The modern Final Fantasy era began 25 years ago, with one fan
This article reflects on the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy 10, highlighting its impact on the series' storytelling and character development. It discusses the game's transition to the PlayStation 2 and its legacy in the JRPG genre.
Why it matters
Final Fantasy 10 is considered a landmark title that modernized narrative techniques in gaming, influencing how emotional depth is portrayed in interactive media.
By Jason Venter Published Jul 19, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT Gaming It's still sinfully good.
3 must-play JRPGs that will hold you over until Final Fantasy 7 Revelation What's left of Xbox after mass layoffs and studio departures Jubilee is coming to Marvel Rivals 25 years ago, one game kicked off a new era of Final Fantasy Image: Square Enix Final Fantasy 10 Sign in to your Polygon.com account In July 2000, Final Fantasy 9 launched in Japan. As the last PlayStation entry in the series, it featured numerous familiar elements, ranging from magical crystals to black mages with pointed caps. Many players saw the game as a love letter to everything that made Final Fantasy great, and a fitting swan song for Hironobu Sakaguchi before he left Square to found Mistwalker.
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