The Death Trapwas a text-based adventure game that was released in 1984. It was the first one that Hironobu Sakaguchi helped design at Squaresoft and the company’s first game overall. The company and Sakaguchi didn’t really hit their peak untilFinal Fantasyin 1987 which is when things changed for the better.
Sakaguchi is one of the most influential creators of all time who helped Squaresoft rise to the top. He got so big that Squaresoft allowed him to create a studio on their dime to direct a movie,Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, and all future movies within that space. It was sadly a flop and soon after Sakaguchi left to help create a new studio, Mistwalker, where he remains to this day. So, to celebrate his latest achievement,FANTASIAN Neo Dimension, let’s go through the most important and best games Sakaguchi was a part of.
The Last Storywas kind of like Sakaguchi’sFinal Fantasyfor Mistwalker and it goes beyond the name being similar. It was like their last shot to make a console game and Mistwalker and the other collaborating studios took some chances. Instead of a turn-based RPG,The Last Storywas an action RPG. Players primarily controlled one character through a cavalcade of dungeons which felt lively thanks to the party system. It was one of the last big games to hit the Wii and it was the last console game Mistwalker worked on untilFANTASIAN Neo Dimensionover a decade later, soThe Last Storyis definitely important in Sakaguchi’s career.
Blue Dragonwas the first game Mistwalker produced after Sakaguchi left Square Enix to start the studio. It was a big win for the Xbox 360 as the previous generation for Microsoft was lacking in turn-based JRPGs. It was also like a mini-Chrono Triggerreunionas Akira Toriyama, the fabledDragon Ballcreator, worked on character design, and Nobuo Uematsu, the heraldedFinal Fantasycomposer, joined as well. It didn’t quite hit the heights of Final Fantasy,Chrono Trigger, or evenDragon Questwhich it looks the most like, but it was a solid first effort that had quite the legacy. There were two DS sequels and an anime and those interested can playBlue Dragonvia backwards compatibility on current Xbox consoles.
Parasite Eveis an important title as Sakaguchi helped span the gap between Western and Japanese culture. It was a turn-based RPG set inNew York Cityabout a horrific paranormal event. It was going after bothFinal FantasyandResident Eviland the combo worked well.
It may be a niche title in the hearts of fans now but it remains an important one even though the two sequels that came after were not as well received. Perhaps one day Square Enix will revisit the game as horror is at an all-time high now. Maybe even Sakaguchi will create a new horror RPG within Mistwalker.
Final Fantasy 4was an important entry in the series because it took storytelling to a new level which was barely present in the NES games. The tone is darker too asthe hero, Cecil, begins the game doing villainous things for a kingdom he loves but ultimately questions. It’s a journey to see the other side and withoutFinal Fantasy 4, there would not be an age of bombastic cutscenes on the PS1 and beyond. It’s also one of the few games that features a large, rotating party of five members during combat which is still a neat idea. As serious as it got, it also wasn’t afraid to be silly like with the immortal “Spoony Bard” line.
Before the PS1, there weren’t a lot of spinoffs that took a chance on theFinal Fantasybrand to help create thenew world of Ivalice.Final Fantasy Tacticswas one of the bigger spinoffs that broadened the turn-based gameplay into the tactical realm. Sakaguchi had a hand in bringing that dream to life as a fan of the genre sort of like a spiritual successor to theOgrefranchise. It was a mature story that engaged with religion and politics without dumbing itself down to the audience. It also expanded the idea of a Job system with a lot of abilities that players could cut between classes to create the ultimate army with tons of replay value.
While Sakaguchi touched a lot of games after this,Final Fantasy 9was like his swan songto both the company and the brand he helped establish. It was a return to the high fantasy realm of storytelling with minimal technological influences beyond airships. If it was just calledFinal Fantasyas a reboot it would have made sense as it encompassed so much of what began on the NES.
There were kingdoms, crystals, characters with specific jobs, pirates, and so much more. There’s a reason why fans are so hyped by the idea of it getting a remake and it would be great if somehow Sakaguchi was working with Square Enix again to help it turn out properly.
Chrono Triggeris the ultimate crossover gameof iconic creators. Sakaguchi was at the height of his power as was Nobuo Uematsu as a collaborating composer onFinal Fantasy. Then there was Yuji Hori who was basically theDragon Questversion of Sakaguchi and Akira Toriyama was along for the ride too. That’s only a handful of some of the best creators of the era who went on to do tremendous things.Chrono Triggerwas ahead of the game on design with no random encounters, a magic system that included combo attacks, dynamic music, time traveling, and so much more. It’s still hard to believe that this turn-based dream project ever got off the ground with so many minds working on it as egos can clash on collaborations like this.
Final Fantasy 7changed the landscape of RPGsforever, plain and simple. It got non-RPG fans aboard for a cinematic event that no one had ever tried before. Sakaguchi is credited as coming up with the basic plot with a large portion of that surrounding Aerith. Her death was influenced by the passing of Sakaguchi’s mother, so quite literally, a lot of his heart went into this project but he wasn’t alone. This was a big project for the director, Yoshinori Kitase, along with Tetsuya Nomura who was one of the artists who then went on to be the brainchild behindKingdom Hearts.Final Fantasy 7, for many, makes Square Enix a household name decades later, and Sakaguchi was a big part of that.
