So I’ll be honest: I haven’t beaten a single Final Fantasy game. I’m the type of gamer who gets stuck at a certain boss, gets mad and quits out of anger, then comes back to it later after cooling off. Unfortunately when I tried to go back to my saved Final Fantasy X game, my memory card read “corrupted data”. For me, that was the most profane pair of words that could ever appear on my PlayStation 2.
That was back when I was all about Tekken 4, Tekken 5, Mario Party 4, Luigi’s Mansion, Super Mario Sunshine, etc. Ahhhh middle school days…
Meeting Final Fantasy
That was also when I was introduced to Final Fantasy VII. Aside from Final Fantasy X‘s captivating storyline, which is what I love most about the video games I play, Final Fantasy VII was absolutely marvellous. Cloud and the AVALANCHE group saving the world? How awesome is that?
I’d enjoy playing as Cloud, venturing all over Midgar, eventually escaping with an entire group of talented individuals and stumbling upon amazing places like The Golden Saucer, Cosmo Canyon, and Nibelheim to name a few. I was hooked!
Meanwhile, I’d go back and play Final Fantasy X. I’d witness the love between Tidus and Yuna unfold. I’d watch the secret of Auron’s fate come to light. I’d hear Kimahri’s voice finally come to being. I’d feel the friction between Lulu and Wakka. I’d wonder why Rikku was so cheery.
Final Fantasy X was an unforgettable story for me. It had everything a middle school kid like me (at that time) had wanted in a video game. Not to mention that Final Fantasy X and X-2 are being released as an HD collection, according to Square-Enix.com! That’s exciting for me even now, being a college kid!
Common Themes
As I continued playing both games, I realized they both had something in common: at some point, one character would make a promise to another. Yuna made a promise to Tidus that she’d come running if he simply whistled (I think Tidus promised her first!). Tifa made Cloud promise her that if she were in trouble, he’d come rescue her and be her hero. Not only that, but they would end up going to the ends of the Earth (Spira or Midgar, for that matter) for each other, even if one of them ended up dying in the process. It was all very touching! Romantic, thrilling adventures just waiting to be played!
What do you think of when you hear about Final Fantasy games? I think of Sephiroth and Auron, since they’re my favorite characters! I also think of how long it takes me to get past places and bosses like Seymour Flux at Mt. Gagazet and the Demon Gate at the Temple of the Ancients. I’ve broken many controllers over those two boss battles…
I’m currently trying to complete Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX since X would require me to play on a separate PlayStation 3 system. So I’m hoping to beat at least one of them soon!
If you’ve never played a Final Fantasy game, try one out! See what kinds of promises there are in the other 7+ games! There’s a Final Fantasy game for everyone!
