In an effort to bolster its JRPG credibility, Ubisoft has partnered up with the original Final Fantasy artist, Yoshitaka Amano, to create a piece of art inspired by its upcoming game Child of Light. Amano's work is, of course, nothing short of spectacular, making me wish he played a bigger role in the game's development.
Along with the painting, which has been put up for free at full resolution on Gematsu or a smaller resolution at Imgur, Ubisoft has also released a video of Amano slaving over his creation It's amazing watching him work. As a founding member of both the video game movement in Japan and my favorite video game series, I'm glad he is still using his talents after so many years.
Amano is also working on promotional artwork and illustrations for Final Fantasy XV, taking up his typical seat by providing the gorgeous artwork to define the game. I'm hoping it gives it the classic sense the the series has been lacking as of late. He held the same position during development of Final Fantasy XIII, but not nearly to the extent he once provided during the Nintendo and Super Nintendo days of the series. Back then, it was difficult to find an image that wasn't drawn by Amano.
I was already sold on Ubisoft's Child of Light, but now I'm even considering nabbing up the Deluxe Edition that will include even more art from Amano. Buying a collector's edition or anything beyond the game itself is usually something I steer away from, but with this man involved, I'd be more than happy to throw a few extra dollars at it. Currently, the Deluxe Edition is only available for pre-order in Europe, so make it happen Stateside Ubisoft!
Child of Light will be released digitally for $14.99 on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U and PC on April 30. Pre-orders are already available on the PlayStation Store and PC outlets.
