Poll: Final Fantasy (I'm bored)

[Brenden Walter]

Honestly I have lost a lot of respect for SE over the years, but I also respect that they have the ability to release a FF title that will be wildly popular at just about any time.

Yeah, FF X-2 sold over 3 million copies.
(I'm not even joking about that)

Because the core gameplay was actually good, maybe?
The plot wasn't horrible and the characters were a tad annoying for the first 10 hours or so, but it was interesting seeing what happened to everyone after Yu Yevon's defeat.
I know it was girly and complete fanservice, but the battle system and dresshpere grids were an interesting idea that worked quite well.
-Tabs<3-

Surprisingly I think if they had implemented that not as a dress sphere but a class sphere system it would have been a lot better game wise, but yes there is no denying the fan service, a few tweaks and we could have had a really good rpg instead of a decent one made for males to oogle at.

 

[Brenden Walter]

Not reading that wall o' text, sorry. Welcome to the Escapist nonetheless.

Even without reading it, I'd say let the series die with grace, but then again, I live in the Western Hemisphere. The "12-year-old emo kid saves the world" formula has kinda worn thin on me/quote]

What FF game are you talking about?

Besides 7?

 

[yanipheonu]

UH I thought the last few games were fun, though I didn't dig FFXII's battle system, but it'd be naive for me think Square would make the perfect game for me every single time. And for the record I loved FFXIII. A great console JRPG in a gen that has been pretty unkind to them (portable are a WHOOOOLLE other story though)

I dunno, I think some people have just gotten their expectations too high. I too wish that we had the plot of FF6 wrapped in an FF7 style game with FF13 level graphics, but I can't expect that of them. all I can expect is a high quality game, and Square delivers, even if it doesn't always sync with some people.

 

[Brenden Walter]

UH I thought the last few games were fun, though I didn't dig FFXII's battle system, but it'd be naive for me think Square would make the perfect game for me every single time. And for the record I loved FFXIII. A great console JRPG in a gen that has been pretty unkind to them (portable are a WHOOOOLLE other story though)

I dunno, I think some people have just gotten their expectations too high. I too wish that we had the plot of FF6 wrapped in an FF7 style game with FF13 level graphics, but I can't expect that of them. all I can expect is a high quality game, and Square delivers, even if it doesn't always sync with some people.

Agreed on the expectations thing, everyone wants ff7 remade with better graphics for the ps3, idk why they haven't done that it would sell like crazy.

 

[Brenden Walter]

Not reading that wall o' text, sorry. Welcome to the Escapist nonetheless.

Even without reading it, I'd say let the series die with grace, but then again, I live in the Western Hemisphere. The "12-year-old emo kid saves the world" formula has kinda worn thin on me

What FF game are you talking about?

Besides 7?

Not even that one since clouds 21.

I think 12 year old wasn't meant literally only in a figuratively speaking manor, though if he did mean it literally, then I apologize.

 

[Space Spoons]

For me, Final Fantasy died the very instant it ditched turn-based combat. I've got a lot of gripes with what the franchise has become, but this is by far the biggest.

In my opinion, the series should end before it can get to the point that the number of bad games outweigh the good. Seriously, look at the tally right now:

I-VII: Pretty much universally acclaimed.
VIII and IX: Have some detractors, but they're generally in the minority.
X: The characters have their fair share of critics, but the gameplay itself is usually applauded for being quite solid and inventive.

That's ten good games, if we're willing to ignore some very minor pockets of dislike. XI, X-2, XII and XIII, on the other hand, are some of the most divisive games in the franchise (or just flat out worst, if you don't feel like being polite about it). That's four right there already. Two, if we're being generous by not counting XI and X-2. Things don't seem to be getting any better, either.

It needs to end, while the franchise still commands some modicum of respect. There's no shame in going out with a discreet whimper instead of a humiliating bang.

 

[Brenden Walter]

For me, Final Fantasy died the very instant it ditched turn-based combat. I've got a lot of gripes with what the franchise has become, but this is by far the biggest.

In my opinion, the series should end before it can get to the point that the number of bad games outweigh the good. Seriously, look at the tally right now:

I-VII: Pretty much universally acclaimed.
VIII and IX: Have some detractors, but they're generally in the minority.
X: The characters have their fair share of critics, but the gameplay itself is usually applauded for being quite solid and inventive.

