Not many games grab my attention nowadays. With all of the games now feuding over who has the best graphics and who's game looks the most realistic. I can easily pop in an older Final Fantasy game and get carried away for days at a time. What makes Final Fantasy differ from the rest of the games in it's genre, as well as the rest of the games on the market that are non-rpgs, is its intricate and well-woven story.

Each Final Fantasy, aside from X and X-2 and VII and its varying sequals (Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core, etc), reveals an entirely different plot and cast of characters with only the games name as a similarity to one another. Settling in to delve into one of the games, you are immediately drawn in by the beautiful, melodic sound ranging from brilliantly generated sound effects to masterpiece quality music. The cast of characters are easily woven into your own personal emotions as you feel, after awhile of playing, that you yourself have become a part of the game.

Final Fantasy is known to being the benchmark for graphics in console gaming. Aside from the graphics though, Final Fantasy has been one of the most successful series' of games on the market today. The can be from a range of things from its music, to catchy characters, intricate, deep storylines with love and betrayal to addictive gameplay.

Final Fantasy started it's roots way back on the Famicom, Japans version of the NES, with Final Fantasy I. Later came Final Fantasy II offering a completely different cast of characters, music, and storyline and drove the story deeper and deeper into betrayal and lust, love and hate. Final Fantasy then jumped to the Super Famicom, Japans version of the SNES in America.

Increased popularity in the series in Japan led to Final Fantasy III and IV to not be released in the US. After a short while, Japan released Final Fantasy V and IV which was finally carted over to the US as Final Fantasy II and III for the SNES. Yes, there are 2 different Final Fantasy IIs. This was a benchmark time for the series with these two games. Each one, in its own right, turn the entire genre on end with the most detailed games and deep storyline to date. No other game has ever completed such a marvelous task as these two did.

In late 1996, early 1997, Squaresoft, Final Fantasy's maker, released Final Fantasy VII. VII sold more than a million copies worldwide within one year of release. It became the benchmark for graphics and gameplay. The soundtrack became on the the most memorable ever created for a video game and the story didn't slack.

Final Fantasy VII has the deepest storyline of any game to date as of May 2007. Featuring the most seductive and mysterious storyline, the game twisted betrayal, love, sadness, and helpless feeling into one huge package spanning 3 entire Playstation discs. For the first half of the game, you're after a megaconglomerate company which sucks life out of the planet to use as energy in turn destroying the planet but as a sleeping, age old menace awakens, it seems that the company is the least of your problems.

Join in on the largest, most twisted storyline of any game as you lose best friends to death, have old friends try to kill you, lose the love of your life, face the end of the world, tag along with 8 other people who are vastly different to face the most dreadful of all enemies in an intricate tale spanning over 60 hours in length!

And after another year, Squaresoft released Final Fantasy VIII. VIII did not measure up to the quality of VII but compared to other games, VII was its only defeat. VIII offered an equally addictive and drawing storyline as well as a well-played soundtrack and its graphics were the best to date. Released in 1999, Final Fantasy VIII turned the series from dark and secretive VII mood to a lighter but serious mood with the games revolvment around a tragic love story. Those who are easily drawn in to a good love story are bound to be addicted to this game.

Final Fantasy IX was released in 2000. It's primary goal was to return the game series to its roots. Final Fantasy VII and VIII sported new, modern type infrastructure such as machines, guns, and the like. IX returned the series to the ages of swords and wizards. Final Fantasy IX, though with kiddish like graphics, had the best graphics to date on the Playstation console. It sported a great storyline and gameplay features. Aside from the graphics, IX had a very detailed and well planned out storyline on its own. With a menace manipulating the world to destroy itself, you must face off with the world as well as this menace only to find the link you have to this menace grows thicker than blood.

Final Fantasy X and X-2 seemed to be focused on a more linear way of play. Featuring a new world map system and event handler. The game would not leave you in the dark as to where to go next. Sporting the, at the time, new Playstation 2's awesome graphics, the two games brought the best graphics of any console game to the television. X was an RPG most are used to with random battles and a turn-based battle system where X-2 was more or less a shooter type game. Both had intricate storylines which mended together in numerous ways. And for those who can't tell, X-2 is the sequel to X.

Final Fantasy XI was the series' first leap in online gaming.Sporting an Everquest type gameplay, the game never quite hit mainstream. Players were thrust into battle in a real-time battle system, unlike its predecessors which used turn-based battle. It wasn't the most realistic graphics wise on the PC but held its own. The storyline was also lackluster.

Final Fantasy XII was released on the PS2. To date, it has the best graphics and most complex storyline of any Final Fantasy to date. Though complex, its storyline does not measure up to VII's, which drew you in and could even make you cry at times. Sporting XI's real-time battle system, it was a major turn for the series.

Aside from the numerical Final Fantasies, side games were also created spanning from Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest to Final Fantasy Legends, Adventures, and the not-so-famous Chocobo Dungeon series. Overall, Final Fantasy has dominated the RPG genre for years and is likely to dominate for years to come. From Sony based systems, Final Fantasy is returning to its original home with Nintendo with Crystal Chronicles as well as a tentative release on X-Box as well as games on the GB Advance and DS. Expect Final Fantasy to be a household name for years and years to come.