1803: Another Shot at a Final Fantasy Marathon

A couple of times, I’ve attempted a fairly large gaming feat: to play through all the Final Fantasy games in order (with the exception of MMO XI, whose time-consuming nature means that “completing” it is a multi-year project that even many of the most dedicated players haven’t finished) and observe the series’ evolution over time.

For one reason or another, I’ve never made it right through the series, and consequently there are a couple of installments right in the middle that I’ve never played to completion, these being Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI, both of which are regarded as some of the series’ finest work with regard to game mechanics (in the case of V) and story (in the case of VI). It’s not that I’ve never wanted to play these games through to completion, it’s simply that I’ve allowed myself to get distracted by various other things and ended up losing my rhythm partway through a playthrough.

I’ve decided that I’d like to give it another go. This time around, I want to do something slightly different, however: this time around, I’m going to whack all the possible installments I can on my Vita and play them as handheld games. This means that I can do stuff like play through them on my lunch break at work as well as in bed, on the toilet or when I’m away from home. Final Fantasy wherever I go — an appealing prospect, being something of a fan of the series as a whole.

I’m also not going to get too hung up on each one being the only game I play at any given time, too. I will try and get through them in a timely manner, yes, but I’m also conscious of the fact that Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2 is out soon and I very much want to play that, and I’m also conscious of the fact that I have an astronomical backlog of games to play, many of which contain doe-eyed moe girls that I just can’t resist the allure of for too long before giving in. So if I do feel the need to give in and play something like Akiba’s Trip (which I own but haven’t booted up yet) I’m not going to feel guilty about “betraying” my Final Fantasy mission.

I do, however, want to try my best to work my way through all the main Final Fantasy games (and possibly Tactics) too, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I think it’ll be an enjoyable, cool thing to do: a journey through the very long history of one of gaming’s most recognisable series. Secondly, there are a number of installments in the series that carry a strong degree of personal significance to me — fond memories of my younger days, and the way I felt when I first played them. Thirdly, although there are a couple of installments I’ve played several times — most notably VII, which I think is the game I’ve played through the most times to completion in my entire gaming career over the years — there are also some that I’ve only ever played through once (such as IX, X and X-2) that I’m keen to revisit, in some cases many years after I’ve played them. And then, of course, there’s the matter of V and VI and the fact I’ve never beaten them at all.

What’s brought this on, then? Well, aside from Final Fantasy XIV’s love of referencing old games through both subtle and very obvious means, I got a copy of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call for Christmas, and it’s just reminded me that this is something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time now. And if I keep putting it off, I don’t think I’ll ever do it. So there’s no time like the present, I guess; I’ve ordered a big-ass Vita memory card which should be here over the weekend, and then I’ll be jumping right in with the first Final Fantasy very soon. I’ll be chronicling my thoughts over at the Squadron of Shame forum as I progress through the various games; watch out for a link once I get underway.