I think it’s safe to say Final Fantasy was at it’s peak before it hit double digits. Around that time the series was well known as one of the finest Japanese RPGs on the market. Even those who’d never heard of Chrono Trigger, Breath of Fire and other long, turn based games couldn’t deny being excited to see what kind of graphics the latest Final Fantasy would showcase next – they always seemed to be a year or so ahead of games in any of genre.
However, perhaps because the games took so long to develop, tried to change too much or not quite enough – at a time when the industry was changing almost monthly – Final Fantasy seemed to lose its status around Final Fantasy XI and a lot of ‘casual’ fans are surprised when I tell them that 13 and 14 are actually out and available to buy.
Final Fantasy Sales Data:
Final Fantasy XII: 2,322,329
Final Fantasy XIII: 1,904,313
Final Fantasy XIII-2: 860,514
Final Fantasy XIV: 500,000 daily plays at peak (average for an MMORPG)
All that said, there has been a strong suggestion by fans and the development teams that Final Fantasy XV is the one that will bring the series into the new age of gaming. Here’s the trailer that was FINALLY released at this year’s Tokyo Game Show:
Yep. That’s right. In addition to the normal monstrous beasts, cool manga-style haircuts and beauuuutiful landscapes – you just saw guns and cars and an incredibly fluid looking fighting system in a Final Fantasy trailer… excited?
Rumour has it that a playable demo will be made available for those who buy Final Fantasy Type-0 HD for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2015. As for the game’s release date – it looks like late 2015. However, don’t complain too much about that… the game has been in development for about a decade!
Jennie Ivins
I won’t hold my breath for FF15’s release, but every big look at the game they give is impressive. If a part of their game is bromance road trip while chased by Adamantoise, I’ll be quite happy! The music of the trailer is also gorgeous.
Amazing!