Game changer: Final Fantasy's decades of reinvention
With its innovative plot lines and steampunk airships, video game franchise Final Fantasy has delighted fans and critics for 35 years.
The latest title, Final Fantasy XVI, went on sale Thursday. Here are five things to know about the hugely successful Japanese series:
Final Fantasy's rich storytelling and colourful characters have made it one of the top-selling game franchises, with more than 173 million copies sold worldwide according to publisher Square Enix.
Since the influential role-playing game debuted on Nintendo's original console in 1987, its 2D monster battles have evolved into real-time combat gameplay.
Fantasy tropes such as castles, wizards and magic crystals in the early games were later combined with sci-fi elements, from robotic armour to pixelated flying vessels.
More recent titles have picked up the pace with immersive graphics and tough heroes while keeping the expansive in-game worlds popularised by the series.
The first six Final Fantasy games were made for Nintendo consoles, but number seven broke that tradition in 1997 when developers switched to a new rival: Sony's PlayStation.
It was a smart commercial move, with high demand for the original PlayStation bringing the franchise a huge new following.
Final Fantasy VII, with its industrial aesthetic and mystical themes, was the first 3D game in the series and remains its best-selling title by far.
In 2020, Square Enix released the first installment of a three-part remake of the dystopian epic, which often features on lists of the best video games of all time.
Final Fantasy games have won critical acclaim not only for their storylines but also their soundtracks, described by British radio station Classic FM as "incredibly cinematic".
But while the music is
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