I'm embarrassed to admit it, but there was a time when I hated Video Games & Computer Entertainment. As a child, I found that the long-form reviews and unorthodox layout didn't hold my attention. But a funny thing happened as I went through the change and became a cranky old man. The things I used to hate about Video Games & Computer Entertainment are now the reasons I love the mag. This is especially true when it comes to the artwork, which was largely created by a team of disparate freelance artists. This is one of the reasons I love VG&CE.


Art by Alan Hunter (Click to See Full Size Image)
It's hard to remember a time when Final Fantasy wasn't filled to the brim with emo protagonists, cutesy women and annoying sidekicks. But none of that is present in this ultra-serious drawing by Alan Hunter. The star of this Final Fantasy isn't some spiky-haired teenager, but rather a middle-age white guy. With those come hither eyes, a well-defined chin and dashing good looks, this guy looks like he could be played by George Clooney. He's a world away from the typical JRPG hero.

That's what I love about this piece; it doesn't feel like the Final Fantasy we've come to know over the last two decades. The women look like they are from a bad 1980s high fantasy film, and somebody needs to return those spikey ears to the Star Trek prop department. Even the ghoulish enemies look more like what you would see in Lord of the Rings than Final Fantasy. I love that we're only seeing a glimpse of the evil villains in the smoke billowing up from the burning castle in the distance. The fact that these images have little to nothing to do with the game doesn't matter when the end result is this captivating. This is Final Fantasy as its romantic novel best.