Final Fantasymay have lost the mandate of RPG heaven. Once synonymous with consistency, quality, and innovation, the series has fallen a long way in recent years. Although it’s still churning out new games andremasters every few years, they’re a lot less reliable when it comes to quality.
And, as the RPG market expands, with more alternatives toFinal Fantasyavailable today than ever before, I’m forced to wonder:isFinal Fantasystill really the greatest RPG series of all time?It’s undeniably one of the biggest, and one of the most influential, but times have undeniably changed.
Final Fantasy Hasn’t Been At Its Peak For A Long Time
Wherever You Think The Series Peaked, It’s Not Now
You’ll never get twoFinal Fantasyfans to agree onexactly where the series peaked. Some people think the old, 2D classics were the best the franchise had to offer: after all,FF5’s Job system innovations were incredibly influential on the franchise. Others say its days as a pioneer of 3D gaming cemented its legacy.
For me, personally, I thinkFinal Fantasywas at its best between 1994 and 2001 - Hironobu Sakaguchi’s final years at Square.The years betweenFF6andFFXwere nothing short of a generational run: five games in seven years, and each one a unique, influential masterpiece.
But through all the discussion about what the bestFinal Fantasygame actually is, you’ll notice one thing:almost no one ever invokes any of its releases from the last fifteen years.
That’s partially practical, sincethere have only been three new mainline entriessince 2010. Fan expectations and the realities of game development have gotten more complicated, so it takes longer to make a triple-A game today than it did 20 years ago.
But there’s a genuine issue of quality, too. AlthoughFF14,15, and16all have their merits,not a one of them is as good, as interesting, as unique, or as influential asFinal Fantasyat its peak. Remakes have been a mixed bag, and fail to offer anything new by nature.
20 years ago, you’d have a very easy timearguing thatFFwas the greatest RPG series of all time. Now, some of its best entries have been lost amid more experimental releases that didn’t quite pan out.
I don’t think it can be boiled down to a singular issue. Changing development staff at Square Enix means different voices are at the forefront ofFinal Fantasynow. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean the series has changed.
Many recentFFreleases have alsofailed to deliver a full product in a single package, for one reason or another.FF13was split up into an inconsistent trilogy,FF14has multiple expansions and hundreds of hours of content, andFF15’s troubled development means lots was left on the cutting room floor.
FF16was probably the most completeFinal Fantasygame since12, butit made its share of missteps. Although its combat was excellent, and it had an interesting premise, far too much of its story was relegated to dull cutscenes concerning the minutiae of its setting.
Everyone has an idea for how to returnFinal Fantasyto its former glory, including the ever-present demand for areturn to turn-based combat. Butthere’s no point putting all your eggs in theFinal Fantasybasket.
Other RPG Masterpieces Keep Coming Out
Atlus, Square, & Indie Studios Dominate The Space
Final Fantasymay have fallen from its peak, but other RPG series are making a serious go at its title as the best RPG series of all time. The first and most recent title that comes to mind isClair Obscur- no new game I’ve played in the last decade hasfelt more like peakFinal Fantasythan this one.
And that’s deliberate:Clair Obscur’s developers wore their inspirations on their sleeves, and often invokedFinal Fantasyin pre-release interviews. The influences on its melodramatic story, turn-based combat, and overworld exploration are abundantly clear.
Other indie studios have also put outexcellent, classicFF-style RPGsin recent years, too.Chained Echoescomes up a lot, as doesSea of Stars. Games likeEiyuden ChronicleandUndertale, while not explicitlyFF-inspired, can scratch a similar itch.
If you want something with a little more of a pedigree,Atlus has also excelled in the turn-based RPG space.Persona’s great, but I’ll admit that its social sim elements mean it’s not ideal for hardcore RPG fans. Thankfully,Metaphor: ReFantazioand mainlineShin Megami Tenseican help fill that niche, with excellent storytelling and strategic turn-based combat to rival peakFF.
And honestly,even Square Enix has put out some excellent RPGs that borrow bits and pieces ofFinal Fantasy’s DNA.Octopath Travelercomes to mind, although I personally preferred theLive A Liveremake - that and some of the classicSaGagames have been satisfying my RPG cravings in recent months.
Keeping Final Fantasy Expectations In Check Is More Fun
Realism Over Pessimism
As much as I’d love to seeFinal Fantasycome out with a new game (or series of games) that reestablishes it as the best RPG series of all time,I’m okay if that doesn’t happen. I’m perfectly happy to replay the classics I love, while getting my new RPG fix elsewhere.
Final Fantasywill likely continue to change: its next game will look different from its last. ButI’m tempering my expectations this time. If it is a generation-defining blockbuster on par with the best of the series, than I’ll be pleasantly surprised. If it’s a solid, yet flawed RPG on par with more recent entries, I’ll be satisfied.
I’ll never totally give up hope on theFFformula: its signature combination of cinematic visuals, dramatic storytelling, and innovative combat mechanics is just too good to pass up. I’ll follow and anticipate each new game that comes out in the series. But, until it proves me wrong, I may have to acknowledge thatFinal Fantasyhas already peaked.
