Final Fantasy, created by Japanese game designer Hironobu Sakaguchi, is a science fantasy franchise that has taken the world by storm ever since it was first released way back in 1987. This is thanks to multiple storylines and genres such as third-person shooter, tactical role-playing, fighting, action role-playing and rhythm.

Each instalment of Final Fantasy has different characters, settings and stories, but they all feature the elements that help to define this popular franchise. For example, the plots always focus on heroes who have to fight a greater and ancient evil while also battling with their own internal issues and relationships.

Gameplay

When playing Final Fantasy, players take charge of different characters as they make their way through the story mode. Players come across enemies randomly while exploring and during battle they issue combat commands such as ”magic,” ”fight,” and ”item.” Throughout the series, different battle systems have been used to help keep the games interesting.

For example, before Final Fantasy XI the antagonists and protagonists took it in turns to make their move. For Final Fantasy IV, the active time battle was introduced which required players to make a move before the enemy attacked. This system was used all the way up until Final Fantasy X.

Reception and Critical Response

Overall, we think that it’s safe to say that Final Fantasy has been a commercial success. In the 31 years that it has been in existence, the different episodes have raked in combined sales of 135 million. In fact, in 2007, the 7th, 8th, and 9th best-selling RPGs were Final Fantasy XII, XII, and X.

The series has received a lot of critical acclaim for its soundtracks and visuals, and rightfully so. In 1996, it was ranked as the 17th best game ever by Next Generation. In 2006, it earned a star on the Walk of Game – the first franchise to win a star at this event.