Gameplay of Final Fantasy
Encyclopedia
Though each Final Fantasy
story is independent, many aspects of gameplay
have remained relatively consistent throughout the series.
and Dissidia: Final Fantasy
, in which you take control of only one character. Players must face a variety of enemies in battle who will try to damage the player, as well as afflict the characters with several standard "status ailments" such as poisoning them or putting them to sleep. Many of the games feature a random encounter
system, the player is randomly drawn into battle with enemies that are not visible on the map. This remained true of the series until Final Fantasy XI
moved to a system where all enemies are visible as the player explores the game world.
In battle, the characters can select a variety of commands from a menu, such as "Fight", "Magic", "Item", as well as other special skills such as "Steal" or "Summon", to battle against opponents. The battle is won when all enemies are defeated, whilst the game ends if all player characters are unable to fight (either by losing all of their HP, or if they are stuck in a state which requires another ally to cure them in order to continue fighting, such as petrification.) In some but not all battles, the player may attempt to flee from the battle. While Final Fantasy VI
introduced desperation attacks, Yoshinori Kitase
created an improved system in Final Fantasy VII
called "Limit Breaks". These were powerful attacks that gained strength as the player took damage, and were accompanied by a sophisticated animation. Since then, games in the series allow characters to perform special moves when they fill up a power meter, and this gameplay has become synonymous with the series.
Throughout the series, the battle system has evolved from a turn-based system to incorporate more real-time elements. The original turn-based system, with the player characters on the right and the enemies on the left, is imitated by numerous RPGs. Hiroyuki Ito
introduced the "Active Time Battle System" in Final Fantasy IV
, where the time-keeping system does not stop. Square filed a Japanese patent application
related to the ATB system on July 16, 1991 and a corresponding US application on March 16, 1992. One Japanese patent (JP2794230) and two US patents (US5390937 and US5649862) were granted based on these applications. On the battle screen, each character has an ATB meter that gradually fills, and the player is allowed to issue a command to that character once the meter is full. Because enemies can attack or be attacked at any time, and the player can lose his turn if he doesn't attack quick enough, urgency and excitement are injected into the combat system. When designing the ATB system, Ito was inspired by Formula One
racing
. According to Final Fantasy IV's lead designer Takashi Tokita
, "the planner, Hiroyuki Itoh, was watching a Formula One race. Seeing all the cars pass each other, we thought of an interesting idea where character speed would differ depending on, I suppose, the type of character it is. So, that's where the initial idea came from."
The ATB system remained the norm until Final Fantasy X
implemented a Conditional Turn-Based system, which slowed gameplay while making it important for the right characters to square off against the right monsters. However, Final Fantasy XI
embraced a real-time battle system where characters continuously attacked unless issued another command. Final Fantasy XII
continued this real-time gameplay with the Active Dimension Battle system, where the player may issue commands to the characters or allow them to act automatically with certain behavioral triggers.
Final Fantasy has become known for its inclusion of one or more minigame
s as part of its core gameplay, beginning mainly with Final Fantasy VII
. Participation and progression in these minigames generally does not affect the main game, but can often offer many items or "power ups" that are either very rare, or simply otherwise unavailable. They can also offer a diversion to the main story, and add a few more hours of gameplay. However, in some Final Fantasy installments, such as Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X
, certain minigames are sometimes necessary in order to progress the storyline.
The first of these were simple minigames hidden as Easter eggs which must be unlocked by pressing special button combinations in a particular location. In Final Fantasy
, a sliding puzzle
can be unlocked while boarding the ship. In Final Fantasy II
, a matching game can be unlocked while boarding the ice sled and meeting a certain requirement. Final Fantasy VII was the first game to feature a large number of minigames. A number of minigames appear occasionally throughout the main storyline and at various locations, many of which can later be played at the Gold Saucer theme park within the game, along with various other minigames exclusive to the Gold Saucer. These include a chocobo
racing game, chocobo breeding, motorbike racing, a snowboarding game, and several others. The snowboarding minigame was later released as a separate snowboarding game for mobile phone
s entitled Final Fantasy VII Snowboarding, which released in Japan and North America in . It is a mobile port
of the snowboarding minigame featured in the original game. The game is playable on the LG VX8000, LG VX8100, Audiovox 8940 and Samsung A890 mobile phone
and contains different tracks than the original minigame.
Final Fantasy VIII introduced Triple Triad, a card game
designed by battle designer Hiroyuki Ito
. It was not considered an essential part of the game, but more to provide a light relief to the storyline and allow the player to interact with minor characters in a different way. Through the use of a Card Mod ability, the player is able to create rare items by converting cards earned by defeating various competitors. Final Fantasy VIII was the first of the series to introduce a side-game with such interaction. In 1999, following the release of Final Fantasy VIII, Japanese games company Bandai
produced a full set of collectible Triple Triad cards. The set was made up of the 110 cards as seen in the game along with 72 artwork cards and a collectors edition playing mat. Triple Triad was praised by GameSpot as a "more-than-worthy RPG minigame", finding it engaging and unique.
is a handheld electronic game
designed by Hiroyuki Itou of Square
(now Square Enix
) for the PocketStation
handheld game console
. The game can be played exclusively, but is intended as a minigame
to Final Fantasy VIII. The game was present in all localizations of Final Fantasy VIII, but the PocketStation itself was only released in Japan
. It was later ported
to the Windows
version of Final Fantasy VIII in 2000. The game allows players to control Boko, a baby chocobo
, on his quest to save his friend Mog from the clutches of an evil demon.
The game's screen consists of black and white pixel
graphics and is presented in a manner similar to the "virtual pet
" concept conceived by Bandai
's Tamagotchi
. To play in conjunction with Final Fantasy VIII, the player must find Boko in the world of Final Fantasy VIII. Once accomplished, the player receives a user interface
for communicating with the minigame. At any time, the player may send Boko into Chocobo World to gain experience and collect special items, which are transferred back for use in Final Fantasy VIII. In addition, Boko may be used as a summon in Final Fantasy VIII. The Electric Playground
and Malaysian website The Star Online both noted the similarity of Chocobo World to another digital pet
game, Tamagotchi
, with The Electric Playground describing the minigame as "very nice" and pleasing. Ars Technica
thought that players who enjoy "walking as a Chocobo on the horizontal plane of infinity" might find the minigame fun. IGN
considered the PC version of the minigame a "nice touch" to Final Fantasy VIII, noting that users can play the former while doing other activities on their computer since it runs on a tiny window on the screen. Conversely, The Star Online felt that playing the minigame on a PC was "a little boring" and deplored the lack of compatibility with Palm
devices.
Similar to Triple Triad, Tetra Master is a card game found in Final Fantasy IX. Unlike most of the minigames in the series, a few Tetra Master games are required to be played, one at the beginning of the game, and several closer to the end. Tetra Master was seen by GameSpot as inferior and confusing compared to Triple Triad, as the rules for it were only vaguely explained in Final Fantasy IX and there were very few rewards earned from playing it despite its extensiveness. Final Fantasy IX also had an additional minigame named Chocobo Hot and Cold. Upon the acquisition of a chocobo, the player becomes able to access the game inside of Chocobo Forests. No games of Chocobo Hot and Cold are required to be played during the game, though items received through the game could be used in the rest of Final Fantasy IX, including both regular game items and clues towards discovering more items in the main game.
