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Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive #2
Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 2
Explore the art and adventure of the quintessential entries in the Final Fantasy saga with this gorgeous 300-plus-page hardcover.
Collecting concept art, design notes, creator retrospectives, and more from Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, and Final Fantasy IX, Dark Horse's journey through the creation of the groundbreaking role-playing masterpiece continues!
Dark Horse and Square Enix are thrilled to present the second of three volumes that officially translate Square Enix's detailed history chronicling the creation of the Final Fantasy franchise's seventh, eighth, and ninth games. Filled with captivating art and creator commentary, Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 2 remains completely authentic to its Japanese source material with unrivaled access for a Western audience. This prestige compendium is a must-have addition for any Final Fantasy enthusiast's collection.
Collecting concept art, design notes, creator retrospectives, and more from Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, and Final Fantasy IX, Dark Horse's journey through the creation of the groundbreaking role-playing masterpiece continues!
Dark Horse and Square Enix are thrilled to present the second of three volumes that officially translate Square Enix's detailed history chronicling the creation of the Final Fantasy franchise's seventh, eighth, and ninth games. Filled with captivating art and creator commentary, Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 2 remains completely authentic to its Japanese source material with unrivaled access for a Western audience. This prestige compendium is a must-have addition for any Final Fantasy enthusiast's collection.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published December 18, 2018
29 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
About the author
Square Enix
599 books85 followersSquare Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. (株式会社スクウェア・エニックス・ホールディングス) TYO: 9684 is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series. Its headquarters are located in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 18, 2019
A nice trip down memory lane, but it's exactly the type of book I was hoping it wouldn't be: pages of quotes and screenshots from the games and not much else. There's some neat concept art here and there, a page or two of early plot ideas for FF VII, but the bulk of the book consists of character descriptions, screenshots of iconic moments and 3D renderings of summons and vehicles. Nothing you couldn't find on the internet or by playing the games themselves.
Disappointing considering these archive books are obviously marketed toward Final Fantasy fanatics, people who've played the games dozens of times and know them inside and out, so why have so much space dedicated to plot explanations and such? It's like watching a behind the scenes documentary only to have freeze frames of the movie shown while someone tells you whats happening in the shot.
The book does include some awesome artwork by Yoshitaka Amano, but it's just smaller versions of the art found in the much better "Sky" collection, a far more worthy addition to any Final Fantasy fan's collection.
Disappointing considering these archive books are obviously marketed toward Final Fantasy fanatics, people who've played the games dozens of times and know them inside and out, so why have so much space dedicated to plot explanations and such? It's like watching a behind the scenes documentary only to have freeze frames of the movie shown while someone tells you whats happening in the shot.
The book does include some awesome artwork by Yoshitaka Amano, but it's just smaller versions of the art found in the much better "Sky" collection, a far more worthy addition to any Final Fantasy fan's collection.
December 27, 2024
Gorgeous collection of artwork relating to Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX. This is very nostalgic for someone who spent their high school years obsessed with these videogames.
Contains not only the final versions of the official character art but earlier drafts and sketches and CG images as well. Also contains some fun things like memorable quotes and key scenes for each character, which I was not expecting but really enjoyed. It reminded me of those "character shrine" fan sites that used to exist in the late 90s/early 00s.
There are also sketches of a lot of the monsters - the details on them are very interesting! - and artwork of locations, vehicles, etc.
I wish more of the polygon character models had been included. I also found it frustrating that some art pieces were reproduced in such small sizes - I realize it was to save space but some of the pieces are very detailed and it would have been nice to see them reproduced in a larger size. Some of Yoshitaka Amano's beautiful illustrations also seem too highly saturated or something, with the fine details lost.
The text and captions in this book also have a very small font size. I realize the focus is on the art but the text was ridiculously tiny in some places. It also would have been nice to have interviews with the creators/designers/etc.
Despite my criticisms, overall this was very fun and nostalgic for me. I just don't have the time to sink into JRPGs like I used to and that makes me kind of sad sometimes. I enjoyed revisiting these colorful worlds and characters through this book.
Contains not only the final versions of the official character art but earlier drafts and sketches and CG images as well. Also contains some fun things like memorable quotes and key scenes for each character, which I was not expecting but really enjoyed. It reminded me of those "character shrine" fan sites that used to exist in the late 90s/early 00s.
There are also sketches of a lot of the monsters - the details on them are very interesting! - and artwork of locations, vehicles, etc.
