Gameplay of Final Fantasy

Though each Final Fantasy story is independent, many aspects of gameplay have remained relatively consistent throughout the series.

Parties and battles

Example diagram of the Active Time Battle system used in several Final Fantasy games from its US patent application.

Throughout the Final Fantasy series, players have been able to command a party of characters. The maximum size of the party has been as low as three and as high as seven, depending on the game.^[1] Players must face a variety of enemies in battle who will try to damage the player,^[2] as well as afflict the characters with several standard "status ailments" such as poisoning them or putting them to sleep.^[3] Many of the games feature a random encounter system,^[4] the player is randomly drawn into battle with enemies that are not visible on the map.^[5] This remained true of the series until Final Fantasy XII moved to a system where all enemies are visible as the player explores the game world.^[4]

In battle, the characters can select a variety of commands from a menu, such as "Fight", "Magic", "Item", as well as other special skills such as "Steal" or "Summon".^[4] While Final Fantasy VI introduced desperation attacks, Yoshinori Kitase created an improved system in Final Fantasy VII called "Limit Breaks". These were powerful counterattacks that gained strength as the player took damage, and were accompanied by a sophisticated animation.^[6] Since then, games in the series allow characters to perform special moves when they fill up a power meter,^[5] and this gameplay has become synonymous with the series.^[7]

Throughout the series, the battle system has evolved from a turn-based system to incorporate more real-time elements. The original turn-based system, with the player characters on the right and the enemies on the left, is imitated by numerous RPGs.^[2] Hiroyuki Itō introduced the "Active Time Battle System" in Final Fantasy IV,^[1] where the time-keeping system does not stop.^[8] Square Co., Ltd. filed a United States patent application for the ATB system on March 16, 1992, under the title "Video game apparatus, method and device for controlling same" and was awarded the patent on February 21, 1995. On the battle screen, each character has an ATB meter that gradually fills, and the player is allowed to issue a command to that character once the meter is full.^[9] The fact that enemies can attack or be attacked at any time is credited with injecting urgency and excitement into the combat system.^[8] This remained the norm until Final Fantasy X implemented a Conditional Turn-Based system, which slowed gameplay while making it important for the right characters to square off against the right monsters.^[10] However, Final Fantasy XI embraced a real-time battle system where characters continuously attacked unless issued another command.^[11] Final Fantasy XII continued this real-time gameplay with the Active Dimension Battle system,^[12] where the player may issue commands to the characters or allow them to act automatically with certain behavioral triggers.^[13]

Minigames

In addition the normal gameplay, the series has featured various forced and optional minigames.

Character development and classes

The job system in Final Fantasy V

The Final Fantasy series is like many role-playing games in that it uses a level-up system,^[14] where players gain experience points and raise their character's experience level by killing enemies.^[15][16][17] Players may have difficulty defeating an enemy until they reach a higher experience level, although Final Fantasy VIII reduces the need to level-up by making the enemy's experience level always match that of the player's.^[18]

Each character class has unique abilities which develop as the player's level increases. In some titles, the player can choose a character with a specific class at the start of the game, while others allow characters to combine and learn abilities from a number of classes.^[1] An important example is Final Fantasy V, where each character can be assigned and re-assigned one of 22 classes, and they gain abilities in that class as they win battles. Many core players praised the game for allowing characters to gain abilities from multiple classes, although others considered this system highly complex and may be a reason the game was never released in North America.^[19] But in games such as Final Fantasy IV, the characters are assigned a job class that reflects their personality in the storyline,^[4][8] and in some cases the character's classes are not explicitly stated.^[4] Final Fantasy IV also introduced the concept of characters joining or leaving the party throughout the storyline, which requires players to adjust their battle plans constantly.^[8] In addition to other abilities, a character's class usually determines the types of weapons and armor that they can use.^[1] Some of the more traditional classes include the Knight/Warrior, the Dragoon, the Thief and the different Mages/Wizards.^[4][19] However, more esoteric classes have appeared throughout the series.^[19] The complexity of the class system varies from game to game.^[4]