In Final Fantasy X
and Final Fantasy X-2
, Blitzball is a sport featuring six-man teams that combines the physicality of rugby
with soccer kicks for scoring and the hand passes of water polo
. The game is played underwater
in a large sphere pool suspended in the air. Although blitzball is a crucial element to Final Fantasy Xs plot, only one game is required to be played. In Final Fantasy X the player controls the individual players on the team, while in X-2 they act as a manager and coach. X-2 also had a game called Sphere Break, a mathematical game using numbered coins that possess several different attributes that can help the player in the Sphere Break minigame itself or gain items that can help in the various battles in Final Fantasy X-2. GameSpot has commented that "trivial minigames have been creeping into the Final Fantasy games at an alarming rate over the last few years, and in this regard, X-2 is definitely the most egregious offender in the series".
The Final Fantasy series is like many role-playing games
in that it uses a level-up system, where players gain experience point
s and raise their character's experience level by killing enemies. Players may have difficulty defeating an enemy until they reach a higher experience level, although Final Fantasy VIII
reduces the need to level-up by making the enemy's experience level always match that of the player's.
Each character class has unique abilities which develop as the player's level increases. In some titles, the player can choose a character with a specific class at the start of the game, while others allow characters to combine and learn abilities from a number of classes. An important example is Final Fantasy V
, where each character can be assigned and re-assigned one of 22 classes, and they gain abilities in that class as they win battles. Many core players praised the game for allowing characters to gain abilities from multiple classes, although others considered this system highly complex and may be a reason the game was not initially released in North America
. But in games such as Final Fantasy IV
, the characters are assigned a job class that reflects their personality in the storyline, and in some cases the character's classes are not explicitly stated. Final Fantasy IV also introduced the concept of characters joining or leaving the party throughout the storyline, which requires players to adjust their battle plans constantly. In addition to other abilities, a character's class usually determines the types of weapons and armor that they can use. Some of the more traditional classes include the Knight/Warrior, the Dragoon, the Thief and the different Mages/Wizards. Mage classes have included Black Mages, who use offensive spells, White Mages, who cast healing magic, Red Mages, who use both, Blue Mages, who use enemy spells and attacks cast against them, and Time Mages, who cast spells which speed up or slow down time. More original classes have appeared throughout the series, such as Bards, Scholars, and Summoners. Due to the series' popularity, they have become staples of RPGs since they debuted in Final Fantasy III
.
The complexity of the class system varies from game to game. In Final Fantasy
, the player allocates permanent class selections to the four playable characters at the beginning of the game, each of the six starting classes can be upgraded to a corresponding advanced class midway through the game. Final Fantasy III
and Final Fantasy V changed the formula by allowing the player to change a character's class, as well as acquire new and advanced classes and combine class abilities. In Final Fantasy Tactics
and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
, classes are once again chosen by the player from one of the two starting jobs; however, characters must meet prerequisites before changing classes. Character classes were re-introduced in Final Fantasy X-2
as "dresspheres"; these classes are gradually acquired and can be changed at any point, including battle mode. The classes that appeared in Final Fantasy XI
, the first MMORPG
title in the series, have certain unique implementations that more closely follow MMORPG convention. Notably, in Final Fantasy XI a player can equip a secondary job, called a subjob, and have half the abilities of another class that way. Extensive backstories are often given to FFXI's job classes to add to the setting's lore.
Other Final Fantasy installments deviate from the class system by allowing flexibility in character growth, or featuring pre-determined jobs. Characters in Final Fantasy II
are molded according to their performance in battle. Final Fantasy IV introduced characters already locked into a class; abilities related to the character's class are learned as the character gains experience point
s. In Final Fantasy VI
, Final Fantasy VII
, and Final Fantasy VIII
, characters begin with equipment and attack proficiencies similar to character classes, but the player can allocate magic and statistical bonuses. In Final Fantasy VI, each playable character has a class and a signature command, such as Dance, Lore or Mimic. In Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, characters lack classes, and they all play the same in battle; nevertheless, each character has one or more unique limit breaks. In Final Fantasy IX
, characters have predetermined "dormant abilities" similar to IV; however, the characters in IX learn abilities by wearing equipment instead of gaining levels. Final Fantasy X
introduced the sphere grid; characters began at certain areas of the grid, which represent traditional character classes by their statistical bonuses and abilities. In Final Fantasy XII
, the player can mold characters into anything, without restriction of traditional classes. However, in the game's international version
and sequel, the growth system is modified to have more clearly defined classes. Final Fantasy character classes have also made cameo appearances as hidden players in Mario Hoops 3-on-3
and Mario Sports Mix
and as enemies
in Kingdom Hearts II
.
In some games, acquiring these spells is a difficult quest, and in Final Fantasy VII
they are only used at specific points in the plot. In Final Fantasy VI, magic is obtained from the remnants of a dead Esper
called magicite; this also allows for the ability to summon the Esper
during battle when the magicite is equipped. Final Fantasy VII
s materia is based on Final Fantasy VI's magicite, unlike in Final Fantasy VI
where magic learned by a character is permanently at their disposal, where magic is learned and permanently attached to the materia and not the character.
Another recurring class of magic is "Summoning Magic," which calls forth magical creatures to attack enemies and/or heal or protect party members. This magic debuted in Final Fantasy III
with eight different summons, and hit a peak of 51 different summons in Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
. These summoned creatures draw their names from classic mythology
, or derivations thereof. Ifrit
, Kujata
, and Bahamut
come from Arab
mythology, though Bahamut is more akin to the draconic deity from Dungeons and Dragons. The Mesoamerican civilizations brought about summons such as Carbuncle and Quetzalcoatl
. Meanwhile, the Hindu
tradition inspired several summons, including Shiva
, Garuda
, and Lakshmi
. Ramuh is another Hindu-inspired summon, drawn from Indra
and Rama
. Meanwhile, the serpent Leviathan
is inspired by the Old Testament
, and the phoenix
is drawn from Egyptian mythology. Greek mythology
inspired Titan
, Hecatonchires, Hades
, Typhon
, Cerberus
, and Siren
, while Norse mythology
was the source for Odin
the warrior, Fenrir the wolf, and Midgardsormr the serpent. The summon Doomtrain's Japanese name, Glasya-Labolas
, is taken from the grimoire of demons, The Lesser Key of Solomon
. The summon Cait Sith is derived from the Celtic Cat Sith or Cat Sidhe
, pronounced cat shee, this is a black cat with a white patch on its chest.
or hovercraft
, many vehicles are common to several games in the series. Many games in the series allowed players to pilot a ship
over oceans and seas, with some even allowing players to pilot a ship or submarine
under water. Train
s also appear in several games in the series. The first three games in the series allowed players to ride a canoe
through rivers. But all games since Final Fantasy II
have featured a chocobo
, a species of fictional bird which often acts as a mode of transport.
However, one of the most iconic modes of transport in the Final Fantasy series is the airship
, which has appeared in every game. The visual style of each airship varies between games. In several games, they are repaired and improved, allowing the player to access new areas. And in many they have built in weapons for random encounters, which attack at the beginning of a battle. However, in Final Fantasy X
, Final Fantasy X-2
, and Final Fantasy XII
, flight is abstracted with a short cut scene and essentially allows the player to teleport between locations. The impossibly fast 'Nautilus' in Final Fantasy III
was dubbed the fastest airship in the whole series, travelling across the world map in less than 10 seconds.
orbs or crystals have appeared in more than ten of the thirteen titles of the series. They usually drive the plot as an essential link to the planet's life force, and thus the player must find or collect these crystals to advance the plot and win the game.
known as . Final Fantasy IV
is the only game to explain the origin of the word; in that game, the word Gil is named after Gilbart, a common name for members of the royal family of Damcyan, and was originally used as the currency of Damcyan. The most common way to earn gil is from random battles, although Final Fantasy VIII
is a notable exception where gil is earned as a regular stipend
from an academy for mercenaries.