I wish more of the polygon character models had been included. I also found it frustrating that some art pieces were reproduced in such small sizes - I realize it was to save space but some of the pieces are very detailed and it would have been nice to see them reproduced in a larger size. Some of Yoshitaka Amano's beautiful illustrations also seem too highly saturated or something, with the fine details lost.
The text and captions in this book also have a very small font size. I realize the focus is on the art but the text was ridiculously tiny in some places. It also would have been nice to have interviews with the creators/designers/etc.
Despite my criticisms, overall this was very fun and nostalgic for me. I just don't have the time to sink into JRPGs like I used to and that makes me kind of sad sometimes. I enjoyed revisiting these colorful worlds and characters through this book.
December 17, 2018
Continues off of where the previous volume ends. Definitely some interesting insights into these three games, but I couldn’t help but finish wanting more, like there was something missing.
June 29, 2024
Nice character sketches and overview of the creatures and worlds. I wish there was more on the plot lines, but from the perspective of knowing it’s mostly about characters, it’s fantastic…just like volume 1.
January 8, 2019
To celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Final Fantasy (2012), Square Enix in conjecture with Dark Horse had released the Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive, a three-volume set, chronicling all the main titles of Final Fantasy to date (Final Fantasy I–XIV). It has finally been translated into English with the second volume collecting the next three games in the series (Final Fantasy VII–IX).
Full Disclosure: I am a tremendous aficionado of the Final Fantasy series since when it made it across the shores to North America in 1990. I have been a major fan ever since and each successive Final Fantasy was an instabuy for me – it even determined which console I would buy would eventually buy so I could play the game. Therefore, this review would have that fanboy bias, but just because it is severely biased, it does not mean that the review is not true.
Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive, Volume 2 is a collection of original concept art, process pieces, and notes from the original artists and designers chronicling the next three installments in such a timeless and beloved franchised. It has an overview of the plot for each series archived with useful character bios and other lore that is essential to Final Fantasy – in short, it is an excellent reference book for any Final Fantasy fanatic.
All in all, Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive, Volume 2 is a beautiful tome of art, lore, and history that is the wonderful franchise of Final Fantasy and I can't wait to read the next volume.
Full Disclosure: I am a tremendous aficionado of the Final Fantasy series since when it made it across the shores to North America in 1990. I have been a major fan ever since and each successive Final Fantasy was an instabuy for me – it even determined which console I would buy would eventually buy so I could play the game. Therefore, this review would have that fanboy bias, but just because it is severely biased, it does not mean that the review is not true.
Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive, Volume 2 is a collection of original concept art, process pieces, and notes from the original artists and designers chronicling the next three installments in such a timeless and beloved franchised. It has an overview of the plot for each series archived with useful character bios and other lore that is essential to Final Fantasy – in short, it is an excellent reference book for any Final Fantasy fanatic.
All in all, Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive, Volume 2 is a beautiful tome of art, lore, and history that is the wonderful franchise of Final Fantasy and I can't wait to read the next volume.
November 29, 2022
A very basic but decent overview of the games and characters. If you want something more in-depth, I'd suggest looking into the Ultimania's for the individual games, though none of those have an English translation as far as I'm aware.
I also found that Tifa and Rinoa (and Aerith to a certain extent) had their quotes and memorable scenes focus almost exclusively on their relationships with Cloud and Squall respectively, which I felt wasn't the best representation of their characters. I just felt that selection in the book really reduced their characters to just being a love interest of the protagonist, rather than characters who had their own role and story arcs in the games.
Despite this, I did have a great time going through all the art that was featured, especially the art of all the different monsters that you can encounter in the different games. This book may not have dug deep into the games, but it was still an enjoyable experience nonetheless!
I also found that Tifa and Rinoa (and Aerith to a certain extent) had their quotes and memorable scenes focus almost exclusively on their relationships with Cloud and Squall respectively, which I felt wasn't the best representation of their characters. I just felt that selection in the book really reduced their characters to just being a love interest of the protagonist, rather than characters who had their own role and story arcs in the games.
Despite this, I did have a great time going through all the art that was featured, especially the art of all the different monsters that you can encounter in the different games. This book may not have dug deep into the games, but it was still an enjoyable experience nonetheless!
September 17, 2022
A nice, albeit surface level, retrospective of Final Fantasies 7, 8, and 9. Part of me wants to give it four stars because I love the games so much, but it really only deserves three because there are no interviews or anything of heft. It’s like walking through a museum exhibit for these games. “Remember when Cloud said THIS?”
