I loved XII and XIII. XII is my overall favorite. I know that makes me a small minority, but what the hell. People should stop snobbing about how everything was better in the past and accept that things should change.
Final Fantasy
- Thread starter Nobodyman
- Start date
FFXIV does seem like a complete fail.
It is true that the older Final Fantasys were better. I still really enjoyed FFX, and even FFXII was a good game albeit a fair amount of flaws. FFXIII was ok...I think it was worth playing but now I've completed it I probably won't play it again, unlike FFVII - X, which I can play over and over again. FFX-2 was what you would expect from a spin off...poor with some redeeming qualities (I liked the battle system) but yeah, it seems that this could well the THE Final Fantasy....and this is coming from a huge fan of the PS1 generation games.
It is true that the older Final Fantasys were better. I still really enjoyed FFX, and even FFXII was a good game albeit a fair amount of flaws. FFXIII was ok...I think it was worth playing but now I've completed it I probably won't play it again, unlike FFVII - X, which I can play over and over again. FFX-2 was what you would expect from a spin off...poor with some redeeming qualities (I liked the battle system) but yeah, it seems that this could well the THE Final Fantasy....and this is coming from a huge fan of the PS1 generation games.
FFXII was easily my favorite Final Fantasy, and is probably my third or fourth favorite game of all time.
Yes, Vaan sucked. But in all honesty, I think I've hated every FF "main" character since 7. Cloud, Squall, that monkey dude, Tidus, and now Vaan, they all SUCKED.
But what FFXII does better than any of those games, with the arguable exception of MonkeyDude, is put him in the background. He's the player character, but he's not the MAIN character. The story isn't about him, and he only exists as a witness.
Regardless, he's an annoying tool, and all of the worst moments of the game are him. To be fair, some of that loathing isn't even the character...it's the appalling audio quality of the voice overs. Everyone sounds like they're talking into soup cans. So I'd like to believe that with better sound, maybe the character would be less annoying.
I don't even know how to distill what I loved most about the game. I really liked the Gambit system. Yes, it's essentially a system that plays the game for you, but there are so many options and conditions that it turns into a mini-strategy game all by itself. The more you want the system to work for you, the more work you have to put into it to make it work. It's pretty satisfying when you find the right balance.
The other thing I really liked about it was the fact that you could access just about any area at any point in the game, even places you had no business going to, and it doesn't adjust the levels of the enemies. Sure, you can run through the Necrohol early in the game to grab the Zodiac spear, but only at your own great risk.
I think ultimately the reason I liked it so much was that it just felt a lot like FFXI to me. I liked FFXI a lot, but didn't end up playing it a whole lot, and by the time I tried to get back to it, it was totally dead. So FFXII filled that void.
Yes, Vaan sucked. But in all honesty, I think I've hated every FF "main" character since 7. Cloud, Squall, that monkey dude, Tidus, and now Vaan, they all SUCKED.
But what FFXII does better than any of those games, with the arguable exception of MonkeyDude, is put him in the background. He's the player character, but he's not the MAIN character. The story isn't about him, and he only exists as a witness.
Regardless, he's an annoying tool, and all of the worst moments of the game are him. To be fair, some of that loathing isn't even the character...it's the appalling audio quality of the voice overs. Everyone sounds like they're talking into soup cans. So I'd like to believe that with better sound, maybe the character would be less annoying.
I don't even know how to distill what I loved most about the game. I really liked the Gambit system. Yes, it's essentially a system that plays the game for you, but there are so many options and conditions that it turns into a mini-strategy game all by itself. The more you want the system to work for you, the more work you have to put into it to make it work. It's pretty satisfying when you find the right balance.
The other thing I really liked about it was the fact that you could access just about any area at any point in the game, even places you had no business going to, and it doesn't adjust the levels of the enemies. Sure, you can run through the Necrohol early in the game to grab the Zodiac spear, but only at your own great risk.