, named after the King Arthur
legend, and Masamune
, named after the Japanese
swordsmith, have been top-tier blade weapons since the first Final Fantasy
. As the series progressed, other weapons such as the Ultima Weapon, the Blood Sword, Sasuke's Katana and the Ragnarok have challenged their supremacy as weapons.
Numerous weapons have seen recurring use throughout the series; others have been influenced by a variety of mythological and fantasy concepts. Interspersed between unique weapons are a graded scale of other, more common weapons, usually sold in shops. They are typically labeled according to the following progression, from weakest to strongest: Bronze, Iron, Steel, Mythril/Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Crystal, Adamantite (found in Final Fantasy I), and Adamantine. Armor typically follows the same alloy progression. Moreover, armors of "Genji" series are seen in Final Fantasy II
, Final Fantasy IV
, Final Fantasy V
, Final Fantasy VI
, Final Fantasy VII
, Final Fantasy IX
, Final Fantasy X
, Final Fantasy Tactics
, and most recently in Final Fantasy XII
. "Wooden" weapons and "Leather" armor are also often seen throughout the series.
The Final Fantasy installments feature several types of projectile weapons, including bows, balls, guns, boomerangs, and launchers. Gunblades
have a gun-like handle which contains a firing mechanism but are not considered projectile as the firing mechanism only makes the blade vibrate causing extra damage, and does not fire any actual shells, with the exception of Yazoo's gunblades from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, Weiss's twin Gunblades, shown in Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus, and Lightning's gunblades, shown in Final Fantasy XIII. In some installments, such as Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy IV, ammunition (bullets and arrows) is limited; others, like Final Fantasy XII, require the player to carry a stock of ammunition that can never be depleted. Other installments, like Final Fantasy VII, omit ammunition completely. Some of the common recurring projectile weapons include Yoichi's Bow
, and the Full Moon boomerang.
Swords are commonly seen throughout the series, and come in various forms. Elemental swords, which include a certain element, such as fire or wind, during the attack, are seen almost every installment in the series. Some elemental swords launch an additional magical attack during battle, such as the Lightbringer in Final Fantasy VI. Elemental swords have had many names, fire-elemental swords are usually named 'Flame Saber' or 'Flametongue', ice-elemental swords are named 'Blizzard' or 'Ice Brand', and thunder-elemental swords are named 'Thunderblade' or 'Coral Sword'. A water-elemental sword hasn't been used often, but in Final Fantasy X the main character obtains one called 'Brotherhood', that has minor relevance to the story, and in Final Fantasy X-2, the Warrior dress sphere has a water-elemental sword attack ability named 'Liquid Steel'.
There are also various staffs/rods featured in many of the Final Fantasy games which use special actions, most often of which are not directly damaging (or deal very low damage) and are often beneficial, such as the "Healing Staff" found in Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy IV. The effects of such weapons are usually used by selecting "attack", even if no actual attack is initiated. Additionally, some weapons are able to be used from the items menu (usually by pressing up at the top of the items menu during gameplay) and can produce a variety of effects such as dealing damage to an enemy, placing a negative status effect on an enemy, healing the user or an ally, or placing a positive status effect on the user or an ally.
In addition to the types of weapons above, Final Fantasy includes whips, dice, lances, axes, knives, daggers, hammers, claws and other common weapons.
, iron
, silver
, mythril, gold
, emerald
, diamond
, and crystal
; others are based on colors or spells. Armor and accessories used in the series consist of bracers, shields, rings, bangles, shoes, helmets, body armor, robes, and dresses. However, not all games in the series have an armor system; for example, Final Fantasy X-2
uses the equipping of dress spheres instead of armor. Final Fantasy VIII
uses stats increases from equipping Guardian Forces, a form of summoning in the game, rather than the use of armor.
Several individual pieces of armor and accessories recur throughout the series. Two of the most common are the Aegis shield and the Protect Ring, which provide various effects for the character, depending on the game. The Golden Hairpin almost always benefits the spellcasters in the party. For example, in Final Fantasy VI
and Final Fantasy V
, they were accessories that reduced spell costs by half; in Final Fantasy Tactics
, they were head armor that gave a significant boost to the maximum MP value and nullified the silence status effect. The Ribbon is an item in most Final Fantasy games that allows the equipped user to become immune to most or all status ailments. Most times, it appears as a helmet; in some games, such as Final Fantasy VI, it is an accessory or a special item.
"Items" are collected objects that may affect the status
or health of a character or enemy. Many objects are one-use and include a limit to how many are stocked in the party's inventory. In every installment, the basic HP-recovering item is some form of potion. The items' names varied in earlier games, such as being called "Heal Potions" in the first game, "Cure Potions" in the English translation of Final Fantasy IV (called Final Fantasy II), and "Tonics" in the English translation of Final Fantasy VI (called Final Fantasy III). Other variants, which heal more HP, include the mid-level "Hi-Potion", the high-level "X-Potion", and the multi-target "Mega Potion".
Since Final Fantasy IV
, the lead MP
-recovering item has been the "Ether
". The name is derived from Aether, a classical term used in medieval times to describe a possible substance between air, earth, fire, and water. The English language localization of Final Fantasy VI
renamed the Ether to "Tincture," and also featured a second-level MP-restoration item, "Hi-Ether", which was renamed simply "Ether" in the English localization. The Turbo Ether (also known as "Dry Ether") has appeared in recent games and restores either a significant or complete portion of a character's MP.
The "Elixir
", which appears in most Final Fantasy games, is an HP and MP recovery item. Some games include the Megalixir (or Last Elixir), which fully restores the party's HP and MP. Other items recover both HP and MP at specific locations. "Tents" are often used on field maps or at Save Points as replacements for an Inn as they restore some of the party's HP and MP. Variants such as Cabin, Cottage, and Sleeping Bag restore more or less HP and MP; sometimes to only one character. In Final Fantasy IX, Tents can be used during battle, although there is chance of being inflicted with abnormal status effects when used.
Status effect-curing items are also recurring. For example, "antidote" heals poison and venom, "echo screen"/"echo herbs"/"echo drops" removes silence, "eye drops" cures blindness, and "soft" (originally "Golden Needle") cures petrification. There is a variation of the soft, the Supersoft a key item (see below) which only appeared in Final Fantasy IX
used to remove the petrification effects from an entire forest. "Phoenix Down" (also translated as "Phoenix Tail") is used in most Final Fantasy games to revive an unconscious party member with a small portion of their HP. In some of the earlier games, the word was translated as "FenixDown" because of size issues with fitting English letters in the space previously occupied by Japanese characters. Phoenix Down often instantly kills or inflicts maximum damage on undead
and other creatures harmed by curative spells. The item is supposed to be the feather of a Phoenix
, a common symbol of life and rebirth; "down" refers to the down feathers
of a bird, the undercoat of feathers beneath the visible layer on top. Other representations of Phoenix Down include the bottled tears of a Phoenix, bolted quivers and bead necklaces. Variants of this item include the Phoenix Pinion
and Mega Phoenix, which revive all party members.. Final Fantasy XI
is the exception to this, however there are certain reward items that have similar effects. Regain Feather (Grants you 100% HP, 100% MP and 300% TP), Rebirth Feather (Reraise III), Revive Feather (Reraise I), Fire Feather (Enfire), and Blaze Feather (Blaze Spikes).
