30 years of Final Fantasy: a cult of devotion, and the music still soars

International Convention Centre, Sydney
The Distant World philharmonic orchestra is celebrating three decades of the classic game with a rousing and nostalgic world tour

Circa 1987, a small Japanese software company called Square decided to make one last video game. On the verge of bankruptcy, it believed its time was almost up so named it with that in mind: Final Fantasy.

Fast-forward 30 years and the board at what is now Square-Enix likely erupts into laughter when recalling the story over Friday drinks. Final Fantasy has become the company's longest-running and most revered creation, a series so beloved that even its music has transcended the game as a standalone force of nostalgia.