Fantasy series.

<i>Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings</i> 2007 video game

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings is a real-time tactical role-playing game developed by Think & Feel and Square Enix and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS. It is a stand-alone title related to the 2006 PlayStation 2 role-playing video game Final Fantasy XII.

<i>Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift</i> 2007 video game

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. Releasing in 2007 in Japan and 2008 in the West, the game is a sequel to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and forms part of the Ivalice Alliance, a group of games set in the titular fictional universe. The game features cameo appearances from central and supporting characters from Final Fantasy XII, a title set in Ivalice.

<i>Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions</i> 2007 video game

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). The game is an updated version of Final Fantasy Tactics made for the PlayStation, which was released in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grin (company)</span> Swedish video game developer

Grin was a video game developer based in Stockholm, Sweden. Founded by Bo and Ulf Andersson in 1997, Grin worked on numerous titles for the PC, consoles and arcade. Grin filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and was closed on August 12, 2009, and its founders went on to create Overkill Software.

The Japanese video game developer and publisher Square Enix has been translating its games for North America since the late 1980s, and the PAL region and Asia since the late 1990s. It has not always released all of its games in all major regions, and continues to selectively release games even today depending on multiple factors such as the viability of platforms or the condition of the game itself. The process of localization has changed during that time from having a one-person team with a short time and tight memory capacities to having a team of translators preparing simultaneous launches in multiple languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isamu Kamikokuryo</span> Japanese video game artist (born 1970)

Isamu Kamikokuryo is a Japanese video game artist who worked at Square Enix until his resignation on March 31, 2017. He is known for his work on the company's role-playing video game series Final Fantasy, for which he designed locations and characters. Among others, he was involved in the Ivalice Alliance and Fabula Nova Crystallis franchises.

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 title 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: these include plot themes and motifs, gameplay mechanics, and visual elements.

References

  1. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (October 6, 2015). "The Canceled Final Fantasy XII Sequel: Narrative and Gameplay Revealed". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Ottsjö, Peter (May 28, 2011). "Strypta av speljätten" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 "Grin's Final Fantasy spin-off still in development". GamesIndustry.biz. September 21, 2009. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Albihn, Björn. ""Fortress" - Portfolio of Björn Albihn". Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 Hellstedt, Joakim (September 9, 2009). "Online Portfolio of Joakim Hellstedt". Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  6. ↑ Lindqvist, Erik (February 13, 2012). "Erik Lindqvist" (in Swedish). LinkedIn. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Failed Fantasy". Play UK. imagine publishing (227): 54–57. 2013. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  8. ↑ Grant, Christopher (May 29, 2011). "GRIN founders say Square Enix turned their smiles upside down". Joystiq. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
  9. 1 2 King, Ryan (August 20, 2009). "Grin was working on Final Fantasy game". Official Xbox 360 Magazine. Archived from the original on August 22, 2009. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  10. 1 2 Plunkett, Luke (June 29, 2011). "Tony Holmsten's Video Game Art Is a Final Fantasy". Kotaku. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  11. 1 2 Holmsten, Tony (August 29, 2010). "Tony Holmsten's Portfolio". Archived from the original on October 31, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  12. ↑ Anders Bodbacka (May 4, 2010). "New portfolio video". Wordpress. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  13. ↑ Good, Owen (September 13, 2009). "A Final Look Inside Grin's "Fortress"". Kotaku. Archived from the original on November 1, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  14. ↑ Thunberg, Erik (January 23, 2012). "Erik Thunberg - Sweden". LinkedIn. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  15. ↑ Thunberg, Erik (January 18, 2010). "starsounds.net". Archived from the original on April 8, 2005. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  16. 1 2 Gilbert, Ben (February 20, 2012). "Music from Grin's canned Final Fantasy game 'Fortress' found unguarded". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 2015-04-20. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  17. 1 2 Pereira, Chris (May 31, 2011). "Grin Forced to Close Because Square Enix Didn't Pay for Unannounced Final Fantasy, Founders Claim". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  18. ↑ Dustin, Quillen (August 20, 2009). "Grin Was Working on an Unannounced Final Fantasy Project". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  19. ↑ Rob, Crossley (August 12, 2009). "Grin 'forced' to close down". Develop . Archived from the original on March 14, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  20. ↑ Hinkle, David (August 20, 2009). "GRIN's 'unreleased masterpiece' was a Final Fantasy game codenamed 'Fortress'". Joystiq. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  21. ↑ Gera, Emily (August 12, 2013). "Canceled Final Fantasy 12 spin-off gets huge video and image compilation". Polygon. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  22. ↑ Cullen, Johnny (January 18, 2010). "Video of GRIN's Final Fantasy project leaked, was an FFXII spin-off". VG 24/7. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  23. ↑ King, Ryan (January 18, 2010). "Tech demo of cancelled Final Fantasy". Official Xbox 360 Magazine . Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  24. ↑ Sal Romano (May 27, 2010). "Square Enix's "Project X" is not Fortress". Scrawl. Archived from the original on March 14, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
  25. 1 2 Smith, Jamin (September 6, 2011). "Final Fantasy XII spin-off Fortress 'suspended'". VideoGamer. Archived from the original on 2015-01-20. Retrieved March 5, 2013.

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.