Executive Producer Akitoshi Kawazu got his start years ago, working on the earliest games in the Final Fantasy series before striking out with the low-profile Saga games. Roped back in to finish development of Final Fantasy XII, he notes "I believe that the series will keep on evolving even if I wasn't the one working on them... There are different creators for every Final Fantasy. Each idea is unique to each creator. I don't think that being true to the original inspiration is too important."
The game seems to have two strong lead characters, Vaan and Ashe. Is it hard to balance the story with two characters?
Although it seems that Vaan and Ashe are the two main characters, we've actually developed Final Fantasy XII to focus more on the overarching storyline. In essence we havesix main characters whose roles are to complete the puzzle pieces that comprise the grand storyline.
Final Fantasy XII is perhaps the most ambitious of the series when it comes to the scale and variety of the visuals. How much was the aging PS2 hardware limiting in terms of what you wanted to achieve?
There are always restrictions, no matter if it is a new or old hardware. We always try to make the best product within those limitations.
What do you think is the most successful aspect of the game? Are you disappointed with any areas now that it's finished?
I'm just proud of how well this entire package came together. I think that balance is more important than having a certain aspect of the game stand out. When creating a game ([this] may not only be for games but for creating anything), a creator is never 100% happy and we're always looking for the next step for making things better.
