The Legend of Final Fantasy VIII: Creation - Universe - Decryption by Rémi Lopez

Author:Rémi Lopez [Lopez, Rémi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Third Editions
Published: 2019-02-19T05:00:00+00:00

THE “PERFECT” VISION

Whether we’re talking about a literary work, a film, or a video game, it can be hard for fans to admit that their favorite story has faults. How do we distinguish whether the authors of a work have intentionally created uncertainty or have, instead, left an accidental gap in the storyline? Either way, we seek to “fill in the blanks.” We want to make sense of the narrative so that, in the end, there are no weaknesses or inconsistencies. In the case of video games, it is the studios who determine whether an error has been made or whether certain plot elements have been deliberately shrouded in mystery. While Western designers are generally quite close to fans, thanks to their participation in gigantic conventions and forums (e.g. the comic book genre’s Comic-Cons), the communication strategies practiced by Japanese studios appear to be more restrained. Fifteen years after Final Fantasy VIII’s release, there has still been no official statement in response to the theory that Ultimecia is actually Rinoa. While this remains one of the primary topics of debate with respect to the game, only Tetsuya Nomura has bothered to answer the question (years afterward), denying the hypothesis outright. The studio’s silence1 may be the result of various factors. At the time of Final Fantasy VIII’s release, the series had already become Square’s primary license (several episodes prior). Thus, the slightest communications error could have had disastrous consequences. It would also have been impossible for Square to officially respond to every theory put forth by Final Fantasy fans—in the long term, this would have been untenable. At any rate, players have long been baffled by the character of Ultimecia. While she is the game’s main antagonist, she remains underdeveloped and inscrutable. After having confronted Golbez, Kefka, or even Sephiroth, it’s little wonder that fans were surprised. It is difficult to accept that this caricatural enemy is the game’s principal adversary. While Hollywood productions tend to rely on the Manichaeistic “good guys” versus “bad guys” trope, Final Fantasy fans generally expect less nondescript foes.

Whether it’s a new game or another episode of a series that is under development, is it also true that writers are not always quite sure what they are trying to achieve in the long run. Along with Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, Square Enix’s other great saga is Kingdom Hearts, and it is a good example of this observation. Each episode is like a post-it note that has been added to others already stuck in place. The entire storyline wasn’t written in one go but was instead created episode by episode: a process that inevitably led to its share of inconsistencies, loose ends, and arbitrary plot devices. This is, nevertheless, understandable given that the original game’s success was the determining factor in the decision to create a series. The secret ending, Deep Dive, supposedly takes place in the near future. It is only a murky continuation of the saga and barely made it out of the realm of pure fantasy.

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