The legality of fan creations, particularly fan remakes of old games, is in complicated and ever-changing territory, but one group of Final Fantasy 9 fans think they've found a way to remake the game without bringing the wrath of Square Enix down on their heads. The Final Fantasy 9: Memoria Project may be one of the most impressive fan remakes that fans will never be able to play.
Created by 3D character artist Dan Eder, Memoria Project is a visual proof of concept that serves as a love letter to Final Fantasy 9. It features updated character models, lush backgrounds, and even brief animations, but has no actual gameplay. Other fans have envisioned what a remastered Final Fantasy 9 could look like, but Eder's end goal is for Memoria Project to show what a modern AAA release of Final Fantasy 9 could look like.
This non-playable passion project will never be released to the public, but its striking screenshots and gorgeous GIFs are being shared on social media and the Final Fantasy 9: Memoria Project website. Technically, the project has been in the works since Eder first got a look at Final Fantasy 9 back in 2000, but it truly began last year in 2020 when Eder reached out to background artist Colin Valek of Sucker Punch Studios. Eder had already modeled Princess Garnet and soon made a model of Vivi that rivals the best Vivi cosplays to join her. Recently, he shared a short walk animation of Vivi wandering through one of the lovingly-realized environments.
In January, the two artists released WIP screenshots of their work reimagining the opening area of Alexandria. It was very warmly received by many Final Fantasy 9 fans and soon other people in the animation industry began reaching out to them, including environment artists, animators, riggers, and concept artists. With so much interest in the project, Eder decided to turn Memoria Project into a full-fledged modern reimagining of the original game, albeit in a non-playable proof of concept form to avoid infringing on copyright. Now a team of over 20 gaming industry veterans is working on this fan-made Final Fantasy 9 remake.
While Final Fantasy 9: Memoria Project may never be a fully playable game, it is an incredibly ambitious attempt to bring a beloved world into the modern day. The team is aiming to make Memoria Project visually indistinguishable from a modern AAA blockbuster game and these teasers suggest that they're well on their way to reaching that goal. The official Final Fantasy 9 animated series may have some stiff competition in terms of graphics and slick presentation.
Final Fantasy 9 is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: TheGamer