There are other basic items seen throughout the Final Fantasy series, including "Gysahl Greens", which can be used to summon Fat Chocobo, an item storage service, at specific locations in Final Fantasy IV, catch, feed and race chocobos in Final Fantasy VII, summon a pet chocobo in Final Fantasy VIII, or ride a chocobo in Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XII. The "Rename Card" renames characters that have already been named. This first appeared in Final Fantasy VI
, though the character Namingway had a similar function in Final Fantasy IV
. In Final Fantasy VIII
, a Rename Card renames Guardian Forces, and Pet's Nametag renames Rinoa's pet dog's name. In Final Fantasy IX
, the Namingway Card had the effect of renaming the characters in Daguerreo, and in Final Fantasy X
, it was used to rename Aeons. All Final Fantasy games also have "key items", which must be acquired to further the game's story or complete a sidequest. Key items are usually kept in their own special inventory separate from the player's stock of usable items. Examples of key items include the "Nitro" from the original Final Fantasy, the "Huge Materia" from Final Fantasy VII, and the "Supersoft" from Final Fantasy IX. A key item is typically received shortly before the player reaches the point where it is needed. After a key item is used, it usually remains in the player's inventory permanently, but serves no further purpose. Some items or key items are/may be almost completely useless, like "Tissue" from the American release of Final Fantasy VII.
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
story is independent, many aspects of gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
have remained relatively consistent throughout the series.
Parties and battles
Throughout the Final Fantasy series, players have been able to command a party of characters. The maximum size of the party has been as low as two and as high as seven, depending on the game. This is only noticeably different in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VIICrisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable. First released in 2007, the game is a prequel to the video game Final Fantasy VII and is also the sixth installment in metaseries Compilation of Final Fantasy VII which includes products related to the game...
and Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
is an action RPG/fighting game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary. Information on the game was first released during the "Square Enix Party" event of May 2008...
, in which you take control of only one character. Players must face a variety of enemies in battle who will try to damage the player, as well as afflict the characters with several standard "status ailments" such as poisoning them or putting them to sleep. Many of the games feature a random encounter
Random encounter
A random encounter is a feature commonly used in various role-playing games whereby encounters with non-player character enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random...
system, the player is randomly drawn into battle with enemies that are not visible on the map. This remained true of the series until Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI
, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
moved to a system where all enemies are visible as the player explores the game world.
In battle, the characters can select a variety of commands from a menu, such as "Fight", "Magic", "Item", as well as other special skills such as "Steal" or "Summon", to battle against opponents. The battle is won when all enemies are defeated, whilst the game ends if all player characters are unable to fight (either by losing all of their HP, or if they are stuck in a state which requires another ally to cure them in order to continue fighting, such as petrification.) In some but not all battles, the player may attempt to flee from the battle. While Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
introduced desperation attacks, Yoshinori Kitase
Yoshinori Kitase
is a Japanese game producer and former game director that has been working for Square Enix since April 1, 1990. He is mostly known for his work on the role-playing video game series Final Fantasy and is currently the manager of 1st Production Department....
created an improved system in Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
called "Limit Breaks". These were powerful attacks that gained strength as the player took damage, and were accompanied by a sophisticated animation. Since then, games in the series allow characters to perform special moves when they fill up a power meter, and this gameplay has become synonymous with the series.
Throughout the series, the battle system has evolved from a turn-based system to incorporate more real-time elements. The original turn-based system, with the player characters on the right and the enemies on the left, is imitated by numerous RPGs. Hiroyuki Ito
Hiroyuki Ito
, also credited with the spelling Hiroyuki Itou, is a Japanese game producer, game director and game designer who has been working for Square Enix since 1987. He is famous for being the creator of Active Time Battle and Active Dimension Battle...
introduced the "Active Time Battle System" in Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
, where the time-keeping system does not stop. Square filed a Japanese patent application
Patent application
A patent application is a request pending at a patent office for the grant of a patent for the invention described and claimed by that application. An application consists of a description of the invention , together with official forms and correspondence relating to the application...
related to the ATB system on July 16, 1991 and a corresponding US application on March 16, 1992. One Japanese patent (JP2794230) and two US patents (US5390937 and US5649862) were granted based on these applications. On the battle screen, each character has an ATB meter that gradually fills, and the player is allowed to issue a command to that character once the meter is full. Because enemies can attack or be attacked at any time, and the player can lose his turn if he doesn't attack quick enough, urgency and excitement are injected into the combat system. When designing the ATB system, Ito was inspired by Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
. According to Final Fantasy IV's lead designer Takashi Tokita
Takashi Tokita
is a Japanese video game developer working for Square Enix. He has worked there since 1985, and has worked as the lead designer for Final Fantasy IV as well as the director of Parasite Eve and Chrono Trigger.-Biography:...
, "the planner, Hiroyuki Itoh, was watching a Formula One race. Seeing all the cars pass each other, we thought of an interesting idea where character speed would differ depending on, I suppose, the type of character it is. So, that's where the initial idea came from."
The ATB system remained the norm until Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
implemented a Conditional Turn-Based system, which slowed gameplay while making it important for the right characters to square off against the right monsters. However, Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI
, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
embraced a real-time battle system where characters continuously attacked unless issued another command. Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
continued this real-time gameplay with the Active Dimension Battle system, where the player may issue commands to the characters or allow them to act automatically with certain behavioral triggers.
Minigames
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
s as part of its core gameplay, beginning mainly with Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
. Participation and progression in these minigames generally does not affect the main game, but can often offer many items or "power ups" that are either very rare, or simply otherwise unavailable. They can also offer a diversion to the main story, and add a few more hours of gameplay. However, in some Final Fantasy installments, such as Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
, certain minigames are sometimes necessary in order to progress the storyline.
The first of these were simple minigames hidden as Easter eggs which must be unlocked by pressing special button combinations in a particular location. In Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy (video game)
is a fantasy role-playing video game created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, developed and first published in Japan by Square in 1987. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series...
, a sliding puzzle
Sliding puzzle
A sliding puzzle, sliding block puzzle, or sliding tile puzzle is a puzzle that challenges a player to slide usually flat pieces along certain routes to establish a certain end-configuration....
can be unlocked while boarding the ship. In Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II
is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the Sony PlayStation, Japanese mobile phones, the Game Boy...
, a matching game can be unlocked while boarding the ice sled and meeting a certain requirement. Final Fantasy VII was the first game to feature a large number of minigames. A number of minigames appear occasionally throughout the main storyline and at various locations, many of which can later be played at the Gold Saucer theme park within the game, along with various other minigames exclusive to the Gold Saucer. These include a chocobo
Chocobo
A is a fictional creature from the Final Fantasy video game series. The creature is a large and normally flightless galliforme/ratite bird capable of being ridden and otherwise used by player characters during gameplay...
racing game, chocobo breeding, motorbike racing, a snowboarding game, and several others. The snowboarding minigame was later released as a separate snowboarding game for mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s entitled Final Fantasy VII Snowboarding, which released in Japan and North America in . It is a mobile port
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
of the snowboarding minigame featured in the original game. The game is playable on the LG VX8000, LG VX8100, Audiovox 8940 and Samsung A890 mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
and contains different tracks than the original minigame.
