Aesthetics

Hopefully the other pages of the website have given you an idea of what Final Fantasy I reboot would potentially look like if it was to be made to be released this year on a third gen console. The main features aesthetically would be:

• The move from Sprites to full models. This also reflects the switch to a third person view when navigating with the party leader.
• The use of seamless blending 
• Upgraded graphics

Hopefully through the character profiles and systems, it should be apparent how some of the game is going to look. However, there are a few key elements regarding the aesthetics of role playing games that should be addressed.

World Map vs Seamless Blending

The biggest difference in aesthetics between the games will be in the games' environment. Earlier RPG games (including Final Fantasy games up until Final Fantasy X) used to use a world map, towns, and dungeons as the three main ways of navigation:

World Map View, Final Fantasy I

World Map View - Character by a town, Final Fantasy VII

Town view, Final Fantasy VII

The World Map view was essentially a way of getting the party to other locations without them having to travel realistically, saving the makers from having to create pathways between locations. The World Map is usually a large, sparse green area with the ocean serving as a barrier, and sometimes feature deserts. Upon leaving a "town," the character usually scales up to be the same size as the town, and can make their way to the next town.

In Final Fantasy, random encounters can happen on the World Map. The user can also only save and perform certain functions on the World Map.

The town is a safe place for the party, (unless it is a narrative-induced attack,) and is the main source of gathering information, buying new weapons and supplies. In the older Final Fantasy games, your party can also rest in an inn. Most towns serve as goal locations for the user to move towards in order to progress the story.

Dungeons are a place where any monsters can attack; you are also unable to save and use certain healing items (such as Tents, which heal your whole team) in dungeons. 

Seamless Blending

From Final Fantasy X, the first game on the Playstation, Square Enix used the upgraded graphics capacities to introduce seamless blending: third person point of view was now available throughout the game, and the player would simply navigate the character throughout the environments and move to different locations in this manner. 

Final Fantasy XIII used seamless blending, allowing the player to explore the whole map in third person.

A demonstration of how the game would look - with Lockus as the main party leader. The player would be able to explore using third person, whilst the other party characters move at their own free will, following the party leader. This allows the player to feel more immersed in the game, through its believability and freedom to move as they please.

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