11 Things We Miss From Final Fantasy

Before hardware with practically unlimited power existed, designers and developers had to find the most ingenious ways to get the best out of the current systems available. The results were often better than if they'd been working with absolutely zero restrictions.

To compensate for a lack of true 3D power, developers throughout the '90s would often render or paint backgrounds in advance, with characters super-imposed above them in game. The technique allowed for lavishly detailed, highly realistic environments which were otherwise beyond the realms of possibility at the time.

Square's Holy trinity of PS1 Final Fantasy games were huge proponents of the technique, and as a result are amongst the most resplendently gorgeous titles of their era. Age has been kind to the trio; though low resolution means the backdrops look a little ropey on today's modern televisions, on the whole they remain jaw-droppingly beautiful.

Starting with Final Fantasy X, the power of the PlayStation 2 meant many environments were now rendered in real time, and as the series advanced, before long pre-rendered backgrounds were consigned to the scrap heap.

Final Fantasy XIII contained sumptuous fully 3D locales of undeniably dazzling quality. But compared to those early PS1 outings, something is lacking in the environments: character. By giving the player complete control over the camera, the concept of framing is entirely lost - imagine a movie where the director has no control over the shots. Gone are dramatic, atmospheric locations such as the cosy and welcoming Cosmo Canyon, or the looming, foreboding Mako Reactors. Instead, we have a series of undeniably beautiful but ultimately bland corridors, entirely lacking in personality, and utterly unmemorable.

All it would take to return the majesty of these pre-rendered backgrounds is to fix the camera in place. It's ironic that the power developers once dreamed of having at their disposal is now to the detriment of their games.