Everybody's favorite role playing series.. yay..
The Evolution of Final Fantasy
From I to XII, we catch you up on the facts.
by Patrick Kolan, IGN AU
Australia, January 18, 2007 - If we were to call you a 'spoony bard', how would you take it? Would you laugh it off knowingly? Or would you tell us to lay off the crack? For fans of the Final Fantasy series, that expression is the stuff of campfire lore, on par with some of the great gaming catchphrases of our time.
However, twelve games in (or more than 20, if you count spin-offs, portable versions and semi-sequels), the series still remains veiled and intimidating for some gamers. How can a series span so many iterations of consoles, break past the language barrier and still come out with core games that rank amongst some of the finest of all time? Welcome to the evolution of the Final Fantasy series - a crash course through what has made Square Enix's series so loved and longed for by fans all over the world, and how Final Fantasy XII represents the culmination of almost two decades of sterling gameplay and design.
1) The Basics:
There are a few elements that are featured in every core, Roman-numeric Final Fantasy game. Consider these staple components that fans can reasonably expect to see in each iteration - although, not necessarily. But before we dive into those, why 'Final' Fantasy? Back in the day, when Squaresoft was still very much separate from their competitors, Enix, the company was in dire straits. With finances dwindling, then-designer Hironobu Sakaguchi pitched one last game, a 'final fantasy' for the company before he retired, if you'll indulge. Ultimately, the game was a hit and Sakaguchi never ended up retiring. Years later, the name has become as much of a brand as Squaresoft's logo ever was.
[SIZE=-1]What series drove these cosplayers to disgrace themselves so? Final Fantasy, of course![/SIZE]
The Prelude theme:
A classic and simple harpsichord theme that has been present in the series since the first game. Based around a short piece by Bach, the Prelude plays either during the opening titles sequences, during the end credits or after your entire party has been defeated during battle, causing a game over. It is easily as recognisable in gaming circles as the Mario Bros. theme or Sonic the Hedgehog's title screen pop.
Character classes:
With an emphasis on, unsurprisingly, fantasy, the cast of characters in each game has been filled out by magicians, thieves, bards, knights, rogues, warlocks and hunters. However, since the SNES era titles, they are rarely labelled as such - and particularly in the PlayStation's VII and VIII stories, where these roles are never implicitly spelled out. However, in the original NES game, you were actually able to assign classes to each of your characters, which is something that hasn't been repeated since.
In XII, classes remain broad and undefined - though, certain characters are definitely skewed towards physical or magical means of attack. Vaan, for instance, fits into the classic description of a thief; however, his skills are far deeper and more varied than he might outwardly suggest.
[SIZE=-1]FF XII is the culmination of concepts established almost two decades ago.[/SIZE]
The Menus:
Being a 'traditional' turn-based role-playing game, menus are an integral part of the Final Fantasy mythos. For many, this is a major detractor and significant reason why they haven't touched the series. However, it should be understood that the menu system is, in fact, a lot more straightforward than it seems. During battle sequences, you can choose from a variety of different tactics: Fight, Magic, Skill, Item, Steal, Run, Summon and several others at your disposal. In a lot of ways, the system is an extension of ideas established by the tabletop Dungeons and Dragons games - but there are no rolls, saving throws or otherwise. Damage is calculated differently, and experience points gained, skills learned and summons mastered all work to a different, more precise end.
The other half of the menu scale is responsible for the back end. With a game of this depth, a system was devised to keep track of each of your character's skill progression, items collected, and tasks undertaken. The complexity and depth of these menus has increased dramatically since the jump to disc-based media. By Final Fantasy VIII, which introduced the Junctioning system, gamers decried the overwhelming nature of the sliding field boxes, percentage signs, elements and virtually infinite combinations that could be tinkered with. It was almost a case of too much freedom and flexibility becoming a major detractor. Final Fantasy XII retains the depth of previous menus, while adopting skill growth trees that are similar in approach to Final Fantasy X's Sphere Grid.