Magic

Like many role-playing games, the titles in the Final Fantasy series feature a system of magic. While the first game in the series had eight levels of spells with one to eight uses per level, later games jettisoned this concept for a common pool of magic points that all spells consume.^[2] Magic in the series is generally divided into classes, which are usually organized by color.^[5] The actual magic classes vary from game to game, but most games include "White Magic", which is focused primarily on spells that help teammates, and "Black Magic", which focused on harming enemies.^[2] One who is proficient in White or Black magic is often known as a White Mage or Black Mage, respectively.^[2][20] Other games include other types of mages and spells, such as geomancers who can cast spells based on the terrain, blue mages who can cast spells that are learned from enemies in battle, and red mages who can cast both white and black magic.^[20] In most games, the most powerful white magic spell is either "Holy", "White" or "Pearl", while the most powerful black magic spell is "Ultima" or "Meteor". In some games, acquiring these spells is a difficult quest, and in Final Fantasy VII they are only used at specific points in the plot.^[20]

Another recurring class of magic is "Summoning Magic", which calls forth magical creatures to attack enemies and/or heal or protect party members.^[1][4] This magic debuted in Final Fantasy III with eight different summons, and hit a peak of 27 different summons in Final Fantasy VI.^[1] These summoned creatures draw their names from classic mythology. Ifrit and Bahamut come from Arab mythology. Meanwhile, the Hindu tradition inspired several summons, including Shiva, Garuda, and Lakshmi (the correct translation of the summon known as "Starlet"). Ramuh is another Hindu inspired summon, drawn from Indra and Rama.^[1] Meanwhile, the serpent leviathan is inspired by the Old Testament, and the phoenix is drawn from Egyptian mythology.^[1] Greek mythology inspired titan and siren, while Norse mythology was the source for Odin the warrior and Fenrir the wolf.^[1]

Airships and transport

Although some Final Fantasy games have featured unique vehicles such as a spaceplane or hovercraft, many vehicles are common to several games in the series. Many games in the series allowed players to pilot a ship over oceans and seas, with some even allowing players to pilot a ship or submarine under water. Trains also appear in several games in the series. Only the first two games in the series allowed players to ride a canoe through rivers. But all games since Final Fantasy II have featured a chocobo, a species of fictional bird which often acts as a mode of transport.^[1]

However, one of the most iconic modes of transport in the Final Fantasy series is the airship, which has appeared in every game. The visual style of each airship varies between games. In several games, they are repaired and improved, allowing the player to access new areas. However, in Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, and Final Fantasy XII, flight is abstracted with a short cut scene and essentially allows the player to teleport between locations.^[1]

Inventory

Crystals

Elemental orbs or crystals have appeared in more than ten of the twelve titles of the series. They usually drive the plot as an essential link to the planet's life force, and thus the player must find or collect these crystals to advance the plot and win the game.^[1]

Currency

Final Fantasy games allow players to purchase various items and equipment from shops, ^[21] using a currency known as Gil (ギル, giru^?).^[22][23] Final Fantasy IV is the only game to explain the origin of the word; in that game, the word Gil is named after Gilbart, a common name for members of the royal family of Damcyan, and was originally used as the currency of Damcyan.^[24] The most common way to earn gil is from random battles, although Final Fantasy VIII is a notable exception where gil is earned as a regular stipend from an academy for mercenaries.^[18]

Weapons

The Excalibur, named after the King Arthur legend, and Masamune, named after the Japanese swordsmith, have been top-tier blade weapons since the first Final Fantasy.^[1] As the series progressed, other weapons such as the ultima weapon, the blood sword, and the Ragnarok have challenged their supremacy as weapons.^[1][20]