January 12, 2019
Just like the first book, this is a beautifully done work for a final fantasy fan. This volume covers final fantasies 7-9. I did not like & so I skimmed this section but the rest is the book is just as well done as the previous volume.
June 5, 2020
It's basically an expanded art-book. Issue is, some of the artwork is really tiny with the rewritten into English notes on them.
March 5, 2024
Full on five stars because I'm quite in love with Final Fantasy. Considering what day it is it's wildly appropriate. Dark Horse is on a train to take advantage of major gaming IPs and sell giant encyclopedias on certain franchises. I already fell for the Legend of Zelda tome. Don't get me wrong, I love it. It's like having the gaming manuals that are tucked into said game's disk case. Alas, even that is a time past.
There's a lot of art design I have never laid eyes on before. It's both enlightening and a little mind blowing how different the franchise could be just by shifting the way a character is and looks, even down to the memorable logo. There are pages full of what-ifs when it comes to the art. Here you can find insightful looks behind the scenes, much like in a film's deleted scenes feature or a look behind the screen.
It's worth noting that there is no synopsis of the story as a whole. It's very quick and displayed in scrapbook fashion. There's nothing wrong with this but I think the full benefit comes into play for a person who has completed the game or already has a lot of prior knowledge for each of these Final Fantasy series.
This is a wonderful tool for revisiting Final Fantasy when one does not have all the time to play it. Sweet, dripping nostalgia accompanies every page if you are in the same boat I'm in. This right here contains the fragments of my childhood that probably shaped a lot of who I am today. It also set a standard for the gaming industry and created a magic that is likely already lost until the next generation comes around with fresh eyes for what's new.
I was spellbound as a child for every opening cinematic I watched for Final Fantasy. The music lifted my heart. The story touched my soul. I've revisited playing nearly all the games, however Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX are the ones I grew up playing (X as well, it's simply not included in this volume). I plan on buying the first archive which has all the games before the ones listed here, you just can't beat what's in my heart which is why I skipped the second archive, haha!
I can already hear my memory lulling me back to its pages. And while the fantastic music scores by Nobuo Uematsu can't be relived in a book you can bet everything that its bursting in my head. There's so much love for Final Fantasy that I hardly think I need to say much more. It's a trip down memory lane and for those of us that were there for the games it's probably more than that.
Well, see ya!
There's a lot of art design I have never laid eyes on before. It's both enlightening and a little mind blowing how different the franchise could be just by shifting the way a character is and looks, even down to the memorable logo. There are pages full of what-ifs when it comes to the art. Here you can find insightful looks behind the scenes, much like in a film's deleted scenes feature or a look behind the screen.
It's worth noting that there is no synopsis of the story as a whole. It's very quick and displayed in scrapbook fashion. There's nothing wrong with this but I think the full benefit comes into play for a person who has completed the game or already has a lot of prior knowledge for each of these Final Fantasy series.
This is a wonderful tool for revisiting Final Fantasy when one does not have all the time to play it. Sweet, dripping nostalgia accompanies every page if you are in the same boat I'm in. This right here contains the fragments of my childhood that probably shaped a lot of who I am today. It also set a standard for the gaming industry and created a magic that is likely already lost until the next generation comes around with fresh eyes for what's new.
I was spellbound as a child for every opening cinematic I watched for Final Fantasy. The music lifted my heart. The story touched my soul. I've revisited playing nearly all the games, however Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX are the ones I grew up playing (X as well, it's simply not included in this volume). I plan on buying the first archive which has all the games before the ones listed here, you just can't beat what's in my heart which is why I skipped the second archive, haha!
I can already hear my memory lulling me back to its pages. And while the fantastic music scores by Nobuo Uematsu can't be relived in a book you can bet everything that its bursting in my head. There's so much love for Final Fantasy that I hardly think I need to say much more. It's a trip down memory lane and for those of us that were there for the games it's probably more than that.
Well, see ya!
January 10, 2019
This wonderful collection of images, quotes, concept art, and developer retrospective's is a great collection for any Final Fantasy fan of the PlayStation era to have. The 300 plus pages are packed full of great content, and you really get the bang for your buck. However, I will say something about the breakdown, which goes something like this:
FFVII: 114 pages
FFVIII: 70 pages
FFIX: 126 pages
As you can see from the divide, Final Fantasy VIII fans (definitely including myself) may be hungering for more. But for what you get, this book is great. It's really well put together, the binding holds up, pages are nice and thick, and every space feels utilized. It's hard to complain that you want more content in an art book that's already pushing over 300 pages.
