Final Fantasy keeps letting me down... [Archive]

Solid Snake

11-18-2003, 10:01 PM

I've been a Final Fantasy fan since the days of FF3/6. FF3 was the first I played, and though I honestly have the fondest memories of having played it (after all, it was my first RPG), I'd actually rate both FF7 and FF9 as better videogames overall. I never quite understood why so many other gamers who started with FF3/6 ended up having such lackluster opinions of the rest of the series. It's a common opinion, though; just ask Kurosen, who would agree with you in a heartbeat. Perhaps I'm missing something only the "roleplaying elite" understand, because I honestly feel out of the loop when I'm the only one defending the Playstation-era FFs on a message board who actually has played the oldies.

transcend

11-18-2003, 10:02 PM

I'm damned lazy, so I'll just cut-and-paste the two posts I made on the subject in the other forum, and pretend that I'm contributing.

Final Fantasy XI shouldn't be numbered. It's not a FF game, it's just set in the FF world. It should be Final Fantasy Online. Not Final Fantasy XI. Final Fantasy XII should be Final Fantasy XI, and Final Fantasy X2 should never have been concieved as an idea.

I'm wondering why the hell Square feels the need to somehow cripple every new FF game. FFXI is online-only, and pay-per-month. FFT:A had no storyline at all. FF:CC virtually requires several people at your console, each with a GBA and connector cable. FF:X2 has the "been there, played that" factor--although, I really didn't like FF:X, so maybe that's just me. And, finally, they seem to be going out of their way to scatter their games over as many systems as possible, thus ensuring that few gamers will ever get their hands on all of them. I understand they need to innovate, but innovation for no purpose other than innovation really annoys me.

I'd like a GC collection of the SNES FF games, a GBA collection of the NES/Famicom FF games, and a PS2 collection of the PS1 FF games, personally. You know, like the Zeldas, but with respect to the original systems. Of course, a complete compendium would be nice too, but that's unlikely.

I'd also like an open-ended GC adventure. CC looks like it's shaping up to be that, but I'd prefer an emergent-gameplay single-player game. As fun as classic-design FF games are, they get less fun with each installment. One can only play so many 40-hour-movie-with-interactive-fight-scene-games. I'd like a role-playing game that actually lets me roleplay--and I think we have the technology to pull it off. Maybe I'm a bit optimistic, but it would be nice to be really inserted an a FF world--a world that exists solely for me, entirely within my box.

Jered

11-18-2003, 10:03 PM

All Final fantasy games are good and squar has not let me down yet :)

Lunos Moon

11-18-2003, 10:07 PM

Yes, they are good, and I love playing them, but they have gotten worse. Oh, god, FF8 crippled me for life. *shudder*

Aradon

11-18-2003, 10:07 PM

I just wish Square would stop letting me down :/

Diesel

11-18-2003, 10:13 PM

Its just like Brian portrays it in the comics, they gave up good story for good graphics. Stupid Cloud thought he could be a light warrior... HA!

Jack of Spades

11-18-2003, 10:15 PM

Final Fantasy is still a good series. You just compare it to other FF games you don't compare it to other RPGs. What about Breath of Fire:Dragon Quarter :mad: ? or Lost Kindoms :o ? Those were some crappy RPGs. :cool:

Aradon

11-18-2003, 10:20 PM

But it would be a good fight between Final Fantasy and Crono Trigger.

I'd choose FF to be honest, but it would be a close fight

Grey Ninja

11-18-2003, 10:25 PM

transcend, I am WAY drunk right now and will likely never be back again, but I just want you to know that when the registration form asked me who referred me, I chose you, because you seemed to be the person most related to my point of view in this forum.

Don't really know if that means anything, but my regards anyway. If I do come back one day, I will probably be flamed to death anyway, so I am not sure that you will appreciate my regards... but please accept them anyway. :)

transcend

11-18-2003, 10:27 PM

Regards gladly accepted.

Grey Ninja

11-18-2003, 10:30 PM

I would like to mention however that I am very much in love with Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, and I think that FF:XII looks very pleasing so far, and I actually bought a copy of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance...

Now I am going to Wal-Mart to see if I can get a copy of Mario Kart by any chance. :) But IMO, it's still in the air if you accept my regards or not. ;)

Mike McC

11-18-2003, 10:30 PM

All the Playstation Final Fantasy games have fallen so short of what they could have been. I think they actually got better with each one (FF7 was, in my opinion, rather flawed and incomplete). The exception is FFTactics, it kicks ass, but that really isn't in the series proper.

