Final Fantasy XIII Could be Last of "This Type of Game" at Square

[John Funk]

Final Fantasy XIII Could be Last of "This Type of Game" at Square

In a Statement Heard 'Round the World (of Final Fantasy fans), Square-Enix boss Yoichi Wada has said that Final Fantasy XIII [http://www.amazon.com/Final-Fantasy-XIII-Playstation-3/dp/B000FQ2DTA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1278964269&sr=1-1] may truly be the Final Fantasy - at least, as we know it.

Final Fantasy XIII is big - really big. Not only has its reception been big - selling Edge [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/96995-Final-Fantasy-XIII-Sells-1-5M-Gets-35-Attach-Rate], Squeenix big shot Yoichi "Imperial Hot" Wada said that even with the huge success of FF13, it might be time for the developers to move on in a way.

[blockquote]I believe Final Fantasy XIII is going be something special, and that it's going to be well received by the audience. But whether we are going to continue to internally create this type of game remains to be seen, because I actually feel that the team that was involved with Final Fantasy XIII should next move on to create and generate some 'next generation' forms of play. Internally and externally I feel there's an expectation of Square Enix to offer something new, and I really think that the Final Fantasy team could create something completely different, but at the moment they're strictly catering to the particular audience they have now.[/blockquote]

But what, exactly, does that mean? It's a very vague statement from Wada, to be honest, because "next generation" forms of play could mean just about anything - and both Final Fantasy XIII and its immediate predecessor have been moving away from the standard "run around, load screen, random turn-based battle" model that the series was traditionally known for. Would the developers be moving into less linear modes of storytelling? Would they be looking to embrace more Western principles of gamemaking thanks to the acquisition of Eidos?

It certainly doesn't mean that the Final Fantasy series is over (at least not with Final Fantasy XIV right around the corner), but one thing is certain: FF fanboys and fangirls are probably freaking out right about now.

For the full interview with Wada - in which he discusses his favorite games like Myst and how the integration with Eidos is going - head on over to Edge [http://www.next-gen.biz/magazine/an-audience-with-yoichi-wada?page=0%2C0].

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[Cherry Cola]

I'll believe it when I say it.

Which I wont.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

Ah, too bad. I really liked the formula they had. But alas, things have to change. And who knows? Maybe they will make it even better.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

Probably won't be. Then again, FFXIII took a shitload of time to create, so who knows?

 

[Armored Prayer]

Hmmm... interesting. I wonder what they'll do.

Oh well I can't say much since I never played a FF game. (I do plan on playing XII)

 

[In Limbo]

It's a very vague statement from Iwata, to be honest...

You mean Wada.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Halleluja, brother. Halleluja!

 

[Da_Schwartz]

If anything i'd guess that all final fantasys from this point on will consist of some sort of online gameplay. Either MMO style or maybe just massive co-op..somehow.. idk its the future ...your talking years from now.

 

[Fwee]

I wound up getting turned off to FF, just a little too much of a crammed-down-your-throat feeling.

 

[Riobux]

I think a good step forward is to take the hint of games like Fallout 3 and blend action and RPG more closely together. You know, unlike that insult of a game Final Fantasy 12 which I wouldn't exactly describe a smooth and enjoyable experience. At least not in the same tone in games like Fallout 3 and Dark Chronicle which, while had RPG elements, held interesting stories while making the game fun which I think Squaresoft forgot how to do roughly around 10-X or 12.

 

[John Funk]

It's a very vague statement from Iwata, to be honest...

You mean Wada.

Whoops.

Was just writing about Iwata, too. Wires crossed!

 

[Jamiemitsu]

Hmmm... So, a western-style RPG set in a final fantasy world might be on the horizon? Been playing Oblivion lately, so... Also, I diddont know squeenix merged with Eidos. That dosent sound good to me. (What, are Square some kind of gelatenous monster, merging with everything in site?)

 

[GundamSentinel]

I would surely miss FF if they were to stop. I'm not an enormous fan (only played 4 of the games) but I always enjoyed the experience.
However, with the money it brings in, it might be just as hard to kill as Mario...

 

[YoUnG205]

I liked the FF games shame.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

They don't say how they're changing so I don't see why everything is getting worked up about it in the slightest(this is coming from a FF fan) it is probably a move towards a more Kingdom Hearts Battle style which they are doing and myabe making the games a little less linear which I have no problems with either way as JRPGs are supposed to be about the story. As long it could be more involved character growth as well but who knows.

 

[BellosTheMighty]

LOL. When was this statement released? Because according to Sankaku Complex (admittedly not a bastion of journalistic integrity), FFXIII is getting savaged by gamers in japan. It sold well the first week, but sales plummeted when the early buyers complained that the game was buggy, had poor level design, and was not up to the standards of the series in terms of gameplay. This quote sounds like damage control to me.

I won't link Sankaku here because they aren't worksafe, but here's the cliff notes version of the criticism, via copy & paste:

Criticism of blockbuster RPG Final Fantasy XIII has rapidly mounted, with the initial observation that the game is almost comically linear giving way to a litany of further dissatisfactions, many quite unavoidable even for the game's many staunch defenders.

A digest of criticism from 2ch:

-The whole game is completely linear until halfway through (approximately 20 hours).
-There are hardly any towns.
-The party is always fixed. The whole game just repeats the movie-battle sequence over and over (In fact the progression is closer to movie-run-battle-run-movie-boss-movie-run-battle).
-There are rather a lot of movies.
-Moving around is like a long marathon.
-The whole game system is just a clone of FF10.
-You can't flee battles (You can't avoid most battles either as there is no sneaking past enemies, including weak ones).
-Your party is completely healed after each battle.
-If the main character in your party dies it is game over (There are only ever 3 characters in battle, often less, and often fixed).
-The best tactic is almost always endlessly attacking. There is next to no strategy or skill involved.
-The summons' transformation scenes are a joke (i.e. Odin turning into a horse).
-The story is rubbish. (Spoilers omitted, but complaints centre on Snow's constant and cringe inducing insistence that he is a hero and will "protect" whatever it is the antagonists are menacing this time)
-Shopping is only done at "online" shops on save points, with no proper shops to be found.
-However, this doesn't matter as you hardly ever get any money (and you can never buy anything more powerful than what you already looted).
-There have been next to no changes from the demo.
-The status screen displays no real information.
-There are only 8 items usable in combat (For that matter, there are hardly any weapons or accessories, and the "crafting" system mostly consists of spending drops to upgrade their 2 stats).
-There are no levels.
-With all their advertising money, just how was it they failed even to get Famitsu to give full points?

Some of these criticisms are exaggerated or require further qualification, but on the whole they are fair, and any review which does not dwell long and hard on some of these design choices is certainly suspect.

It already seems clear the game is far from the dramatic step forward it was supposed to be, though whether these issues make the whole game "bad" is certainly open to question. However, it does seem something went very wrong with the game's development all the same.

Like I said, not the most reliable of sources, but if you're interested, look it up and judge for yourself if there's a case to be made here. For my money, it seems like most of this is just the jRPG playing to what we commonly perceive as it's strengths. The real problem here is that those strengths no longer matter- the genre has grown so stagnant that even it's biggest fans are tired of the same old rigamarole. It needs an evolution, and FFXIII ain't it.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Hmm...

Does this mean we might get a present-day set Final Fantasy with real time combat?