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Numerous weapons have seen recurring use throughout the series; others have been influenced by a variety of mythological and fantasy concepts. Interspersed between unique weapons are a graded scale of other, more common weapons, usually sold in shops. They are typically labeled according to the following progression, from weakest to strongest: Bronze, Iron, Steel, Mythril/Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Crystal, Adamantite (found in Final Fantasy I), and Adamantine.^{[citation needed]} Armor typically follows the same alloy progression.^{[citation needed]} Moreover, armors of "Genji" series are seen in Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy Tactics, and most recently in Final Fantasy XII.^{[citation needed]} "Wooden" weapons and "Leather" armor are also often seen throughout the series.^{[citation needed]}

The Final Fantasy installments feature several types of projectile weapons, including bows, balls, guns, boomerangs, and launchers. Gunblades have a gun-like handle which contains a firing mechanism but are not considered projectile as the firing mechanism only makes the blade vibrate causing extra damage, and does not fire any actual shells, with the exception of Yazoo's gunblades from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, and Weiss's twin Gunblades, shown in Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus. In some installments, such as Final Fantasy III, ammunition (bullets and arrows) is limited; others, like Final Fantasy XII, have unlimited ammunition, only requiring the player to actually have it. Other installments, like Final Fantasy VII, omit ammunition completely. Some of the common recurring projectile weapons include Yoichi's Bow,^{[citation needed]} and the Full Moon boomerang.^{[citation needed]}

Swords are commonly seen throughout the series, and come in various forms. Elemental swords, which include a certain element, such as fire or wind, during the attack, are seen almost every installment in the series. Some elemental swords launch an additional magical attack during battle, such as the Lightbringer in Final Fantasy VI. Elemental swords have had many names, fire-elemental swords usually named 'Flame Saber' or 'Flametongue', ice-elemental swords named 'Blizzard' or 'Ice Brand', thunder-elemental swords are 'Thunderblade' or 'Coral Sword' and on one occasion in Final Fantasy I, a 'Vorpal Sword'. A water-elemental sword hasn't been used often, but in Final Fantasy X the main character obtains one called 'Brotherhood', that has minor relevance to the story, and in Final Fantasy X-2, Warrior dress sphere has a water-elemental sword attack ability named 'Liquid Steel'.^{[citation needed]}

There are also various staffs/rods featured in many of the Final Fantasy games which use special actions, most often of which are not directly damaging (or deal very low damage) and are often beneficial, such as the "Healing Staff" found in Final Fantasy V. The effects of such weapons are usually used by selecting "attack", even if no actual attack is initiated. Additionally, some weapons are able to be used from the items menu (usually by pressing up at the top of the items menu during gameplay) and most often inflict damage when selected in such a way.^{[citation needed]}

In addition to the types of weapons above, Final Fantasy includes whips, dice, staffs/rods, lances, axes, knives, daggers, swords and other common weapons.^{[citation needed]}

Armor and accessories

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Many pieces of armor and accessories from the series appear in multiple titles. One of the most common sets of equipment is Genji, which consists of a shield, helmet, body armor, and sometimes gloves. Some armor featured in the series is named after metals or stones, such as bronze, iron, silver, mythril, gold, emerald, diamond, and crystal; others are based on colors or spells. Armor and accessories used in the series consist of bracers, shields, rings, bangles, shoes, helmets, body armor, robes, and dresses. However, not all games in the series have an armor system; for example, Final Fantasy X-2 uses the equipping of dress spheres instead of armor. Final Fantasy VIII uses stats increases from equipping Guardian Forces, a form of summoning in the game, than the use of armor.^{[citation needed]}

Several individual pieces of armor and accessories recur throughout the series. Two of the most common are the Aegis shield and the Protect Ring, which provide various effects for the character, depending on the game. The Golden Hairpin almost always benefits the spellcasters in the party. For example, in Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy V, they were accessories that reduced spell costs by half; in Final Fantasy Tactics, they were head armor that gave a significant boost to the maximum MP value and nullified the silence status effect. The Ribbon is an item in most Final Fantasy games that allows the equipped user to become immune to most or all status ailments. Most times, it appears as a helmet; in some games, such as Final Fantasy VI, it is an accessory or a special item.^{[citation needed]}

Items

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The Final Fantasy XII "Potion" drink.