I think ultimately the reason I liked it so much was that it just felt a lot like FFXI to me. I liked FFXI a lot, but didn't end up playing it a whole lot, and by the time I tried to get back to it, it was totally dead. So FFXII filled that void.
I have enjoyed the Final Fantasy series since I was young, and continue to do so. I thought 13 was alright not the best for certain but also doesn't really deserve all the rabid hatred that it gets.
That seems to be a consistent problem too, 7 has a similar issues, It's a pretty good game, but now people can't help but either try to kill it with fire, or put it on an impossibly high pedestal as the pinnacle of human creation, both of which I consider ridiculous. I'm not saying everyone should like the damn thing, but so many people don't even give it a chance, and when some people DO they're all like "THIS IS NOT AS GREAT AS I WAS TOLDED" now there seem to even people who hate on 7 as if it gives them gamer cred, it's all so bloody ridiculous.
With the exclusion of the online titles, the orginal NES version of 2 and some of the spin-offs, I've found something to enjoy in just about every FF title even FFX-2 with it's ridiculous and horrible, plot, atmosphere and music, had a pretty nifty Battle and job class systems.
I'd say the bigger issue then that of a supposed "decline of quality" is that video game fans are becoming bitter creatures of hatred, hating on anything that does or doesn't change, only occasionally breaking the surface to actually take the time to LIKE something once in a blue moon.
That seems to be a consistent problem too, 7 has a similar issues, It's a pretty good game, but now people can't help but either try to kill it with fire, or put it on an impossibly high pedestal as the pinnacle of human creation, both of which I consider ridiculous. I'm not saying everyone should like the damn thing, but so many people don't even give it a chance, and when some people DO they're all like "THIS IS NOT AS GREAT AS I WAS TOLDED" now there seem to even people who hate on 7 as if it gives them gamer cred, it's all so bloody ridiculous.
With the exclusion of the online titles, the orginal NES version of 2 and some of the spin-offs, I've found something to enjoy in just about every FF title even FFX-2 with it's ridiculous and horrible, plot, atmosphere and music, had a pretty nifty Battle and job class systems.
I'd say the bigger issue then that of a supposed "decline of quality" is that video game fans are becoming bitter creatures of hatred, hating on anything that does or doesn't change, only occasionally breaking the surface to actually take the time to LIKE something once in a blue moon.
Why would Final Fantasy need a reboot? It's already the most varied "series" of games out there. Of course, that's much of the reason why "fans" complain so often. People with different tastes are going to be drawn to the games in the series that offer what they want.
You know what they should do? Make a Final Fantasy game with a properly original aesthetic. If they keep changing up the mechanics every week then why does it always have to be the same colour pallet, environments and architecture all the time? Seriously, FF6, 7, and 9 were the only ones that didn't look like the rest of the series but 8 and everything since 10 have overused cyberpunk-realism so much that it's become as predictable as my attack strategy in a typical instalment. Perhaps a bit of '20s-esque art-deco would be nice for number 15, maybe some charachetured people.
I'm starting to look for other JRPGs aswell...Any suggestions for great JRPG's with awesum story for PSP and PS3? D:
I thought XIII was great (playing it right now actually) but ive noticed its a marmite game as people seem to love it or hate it.
Shame they cut so much out though
Shame they cut so much out though
I think a reboot would do Final Fantasy a lot of good. Since at least 10 the same style of art and world have been employed. It would be nice to see something a little less grandiose and indulgent. Final Fantasy could be darker and grittier. It could be lighter and more cartoonish. We could have something closer to Final Fantasy Tactics, or an action RPG.Nobodyman said:
I'd like to see the plot dialed back and allow the player to actually explore and wander around. One of the best parts of the series was the open-ended mission that took up the second half of Final Fantasy 6. It was an Easter Egg hunt for weapons and allies that encompassed the entire world, and there's been nothing like it since.
I honestly doubt Final Fantasy will end cause some people will always buy the games no matter how bad they are but I also think the company is in a rut and will one day get it's ass out of it I hope.I used to love their games but yeah they are bad now and don't play them anymore