We learned at one point in the past that Swedish developer GRIN was contacted by Square-Enix to make a Final Fantasy spinoff game in the Ivalice universe close to Final Fantasy XII. After the project’s cancellation due to quality concerns on Square-Enix’s end, many of the game’s assets leaked onto the web, showing a decidely Western-feeling action-game style presumably set after the events of FFXII. However, GRIN filed for bankruptcy soon after citing delayed payments from it’s contractors (one of which includes Square-Enix) and under Swedish law, cancelled all of it’s current projects.
Speaking with Aftonbladet, former GRIN staff crticized Square-Enix for how they handled the project from the top-down, claiming that miscommunication on Square-Enix’s behalf led to the project’s inevitable doom. They allege that Square-Enix required them to send their codes via fax to their legal department, which is a very unorthodox way to share assets between contractor and contractee. They go on to say that Square-Enix came to them to “revolutionize” Final Fantasy (or perhaps what we expect to be a Final Fantasy), and that GRIN modeled the Fortress project after that idea. After further development, they cite that Square-Enix did not like how it was progressing and pulled out.
Bo Andersson, of GRIN: “The latest version sucks of course.” when referring to the Final Fantasy series. It’s not particularly clear if he is referring to Final Fantasy XIII or Final Fantasy XIV, but it seems that the sentiment is clear.
In this episode, we’re treated to an interview with Final Fantasy XIV art director Akihiko Yoshida, who previously lent his talents to titles such as Final Fantasy XII, and Final Fantasy Tactics. Yoshida explains how he adapted from working on a standalone game to a game where he will have to dynamically add new art assets and content. He also explains that the design of Eorzea was made in a way that was realistic and to encourage adventuring. This included designs down to the smallest detail. You can watch for yourself below!
