Fortress

Unreleased

Fortress is the codename of an unannounced video game currently in development as a spin-off of Square Enix's Final Fantasy series. It is envisioned as an action game set in the fictional world of Final Fantasy XII, Ivalice, and is intended for the the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows platforms. Although not yet officially announced, the project's existence was revealed after the closure of the original developer, GRIN, by former members of the development team and sources in the video game industry.

Gameplay
Little is known about the game's gameplay, except that it is an "action game". Still, a design document for an enemy attack pattern reveals a few details.

Setting
The only things currently known about the game's story is that it takes place in "Final Fantasy XII 's world" and that Ashe at least will make an appearance. Two outfits were designed for her, and are less revealing variants of her original Final Fantasy XII outfit. Since she wears in one of these designs a headdress similar to the one that was worn by King Raminas, Ashe is likely to be a slightly older queen at this point in Ivalice history. This would seemingly set Fortress some time after Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings.

The eponymous Fortress appears to be the central location in the game, although various other landscapes such as plains, forests, deserts and snowfields are also featured. The Fortress appears to be built on a mountain cliff, next to a large tomb structure, and includes a court yard, stables, a memorial area, a cathedral and a giant tree at its top. A "floating core" of some kind flies above the Fortress.

Story
According to a design document, the game is divided in at least 7 chapters and focuses on the invasion of the Fortress. The document lists the events of chapters 2 to 7 as follows:
 * Chapter 2: Enter Fortress
 * Chapter 3: First Charge / Ladder Event / Centipedes / Defend Gate / Duel in Front of Gates
 * Chapter 4: Siege Towers & Hornets / Big Enemy through Gate / Ride the Chocobos / Run with Bombs / Courtyard Fight / Friendship Duel
 * Chapter 5: Elevator / Catapult Rush / Clearing Ambush / Planting Bombs / Boats / Dragon Event / Assassination + Duel
 * Chapter 6: Saving Grahm / Boarding the Floating Core
 * Chapter 7: Rush Out on Ice

Development
Preproduction work for Fortress began in the second half of 2008, being outsourced by Square Enix to the Swedish developer GRIN. The development team, based in Stockholm, began creating concept art, 3D models and a game engine, thinking of Fortress as a "game with an epic scale both in story and production values". In addition to original characters and locations, concept art made for the game notably depict Ashe and a Judge who looks like Gabranth, and Chocobos and other recurring creatures of the series, namely Bombs, Ghosts, Malboros, Moogles and Tonberries.

However, after six months of development, Square Enix reclaimed the project without paying GRIN, due to concerns over the quality of the work. Square Enix's withdrawal left the Swedish developer in financial difficulty and with no other ongoing game project. This led to GRIN declaring bankruptcy, as laws in Sweden inflict severe fines on businesses which operate under a debt load. The developer closed its offices on August 12, 2009, noting that delayed payments from "too many publishers" caused "an unbearable cashflow situation" and mentioning in a farewell note their "unreleased masterpiece that [they] weren’t allowed to finish". The Fortress project, still supported by Square Enix, is now being developed by a different, undisclosed studio.

Gallery
See Category:Fortress Images for more images.