Summary
Final Fantasyis more than just a franchise; it is an institution. It goes far beyond the numbered entries and their spin-offs. Some main games have sequels and are entire beasts of their own. As the list below shows,Final Fantasydoes not stay in the realm of video games.
While exploring what it offers outside of gaming is a hit-or-miss adventure, it will still reveal some golden moments. These movies, series, and other types of media are mostly connected to a game but some of them can be appreciated even if someone has never played a single entry.
It is easy to laugh atThe Spirits Within. Just look at its budget versus its box office intake, and anyone will be hard-pressed not to chuckle. Is the movie really that bad, though? It is not great, but one has to appreciate the great leap into the unknown it took by being the firstdigitally animated feature film with realistic humans.
Of course, Pixar hadToy StoryandA Bug’s Life, but humans were not featured as the main characters and were mostly kept off-screen.The Spirits Withinis a fun curiosity to revisit even if its tech has not aged gracefully. The biggest downside is its lack of a real identity as aFinal Fantasyproject.
7Final Fantasy 123: Memory Of A Hero
Novelization Of The First Three Games
Adapting a video game to a novel is always a tricky thing, especially when the gamescome from the NES era. At leastFinal Fantasy’sstories about heroes conquering evil present an outline onto which any writer can add details.
The first game’s Warriors of Light are given names and personalities, but they are hardly canon interpretations of the characters.Final Fantasy 2has a beefy story for its era and the part of the novel covering that game is faithful to the source material.
Final Fantasy 3, on the other hand, takes quite a few liberties and makes up a large portion of the package. The books are fun whether or not one has already played the games but it does not quite replace the experience of playing them.
6Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy 15
A Prequel That Should Have Been A Part Of The Game
Final Fantasy 15took forever to come out. So much of the world’s lore is not even in the game. There are books, anime, and even afeature-length animated movie;Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy 15.
The prequel is a standalone story with many characters who are not in the main game, but the invasion of Insomnia is a key event in the first part of the game. Thus lies the ultimate problem withKingsglaiveand a lot ofFinal Fantasy 15extended media.
So much of it feels like it should have been a part of the game and not a part of a movie or a novel. It would have been a lot cooler to experience the film’s climax in a gameplay setpiece instead of in a movie.
5Final Fantasy Unlimited
A Final Fantasy Anime
This is one of the first pieces ofFinal Fantasyextended media. This anime is an originalFinal Fantasystory disconnected from any game. It is about two kids who jump into a different dimension to search for their parents.
This dimension just so happens to have Chocobo and some other elements ofFinal Fantasy.A large part of what makesFinal Fantasyfeel likeFinal Fantasyis its music, and series composer Nubou Uematsu is one of the three composers who wrote music for the show.
Unfortunately, only 25 of the 52 episodes were produced, but novels, manga, and even an audio drama within the continuity have been produced.
The feature-length animated sequel toFinal Fantasy 7is a little bit of a mess. It just moves too fast for its own good. The 2005 film was re-released in 2009 asAdvent Children Complete.
The visuals were improved and more than twenty minutes of much-needed additional footage. These scenes do a miracle to the pacing. It gives a clearer image of how the world has changed in the two years since the end of the game andgives the other party members more screen time.
It is not quite the sequel most fans would have wanted, but the new content inCompletemakes it a perfectly adequate addition to theFinal Fantasy 7timeline.
3Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Trace Of Two Pasts
Dive Into Aerith And Tifa’s Past Lives
One of the best things about theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakegames is how much time players can spend with the party. For anyone who wants even more time with the party, they can readFinal Fantasy 7 Remake: Trace of Two Pasts.The book is divided into two parts.
The first part describes Tifa Lockhart’s past while the seconddetails Aerith Gainsborough’s upbringing. These are touched upon in the game, but the book offers a deeper look into these two characters.
It makes sense for these two to share a novel since they develop a close friendship duringFinal Fantasy 7RemakeandRebirth.
2Distant Worlds: Music From Final Fantasy
Experience The Music
Final Fantasywould not be what is today without its music. In the age of 8-bit graphics, it was up to the music to give the world a personality versus detailed art design. The great tunes did not stop once the series went 3D, though.
This is what makesDistant Worlds: Music From Final Fantasysuch an incredible experience. The music stands out on its own, but for fans, it is forever connected to some of the most memorable gaming experiences. Hearing the older melodies in an orchestral arrangement also gives them new life.
1Final Fantasy: Ultimania Archive
A Final Fantasy Encyclopedia
TheUltimaniaseries is the closest there comes to an encyclopedia ofFinal Fantasy. TheUltamaniaseries goes through each game in great detail, going through all the characters and aclearer explanation of the world and its narrative.There are also insights into the game’s development directly from the developers.
An Ultimania release is done separately for most games, but they are compiled in a compilation series known asUltimania Archive. They are great coffee table books for any gamer’s home. Even those unfamiliar with the games should be able to appreciate the art.
