Skip to main content

Celebrate 25 years of Final Fantasy with a swath of half-off discounts

Dissida Final Fantasy

On December 17, 1987 a little known games developer named Square released Final Fantasy. The title, as has so often been reiterated over the past two decades, is a reference to the fact that the game was a last ditch effort to turn the tide of Square’s dire financial straits. If Final Fantasy hadn’t been a hit, the company that would go on to merge with Enix to form Square Enix would likely have vanished into the ether of the NES era. Fortunately for Square, Final Fantasy proved a massive success and alongside Enix’s Dragon Quest series (aka Dragon Warrior, if you grew up in the United States) it spawned a fondness for Japanese-style roleplaying games that continues to this day. Even as news of poor sales and big loses continue to plague the publisher, it still has a shining jewel in its crown. 

Not to be too pedantic, but technically 2013 would mark the 26th anniversary of the series. However, it’s only February, so if Square Enix wants to offer up a bunch of discounts to celebrate a milestone that took place nearly two months back, who are we to argue?

Related Videos

Speaking of those discounts, Square Enix’s plan is simple: Take a number of Final Fantasy titles and series spin-offs which can already be found on the Sony Entertainment Network and cut their prices in half. Sorry Xbox fans, but since the mid-90s Final Fantasy has been seen most often on Sony’s gaming machines. It just makes more sense to aim these discounts at those with access to the PlayStation and PSP titles found on the Sony Entertainment Network.

As for which titles will be reduced in price, the PlayStation.blog offers a handy list:

  • DISSIDIA 012[duodecim] FINAL FANTASY (PSP)
  • DISSIDIA DUODECIM PROLOGUS FINAL FANTASY (PSP)
  • DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY (PSP)
  • FINAL FANTASY Tactics: War of Lions (PSP)
  • Final Fantasy (PSOne Classics)
  • Final Fantasy II (PSOne Classics)
  • FINAL FANTASY IV: Complete Collection (PSP)
  • Final Fantasy V (PSOne Classics)
  • Final Fantasy VI (PSOne Classics)
  • Final Fantasy VII (PSOne Classics)
  • Final Fantasy VIII (PSOne Classics)
  • Final Fantasy IX (PSOne Classics)

As we mentioned previously, each of these games will be discounted by half. Final Fantasy VII for instance, will only set you back $5 instead of the usual $10. However, if you suddenly find yourself itching to play any of these games there is one more caveat that you should know about: Those who visit the Sony Entertainment Network right this moment will see none of these deals, as Sony claims that they won’t become active until the PlayStation Network is updated later today. We don’t know exactly when that will occur as these updates have so far shown no regularity in when they pop up, and Sony is as coy as usual on the subject. Once the Network is updated though,  you’ll have two weeks before these deals disappear and you’re forced to pay Square Enix’s normally high prices for games that sell in the modern era purely based on the nostalgic recollections of huge chunks of their childhood spent in the 1990s.

Editors' Recommendations

Elden Ring, Modern Warfare II discounted in big PlayStation holiday sale
Four players fight in an Elden Ring colosseum.

PlayStation's annual holiday sale is now live offering discounts up to 75% off on a wide variety of games, old and new. The sale includes some of 2022's heavy hitters, from Elden Ring to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.

The sale is live right now and you can access it through the PlayStation Store on consoles or a web browser. There are 3,725 items on sale in total, though that list includes discounts on in-game currency for games like Grand Theft Auto V as well as special editions of games.

Read more
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII: tips and tricks for beginners
Cloud, Zack, and Sephiroth stand back to back in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion.

Well over a decade after releasing exclusively for the PlayStation Portable, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is finally available on all major modern platforms for the very first time. This updated version of the beloved title comes packing quite a few quality-of-life improvements and a much-needed graphical overhaul, but it retains the unique complexities that make it stand out among the Final Fantasy VII collection. Whether you're a returning player or diving into this highly-anticipated remaster for the first time, we've got a few tips to make your experience a little friendlier.

Further reading

Read more
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin writer breaks down 2022’s best ending
Garland towers over Jack, Ash, Jed, Sophia, and Neon in

It took me a while to figure out how Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin’s darker story and blunt characters would all coalesce into a satisfying narrative. Then, within the game’s final hours, some massive twists and revelations shocked me to my core as they thematically redefined the entire experience. Nine months later, Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin still has my favorite video game ending of 2022.
STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN | Available on March 18, 2022 | Chaos Awaits
As such, I had to reflect on why this ending stuck with me and learn more about its creation. To find out how it came to be, I spoke to Kazushige Nojima, the founder of Stellavista Ltd., which helped craft the story and scenario for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin and was the scenario writer for many other notable RPGs like Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, and Kingdom Hearts.
“I joined the team after some development had progressed, and at that point, Jack’s fate was already decided,” he explained to Digital Trends in an exclusive interview. “My job was to organize the various story elements, which at the time were in disorder, into a united pathway to the ending.”
And what an ending it was. Be warned that spoilers for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin are to follow in this breakdown of what made the ending so special, which features insight from a developer that helped create its bombastic narrative.
You don't know Jack
Although Nojima admits that “the philosophy of the characters, the events that occur, and the storyline that leads up to what happens to Jack, in the end, were the result of much trial and error,” the final version of Stranger of Paradise is clever in how it sets up for a conclusion with maximum shock value. For much of the game, its plot seems fairly simple and surface-level.

The game is about a group of heroes on a quest to restore the four Elemental Crystals around Cornelia to save the land from darkness. It’s a tale literally as old as the Final Fantasy series itself. But, something feels a bit off the whole time as many of the characters -- namely the player character Jack Garland -- seem laughably single-minded and stoic despite the quest they are taking part in. While this results in some moments that seem unintentionally funny for a lot of the game’s runtime, it’s all turned on its head in the game’s final hours.
Upon defeating Astos, a Dark Elf who’s been taunting players throughout the game, Jack learns he is a Stranger. Strangers are agents for a race of beings called the Lufinians, who release their darkness into the land of Cornelia and send agents to quell it; if the darkness gets too harsh or combines with emotion to become Chaos, they’ll just reset the entire world. This revelation recontextualizes Jack’s basic and bland personality as we discover he's someone who’s had their memory wiped and brainwashed to have a single goal: defeat darkness and Chaos.
With the death of Astos, [Jack] felt a sadness which he had never before experienced.

Read more