Making the Big Leap

by Dan Highwind 

Recently there have been many hi-res pics going up on the internet of SquareSoft's first Final Fantasy for the PlayStation 2. These pics are quite amazing. When FFX was first announced I thought "Oh boy! Another FFVIII" but it seems to be shaping up to differ from my opinion. Anyway, the real point of this editorial is to make a statement on the realism of graphics, and how they have affected video games (mainly RPGs).

In the beginning graphics were nothing more than just colored blocks that moved. At the time (circa 1975ish), these kinds of graphics were looked upon as modern marvels so to speak. Probably the biggest leap from Pong (the first real home video game) was when developers realized they could animate blocks that were multicolored and resembled real objects. Soon companies like Atari began to develop games which utilized a great range of colors, and not only were the objects depicted in the game colorful, they also looked true to life. Around 1980 things began to change.

Nintendo. This is probably the one name that anyone and everyone involved with gaming knows instinctively. Nintendo was the first company to produce games in the amazing new 8-bit technology (and be successful). The graphics were a stunning leap ahead of anything anyone had ever seen before. People were stunned at how well a character like Mario was animated. In 1987 SquareSoft released its first RPG Final Fantasy in Japan. This game became an overnight success. It sold extremely well, simply because of three reasons: everyone wanted to play a game that would last more than a few hours, the story was more complex than any RPG available at that time, and the graphics were amazing. Granted, by today's standards FF looks like it could use a major graphics overhaul, but it was a leap ahead when it was released. In 1990 Final Fantasy III was released in Japan (I'm talking the real FFIII, not FFVI a.k.a. FFIIIUS) and despite being an 8-bit game (the Genesis and the SNES were out), the game still amazed those who played it in Japan. Final Fantasy III was probably the 8-bit era's last hurrah.

In the 16-bit days of the Genesis and the SNES there was a big debate as to who would win the system wars of that generation. In the 1980s the gaming industry was owned by Nintendo, but in the early 1990s the race belonged to Sega and its Genesis. At the time, games were having more intricate graphics than ever before. Games like Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario World were setting the tone for what gamers should expect out of their respective machines. RPGs also began to show that they could produce incredible graphics with the hardware of the time. Games like Final Fantasy IV, V & VI and Phantasy Star II were showing how good an RPG could really look. The 16-bit era drew to an early close in 1995 when two new systems, Sega's Saturn and Sony's PlayStation, were released.

When the 32/64-bit era began, RPGs still looked cartoony. The graphics were unrealistic and seemed flat. RPGs didn't change face until SquareSoft released Final Fantasy VII for the PlayStation in 1997. This game revolutionized the way people looked at video game graphics. The FMV cutscenes were the most stunning to appear on any console at that time, and the in-game graphics were excellent and looked extremely realistic. After FFVII's release, RPGs were accepted as the genre of choice for many gamers around the world. Games were looking incredible. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time showcased the best graphics seen on Nintendo's Nintendo 64 and, surprise, it was also an RPG. Near the end of the 32/64-bit era games were looking more and more realistic, but a token of the games with that look were fears of the games having lack of storyline and plot. Final Fantasy VIII showed gamers that they had nothing to fear as it combined a strong narrative with amazing cutting-edge graphics. The 32/64-bit era is almost over, which brings me to now.

I feel that when Final Fantasy X is released it will cause many people to buy the PlayStation 2. Just looking at the graphics makes me crap my pants with how realistic everything looks. The one thing I fear is that the game will be all show and no flow (as in plot). I hope I'm wrong, but then again, when was the last time SquareSoft took its next-generation transition lightly? If you liked this editorial or have any questions, comments or suggestions, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at LinkZ1@aol.com and let me know! I'll be back, and you can quote me on that!