At the Monaco Anime Game International Conferences 2023 (MAGIC 2023), Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi took a deep-dive into his almost four-decade-long career in a ninety-minute panel presented by IGN JAPAN. Reflecting on his time in the gaming industry, he reminisced on the successes, challenges, and milestones of his journey.
While his first foray into game design, The Death Trap, dates back to 1984, Hironobu Sakaguchi’s latest offering, Fantasian, has recently arrived on Apple Arcade with much fanfare in 2021. Critical reviews have eulogized its distinctive usage of real-world dioramas as backdrops, a captivatingly melodic soundtrack composed by Nobuo Uematsu, and an inventive combat system that allows users to aim attacks and store random encounters.
However, since it was an Apple Arcade exclusive, many players who yearned for the chance to experience Sakaguchi’s new epic were left wanting. Now, it seems like the creator himself is taking steps to rectify this situation.
“It is often requested that a PC version of the game be made, and I often hear pleas for a follow-up title,” Sakaguchi responded.
Though no official declaration was made during the meeting, Sakaguchi expressed his desire to carry on creating games, and expressed his fondness for Fantasian, in the hopes of satisfying everyone’s expectations.
“Fantasian is a gem I long for more people to get to experience in due time,” Sakaguchi uttered.
While Sakaguchi hopes for a PC port and a sequel, the future of these projects remain uncertain. The launch of Fantasian on the Apple Arcade platform was split into two parts – leaving it to speculation if a potential PC port would be presented as a single package or otherwise.
At MAGIC 2023, Sakaguchi reminisced about the tumultuous development of Chrono Trigger, opining that it came perilously close to being just an “average game”. The following year, IGN got the opportunity to talk to him about his passion for Final Fantasy XIV and his future projects.
Esra Krabbe, an editor at IGN JAPAN, still tunes in to Fantasian’s captivating score on an ongoing basis. No matter how much time passes, his ears remain enamored by its enchanting melody.
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