The second game in the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy 2, established that the franchise would take an anthology-style approach moving forward, featuring a new cast of heroes, a brand-new world, and mechanics that differentiate it from its predecessor despite retaining some key elements that are consistent in each entry. One feature that has remained constant throughout the franchise is the Final Fantasy series' mixing of high fantasy and science fiction, blending traditional medieval fantasy tropes with story beats like time travel, genetic engineering, and forgotten or lost civilizations. The lost civilization trope is one that actually shows up time and again throughout the Final Fantasy series, using the tendency of humans to repeat the mistakes of the past as a cautionary motif.