Final Fantasy Turns 27 Today

Final Fantasy, the first game in the popular RPG series, hit shelves on this day 27 years ago.

Since its release in 1987, the series has been one of the best-selling franchises in the video game industry: As of 2009, the series had sold over 85 Million units, according to Kotaku.

The series reached its pinnacle in 1997. Final Fantasy VII is regarded as the best installment of the series.

Featuring cutscenes that were unprecedented in gaming, it took fans through an emotional journey that featured one of the most tear-jerking moments in video game history: the death of Aeris.

According to VG Chartz, Final Fantasy VII has sold 9.72 Million copies.

The series' sales, however, have not done as well in recent years; Lightning Returns, the third installment of the Final Fantasy XIII franchise, did not sell as Square Enix expected. Game Skinny reported that the series is "in steady decline."

A week after the game's release, and Lightning Returns had only sold 277, 082 copies in Japan. The game didn't perform much better with critics--currently holding a score of 66 on Metacritic.

This, however, didn't stop fans from getting excited about the trailer for Final Fantasy XV. It's the first title in the series to be featured on the next-gen consoles.

And before the trailer starts, Square Enix promises to improve on its already impressive visuals.

We won't be able to tell if Final Fantasy's quarter-life crisis is limited to XIII, or if it's something greater until the game launches for the eighth generation consoles.

For more about Final Fantasy, visit its official website here.