Your Mom Wants You Playing Final Fantasy

I know she doesn’t say it directly, mom’s are tricky like that, but take it from me, it’s all just an elaborate psychology game she’s playing with your feeble childish mind. Why? Because that’s what moms do, they throw their invisible psychological strings of guilt and weird motivations, playing you against yourself to turn you into who they want you to be, who, if your mom is like any other mother will simultaneously never be good enough, and always will be better than she’d be happy with.

Your mom wants you to play Final Fantasy.

Do I know your mom? Not as well as I’d probably like to (she hasn’t gotten back to me about that seafood dinner), but I know moms (lots of ‘em, oh yeah), and they all want the same thing. Have they ever said so to me directly? Of course not, how often do mothers ever say anything directly? No, just the same way she wants you tuck your shirt in, and gets you to do so by asking sly questions like “Don’t girls appreciate cleaner boys?” she’s trying to spin your psyche to get you to play Final Fantasy and is hoping it’ll someday work.

Maybe all the hype leading up to XIII’s release next year is working on you, but God forbid you’re one of those anti-marketing cats who gets turned off by that kind of hype. Shame on you. You really should make your momma proud and get ready to spin this disc in your PS3 or 360 (depending on how you roll).

Why? Well let’s see: your mom probably wants you to be a good little (nerdy) boy and stay home rather than getting into trouble. Even if she doesn’t approve of video games in general, Final Fantasy is a lesser of all the other evils, and comes with some unique benefits:

Morals

Final Fantasy always has a  love story at its epicenter, and this sort of thing gives us the example of fealty and lasting love that we should work to find and honor in our lifetimes. Whether you’re Cloud, pursuing the preservation of the memory and mission of the girl you lost, or Squall, finding himself and becoming a true hero for Rinoa, or Tidus, willing to face his own mortality and being for the sake of his love, you’re finding a powerful story about heroes and their devotion to their loves and how far they’re willing to go to honor and protect it.

The game’s most recent trailer from TGS (which you can view here at IGN) shows the love story between Snow and the main character’s sister. It’s clear that this will function as a major pliant and motivator for Snow throughout the conflict and fight for their world.

Even beyond love though, you’re given examples of honor, friendship, and integrity. Every Final Fantasy has had their role models and everyone who has played a Final Fantasy game has a character they, in some way, look up to. That’s just your mom trying to slip some role models your way.

Intellectual Stimulation

Yes, the games can be played by little kids, but there’s a lot of depth in any Final Fantasy for people to pick up on. From the strongly Marxist overtones of VII’s story, to the commentary on religion and political conflict therein of X, all the Final Fantasy’s bring a narrative with deep themes that, strangely enough, allow for a good amount of intellectualizing in themselves, but also for an interesting commentary on the world we know.

Shinra’s capital control of the world and Midgar specifically, even over the Mayor Domino is a frightening example of the capitalist system gone unchecked. X’s Al Bhed vs. Yevon conflict bears evident parallel between Christian and Islamic cultural and societal conflicts, but also bears a fascinating ethical commentary on the associations of ignorance with religious practice, as well as allowing religion to dictate ethics and policies in society with regards to useful technology and other advancements.

Aesthetic Appreciation

Finally, all mother’s want their children to have a touch of class and taste for the finer things about them. From good writing and plot structure (compared to a lot of movies and especially among video games), to production value, artistic style and even music, Final Fantasy brings a lot to the table, and does so superlatively.

Nobuo Uematsu’s musical contributions to the series are timeless classics that regularly sell out concert halls when orchestral concerts are put on for them. The art styles for character designs are directly influenced by artistic periods and movements that, if you take a stroll through your local art museum(s) may strike a chord with certain artists and movements.

Creativity and Imagination

Every mother wants her boy to be a beautiful and creative snowflake, and sure, there’s nothing unique about playing a game that millions of other people are bound to play, but these are the kinds of games that inspire people. Some in more poignant ways that others, but there’s nothing to deride about someone’s imagination being enlivened by something like this (even if it leads to hordes of poorly written Fan Fiction).

Trust me, make your mom happy and put Final Fantasy XIII on your little wish list. That way I can tell her what a good influence I’ve been on you over that seafood dinner.