As outlined in greater detail below, the skills system, known as Licences, requires characters 'earn' the right to use skills, weapons and armour before you can equip them. This is tracked on a checkerboard that is progressively unlocked with each licence earned.
2) Setting the Scene:
The Story:
Arguably from the first, and definitely since the fourth title in the series, each story line has pulled at the heartstrings. Each tale is rich with back-story and mythology - generally standalone in nature from game to game. Often times, what might initially seem to be the main thread of plot, takes a backseat to the emotional dealings of the main characters by the end of the game. In Final Fantasy XII, what appears to be a 'North versus South' battle of empires is actually a cleverly staged background for the characters to be developed. The narrative structure also jumps around through time, adding to the rich tale - though, this is definitely nothing new for the series.
Flawed Heroes:
Nobody likes a goody-two shoes, particularly as the sole hero of the game. We want troubled, embattled and passionate characters with deep-seeded emotional flaws and a sense of duty that has more-or-less been thrust upon them, rather than adopted by their own choosing. It was difficult to express visual angst back in the days of sprites and scrolling, but Terra and Locke, from VI sit on par as some of the most interesting characters in the series. Cloud, the troubled ex-Soldier lead from VII and Squall from VIII both had massive chips on their shoulders - to the point where Squall really irritated some fans. Subsequent games have had more light-hearted leads.
Final Fantasy XII's cast is numerous and varied - as one would expect - and with a decidedly feminine, western slant on the character designs. However, there is a healthy (or perhaps unhealthy) dose of intrigue and questionable morals injected early into the game that establishes the lead character, Vaan, as a streetwise youth with seemingly the right mix of naivety and strength. Then there's Ashe, a sweet but tough princess, Basch fon Ronsenberg, a knight and seemingly traitor, Fran, the adorable bunny-eared hottie who is sure to send furry-lovers into a tizzy and several others who join in along the journey.
[SIZE=-1]Humble beginnings: Fantasy I and II remade on the Game Boy Advance.[/SIZE]
Brilliant Villains:
What's the point of spending 80 hours trying to defeat an enemy you don't really care about enough to defeat? To fans of the series, two names immediately spring to mind when discussing the vilest of the vile - Kuja, who poisons families for his own twisted amusement, and Sepheroth, who has one heck of an identity crisis. Both are classic examples of the series' ability to inject timeless personality and menace into digital characters.
In XII, the enemy is a warring faction - a much broader focus than past efforts. Yet, the opportunity for a 'face of evil' behind the threat still exists. By banding together, the characters set out to liberate their home city and rid the nation of political oppression. Along the way, there are plenty of opportunities to crack a few skulls and take down key targets.
Summons:
Magical and sacred, Summons are effectively massive damage-dealers used in the heat of battle. Called upon by a magic-focussed character, they can turn the tide of battle and are best saved for massive boss battles or swarms of foes. Throughout the series, they have been known under many different names - Eidolons, Guardian Forces, Elemental Forces. As was the case in VI, XII refers to these beasts as Espers - their abilities remain potent and, unlike Final Fantasy X, they are AI controlled during battle.
[SIZE=-1]Chocobos. They're big, yellow bipedal transport conveniences. And they taste like chicken.[/SIZE]
Moogles and Chocobos:
Fantasical lands need fantastical creatures, and these are two of the series' mainstays. Question: what do you get when you cross a chicken with Big Bird? Answer: a Chocobo - a large, traditionally (but not necessarily) yellow, flightless, bipedal mode of transport. Ridden like an ostrich or emu, these have been kicking up dirt since Final Fantasy II. By Final Fantasy XII, they are being ridden into battle, armoured troops astride their backs.
Moogles, on the other hand, are short, stout, white, and look uncannily like teddy bears with bulbed antennae on their heads. They are, in fact, a fully-fledged species with a social structure, close-knit families and active social lives. Their distinctive 'kupo!' call is about as adorable as they look. Up to Final Fantasy VII, they've been more-or-less minor characters, but the race is gaining in prominence in the overall plot of the game. By XII, they manufacture war machines and defend their own nation with vigour. They retain their cute appearance, however, despite their professional engineering abilities.