This book isn't so much a "lore" book as it is a beautiful trip down memory lane with a ton of wonderful art. As a long time Final Fantasy fan who owns other art books for the series, I was surprised to find there were a decent amount of images I had never seen before. Well worth the read.
FFVII: 114 pages
FFVIII: 70 pages
FFIX: 126 pages
As you can see from the divide, Final Fantasy VIII fans (definitely including myself) may be hungering for more. But for what you get, this book is great. It's really well put together, the binding holds up, pages are nice and thick, and every space feels utilized. It's hard to complain that you want more content in an art book that's already pushing over 300 pages.
This book isn't so much a "lore" book as it is a beautiful trip down memory lane with a ton of wonderful art. As a long time Final Fantasy fan who owns other art books for the series, I was surprised to find there were a decent amount of images I had never seen before. Well worth the read.
August 25, 2024
Like other books recently released, this book sadly does not have any depth of information one might expect. You can readily find this information anywhere else on the net, for free, might I add. The presentation is nice, it feels like the sort of encyclopedia you would get from a scholastic book fair, with neat coloring, glossy pages, and diagrams.
I just had hoped that there would be something to reward the reader who would already be extremely familiar with 99% of the information presented in this text, considering they would likely know all the information presented in the first place.
Maybe this would be most beneficial to a casual fan or a newcomer to the series? Other than that, I'm not really sure.
I just had hoped that there would be something to reward the reader who would already be extremely familiar with 99% of the information presented in this text, considering they would likely know all the information presented in the first place.
Maybe this would be most beneficial to a casual fan or a newcomer to the series? Other than that, I'm not really sure.
January 24, 2019
If you are a HUGE fan of the FF franchise, this book is an absolute must for your collection. This second volume includes some rare concept art as well as information not generally known in regards to how some changes were made. This gorgeous book covers VII, VIII and IX, the only three titles FF had released on the PSX (initially of the numbered I mean, VI was originally not PSX and Tactics it not a numbered title).
The book is presented beautifully and could be great reference for anyone interested in character design or architectural designs. Each primary character has their own dedicated pages as well.
The book is presented beautifully and could be great reference for anyone interested in character design or architectural designs. Each primary character has their own dedicated pages as well.
March 1, 2022
This is more of an encyclopedia about Final Fantasy. I was excited to read this one as it covered the game that got me into the series, Final Fantasy VII. I remember also getting VIII on the day of its release and IX soon after. Getting to read a bit more behind what went into them is interesting. Worth a read for fans of these 3 games for sure.
My Rating: 8 out of 10
My Rating: 8 out of 10
December 22, 2018
Very cool book about a few of my favorite games in the series. I wish the design documents and concept art were full page prints though, instead of shrinking them and fitting 3-5+ on a single page.
January 2, 2019
Loved it! Very happy this has been translated for US audiences. Fantastic artwork, wonderful developer insights, and a stellar presentation from Dark Horse make this a great buy.
January 24, 2019
lovely art.. recommend to fans of final fantasy, gaming, and digital art ig
April 26, 2020
Tons of amazing backstory on final fantasy's 7, 8, and 9. A deep behind the scenes look on how these games were made and what went into the processes.
Super fun if you are into this sort of thing!
Super fun if you are into this sort of thing!
November 13, 2020
Very cool book. I really enjoyed seeing the original sketches of characters from FF789. A must-have for any fan of these games.
April 19, 2022
Brought back so many good memories!
June 14, 2022
Great art and fun facts and information about all 3 great games. Knocked down to 4 stars because VIII has the least pages dedicated to it and that's my favorite one ☹️ ff8 my beloved...
February 1, 2024
So much cool info on some of my favorite childhood games. I especially loved the concept art.
February 1, 2024
"This is so typical. Adults always reminisce on what they couldn't do or wouldn't do."
May 15, 2024
I like how this goes into a little more detail about the characters and world than the previous volume. It's nice to see some of the art concepts that weren't used along with everything else.
June 27, 2024
After finishing ff7 rebirth, this was a nice review of the original game with concept art, character bios, storyboards and more.
July 2, 2025
I just read this for the Final Fantasy 7 section.
August 15, 2020
I am a huge fan of the Final Fantasy series, particularly entries 7-9. This book chronicles the story, characters and decisions made developing each of the games perfectly. It’s a fantastic read, and one I wholly recommend picking up if you’re a fan of the series looking to add some beautiful art books to your collection.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews