Evolution of Final Fantasy

Me wants to dedicate a post entirely for my favorite game.

My inspiration.


My one and only passion.


My oxygen.........


FINAL FANTASY!!!

*hears people yelling "nerd!... Otaku!!" from a distance*

I'm not the BIGGEST FAN but surely I am die-hard.

I have played Final Fantasy I:Mystic Quest(completed), FFIV (completed), FFV (completed), FFVI (completed), FFVII (completed), FFVII Dirge of Cerberus (still playing), FFVIII (completed), FFIX (completed), FFX (completed), FFX-2 (still playing) and lastly FFXII also still in playing.

Let's see. That's like 1... 2... 3... a total of 11 Final Fantasy installments that I've played.
I don't look like a gamer, do I?

LOL.

Have you ever even seen how was I like at home?

Main topic : Evolution of Final Fantasy graphic and technology!

Remember the old-time FF pixel art for Gameboy and SNES? The one with cartoonish characters with over-sized heads and that just makes you wanna giggle and the monophonic background music? Well, that was dated way back in 1987 up to 1997 until FF7 was released. FF7 was the kick-start of the series' dawn of 3D rendered computer graphics.

Final Fantasy IV for SNES.Party of allied characters on right hand side as follows are; Kain, Rosa, Paladin Cecil, Lydia and lastly ninja guy, tak tau la nama.

Then in 2007, Square-Enix released a remake of FFIV for Nintendo DS.
Reprogrammed into full 3D!

Characters in pic from left; Kain, Paladin Cecil, and the woman is Rosa.
Then what about the green pixeled female character, Lydia?

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Square-Enix made her sexy in 3D.



Lydia, the summoner!

NEXT. In 1997, Square (Square-Enix's former name) released FF7.

I can't help but to laugh at the squarish, box-like arms. Fufufufu.... Nonetheless, this game is STILL my top favorite FF over the years. Why? The storyline is way too good that it's dubbed "the game that sold PlayStation ONE".

Yeah, that's Cloud da man.

8 years later, Advent Children was released and Cloud became.........


...the object of every fangirl's *beep* fantasy.


Mmm~ I like you too, Cloud. But Sephiroth came first and stole my heart.

Then there's Reno. Who could ever forget this vivacious dude?

Reno of Turks in Final Fantasy VII.
He looks... Umm what's the word.......

POLYGONAL.

But he'll never look the same again since Advent Children.

Blehk... Ain't I good lookin'?

1999! Final Fantasy 8 was released. Like FF7, the computer graphic is divided into...

...gameplay graphics....

...and fully CGed full motion video(FMV) graphics.

Both FFX and FFX-2 made me "WOW... So real-like."

Final Fantasy X, released in 2001. FFX is the series' first ever game for PlayStation 2.

In 2003, Final Fantasy X-2 was released, a sequel to FFX.

In 2006, Square-Enix released Final Fantasy XII which became the fourth best-selling PlayStation 2 game of 2006 worldwide.

Probably following up to FFXI Online, Square-Enix decided to make FF12 a game which allows players to take a 3rd-party perspective of the character and rotate the camera angle for a full 360° view! Random encounters of "unseen" enemies are eliminated and enemies are visible in the battle field. Player may choose to engage in fight or avoid them in open combat system when running about the battle field.

360° view of city of Rabanastre.
Character leveling has become totally addictive and not dreary at all all thanks to 360° camera angle and no random encounters.

At first glance, I didn't like the game for its new character design. It's by a different art director named Isamu Kamikokuryo. So, because the characters are not designed by Tetsuya Nomura, not only that, the characters totally differ from the previous installments now that the dialogues are even fabricated with classic english and some side-characters with exotic Mediterranean dialect, it became too unFF-ish for me. It felt like another game.

Character design by Isamu Kamikokuryo.
Unlike Tetsuya Nomura's designs which are usually "pretty-faced".

Well, a change once in a while is not bad! In fact, it's fun once you get pass the idea that it feels different.

Besides, FF12 is full of WOW graphics.

Then, in 2009, the MOST anticipated game Final Fantasy XIII for PlayStation 3!!!

This game's graphics has become SO advanced that I can hardly tell apart whether the 3D rendering is merely gameplay graphic or fully CGed for full motion video.

Observe!

Gameplay/battle graphic.

Full motion video graphic.

Full motion video graphic.

Ok lah. Still got a bit difference there. But anyway, FFXIII is passable even if there's not one scene that's fully CGed. In my opinion.

Right now I'mREALLY anticipating Final Fantasy versus XIII.

Because I suka Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum la...

But I don't know... The infamous emotive, touching, and awe-inspiring FF story lines seem to have "ceased" at FFX. FFX-2 didn't really have a good, strong plot that leaves a deep impression like FFX. Since I haven't played FFXIII yet, I can't really comment on the plot as a fan who had played all the classic FF games that are known to have storyline that leaves a deep impression such as FF6, FF7 and FF8.
I might like FF13 just for the new game system and high-end graphic. I've already watched previews of FF versus XIII and well, it doesn't make me that hooked on to it. I simply look forward to the game coz of the Noctis guy. :S
If compared to the preview of FF7 demo remake for PS3, that's the one that really got me hooked on. Why? Because I know the storyline will be good.
FFvsXIII is... to me it's like this emo dark prince falling in love with the girl from his rival kingdom. So they ended up fighting each other. Typical, y'know? *yawns~*

I feel like FF storyline's focus is beginning to gyrate towards "romance". More likely to be that tough love kind you usually see in Korean dramas. The type that makes you wanna burst into tears coz the two lovers can't be together. (i.e Stairway to Heaven). But yeah, FF has always used "love" as its main theme. Not only that kind of couple love, but also friendship love. *shrugs* Don't disappoint me Square-Enix!

http://www.listal.com/list/final-fantasy-series

However, FF has made history as one of the most well-known RPG series WORLDWIDE.
Bravo bravo....