Feb 012017
Final Fantasy’s 30th Anniversary Celebration has officially begun.
Yes, 2017 marks 30 years since Final Fantasy began. It’s crazy to think it’s been around this long.
Square Enix has invited fans to share their Final Fantasy thoughts and memories with the hashtag #FF30th in honor of the anniversary, but that’s not all. This should be a year of Final Fantasy excitement.
They began the celebration with an Opening Ceremony filled with little pieces of Final Fantasy news: no dramatic announcements, but enough to get things rolling.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Release Date
The PS4 remaster of Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, will be available on July 11 in North America and Europe, and on July 13 in Japan and Asia.
Notably, The Zodiac Age is a remaster of the Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System, not the original form of the game. IZJS was previously available only in Japan, and most fans consider it to be the superior version.
On a related note, World of Final Fantasy will be getting a new free DLC Champion, Balthier from Final Fantasy XII. They didn’t give a release date for Balthier yet.
Final Fantasy XV DLC
Three pieces of Final Fantasy XV DLC now have release dates:
- Booster Pack (free version) and Booster Pack+ – February 21
- Episode: Gladiolus – March 28
- Episode: Propmpto – June
Although I enjoyed Final Fantasy XV, it seemed frustratingly obvious that some content was being saved for DLC. I’m not sure how I feel about it, but maybe the reviews for these character episodes will be spectacular.
Gladio’s DLC will also include Gilgamesh.
In a new Weekly Famitsu interview, Tabata discussed their progress on VR content and his hopes for a PC release. He also said that making more regions explorable could be possible in the future, but it would take a year’s worth of work to make one.
And according to him, no particular parts of the story were cut out of necessity… which I find a little hard to believe.
Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia
Japan is getting a new Dissidia game for iOS and Android. It is available today, February 1.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
And what’s the game on everyone’s mind? The Final Fantasy VII Remake! Not only is 2017 the 30th anniversary of the series, it’s also the 20th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII.
Square Enix unveiled the key visual, which features Cloud and Sephiroth.
(They also released a Kingdom Hearts 3 screenshot celebrating Final Fantasy VII’s anniversary.)
Producer Yoshinori Kitase was also interviewed in Weekly Famitsu. While he didn’t give many concrete details, he mentioned his hopes to “sustain interest” in between releases, because each part of Final Fantasy VII Remake will be separated by more than a few months.
He also said the battle system’s base has been solidified with the help of Tetsuya Nomura and Mitsunori Takahashi. He didn’t confirm or deny the presence of Materia, but said they’re “not going to remove the things that were popular in Final Fantasy VII.”
Finally, he hinted at Square Enix’s interest in a Final Fantasy VI remake.
More Upcoming Final Fantasy Games
And finally, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age and Final Fantasy VII Remake aren’t the only Final Fantasy games in production.
According to brand manager Shinji Hashimoto in his Weekly Famitsu interview, “various projects” are in production, and they’re “not just limited to home games.”
All right, so anyone could have guessed they’re working on something new for Final Fantasy, but this opens the door for speculation. Personally, I’m hoping for more World of Final Fantasy. World of Final Fantasy is a terrific game, but did it sell well enough for a sequel?
What do you hope to see from the Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary?