Among all the potential collaborations in Monster Hunter: World, none were quite as unexpected as Final Fantasy. Then again, the Monster Hunter franchise is full of strange and unusual collaborations. Players have been able to acquire armor and weapons inspired by Metroid’s Samus, Devil May Cry’s Dante, and Pizza Hut (yes, seriously), and there was also that one time Snake fought a Rathalos, Tigrex, and the awesome abomination known as the Gear REX in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. And now, this summer, players will be able to fight one of Final Fantasy’s Behemoths in Monster Hunter: World (and a Rathalos in Final Fantasy XIV).
But, I hear you ask, what about collaborations with/in other Final Fantasy games? Well, the franchise isn’t exactly rife with crossovers or collaborations, but it isn’t a stranger to them, either. Sure, we usually only get a small reference or a cameo, such as posters for the fictional Final Fantasy XXVII in Deus Ex: Human Revolution or the Culex boss battle in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. However, some go a step further and create some truly memorable, or at the very least unique, experiences.
Assassin: More than Just a Job
Best Final Fantasy Collaborations
When Square Enix released DLC costumes for Final Fantasy XIII-2, gamers collectively rolled their eyes. Characters dressed up in N7 armor and Assassin’s Creed’s assassin robes? Sounds like a fanfic gone wrong. But, not only did one of those costumes return in a later game, it was the basis for a stellar in-game event.
The Assassin’s Festival in Final Fantasy XV was a meta mindscrew. Assassin’s Creed is not only a video game in the real world, it’s also a fairly popular one in the fictional world of Eos. Assassin’s Creed is supposed to be a piece of historical fiction, yet it takes place in countries and portrays events that don’t exist in Eos. It’s bound to make your head hurt if you think about it too much, but anyway, the festival was an excellent excuse for Noctis and crew to unleash their inner fanboys and tear through Magitek Soldiers with some decidedly Assassin’s Creed maneuvers — including the iconic Leap of Faith. Shame the festival was a limited-time event that ended before Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition was released, which means PC gamers (including myself) missed out on this particular collaboration. Well, almost.
Since the Assassin’s Festival was meant to celebrate the release of Assassin’s Creed Origins, that game returned the favor and provided its own Final Fantasy-related content. While not as grand and gloriously stupid (the good kind of stupid, mind you) as the festival, Origins players get to experience a unique quest that rewards them with some special Final Fantasy equipment and a “chocobo camel” mount. And yes, the concept of a camel cross-bred with a chocobo is as terrifying as it is amazing.