That's ten good games, if we're willing to ignore some very minor pockets of dislike. XI, X-2, XII and XIII, on the other hand, are some of the most divisive games in the franchise (or just flat out worst, if you don't feel like being polite about it). That's four right there already. Two, if we're being generous by not counting XI and X-2. Things don't seem to be getting any better, either.

It needs to end, while the franchise still commands some modicum of respect. There's no shame in going out with a discreet whimper instead of a humiliating bang.

Your list is flawed, only because you h ave, tactics and tactics advance, advance 2, all good points, then you have final fantasy 12 ds....bad point, rts on the ds, bad idea,rts on the ds with final fantasy game plays elements and its name? Very bad idea, 11 was then and still is atrociously aweful, and so is14 which people seem to forget about.

 

[Space Spoons]

For me, Final Fantasy died the very instant it ditched turn-based combat. I've got a lot of gripes with what the franchise has become, but this is by far the biggest.

In my opinion, the series should end before it can get to the point that the number of bad games outweigh the good. Seriously, look at the tally right now:

I-VII: Pretty much universally acclaimed.
VIII and IX: Have some detractors, but they're generally in the minority.
X: The characters have their fair share of critics, but the gameplay itself is usually applauded for being quite solid and inventive.

That's ten good games, if we're willing to ignore some very minor pockets of dislike. XI, X-2, XII and XIII, on the other hand, are some of the most divisive games in the franchise (or just flat out worst, if you don't feel like being polite about it). That's four right there already. Two, if we're being generous by not counting XI and X-2. Things don't seem to be getting any better, either.

It needs to end, while the franchise still commands some modicum of respect. There's no shame in going out with a discreet whimper instead of a humiliating bang.

Your list is flawed, only because you h ave, tactics and tactics advance, advance 2, all good points, then you have final fantasy 12 ds....bad point, rts on the ds, bad idea,rts on the ds with final fantasy game plays elements and its name? Very bad idea, 11 was then and still is atrociously aweful, and so is14 which people seem to forget about.

I was only including the games from the main series. Yeah, Square has a pretty good track record with spinoffs, but the numbered games have always been their flagship titles, and they're the ones being discussed here.

 

[FalloutJack]

Let me put it this way, man. If Mario isn't out of a job, why would Final Fantasy? Suffice to say, Final Fantasy is over when it stops making money. Seems the industry marches on, for now.

 

[warm slurm]

I think they just need to step away from the crazy over the top shit for one game and make another game reminiscent of the old ones again. They won't since they tried that with FFIX and it didn't do as well as FFVII/FFVIII, but whatever.

 

[Daedalus1942]

Not reading that wall o' text, sorry. Welcome to the Escapist nonetheless.

Even without reading it, I'd say let the series die with grace, but then again, I live in the Western Hemisphere. The "12-year-old emo kid saves the world" formula has kinda worn thin on me/quote]

What FF game are you talking about?

Besides 7?

Actually, to be fair, FFVIII followed the same formula to start off with but got quite deep and interesting.
As for your comment about tweaking the job system in X-2, I was actually referring to the tablet things that you used to switch spheres midbattle. I forget the names (tablets or something). I really liked that, and I still to this day do not regret the $30 i paid for it.
-Tabs<3-

 

[Wolfenbarg]

Now I may not be speaking for everyone, but for me, XIII's major problem was an inappropriate ratio of story, combat, and plot relevant combat. Now that probably sounds a little strange since most people only mention the first two, but here's why I think other games did things in a pretty okay way while XIII should have rethought most of its gameplay and traveling sections.

XIII has a very high level of plot immediacy. The game plays certain parts almost as if in real time. In such a scenario, there is nothing more disheartening than seeing a corridor that is absolutely jammed to the brim with enemies that have no bearing on the story. In X or XII there were a lot of creatures on the way, but in those games a lot of room was left open where traveling WAS the plot point, so it made perfect sense to drop enemies on the way. That puts a challenge on the road to the next major plot point without deterring from it. XIII had so much of this that novel seeming combat fell into tedium and the story wasn't kept tight enough to provide the level of interest and depth that I and I believe many other fans desired from the game.

