Feature By

Dale Weir

In 1997, Squaresoft realized one of its dreams. By abandoning Nintendo and the Nintendo 64 console, it was able to take advantage of the CD-ROM medium of the Sony PlayStation. Its premiere PlayStation release, Final Fantasy VII, was a shining example of the unprecedented visual imagery and sounds that it long believed were necessary to supplement the storytelling experience. It was also part of a grand undertaking to blur the lines between games and movies. Whether the latter was actually true is debatable, but there is no doubt that the exquisite visuals helped get the attention (and money) of millions of new and longtime Final Fantasy fans. There was no stopping Squaresoft—or its competition for that matter—and soon CG became a staple in videogames. Since then Squaresoft has remained at the forefront, and if we fast-forward to today, we can see that this was only the beginning.

Later this year, Squaresoft will realize its ultimate dream when its highly anticipated CG feature film, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, hits theaters. It is the culmination of what have been essentially years of practice on the PlayStation, and the results have been spectacular. However, such an endeavor has been costly. Despite an overwhelmingly high (and positive) expectations upon its release, it has been reported that the movie has been over budget for some time and that Squaresoft has had to eat the cost—Squaresoft shocked the industry this year and reported its first financial lost in years. Slow sales of its PlayStation 2 games—even those that feature exceptional CG and real-time graphics—have not helped matters either.

So it is up to Squaresoft's potent Final Fantasy franchise—a series that has sold over 31 million copies to date—to set things right. Later this year, we'll see remakes of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy IX appear on the PlayStation 2. Final Fantasy Chronicles, a bundle of the Super NES classics, Final Fantasy II (IV) and Chrono Trigger, are set for release on the PS one this summer—naturally, both are getting the full CG treatment. And not to leave any stone unturned, Squaresoft has been trying to persuade Nintendo—though widely known to be an unproductive endeavor—to allow ports of its NES Final Fantasy games onto the Game Boy Advance. These quick fix schemes will likely work in providing Squaresoft with a quick infusion of cash, but it is clear that Squaresoft will be hedging its bets on its next original Final Fantasy release to make waves.

That release is Final Fantasy X—a game that has been on the wish list of most PlayStation 2 owners since it was first announced in the company of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty and Gran Turismo 3. The combination of the PlayStation 2's processing prowess and Square's creative talent was a match made in heaven and raised the stakes in the next-generation war almost overnight. Final Fantasy X’s utter lack in the way of high-production RPG competition on the Sony PlayStation 2 almost guarantees its success upon release. So far the buzz has been extremely positive as everyone awaits what could be another defining moment for Squaresoft.

More details about the game and its gameplay will be presented in the following pages with screenshots and accompanying captions.