In 1987, struggling game developer Square released what it thought would be its last title: Final Fantasy. Square hoped the RPG would help the company leave behind a legacy, but things wound up working out better than anyone could have realized. Final Fantasy proved to be an enormous success in both Japan and the United States, and it wound up launching a franchise.
Nearly forty years later, Final Fantasy is still one of the most cherished RPG series of all time. That said, the people behind the franchise have made some bizarre choices over the years, and some have had lasting consequences. In 2001, a series of bad decisions caused Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi to walk away from the developer, forever changing the trajectory of the series.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Almost Destroyed The Franchise
Final Fantasy was successful in the late 80s and mid-90s, but the series became a phenomenon in 1997 with the release of Final Fantasy VII. Not only was the title considered to be one of the best games on the PS1, but many considered it to be one of the greatest games of all time. It proved to be a massive hit, selling over 15.3 million, and is even credited with boosting sales for the PlayStation console.
While Square was reaching new heights with FFVII, the company was also starting work on a new project: a Final Fantasy feature film. The film’s production was headed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the series, and the project seemed to be in good hands. It seemed like the timing for the project was perfect, and Square Enix had high hopes that the film, which was eventually titled Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, would capitalize on the hype surrounding the franchise.
After Final Fantasy VII, the RPG series began to become known for its film-like presentation. 1999’s Final Fantasy VIII used motion capture technology to make its characters more lifelike, and 2000’s FFIX took the series back to its roots while also delivering impressive visuals. Many fans would have been thrilled to see a movie that felt like one of these games, but The Spirits Within wound up being a very different production.
It took around four years to make The Spirits Within, with approximately 200 people working to bring the movie to life. The movie used motion capture to film character movements, with animators adding in hand and facial movements. To make the production possible, Square created a custom render farm in Hawaii, and the company commissioned artists to paint all of the film’s backgrounds. While the original budget was around $70 million, costs ballooned to $137 million, which was a staggering cost for a CG animated film at that time.
The Spirits Within was a huge gamble from Square, and unfortunately, it didn’t pay off. While the film was praised for its impressive character models and innovative CGI, the rest of the movie received mixed reviews from critics. Most of the negative feedback was about the movie’s story, which critics described as shallow or confusing. Moviegoers appeared to feel the same way, and the movie bombed at the box office, taking in just $85.1 million worldwide.
The Spirits Within Disappointed Final Fantasy Fans
When The Spirits Within was originally announced, many fans hoped that they’d get to see some of their favorite Final Fantasy characters on the big screen. Even when the movie was confirmed to be an original story, fans hoped the film would capture their attention the way the games did. The Spirits Within does have some things in common with the typical Final Fantasy game. It featured a main protagonist, Aki Ross, who was accompanied by party members who joined them on their journey, including one named Dr. Sid.
However, in the eyes of many fans, the movie was Final Fantasy in name only. Instead of working with Nobuo Uematsu, who created some of the most famous Final Fantasy music, Sakaguchi hired Hollywood composer Elliot Goldenthal for the movie’s soundtrack. Chocobo imagery is only briefly seen on clothing and personal items, and the creatures never appear on screen. There are no summons and no familiar monsters like Tonberrys. In the eyes of many, the movie was Final Fantasy in name only.
The decision to make a big-budget Final Fantasy movie that barely had any connection to the series is a baffling one, and it’s hard to understand what Square was thinking. A smaller-budget film that featured some familiar characters, like 2004’s Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, would have been a much better way to get into movie-making. Ultimately, Square made a project that didn’t really appeal to anyone, and while the company survived, the film’s failure had long-reaching consequences that still impact Final Fantasy today.
The Spirits Within Still Haunts the Final Fantasy Franchise
After The Spirits Within flopped, the company’s motion picture company, Square Pictures, quickly folded, and that was just the first of many problems. Before the movie’s release, Square had been planning a merger with another development studio, Enix. The movie’s heavy losses scared Enix off, and the company only reconsidered the merger plans after the success of Final Fantasy X and Kingdom Hearts.
Even though the Square and Enix merger eventually went through, there were other losses that the company didn’t recover from. The film’s failure disheartened Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, who poured so much passion into the movie only for it to crash and burn. Sakaguchi withdrew from his management position shortly after the film’s release, and he ultimately left Square in 2003. The last game he worked on was Final Fantasy X-2.
While Final Fantasy has survived the loss of its creator, many would argue that the series has struggled to find its footing since he left. Games like Final Fantasy XIV have been hugely successful, but newer releases like FFXVI have underperformed. The series has largely moved away from turn-based combat, and other RPG franchises, like Persona, seem to be coming for its crown.
If Square hadn’t made the decision to sink a fortune into a Final Fantasy movie, Sakaguchi would likely have stayed with the company, and that would have taken the franchise in a different direction. It’s hard to say what Final Fantasy would look like today without The Spirits Within, but it’s clear that the failure of the movie shaped the direction of the series, for better or for worse.