I suspect that if you clicked on this article, then you arewellaware that theFinal Fantasyseries has been going through a bit of an extended rough patch. In fact, if you are in your twenties, then the rough patch may be all that you know. However, while its reputation has taken a hit, one thing remains true: Final Fantasy is still the JRPG king.
Now, I can see the Dragon Quest and Persona fans champing at the bit, ready to lunge at me. However, please understand: I am but the lowly messenger. I’ll provide all the reasons why I think, at the end of the day, it is hard to argue that Final Fantasy doesn’t still sit atop the throne. At least hear me out before you torch me in the comments!
738 Years Of Legacy Is Hard To Shake
Final Fantasy has been around for quite some time now. The original game was released in 1987 in Japan, and Square hasn’t looked back since. At this point,there are well over 100 Final Fantasy games in existence(though the math can get a little ambiguous given that there are games like the Legends titles).
What makes this legacysoimpactful is that, for a number of these generations, Final Fantasy wasthepremier RPG franchise. While the Mass Effect series was able to go from being the biggest RPG franchise of its generation tobasicallybeing irrelevant over the course of a decade, it is important to remember that its time on top was comparatively brief. Final Fantasy, on the other hand, has proven hard to unseat. A big part of that is its strong Legacy. Final Fantasy could feasibly be your grandparents', parents', and children’s favorite game franchise. Legacies like that put down roots.
6Square Has Done A Great Job Keeping Its Classic Final Fantasy Titles Relevant
But what is a legacy if you don’t preserve it? The PlayStation had the Final Fantasy Anthology titles. More classic Final Fantasy games would be remastered for the PSP. When phone gaming became a big deal, Square started creating ports of their classic games for phones. There hasneverbeen a generation where Square wasn’t re-releasing its classic games in one form or another. Add to that the steady stream ofgames that expand upon these classic titles, and you get a franchise that maintains the relevance of its older titles decades after they’ve released.
And more to the point, Square has gotten better at it over the years. More effort is being put into the porting process of the older titles, and they are handling the expansion of their classic game franchises more tastefully - just compare Final Fantasy 4: The After Years to Final Fantasy 7 Remake to see what I mean. By always making its classic games available on modern hardware, Final Fantasy has made it uncannily easy for any new players to experience the best games in the franchise.
5The Final Fantasy IP Is Still Strong
This is now a point I’m sure I would have believed myself a year ago. I know that Uematsu’s orchestra sells out when it tours, and that Final Fantasy merchandise has always seemingly pushed numbers, but when Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s sales were under the projections, I wondered if maybe the Final Fantasy IP had lost some of its luster. That was, until I saw the Magic: The Gathering set sales…
Now, I think we all expected those cards to sell well. A lot of effort went into that set. What I didn’t expect, however, was for the Final Fantasy set to outsell any set that had come before it. Do you know what held the previous record? The Lord of the Rings. Do you know how long it took the Final Fantasy set to outsell The Lord of the Rings?24hours!I’m sorry, that speaks pretty clearly about the power of the Final Fantasy brand. It is still a powerhouse. Even with Square fumbling the ball for twenty straight years, the Final Fantasy IP is incredibly powerful.
While it is unquestionable that Final Fantasy has lost ground overall, at the end of the day, it is worth taking a step back and looking at how it is performing in comparison to its peers. Let’s start in the MMORPG space. Final Fantasy 14 is the only MMO that has ever successfully challenged World of Warcraft. In fact, when its new expansions launch, it occasionallytakesthe lead.Given that World of Warcraft is in an institutionat this point, that is quite the achievement.
And how about the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters? They sold over five million copies. How many remasters can say they’ve hit sales numbers evencloseto those? It is basically just Mario collections that do those numbers. Andeven if Final Fantasy 16 was reported to have sold under expectations, it has still soldover 3.5 million copies. Clair Obscur has likely surpassed that already, given the glimpse we received of its performance.
However, from the sales data we’ve seen, they are likely to be in the same neighborhood sales-wise. At the end of the day, Final Fantasystill sells extremelywell, even if Square wishes it sold even more.
By the way, the original Persona 5 sold just a little over three million copies, so that places it in a similar place.
3Final Fantasy Has A Demographically Rich Audience
Final Fantasy has one of the most demographically diverse audiences around. It is popular in both the West and Asia. It has a larger-than-usual number of female players, anda nice spread of agesenjoy playing them. Though Final Fantasy’sJapanese fans do skew quite a bit older.
While there is definitely some concern when it comes to reaching the younger end of the demographic spectrum, it is worth pointing out that the audience it has all falls within the age range that has access to money. Which is probably why a Final Fantasy game can step on its own toes and still pull in very respectable sales. And when it comes to the younger generation, Final Fantasy is just a few Fortnite dances and Skibidi name-drops away from being relevant there too!
That last part was a joke. I’m begging you, don’t take that as advice, Square.
2Everyone Still Compares Every RPG To Final Fantasy
This is my last major point, but I think it is my strongest. At the end of the day, if you want to know who the JRPG king is,just look at what franchise people compare every RPG to.If an RPG succeeds, it is always compared to Final Fantasy. Always. And it isn’t just the journalists. You’ll see these comparisons in every grimy corner of the internet where people discuss games.
While Final Fantasy may not have the appearance of invincibility that it once had, for better or for worse, it is still the name people associate with the genre. It isn’t just a matter of historical significance either. Wizardry is arguably one of the most influential RPG series to have ever existed, and has had dozens of releases, yet no one is bringing up that franchise as a point of comparison. People mention Final Fantasy because that name is still the biggest in the genre.
1The Future Is Looking Bright
While Final Fantasy has had its stumbles over the last two decades, Final Fantasy 16 was a polished, well-received title that fixed many of the narrative issues that have plagued recent (in relative terms) mainline titles while still maintaining the same feel. Additionally, while the single-player titles have struggled in one regard or another, the online-only Final Fantasy 14 is still a juggernaut in the MMO space, fifteen years after being released, and is adored.
But there is even more reason to be hopeful for the future. Square’s refusal to return to the roots of Final Fantasy, and provide people with the classic JRPG experience that fans keep begging for is likely soon to end. Square may be stubborn, but they aren’t stupid. What have been the best-selling RPGs in the last couple of years? Turn-based RPGs that embraced their genre with their whole chest.
Given that Square is “aware” of the success that turn-based games are receiving, and even invited the Clair Obscur developers to their offices recently, it most certainly feels like they are primed and ready to fully right the ship, bringing Final Fantasy back to the promised land in the process. If Final Fantasy does that, then there will be no more challengers to the throne, and articles like this one will feel like an artefact of a forgotten time.
