Analyzing the Repetitive Patterns in Final Fantasy Game Series

Abstract

In an era where serialization prevails across all media, particularly in digital formats, understanding how these repetitive patterns impact the consumption of popular and mass media is crucial. Final Fantasy stands as a massively popular and highly serialized game series. Thus, this study seeks to comprehend the seriality present within the Final Fantasy game series. It intends to achieve this by employing the categorization proposed by Denson and Jahn-Sudmann, Umberto Eco’s taxonomy of serial production. The research primarily centers on the internal workings of the games themselves, particularly the main series and the serialized features within and between installments in the series. Analyzing the repeated patterns in comparison to features that have changed from game-to-game show that initially, FF incorporates elements from a broader context, including fantasy literature, manga and anime, TTRPG, and CRPGs. However, it then modifies these elements based on its own preferences. In this process, FF develops its own encyclopedia or database. Consequently, when creating each new game, the series draws from this database, reusing some elements and altering others. Therefore, the common thread linking all the installments in the series is not a single character, game mechanic, or universe, but rather a database or the encyclopedia.