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30 years of Final Fantasy: The highs and lows

Happy birthday, fans

It’s the 30th birthday of Final Fantasy, says Square Enix. The first in the series was released in Japan on this day in 1987 and an old story goes that the name was chosen because Square was in financial trouble at the time – almost bankrupt – and it was likely to be their last game. But that’s rubbish, the creator later said in an interview. It turns out any old F-word would have done.

It’s nevertheless a series worth celebrating. A tropey, dopey JRPG series that somehow manages to be comforting and friendly. At least, some of the time. Here’s the highs and lows of the series.

Highs

Sephiroth’s music

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Seph-hee-ROTH

Aeris being dead and staying dead

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I’m glad she’s gone.

The gunblade of FFVIII

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“An elegant weapon for a more civilised age” - Seifer

Fighting god

And then killing god.

That bit with the maze in FFVIII

What a bracing adventure.

Resuming a FFVII save after years away

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What am I doing here?

Globina catching frogs

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What do you mean you didn’t name her ‘Globina’?

Final Fantasy XIII

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“It gets better after the first thirty h--”

And then he was crushed by a falling rock.

Final Fantasy III is Final Fantasy VI

And also II is IV have a nice day.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

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Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

The Spirits Within

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Quite a long unskippable cutscene

The bit in Final Fantasy I with the, uh, with, uhh, and the, uh...

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Has anyone played this garbage?

Lows

See ‘Highs’

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