Cid:
Having appeared in every Final Fantasy game since II, Cid is a recurring name, rather than a recurring character. His inclusion in the games is generally tied to airships, such as in VII, when Cid was a grounded astronaut. However, he wasn't actually a playable character before Final Fantasy IV. In XII, Cid is actually 'Doctor Cidolfus Demen Bunansa' - an evil airship designer. His crooked deeds are a first for the series.
Biggs and Wedge:
A little running gag within the series, Biggs and Wedge are references to the two Star Wars characters of the same name. They begin to appear throughout the series as comic relief from VI onwards. By XII, they are referred to as 'Gibbs and Deweg' - an obvious retooling of their names.
3) What's New?
Final Fantasy XII revisits the world of Ivalice, originally featured in Final Fantasy Tactics and explored further in Tactics Advance on the Game Boy Advance. However, the world and inhabitants are far more fleshed out in this game. Really, it's a fresh experience that bears only a passing resemblance to the portable version.
The world map shows that Ivalice is divided between three continents: Ordalia, Valendia, and Kerwon. Ordalia is located in the western part of Ivalice. Valendia is the home of Imperial Archadia. Dalmasca, a small kingdom sandwiched between the two continents and Empires, is central to the story, and is a lush and fertile middle ground between the harsh heat and cold of the north and south.
[SIZE=-1]The new combat system in action.[/SIZE]
Combat:
Random battles, something of a hallmark of the series, have quietly been shown the door, in favour of enemies that are fully visible in the environment. This has forced an overhaul to the way in which players deal and are dealt damage. The same basic menu still appears at the bottom of the screen, brought up by hitting X. If there is an enemy in your area, you can choose to attack. Doing so creates a thin, blue glowing arc between you and your enemy, indicating you have targeted them. Similarly, a red arc will appear if you are being attacked.
ATB, or Active Time Battle, still applies, where you can choose to freeze time or let it play out in real-time. Interestingly, because combat no longer takes place in a separate arena, you are no longer limited to controlling three or four characters in a line. Instead, a kind of squad-mechanic comes into play, where you control the main character initially, and half a dozen AI characters will fight alongside you.
Gambits:
In a nutshell, Initiating a physical attack is no longer fully-automated, with your character leaping into the fray. Instead, you must be in close proximity to your target to land the blow. To simplify things, however, your character can be made to attack or cast magic automatically until the enemy is defeated and the battle won. This too, is a new approach to the traditionally manual process of assigning tactics. Each Gambit consists of three parts: a target, an action and a priority. The target specifies which ally or foe to act on and the condition for applying the action.
[SIZE=-1]The new Licence system is similar to FFX's skill tree.[/SIZE]
Licence System:
An extension of the Sphere Grid system in Final Fantasy X, this time each character has a chequered, asymmetrical board that will gradually be filled with abilities that you choose to unlock. By gaining experience, you can steer each character towards whatever types of abilities are best suited to his skills.
This is also how you unlock the 'right' to use weapons, armour and other unique abilities. Simply finding an item doesn't mean you can automatically equip it - the licensing system adds an interesting extra step that makes you 'earn' your new gear. For purists, or those accustomed to the previously simplified item-equip process, this is a brave new world to be explored.
4) What's Next:
With as many years in the market, countless spin-offs, films, anime, and a legion of dedicated cosplay enthusiasts in tow, we've barely tapped the root of the Final Fantasy series. As Final Fantasy XII creeps ever closer to its February 22 release in Australia, we'll be delving even further into the series, as well as what you can expect in volume twelve.
Are you a die-hard Final Fantasy devout? What's your favourite game in the series? Or are you new to the series? Share your valued thoughts with other gamers in the IGN AU forums.
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