"Items" are collected objects that may affect the status or health of a character or enemy. Many objects are one-use and include a limit to how many are stocked in the party's inventory. In every installment, the basic HP-recovering item is some form of potion. The items' names varied in earlier games, such as being called "Heal Potions" in the first game, "Cure Potions" in the English translation of Final Fantasy IV (called Final Fantasy II), and "Tonics" in the English translation of Final Fantasy VI (called Final Fantasy III). Other variants, which heal more HP, include the mid-level "Hi-Potion", the high-level "X-Potion", and the multi-target "Mega Potion".^{[citation needed]}

Since Final Fantasy IV, the lead MP-recovering item has been the "Ether". The name is derived from Aether^{[citation needed]}, a classical term used in medieval times to describe a possible substance between air, earth, fire, and water. The English language localization of Final Fantasy VI renamed the Ether to "Tincture," and also featured a second-level MP-restoration item, "Hi-Ether", which was renamed simply "Ether" in the English localization. The Turbo Ether (also known as "Dry Ether") has appeared in recent games and restores either a significant or complete portion of a character's MP.^{[citation needed]}

The "Elixir", which appears in most Final Fantasy games, is an HP and MP recovery item. Some games include the Megalixir (or Mega Elixir), which fully restores the party's HP and MP. Other items recover both HP and MP at specific locations. "Tents" are often used on field maps or at Save Points as replacements for an Inn as they restore some of the party's HP and MP. Variants such as Cabin, Cottage, and Sleeping Bag restore more or less HP and MP; sometimes to only one character. In Final Fantasy IX, Tents can be used during battle, although there is chance of being inflicted with abnormal status effects when used.^{[citation needed]}

Status effect-curing items are also recurring. For example, "antidote" heals poison and venom, "echo screen"/"echo herbs"/"echo drops" removes silence, "eye drops" cures blindness, and "softs" cure petrification. There is a variation of the soft the Supersoft a key item (see below) which only appeared in Final Fantasy IX used to remove the petrification effects from an entire forest. "Phoenix Down" (also translated as "Phoenix Tail") is used in most Final Fantasy games to revive an unconscious party member with a small portion of their HP. In some of the earlier games, the word was translated as "FenixDown" because of size issues with fitting English letters in the space previously occupied by Japanese characters. Phoenix Down often instantly kills or inflicts maximum damage on undead and other creatures harmed by curative spells. The item is supposed to be the feather of a Phoenix, a common symbol of life and rebirth; "down" refers to the down feathers of a bird, the undercoat of feathers beneath the visible layer on top. Other representations of Phoenix Down include the bottled tears of a Phoenix, bolted quivers and bead necklaces. Variants of this item include the Phoenix Pinion and Mega Phoenix, which revive all party members.^{[citation needed]}

There are other basic items seen throughout the Final Fantasy series, including "Gysahl Greens", which can be used to summon Fat Chocobo, an item storage service, at specific locations in Final Fantasy IV, catch and feed chocobos in Final Fantasy VII, summon a pet chocobo in Final Fantasy VIII, or ride a chocobo in Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy XII.^{[citation needed]} The "Rename Card" renames characters that have already been named. This first appeared in Final Fantasy VI, though the character Namingway had a similar function in Final Fantasy IV. In Final Fantasy VIII, a Rename Card renames Guardian Forces, and Pet's Nametag renames Rinoa's pet dog's name. In Final Fantasy IX, the Namingway Card had the effect of renaming the characters in Daguerreo, and in Final Fantasy X, it was used to rename Aeons.^{[citation needed]} All Final Fantasy games also have "key items", which must be acquired to further the game's story or complete a sidequest. Examples of key items include the "Nitro" from the original Final Fantasy, the "Huge Materia" from Final Fantasy VII, and the "Supersoft" from Final Fantasy IX. Some items or key items are/may be almost completely useless, like "Tissue" from Final Fantasy VII.^{[citation needed]}

References