It’s not an exaggeration to call Final Fantasy the most influential piece of media I have ever experienced. When I was growing up it was still experiencing its golden era on the PlayStation, mere months before Squaresoft would merge with Enix to save the company after the huge failure of Spirits Within. But I was a kipper, and all I cared about was playing each new title as it was released or sinking into classics like 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 for the very first time.
This evolved into a lifelong appreciation of JRPGs, even if in recent years I seldom find enough time to sit down and play them outside of work. This admiration would cease to exist if it wasn’t for Final Fantasy, and whenever a new game is revealed for the series, I am almost obligated to sit up and pay attention. Turns out this doesn’t just involve games either, as the recently announced Magic: The Gathering crossover has me foaming at the mouth.
Final Fantasy and Magic: The Gathering Are A Perfect Match
We all know that Final Fantasy is no stranger to the realm of collectible trading cards. It has had its own game for years, while a number of mainline video game entries have introduced their own card games, such as Queen’s Blood, Triple Triad, and Tetra Master. For decades, it has understood the appeal of collecting cards and using them to play against opponents, but through this new collaboration, it is taking that philosophy to a whole new level.
This is a full-fledged crossover too, with Wizards of the Coast introducing not only booster packs, but a whole slew of Commander decks, bundles, and collector packs featuring every mainline entry in the series with never-before-seen art. It’s hard not to look through all of the reveals and not get excited, even if I know nothing about how Magic: The Gathering is played or where I should start when it comes to collecting. Do I just pick these up because they look pretty, or is that ignorant of the wider landscape I should be getting lost in?
And I Have No Idea Where To Start With This New Set
Considering how expensive some of these sets and booster packs are, I’m going to start out slow and just pick up a Commander deck box and a couple of booster packs in the vain hope I’ll find some of the prettier cards. If not, well, this hole can only get so deep. I think what excites me most is that glancing across the card illustrations and descriptions reminds me just how much Final Fantasy knowledge I’ve absorbed during my lifetime and how this feels like a passionate celebration of that obsession.
For starters, the variety and quality of the art is astounding. The majority of big players from across the series’ history are represented with cards that are either faithful to the games they come from or take commendable risks with the art direction. Cloud has several cards of his own, unsurprising considering his popularity, but you also have the likes of Tidus, Terra, and Y’shtola all receiving standard cards and full arts of their own, with descriptions and abilities showcasing that whoever put this set together truly cares about the source material. I want to take some of these illustrations and hang them up on my wall, that’s how great they are.
If anyone can send me the full art Yuffie Kitsuragi card I will love you forever.
But what I love most is how it isn’t just appealing to Magic: The Gathering fans, but curious newcomers like myself while simultaneously rewarding us for our enduring love for all things Final Fantasy. How this reliance on licensed crossovers is potentially toying with the mainline world of Magic goes over my head, but the fact I’m already so invested in the Final Fantasy set and I’m yet to open a single pack already speaks to its runaway success.
Magic: The Gathering
- Franchise
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Magic: The Gathering
- Original Release Date
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August 5, 1993
- Player Count
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2+