Fortress (cancelled video game)

For other video games titled Fortress, see Fortress § Computing and games.
Fortress
A grassy, rocky landscape. To the left is an armored, caped figure with a spear in hand, surrounded by low-lying fog, who looks back toward a castle ringed by a spiral staircase on land surrounded by water. To the right is a high, barren cliff. The staircase, much of the castle, and some rocks are broken off in mid-air and pitched to the left, as if being swept away. Sunbeams filter down from a partly cloudy sky.
Concept art by Tony Holmsten, one of the artists for the game.
Developer(s)Grin
Publisher(s)Square Enix
Director(s)Ulf Andersson
Designer(s)Erik Lindqvist
Artist(s)Ulf Andersson
Anders De Geer
Björn Albihn
Writer(s)Ulf Andersson
Composer(s)Erik Thunberg
SeriesFinal Fantasy
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
ReleaseCancelled
Genre(s)Action role-playing game

Fortress is the code name of a cancelled action role-playing video game that was in development by Swedish game developer Grin. Director Ulf Andersson devised the concept for Fortress before preproduction began in the second half of 2008. During development, Square Enix approached the developer and proposed making the game a spin-off of Final Fantasy XII. Grin reconceived the game in the recurring Final Fantasy world of Ivalice, and included elements of XII, such as stylistic motifs and character designs; additional elements included chocobos and other recurring creatures from the Final Fantasy series. It was to be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

During development, Square Enix did not pay Grin over several months and disapproved of the game's Nordic art style. Grin worked to bring the game's art style closer to the Final Fantasy series, but after six months of development was told that no funding would ever come from Square Enix, and the developer filed for bankruptcy several days later. Word of the project leaked out through art portfolios of those who worked on the project and even a tech demo surfaced.

In 2011, Fortress was thought to have been in development by an undisclosed studio, but this was also suspended, and the game was not released in any form.