Final Fantasy Was a Great Escape

When I was maybe 15 or so, I discovered Final Fantasy III on SNES (which is now known as Final Fantasy VI) and fell completely in love with the graphics, the characters, and the storyline. Oh, and the music – especially the music. I even loved the chocobos (the yellow ones as well as the black variety) and have an affinity for them to this day.

I played this game for dozens of hours, delving into the world as if it were a second life. Sometimes, a great amount of my time was spent grinding as much XP as I could to be ready for whatever adventure was around the next corner.

Not long after that, I received a PlayStation and Final Fantasy VII, which drew me in with its story and music. I was quite fond of Final Fantasy VIII and IX as well.

I lived in these worlds for a while, as I was dealing with some major real life stresses at the time. These games, in a big way, kept me going. Everything else became bearable as long as I was able to play a couple hours a day.

Final Fantasy provided a safe way for me to cope with real life in my younger years, and the series has earned it a special place among my fondest gaming memories.