Final Fantasy VIII introduced Triple Triad, a card game
Card game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...
designed by battle designer Hiroyuki Ito
Hiroyuki Ito
, also credited with the spelling Hiroyuki Itou, is a Japanese game producer, game director and game designer who has been working for Square Enix since 1987. He is famous for being the creator of Active Time Battle and Active Dimension Battle...
. It was not considered an essential part of the game, but more to provide a light relief to the storyline and allow the player to interact with minor characters in a different way. Through the use of a Card Mod ability, the player is able to create rare items by converting cards earned by defeating various competitors. Final Fantasy VIII was the first of the series to introduce a side-game with such interaction. In 1999, following the release of Final Fantasy VIII, Japanese games company Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
produced a full set of collectible Triple Triad cards. The set was made up of the 110 cards as seen in the game along with 72 artwork cards and a collectors edition playing mat. Triple Triad was praised by GameSpot as a "more-than-worthy RPG minigame", finding it engaging and unique.
is a handheld electronic game
Handheld electronic game
----Handheld electronic games are very small, portable devices for playing interactive electronic games, often miniaturized versions of video games. The controls, display and speakers are all part of a single unit. Rather than a general-purpose screen made up of a grid of small pixels, they...
designed by Hiroyuki Itou of Square
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
(now Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
) for the PocketStation
PocketStation
The is a peripheral by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation home video game console. Categorized by Sony as a miniature personal digital assistant, the device features a monochrome liquid crystal display , infrared communication capability, a real-time clock, built-in flash memory, and...
handheld game console
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
. The game can be played exclusively, but is intended as a minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
to Final Fantasy VIII. The game was present in all localizations of Final Fantasy VIII, but the PocketStation itself was only released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It was later ported
Game port
The game port is a device port found on IBM PC compatible systems throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It was the traditional connector for joystick input devices until superseded by USB in the 21st century....
to the Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
version of Final Fantasy VIII in 2000. The game allows players to control Boko, a baby chocobo
Chocobo
A is a fictional creature from the Final Fantasy video game series. The creature is a large and normally flightless galliforme/ratite bird capable of being ridden and otherwise used by player characters during gameplay...
, on his quest to save his friend Mog from the clutches of an evil demon.
The game's screen consists of black and white pixel
Pixel
In digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled....
graphics and is presented in a manner similar to the "virtual pet
Digital pet
A digital pet is a type of artificial human companion. They are usually kept for companionship or enjoyment. People may keep a digital pet in lieu of a real pet....
" concept conceived by Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
's Tamagotchi
Tamagotchi
The is a handheld digital pet, created in Japan by Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai. It was first sold by Bandai in 1996 in Japan. As of 2010, over 76 million Tamagotchis have been sold world-wide...
. To play in conjunction with Final Fantasy VIII, the player must find Boko in the world of Final Fantasy VIII. Once accomplished, the player receives a user interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
for communicating with the minigame. At any time, the player may send Boko into Chocobo World to gain experience and collect special items, which are transferred back for use in Final Fantasy VIII. In addition, Boko may be used as a summon in Final Fantasy VIII. The Electric Playground
The Electric Playground
The Electric Playground is a daily news television show on the cable TV network G4 that covers movies, TV shows, comic books, collectibles and gadgets...
and Malaysian website The Star Online both noted the similarity of Chocobo World to another digital pet
Digital pet
A digital pet is a type of artificial human companion. They are usually kept for companionship or enjoyment. People may keep a digital pet in lieu of a real pet....
game, Tamagotchi
Tamagotchi
The is a handheld digital pet, created in Japan by Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai. It was first sold by Bandai in 1996 in Japan. As of 2010, over 76 million Tamagotchis have been sold world-wide...
, with The Electric Playground describing the minigame as "very nice" and pleasing. Ars Technica
Ars Technica
Ars Technica is a technology news and information website created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, science, technology policy, and video games. Ars Technica is known for its features, long articles that go...
thought that players who enjoy "walking as a Chocobo on the horizontal plane of infinity" might find the minigame fun. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
considered the PC version of the minigame a "nice touch" to Final Fantasy VIII, noting that users can play the former while doing other activities on their computer since it runs on a tiny window on the screen. Conversely, The Star Online felt that playing the minigame on a PC was "a little boring" and deplored the lack of compatibility with Palm
Palm (PDA)
Palm handhelds were Personal Digital Assistants which ran the Palm OS. Palm devices have evolved from handhelds to smartphones which run Palm OS, WebOS, and Windows Mobile...
devices.
Similar to Triple Triad, Tetra Master is a card game found in Final Fantasy IX. Unlike most of the minigames in the series, a few Tetra Master games are required to be played, one at the beginning of the game, and several closer to the end. Tetra Master was seen by GameSpot as inferior and confusing compared to Triple Triad, as the rules for it were only vaguely explained in Final Fantasy IX and there were very few rewards earned from playing it despite its extensiveness. Final Fantasy IX also had an additional minigame named Chocobo Hot and Cold. Upon the acquisition of a chocobo, the player becomes able to access the game inside of Chocobo Forests. No games of Chocobo Hot and Cold are required to be played during the game, though items received through the game could be used in the rest of Final Fantasy IX, including both regular game items and clues towards discovering more items in the main game.
In Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
and Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X-2
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
, Blitzball is a sport featuring six-man teams that combines the physicality of rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
with soccer kicks for scoring and the hand passes of water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
. The game is played underwater
Underwater
Underwater is a term describing the realm below the surface of water where the water exists in a natural feature such as an ocean, sea, lake, pond, or river. Three quarters of the planet Earth is covered by water...
in a large sphere pool suspended in the air. Although blitzball is a crucial element to Final Fantasy Xs plot, only one game is required to be played. In Final Fantasy X the player controls the individual players on the team, while in X-2 they act as a manager and coach. X-2 also had a game called Sphere Break, a mathematical game using numbered coins that possess several different attributes that can help the player in the Sphere Break minigame itself or gain items that can help in the various battles in Final Fantasy X-2. GameSpot has commented that "trivial minigames have been creeping into the Final Fantasy games at an alarming rate over the last few years, and in this regard, X-2 is definitely the most egregious offender in the series".
Character growth and classes
Role-playing game (video games)
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
in that it uses a level-up system, where players gain experience point
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s and raise their character's experience level by killing enemies. Players may have difficulty defeating an enemy until they reach a higher experience level, although Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
reduces the need to level-up by making the enemy's experience level always match that of the player's.
Each character class has unique abilities which develop as the player's level increases. In some titles, the player can choose a character with a specific class at the start of the game, while others allow characters to combine and learn abilities from a number of classes. An important example is Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy V
is a medieval-fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom . It has been ported with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance...
, where each character can be assigned and re-assigned one of 22 classes, and they gain abilities in that class as they win battles. Many core players praised the game for allowing characters to gain abilities from multiple classes, although others considered this system highly complex and may be a reason the game was not initially released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. But in games such as Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
, the characters are assigned a job class that reflects their personality in the storyline, and in some cases the character's classes are not explicitly stated. Final Fantasy IV also introduced the concept of characters joining or leaving the party throughout the storyline, which requires players to adjust their battle plans constantly. In addition to other abilities, a character's class usually determines the types of weapons and armor that they can use. Some of the more traditional classes include the Knight/Warrior, the Dragoon, the Thief and the different Mages/Wizards. Mage classes have included Black Mages, who use offensive spells, White Mages, who cast healing magic, Red Mages, who use both, Blue Mages, who use enemy spells and attacks cast against them, and Time Mages, who cast spells which speed up or slow down time. More original classes have appeared throughout the series, such as Bards, Scholars, and Summoners. Due to the series' popularity, they have become staples of RPGs since they debuted in Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy III
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in for the Family Computer as the third installment in the Final Fantasy series. It is the first numbered Final Fantasy game to feature the job-change system....
.
The complexity of the class system varies from game to game. In Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy (video game)
is a fantasy role-playing video game created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, developed and first published in Japan by Square in 1987. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series...
, the player allocates permanent class selections to the four playable characters at the beginning of the game, each of the six starting classes can be upgraded to a corresponding advanced class midway through the game. Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy III
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in for the Family Computer as the third installment in the Final Fantasy series. It is the first numbered Final Fantasy game to feature the job-change system....
and Final Fantasy V changed the formula by allowing the player to change a character's class, as well as acquire new and advanced classes and combine class abilities. In Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. A spin-off of the popular Final Fantasy series, the game shares several traits with 1997's Final Fantasy Tactics, although it is not a direct sequel. The player assembles a clan of characters, and...
, classes are once again chosen by the player from one of the two starting jobs; however, characters must meet prerequisites before changing classes. Character classes were re-introduced in Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X-2
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
as "dresspheres"; these classes are gradually acquired and can be changed at any point, including battle mode. The classes that appeared in Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI
, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
, the first MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
title in the series, have certain unique implementations that more closely follow MMORPG convention. Notably, in Final Fantasy XI a player can equip a secondary job, called a subjob, and have half the abilities of another class that way. Extensive backstories are often given to FFXI's job classes to add to the setting's lore.
Other Final Fantasy installments deviate from the class system by allowing flexibility in character growth, or featuring pre-determined jobs. Characters in Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II
is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the Sony PlayStation, Japanese mobile phones, the Game Boy...
are molded according to their performance in battle. Final Fantasy IV introduced characters already locked into a class; abilities related to the character's class are learned as the character gains experience point
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s. In Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
, Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
, and Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
, characters begin with equipment and attack proficiencies similar to character classes, but the player can allocate magic and statistical bonuses. In Final Fantasy VI, each playable character has a class and a signature command, such as Dance, Lore or Mimic. In Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, characters lack classes, and they all play the same in battle; nevertheless, each character has one or more unique limit breaks. In Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
, characters have predetermined "dormant abilities" similar to IV; however, the characters in IX learn abilities by wearing equipment instead of gaining levels. Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
introduced the sphere grid; characters began at certain areas of the grid, which represent traditional character classes by their statistical bonuses and abilities. In Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
, the player can mold characters into anything, without restriction of traditional classes. However, in the game's international version
International version
In video games, an international version is a relocalized version of a previously released title in its native territory that has gained additional features and contents in foreign releases...
and sequel, the growth system is modified to have more clearly defined classes. Final Fantasy character classes have also made cameo appearances as hidden players in Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Mario Hoops 3-on-3, known in Europe and Australia as Mario Slam Basketball and in Japan as , is a sports game developed by Square Enix and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS in 2006....
and Mario Sports Mix
Mario Sports Mix
is a sports video game developed by Square Enix for Wii. It was released on November 25, 2010 in Japan, and was released in early 2011 in other regions. It features volleyball, both field hockey and ice hockey, dodgeball, and street basketball...
and as enemies
Organization XIII
is a fictional group of characters featured in Square Enix and Disney Interactive Studios' Kingdom Hearts video game series. The group comprises thirteen beings without hearts called NobodiesIn the video game series' setting, beings comprise a body, heart and soul, known as a 'Whole'. When a heart...
in Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
.
Magic
Like many role-playing games, the titles in the Final Fantasy series feature a system of magic. While the first game in the series had eight levels of spells with one to eight uses per level, later games jettisoned this concept for a common pool of magic points that all spells consume. Magic in the series is generally divided into classes, which are usually organized by color. The actual magic classes vary from game to game, but most games include "White Magic", which is focused primarily on spells that help teammates, and "Black Magic", which focused on harming enemies. One who is proficient in White or Black magic is often known as a White Mage or Black Mage, respectively. Other games include other types of mages and spells, such as geomancers who can cast spells based on the terrain, blue mages who can cast spells that are learned from enemies in battle, and red mages who can cast both white and black magic. In most games, the most powerful offensive White Magic spell is "Holy", while the most powerful black magic spell is "Ultima" (a White Magic in Final Fantasy II), "Meteor", or "Meltdown".In some games, acquiring these spells is a difficult quest, and in Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
they are only used at specific points in the plot. In Final Fantasy VI, magic is obtained from the remnants of a dead Esper
Esper
An esper refers to an individual capable of telepathy and other similar paranormal abilities. The term was apparently coined by Alfred Bester in his 1950 short story "Oddy and Id" and is derived from the abbreviation ESP for extrasensory perception....
called magicite; this also allows for the ability to summon the Esper
Esper
An esper refers to an individual capable of telepathy and other similar paranormal abilities. The term was apparently coined by Alfred Bester in his 1950 short story "Oddy and Id" and is derived from the abbreviation ESP for extrasensory perception....
during battle when the magicite is equipped. Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
s materia is based on Final Fantasy VI's magicite, unlike in Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
where magic learned by a character is permanently at their disposal, where magic is learned and permanently attached to the materia and not the character.
Another recurring class of magic is "Summoning Magic," which calls forth magical creatures to attack enemies and/or heal or protect party members. This magic debuted in Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy III
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in for the Family Computer as the third installment in the Final Fantasy series. It is the first numbered Final Fantasy game to feature the job-change system....
with eight different summons, and hit a peak of 51 different summons in Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
is a real-time strategy RPG developed by Think & Feel and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS. It is a sequel to the best-selling 2006 PlayStation 2 role-playing game Final Fantasy XII....
. These summoned creatures draw their names from classic mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, or derivations thereof. Ifrit
Ifrit
Ifrit—also spelled, efreet, ifreet, afreet, and afrit —are supernatural creatures in Arabic and Islamic cultures...
, Kujata
Bahamut
Bahamut is a vast fish that supports the earth in Arabian mythology. In some sources, Bahamut is described as having a head resembling a hippopotamus or elephant.-Overview:...
, and Bahamut
Bahamut
Bahamut is a vast fish that supports the earth in Arabian mythology. In some sources, Bahamut is described as having a head resembling a hippopotamus or elephant.-Overview:...
come from Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
mythology, though Bahamut is more akin to the draconic deity from Dungeons and Dragons. The Mesoamerican civilizations brought about summons such as Carbuncle and Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and has the meaning of "feathered serpent". The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first documented in Teotihuacan in the first century BCE or first century CE...
. Meanwhile, the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
tradition inspired several summons, including Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, Garuda
Garuda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
, and Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
. Ramuh is another Hindu-inspired summon, drawn from Indra
Indra
' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
and Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
. Meanwhile, the serpent Leviathan
Leviathan
Leviathan , is a sea monster referred to in the Bible. In Demonology, Leviathan is one of the seven princes of Hell and its gatekeeper . The word has become synonymous with any large sea monster or creature...
is inspired by the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
, and the phoenix
Phoenix (mythology)
The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
is drawn from Egyptian mythology. Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
inspired Titan
Titan (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
, Hecatonchires, Hades
Hades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
, Typhon
Typhon
Typhon , also Typhoeus , Typhaon or Typhos was the last son of Gaia, fathered by Tartarus, and the most deadly monster of Greek mythology. He was known as the "Father of all monsters"; his wife Echidna was likewise the "Mother of All Monsters."Typhon was described in pseudo-Apollodorus,...
