Summary
61-year-oldFinal Fantasycreator Hironobu Sakaguchi, who is also one of the minds behind iconic games likeChrono Trigger,Parasite Eve, and Legends of Mana, recently spoke about what he believes makes for agoodFinal Fantasy game. The answer? Being politically aware.
“If I had to give some kind of core ingredient, I would say it’s the story and world. These two are a must for any Final Fantasy and the common denominator across all of them. The world setting needs to contain some kind of thematic element that is loosely tied to current events,” Sakaguchi explained in an interview withInverse.
The world itself needs to have some kind of thematic backbone or message that gives a different perspective, or a thought-provoking prompt for players.
A quick glance at what is arguably the most iconic entry in the series proves how vital this pillar is.Final Fantasy 7, which is so popular that it’s not just getting a remake, but a trilogy of reimaginings,tackles climate change with the villainous mega corporation Shinrableeding the planet dry for power and wealth, driving people into urban slums with artificial sunlight.
Video Games Have Always Been Political
Unfortunately, a growing narrative which continues to spread online is that games are only just becoming political (or ‘woke’), with many claiming that classics like the fervently anti-warMetal Gear Solidorthe unbelievably queer Dragon Agenever were.
This is flagrantly untrue—Sakaguchi to this day says that current events are the backbone of Final Fantasy. Tactics tackles social class and is inspired by the War of the Roses, Final Fantasy 10 dives into organised religion, 8 depicts child soldiers, 14 continues to unpack themes of imperialism, and the most recent entry, Final Fantasy 16, has crystals as an allegory for oil and depicts slavery with its magic users who are branded and used for their powers.
These games have always and continue to be political, with some of the most iconic entries building entire worlds around their commentaries.
Final Fantasy (1987)
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The four “Light Warriors” must fulfill a 2000 year old prophecy, traversing the land to restore light to the four elemental orbs and defeat an ancient evil to save their world.
