Final Fantasy Sagas: All Controversies, Biggest Scandals, And Blunders In the Series

Final Fantasy is one of the most important sagas in the history of video games and it is indisputable. There have even been games that took advantage of its name to facilitate their sales. However, one thing is clear and that is that many instalments are peppered with scandals, either in the form of social criticism or from the fans themselves. It’s time to review the biggest controversies around several of the Final Fantasy instalments and the impact on that instalment in the form of units sold.

Final Fantasy VII: the battle cartridges vs CD-ROM

Although it seems silly now, we start with one of the most famous controversies, in this case, a business dispute. One that resulted in the breakdown of a relationship between companies of six instalments and led to the arrival of Final Fantasy on PlayStation. In essence, the reason for this change was that the idea of  FFVII did not fit on cartridges (the format for Nintendo 64) but the PlayStation CD-ROMs were perfect for the FMVs and the content they had planned.

Looking at it in perspective, today it seems quite normal for a saga to start on one or more platforms and then become exclusive, but at that time it was quite a surprise. The Nintendo console was graphically more powerful and Squaresoft played it with something that went well. 14 million units sold until March 2022 according to official data, between the original premiere and re-releases, not counting the remake, attest to this.

Final Fantasy X-2: what the hell is this?

In this case, without any doubt, the controversy comes from the fans. We cannot say that they had no reason to do so. After a grim undertone of Final Fantasy X, in which almost every character is characterized by a stoic fatalism, we find ourselves with a colourful show that looks like a Sailor Moon fanfic. To add insult to injury, Yuna becomes an insufferable character.

Hey, don’t look at me, a server enjoyed it at the time because it has gameplay that revolves around the job system and is very reminiscent of Final Fantasy V. With 5.4 million units sold on a PS2 exclusive game, it’s clear that the controversy didn’t stop people from enjoying it and making it profitable.

Final Fantasy XII: Too many changes maybe

One thing that characterizes the saga is that each instalment differs from the previous one in its combat system . Revolving around the turn system until then (not counting some spin-offs that will not include remakes and Final Fantasy XI ), Final Fantasy XII decided to make the combat of the main saga more strategic… something that did not go down well with the players.

It is true that the gambit system, which could be used to automate combat by programming specific reactions to predefined situations (that a character has a certain amount of life, suffer altered states, that character is not under the effect of buffs… ). But it was as big a change as going into the action of Final Fantasy XVI. But FFXII had more problems that led to criticism.

Also Read: Explainer: Where Does The Name Final Fantasy Saga Come From?

The fact of radically changing the invocations, converted in this instalment into flying ships and being the invocations “white label versions” of the classic ones, did not like too much. The script problems (the game director denies that there was a last-minute change in terms of the protagonist, but there are many who see that if you eliminate Vaan and Penelo from the story, nothing happens) and that they include a villain final with little development and whose conclusion seems very halfway, did not go unnoticed either. Did it affect sales? No. _ More than 6 million units were placed on PS2 in the original release and more than 4 million from the remaster put up for sale a couple of years ago.

Final Fantasy XIII: the supposed hallway

With Final Fantasy XIII the saga leaped the new generation. The visual spectacle that was promised was achieved, the new hybrid combat system worked great and the characters were interesting. However… If anything wreaked havoc, it was the back-and-forth criticism the game received. The criticism made a lot of noise, but it was not entirely true. Generally speaking, most FFs take you down a “corridor” early in the game and then let loose more freely.

The problem, possibly, was that in FFXIII they take a long time to give you freedom and the area you explore is not that great. To be fair, when wanting to propose a more realistic world, adjustments had to be made that, ironically, were forced not to give as much room for exploration. Again, Sales Not Affected: Between the original release in 2009 and its arrival on Steam in 2014, more than 9 million units were sold.

Then came Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns, which each had their little things, of course. But in the end, between the three instalments, they sold more than 20 million games, which is no small feat.

Final Fantasy XIV: So bad that the world had to be destroyed

By far the worst that can happen to you is that people decide that there is almost nothing to salvage from your game. This is what happened with the original release of Final Fantasy XIV. We don’t know exactly what to focus on to sum it up, but the result was Square destroying the entire world and making it reborn as Final Fantasy XVI: A Realm Reborn. This is by far the best example of a well-managed disaster. After the changes, FFXIV began a path that continues to be constantly updated and enjoys the privilege of being the best-selling game in the saga (not counting the sum of compilations of original versions + remakes such as FFVII and FFVII Remake and others) with 24 million. of units sold.

Final Fantasy XV: A mutilated game

Although much improved today, the release of Final Fantasy XV was a critical spectacle. From the outset, the combats were simple button mashers: the protagonist was so strong that hardly any effort was needed to win. Afterwards, the group was a boy band that they didn’t like superficially (although later they showed a great relationship with each other, the central axis of the delivery). To add insult to injury, there were some very bad stories and the villain seemed too flat.

The reality is that the disaster was such that free updates were released that included several new cutscenes that covered plot holes. In addition, in a decision as applauded as it was criticized, even the bad guy had his own DLC in which his role in the events and motivations was deepened. Today we can say that it is one of the jewels of the saga, and has sold just over 10 million units since its premiere.

Final Fantasy XVI: Devil May Summon

We come to the present with Final Fantasy XVI. The game has received criticism for various aspects. The first and most important is that it is a pure action game. Chaining combos, changing weapons and styles, final bosses with life bars and QTE… the change has been too much for some fans, or at least that was reflected in the response on social networks. Now, Square Enix, they are even considering launching DLC. The reality, again, is that sales accompany the game. 

Being that it is currently an exclusive PS5 title (38 million consoles in homes according to April data), having placed just over 3 million units for now is no joke. By the way, the game has some of the best action moments in the entire saga and that justifies anything. Yes, the side quests are very bad. Half a dozen will be saved, a dozen if you hurry me. But let’s be real: the secondaries in most games leave a lot to be desired and offer a false variety where, in the end, you do the same thing every time. It’s just that here it’s… much more exaggerated.

Final Fantasy VIII: the case of José Rabadán

We end with the scandal that transcends video games and becomes a terrible crime that shook Spain. On April 1, 2000, José Rabadán killed his family (his father, his mother, and his sister). Without going into great detail, it was a pretty bloody thing and with more planning than it seemed at first. It would later be claimed that he was “addicted” to Final Fantasy VIII and that the video game had unhinged him. The fact that the katana with which he started the crime broke, he stopped and went for a machete to finish the matter off is one of the key moments of the game, as everyone knows.

In one of the most serious cases of cheap sensationalism about a heinous crime yet seen, much of the press pounced like vultures on how easy it was to blame video games. The truth is that, later, Manuel Marlasca and Luis Rendueles (investigative journalists, at that time working for Interviú ) discovered that the young man had not finished the game, so it is difficult to believe the story of “emulates a game” which was not even completed. This did not stop a general demonization of video games that haunts us to this day.

There are surely dozens of other cases, of greater or lesser importance, that have been affecting the Final Fantasy saga. However, as you can see, it continues to sell well, even in a world where games are expensive and subscription systems are established as a solid alternative to buying games.