, Cerberus
Cerberus
Cerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...
, and Siren
Siren
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli...
, while Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
was the source for Odin
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
the warrior, Fenrir the wolf, and Midgardsormr the serpent. The summon Doomtrain's Japanese name, Glasya-Labolas
Glasya-Labolas
In demonology, Glasya-Labolas is a mighty President of Hell who commands thirty-six legions of demons. He is the author and captain of manslaughter and bloodshed, tells all things past and to come, knows all sciences, gains the minds and love of friends and foes causing love among them if desired,...
, is taken from the grimoire of demons, The Lesser Key of Solomon
The Lesser Key of Solomon
The Lesser Key of Solomon or Clavicula Salomonis , is an anonymous 17th-century grimoire, and one of the most popular books of demonology...
. The summon Cait Sith is derived from the Celtic Cat Sith or Cat Sidhe
Cat Sidhe
The Cat Sìth or Cat Sidhe is a fairy creature from Celtic mythology, said to resemble a large black cat with a white spot on its breast. Legend has it that the spectral cat haunts the Scottish Highlands...
, pronounced cat shee, this is a black cat with a white patch on its chest.
Airships and transport
Although some Final Fantasy games have featured unique vehicles such as a spaceplaneSpaceplane
A spaceplane is a vehicle that operates as an aircraft in Earth's atmosphere, as well as a spacecraft when it is in space. It combines features of an aircraft and a spacecraft, which can be thought of as an aircraft that can endure and maneuver in the vacuum of space or likewise a spacecraft that...
or hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
, many vehicles are common to several games in the series. Many games in the series allowed players to pilot a ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
over oceans and seas, with some even allowing players to pilot a ship or submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
under water. Train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s also appear in several games in the series. The first three games in the series allowed players to ride a canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
through rivers. But all games since Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II
is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the Sony PlayStation, Japanese mobile phones, the Game Boy...
have featured a chocobo
Chocobo
A is a fictional creature from the Final Fantasy video game series. The creature is a large and normally flightless galliforme/ratite bird capable of being ridden and otherwise used by player characters during gameplay...
, a species of fictional bird which often acts as a mode of transport.
However, one of the most iconic modes of transport in the Final Fantasy series is the airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
, which has appeared in every game. The visual style of each airship varies between games. In several games, they are repaired and improved, allowing the player to access new areas. And in many they have built in weapons for random encounters, which attack at the beginning of a battle. However, in Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
, Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X-2
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
, and Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
, flight is abstracted with a short cut scene and essentially allows the player to teleport between locations. The impossibly fast 'Nautilus' in Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy III
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in for the Family Computer as the third installment in the Final Fantasy series. It is the first numbered Final Fantasy game to feature the job-change system....
was dubbed the fastest airship in the whole series, travelling across the world map in less than 10 seconds.
Crystals
ElementalClassical element
Many philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
orbs or crystals have appeared in more than ten of the thirteen titles of the series. They usually drive the plot as an essential link to the planet's life force, and thus the player must find or collect these crystals to advance the plot and win the game.
Currency
Final Fantasy games allow players to purchase various items and equipment from shops, using a currencyCurrency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
known as . Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
is the only game to explain the origin of the word; in that game, the word Gil is named after Gilbart, a common name for members of the royal family of Damcyan, and was originally used as the currency of Damcyan. The most common way to earn gil is from random battles, although Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
is a notable exception where gil is earned as a regular stipend
Stipend
A stipend is a form of salary, such as for an internship or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from a wage or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work performed, instead it represents a payment that enables somebody to be exempt partly or wholly from waged or salaried...
from an academy for mercenaries.
Weapons
The ExcaliburExcalibur
Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
, named after the King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
legend, and Masamune
Masamune
, also known as , is widely recognized as Japan's greatest swordsmith. As no exact dates are known for Masamune's life, he has reached an almost legendary status. It is generally agreed that he made most of his swords in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, 1288–1328. He created swords, known as...
, named after the Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
swordsmith, have been top-tier blade weapons since the first Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy (video game)
is a fantasy role-playing video game created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, developed and first published in Japan by Square in 1987. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series...
. As the series progressed, other weapons such as the Ultima Weapon, the Blood Sword, Sasuke's Katana and the Ragnarok have challenged their supremacy as weapons.
Numerous weapons have seen recurring use throughout the series; others have been influenced by a variety of mythological and fantasy concepts. Interspersed between unique weapons are a graded scale of other, more common weapons, usually sold in shops. They are typically labeled according to the following progression, from weakest to strongest: Bronze, Iron, Steel, Mythril/Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Crystal, Adamantite (found in Final Fantasy I), and Adamantine. Armor typically follows the same alloy progression. Moreover, armors of "Genji" series are seen in Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II
is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the Sony PlayStation, Japanese mobile phones, the Game Boy...
, Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
, Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy V
is a medieval-fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom . It has been ported with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance...
, Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
, Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
, Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
, Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
, Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
, and most recently in Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
. "Wooden" weapons and "Leather" armor are also often seen throughout the series.
The Final Fantasy installments feature several types of projectile weapons, including bows, balls, guns, boomerangs, and launchers. Gunblades
Pistol sword
A pistol sword is a sword with a pistol or revolver attached, usually alongside the blade. It differs from a rifle with a bayonet in that the weapon is designed primarily for use as a sword, and the firearm component is typically considered a secondary weapon designed to be an addition to the...
have a gun-like handle which contains a firing mechanism but are not considered projectile as the firing mechanism only makes the blade vibrate causing extra damage, and does not fire any actual shells, with the exception of Yazoo's gunblades from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, Weiss's twin Gunblades, shown in Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus, and Lightning's gunblades, shown in Final Fantasy XIII. In some installments, such as Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy IV, ammunition (bullets and arrows) is limited; others, like Final Fantasy XII, require the player to carry a stock of ammunition that can never be depleted. Other installments, like Final Fantasy VII, omit ammunition completely. Some of the common recurring projectile weapons include Yoichi's Bow
Nasu no Yoichi
' was a samurai who fought alongside the Minamoto clan in the Genpei War. He is particularly famous for his actions at the Battle of Yashima in 1184. According to the Heike Monogatari, the enemy Taira placed a fan atop the mast of one of their ships, claiming it protected the ship from arrows, and...
, and the Full Moon boomerang.
Swords are commonly seen throughout the series, and come in various forms. Elemental swords, which include a certain element, such as fire or wind, during the attack, are seen almost every installment in the series. Some elemental swords launch an additional magical attack during battle, such as the Lightbringer in Final Fantasy VI. Elemental swords have had many names, fire-elemental swords are usually named 'Flame Saber' or 'Flametongue', ice-elemental swords are named 'Blizzard' or 'Ice Brand', and thunder-elemental swords are named 'Thunderblade' or 'Coral Sword'. A water-elemental sword hasn't been used often, but in Final Fantasy X the main character obtains one called 'Brotherhood', that has minor relevance to the story, and in Final Fantasy X-2, the Warrior dress sphere has a water-elemental sword attack ability named 'Liquid Steel'.
There are also various staffs/rods featured in many of the Final Fantasy games which use special actions, most often of which are not directly damaging (or deal very low damage) and are often beneficial, such as the "Healing Staff" found in Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy IV. The effects of such weapons are usually used by selecting "attack", even if no actual attack is initiated. Additionally, some weapons are able to be used from the items menu (usually by pressing up at the top of the items menu during gameplay) and can produce a variety of effects such as dealing damage to an enemy, placing a negative status effect on an enemy, healing the user or an ally, or placing a positive status effect on the user or an ally.
In addition to the types of weapons above, Final Fantasy includes whips, dice, lances, axes, knives, daggers, hammers, claws and other common weapons.
Armor and accessories
Many pieces of armor and accessories from the series appear in multiple titles. One of the most common sets of equipment is Genji, which consists of a shield, helmet, body armor, and sometimes gloves. Some armor featured in the series is named after metals or stones, such as bronzeBronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, mythril, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, emerald
Emerald
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness...
, diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
, and crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
; others are based on colors or spells. Armor and accessories used in the series consist of bracers, shields, rings, bangles, shoes, helmets, body armor, robes, and dresses. However, not all games in the series have an armor system; for example, Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X-2
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
uses the equipping of dress spheres instead of armor. Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
uses stats increases from equipping Guardian Forces, a form of summoning in the game, rather than the use of armor.
Several individual pieces of armor and accessories recur throughout the series. Two of the most common are the Aegis shield and the Protect Ring, which provide various effects for the character, depending on the game. The Golden Hairpin almost always benefits the spellcasters in the party. For example, in Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
and Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy V
is a medieval-fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom . It has been ported with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance...
, they were accessories that reduced spell costs by half; in Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
, they were head armor that gave a significant boost to the maximum MP value and nullified the silence status effect. The Ribbon is an item in most Final Fantasy games that allows the equipped user to become immune to most or all status ailments. Most times, it appears as a helmet; in some games, such as Final Fantasy VI, it is an accessory or a special item.
Items
Status effect
In role-playing games, a status effect is a temporary modification to a game character’s original set of stats that usually comes into play when special powers and abilities are used, often during combat. It appears in numerous computer and video games of many genres, most commonly in role-playing...
or health of a character or enemy. Many objects are one-use and include a limit to how many are stocked in the party's inventory. In every installment, the basic HP-recovering item is some form of potion. The items' names varied in earlier games, such as being called "Heal Potions" in the first game, "Cure Potions" in the English translation of Final Fantasy IV (called Final Fantasy II), and "Tonics" in the English translation of Final Fantasy VI (called Final Fantasy III). Other variants, which heal more HP, include the mid-level "Hi-Potion", the high-level "X-Potion", and the multi-target "Mega Potion".
Since Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
, the lead MP
Magic point
Magic points are units of magical power that are used in many role-playing, computer role-playing and similar games as an expendable resource that is needed to pay for magic spells and other abilities, such as special attacks...
-recovering item has been the "Ether
Aether (classical element)
According to ancient and medieval science aether , also spelled æther or ether, is the material that fills the region of the universe above the terrestrial sphere.-Mythological origins:...
". The name is derived from Aether, a classical term used in medieval times to describe a possible substance between air, earth, fire, and water. The English language localization of Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
renamed the Ether to "Tincture," and also featured a second-level MP-restoration item, "Hi-Ether", which was renamed simply "Ether" in the English localization. The Turbo Ether (also known as "Dry Ether") has appeared in recent games and restores either a significant or complete portion of a character's MP.
The "Elixir
Elixir
An elixir is a clear, sweet-flavored liquid used for medicinal purposes, to be taken orally and intended to cure one's ills. When used as a pharmaceutical preparation, an elixir contains at least one active ingredient designed to be taken orally....
", which appears in most Final Fantasy games, is an HP and MP recovery item. Some games include the Megalixir (or Last Elixir), which fully restores the party's HP and MP. Other items recover both HP and MP at specific locations. "Tents" are often used on field maps or at Save Points as replacements for an Inn as they restore some of the party's HP and MP. Variants such as Cabin, Cottage, and Sleeping Bag restore more or less HP and MP; sometimes to only one character. In Final Fantasy IX, Tents can be used during battle, although there is chance of being inflicted with abnormal status effects when used.
Status effect-curing items are also recurring. For example, "antidote" heals poison and venom, "echo screen"/"echo herbs"/"echo drops" removes silence, "eye drops" cures blindness, and "soft" (originally "Golden Needle") cures petrification. There is a variation of the soft, the Supersoft a key item (see below) which only appeared in Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
used to remove the petrification effects from an entire forest. "Phoenix Down" (also translated as "Phoenix Tail") is used in most Final Fantasy games to revive an unconscious party member with a small portion of their HP. In some of the earlier games, the word was translated as "FenixDown" because of size issues with fitting English letters in the space previously occupied by Japanese characters. Phoenix Down often instantly kills or inflicts maximum damage on undead
Undead
Undead is a collective name for fictional, mythological, or legendary beings that are deceased and yet behave as if alive. Undead may be incorporeal, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies...
and other creatures harmed by curative spells. The item is supposed to be the feather of a Phoenix
Phoenix (mythology)
The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
, a common symbol of life and rebirth; "down" refers to the down feathers
Down feathers
The down of birds is a layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers. Very young birds are clad only in down. Powder down is a specialized type of down found only in a few groups of birds. Down is a fine thermal insulator and padding, used in goods such as jackets, bedding,...
of a bird, the undercoat of feathers beneath the visible layer on top. Other representations of Phoenix Down include the bottled tears of a Phoenix, bolted quivers and bead necklaces. Variants of this item include the Phoenix Pinion
Pinion
A pinion is a round gear used in several applications:*usually the smallest gear in a gear drive train, although in the case of John Blenkinsop's Salamanca, the pinion was rather large...
and Mega Phoenix, which revive all party members.. Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI
, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
is the exception to this, however there are certain reward items that have similar effects. Regain Feather (Grants you 100% HP, 100% MP and 300% TP), Rebirth Feather (Reraise III), Revive Feather (Reraise I), Fire Feather (Enfire), and Blaze Feather (Blaze Spikes).
There are other basic items seen throughout the Final Fantasy series, including "Gysahl Greens", which can be used to summon Fat Chocobo, an item storage service, at specific locations in Final Fantasy IV, catch, feed and race chocobos in Final Fantasy VII, summon a pet chocobo in Final Fantasy VIII, or ride a chocobo in Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XII. The "Rename Card" renames characters that have already been named. This first appeared in Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
, though the character Namingway had a similar function in Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
. In Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
, a Rename Card renames Guardian Forces, and Pet's Nametag renames Rinoa's pet dog's name. In Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
, the Namingway Card had the effect of renaming the characters in Daguerreo, and in Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
, it was used to rename Aeons. All Final Fantasy games also have "key items", which must be acquired to further the game's story or complete a sidequest. Key items are usually kept in their own special inventory separate from the player's stock of usable items. Examples of key items include the "Nitro" from the original Final Fantasy, the "Huge Materia" from Final Fantasy VII, and the "Supersoft" from Final Fantasy IX. A key item is typically received shortly before the player reaches the point where it is needed. After a key item is used, it usually remains in the player's inventory permanently, but serves no further purpose. Some items or key items are/may be almost completely useless, like "Tissue" from the American release of Final Fantasy VII.