With Final Fantasy 16 now out worldwide, people have begun to sink their teeth into the world of Valisthea, learning all these are about the Dominants, Eikons, and Mothercrystals. My review for the latest numbered entry in the long-running series was glowing, albeit with some issues the team neglected to address.
On the Square Enix Blog, a new post featuring Clive’s voice actor Ben Starr landed this morning; it talks about how he felt learning he was cast as the protagonist, how he imagined the final game versus what it was, and how he found Clive’s voice throughout the game.
Near the middle of the interview, though, Starr is asked what Final Fantasy game is his favourite, leading to a surprising answer but one that, in my opinion, is on the right side of history.
The question and answer are linked below, unedited and raw, to prove he is a man of class and outstanding taste:
I understand you’re a pretty big FINAL FANTASY fan. Do you have a favourite?
“FINAL FANTASY VIII. Ok, I’m going to qualify this – it doesn’t mean I hate all the other ones, or even that I think it’s the best – but it’s the one I have the strongest relationship with because it’s the first one I played. It’s the game that introduced me to this world, to this series.
For me, there was life before FINAL FANTASY and life after FINAL FANTASY, and that happened to me with VIII.”
Starr goes on to say that it was the first game in the series he played, mainly the scope, the world, and the Guardian Forces (which he named after Pokémon) stuck with him (and also because he was playing Pokémon Red at the time).
In my Final Fantasy 8 Remastered review, I said it “…is the definitive way to play this decades-old classic. With an experimental series of mechanics but a timeless world full of wonder and peril, suiting up as a SeeD member is as much fun today as it was in 1999. If you haven’t experienced the divisive eighth entry in the Final Fantasy series, now is the time to do so.”
“My dad was always into fantasy books and fantasy novels, and I hadn’t had the opportunity to read the massive tomes – the Robert Jordans of this world. This was my way into a rich, deep fantasy world, so I felt a connection with my dad as well,” says Starr.
In my review of Final Fantasy 16, I said that it “…is a paradigm shift for the iconic series, moving the needle in a new direction, and is well worth experiencing.”
