The Next Fantasy

Final Fantasy has been delighting fans of the RPG genre for just over two decades.  Moreover the series is often credited with establishing RPG’s as a commercially viable format.  The original game in the series provided many gamers with their first taste of role playing, at least in console form which in turn created a rabid fan base whose members eagerly await the smallest bits of information surrounding each new entry into the series.

Throughout its two decades of existence the Final Fantasy series has accomplished some fairly significant feats.  From establishing staples of the console RPG genre, to shattering RPG and many of its own clichés, and providing gamers with new and engaging environments, the Final Fantasy series has practically done it all.  One of the biggest questions fans of the series often ask is “what are they going to do next”?  Many of these same fans have been waiting for a black eye entry into the series given the fact that the creative forces behind the games have almost always come up with fresh ideas for both storytelling and game play mechanics. While almost every fan can cite at least one entry into the series that they consider lackluster or a disappointment, there is no black sheep in the Final Fantasy family.

With so many brilliant ideas, locales, and variations on gameplay what’s left for the esteemed series?  Final Fantasy XIII won’t be available until sometime in 2009 however it too is looking like it will be yet another solid entry into series, even if it does appear that it’s only improving on the things Final Fantasy XII did. Additionally it would be foolish to think that Final Fantasy XIV and XV aren’t already on the drawing board or at the very least in the concept stages of development however the question must be asked again, “what are they going to do next?”

Whether or not anyone at Square-Enix has given it serious thought, a Final Fantasy game that unites all heroes of past installments for some sort of mega showdown against an ultimate evil would work well provided that returning characters aren’t merely thrown into the game for some type of fan service.  Of course the very nature of such a game has fan service written all over it, though the RPG market and Final Fantasy fans are primed for such a game. Throughout this decade alone Square-Enix has released direct sequels to different Final Fantasy installments, which is something they previously avoided.  The constant release of such sequels and even remakes of some of the older entries are proof that fans of Final Fantasy are indeed hungry for more of their favorite characters and worlds.  Furthermore this trend shows that these gamers are open to the idea of seeing more from their favorites.

If the idea of such a game is ever to be entertained however, again it must be stressed that the inclusion or exclusion of characters, items, monsters, worlds, locales, and music must appear because they are relevant to the story and are not there simply for nostalgic reasons.  Fans of the series would no doubt expect a deep, emotional, and complex story to move the game along and while there might those who would butcher such a game, those responsible for previous entries into the series would certainly take great care in putting this game and its story together.

In what setting and context this game would take place in is anybody’s guess though fans should expect surprises aplenty and hopefully something extraordinary that draws all heroes and their worlds together.  With any luck a Final Fantasy game of this magnitude will also allow its players to explore complete worlds seen in previous entries as well as the universe the game begins or is set in.  As this game is likely one that would cause fans to salivate profusely Square-Enix would be wise to up the play time in such a game.  With a number of large storage mediums available there is no reason a game like this should be restricted to the industry standard 40 hours of game play.  The target audience for a game like this would be the hardcore fans of previous Final Fantasy games, none of which would complain about a quest two or three times that length. Final Fantasy could set the bar at a much higher level here and redefine another industry standard.

It’s difficult to ascertain whether or not this games concept would ever be considered on any type of serious level within Square-Enix however gamers can always hope.  Stranger things have happened in the world of gaming and games that have gone without sequels for twenty years are now receiving their next installments, though it is likely gamers will be standing in line to buy Sega’s Dreamcast 2 before this Final Fantasy ever sees the light of day.