So XIII missed the point, and it seems like XIV's launch has been an unmitigated disaster. Worse yet, Square has decided to make a spin-off of XIII as if they were completely out of touch with a large portion of their North American and British fanbase (I can't speak for the Japanese) or as if they gave the project the go-ahead before XIII was even on shelves. Does this spell the end for the series? I don't think so, I just think it marks a very pathetic resolution to this anniversary celebration of having 6 titles in a compilation for Final Fantasy XIII. Terrible execution, but they're not going to tank the core franchise that makes up both companies these days because of this venture. They've still got plenty of capital. Now if XV also fails, then you can pretty much call this series dead in the western market.

EDIT: http://www.gametrailers.com/game/the-final-fantasy-retrospective/4831

Watching that again, the series really has fallen from grace quite badly since XII's release (that doesn't include XII, I loved that game). If Versus doesn't turn out to be great or the next numbered title in the series doesn't add up to our expectations, the market for this game will shrink by quite a bit.

I find myself in complete agreement with you. I honstly loved 12 as well. More because of the world and story than because of the characters, though those were good too(except for a certain effeminate male with a verrryy short shirt???/coat
?? and his friend)However I have some hope as their are rumors of a sequel to twelve and if said sequel comes out and square does a good job, it could rescue the series in the west.

Perhaps, but the problem with that style of game is it requires a great deal of vision. Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Vagrant Story only brought Ivalice to life in such a way because they had masterful vision and a great creative team. Even Tactics Advanced had some interesting points to it because it managed to capture a feeling of childlike wonder as opposed to a Star Wars esque barrage of visual and narrative like we got in XII. The two titles that have gone back to Ivalice since Yasumi Matsuno's departure though have been... well not that great. If he doesn't return for another Ivalice title or someone equally competent (like Hiroyuki Ito) doesn't step up to direct said project, I don't think its fate will be much better than XIII.

 

[Retoru]

I think it started going downhill after Squaresoft was forced to become part of Enix.

It was going downhill before Enix and Square merged, Square's financial woes due to the fiasco that was Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and lackluster game sales is what facilitated Enix, a developer of much better RPG games, to pick up Square. I think the idea was to use Square's IP with Enix's know-how to create brilliant games, but in the merger Square's creative teams received concessions that allowed them to have a greater control over Square's IPs than they really should have had.

Before I get blasted for my statement regarding Square and Enix, I invite you to research some sales figures. Enix's flagship RPG series, Dragon Quest, has far outsold Final Fantasy, and the series is such a force in Japan that a law was actually passed that prevented Enix from releasing a Dragon Quest game during the work week due to the mass call-offs of workers which would cause an actual noticeable drop in the productivity of the entire nation...the ENTIRE nation.

The problem is that Final Fantasy keeps going back to tired formulas that just don't work anymore and they keep tweaking, tinkering, and generally making a huge mess out of the combat and advancement systems in their games. Sure, it's "cutting edge" and "experimental", but the systems have been clunky at best, downright horrible at worst.

 

[KILLERTHING]

I think theres still hope for it and yes i liked FFXIII and am looking forward to XIII-2.

 

[Archangel768]

To me, there's always hope they'll do it right again. Maybe they'll keep making them bad for another five years but, all of a sudden make a good one. Maybe Versus XIII will be good. I know it's a departure from certain things in the series but, it definitely has the potential to be great. We'll just wait and see. I personally want Final Fantasy to become awesome again.

 

[Veldt Falsetto]

I don't want to write an essay cause I've done it before so I state...every game is different, no one game has gotten worse in quality just different. Some people dont like the change others do. Most people who don't like ff now and used to only like VII anyway so they have absolutely no opinion on this topic

 

[Cheesepower5]

I don't think it should stop, I still love a lot of the spin-offs like Tactics A2 and Crisis Core and XIII isn't a bad game by my definition, but they could use a break. Working on what, 5 different games right now? They also need to stop trying to appeal to Western audiences, not because it's necessarily a bad thing but because they're horrible at it.

Though I like your main point. Hell yeah I want exploration to come back!