And the FF series really overshadowed a lot of much better games because it was the 'big' name.

Hot Ice Hunter

11-18-2003, 10:35 PM

Trancend, they are making FFXI an online RPG that's pay per month (These would be called Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (or MMORPGs for short)) because this genre of game is very popular, and very profitable. It's probably going to be something between $10-$13 per month with a $40 cost to buy the game itself.

Think about it, for only playing it one year, and at $10 a month, that's $10*12 months+40 start=$160 for the first year. Add in expansion packs, two or three more years of play (the oldest ones, Everquest and Asheron's Call (the one I played for four years) are still going strong at 4 years of play), perhaps another one...that's going to bring you to about $580 for four years of play. That's $160 the first year, $140 the next three, a $20 expansion pack is included for those last three years.

Now you take that $580 number, and multiply it by about 250,000 (the average number of people playing). That brings you up to $70,000,000.
Granted not EVERYONE plays for four years, but for everyone who leaves, another will take their place, which may or may not be more profitable depending on if the existing game and expansion packs are kept the same price, or lowered consideraby. I think now you should be able to see why Square is bringing out their own MMORPG. They bring in the cash. Screw the fanbase, if you can bring in lots of newbies, addict them worse than crack ever will (think Everquest here), and you're going to have one HELL of a profitable game.

Who knows? It may actually be quite good... or not

HIH

Hunter

11-18-2003, 10:36 PM

Strider

11-18-2003, 10:37 PM

Final Fantasy VII was a great game, possiably one of the best out of the series.
Final Fantasy VIII was a rip off. It acts as a hole in the series. I refuse to acknowledge its existance (unless I am saying it sucks).

I liked Final Fantasy IX. It played on nostalgia from the older games. I played (and finished) FFII and FFIII, and enjoyed the little refrences to them in FFIX. I really liked it.

Final Fantasy X was a really good game. In some aspects, it is very different from any of the other ones, but it wasn't like FFVIII in which it was completly off target.

FFXI... i agree. It should not exist. I haven't played it, and probably won't. It is a money grabbing tatic by Square-Enix. I'm very dissapointed,

But, I am curious about FF X-2. I want to know where they will go. Plus they have brought back one aspect that makes Final Fantasy great: the job system. Nothing is better than that. FF III and FF V are excellent games based on that aspect.
But, i think a sequal is kinda... i dunno.. dumb. But, it is an experiment.

lolathegrig

11-18-2003, 10:38 PM

personally, I agree that the first 6 Final Fantasies kicked royal ass.
I have never really been able to get into the later ones.
they strayed too far from the fantasy aspect while still holding onto the fantasy plotstructures.

FF1 is still probably my fave, as it formed my developing thought structure, although, FF5 runs it a close race.

Roland

11-18-2003, 10:40 PM

first of all Breath of Fire isn't a crappy rpg series. Secondly square hasn't really messed up bad on any of the games in the series, except 8 (IMO). And lastly, why play the final fantasy series when you could be playing suikoden.

Boof_The_Destroyer

11-18-2003, 10:40 PM

Maybe Square stopped caring quite as much when The Final Fantasy moniker became so popular that they could take a dump in a box, stick a Final Fantasy stciker on it, and still sell a million copies on the first day.It kinda takes out the motivation to do something really innovative to give you an edge if you already have an edge if you take a slightly above average RPG, throw in a couple of moogles and chocobos, name it Final Fantasy and still do better than some of the really good shit out there. On the other hand Nintendo is trying to be fresh and new but is flailing around trying to get a grasp in the american market. Maybe there just isn't enough room to be innovative without combining or creating new genres of video games. That has also shown us that they Mario's daddy had one to many shrooms when he came up with Pikmin.

transcend

11-18-2003, 10:45 PM

Trancend, they are making FFXI an online RPG that's pay per month (These would be called Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (or MMORPGs for short)) because this genre of game is very popular, and very profitable. It's probably going to be something between $10-$13 per month with a $40 cost to buy the game itself...

Uh...yeah. I'm not an idiot. It's out now. It costs $49.95 (MSRP), and is $12.95 per month, with the first 30 days free. Each additional character runs you $1.00 per month.

Now, I get why they're making MMORPGS. Personally, I don't like the genre and wouldn't play it if it was free...and I also think the notion of continuously paying to play a game you have already paid for and cannot in any way play without paying borders on extortion. However, they are profitable.

My problem with FFXI is that it is nothing like any previous FF game. Each numbered FF game is a coherant, linear, classic-RPG story set in the FF universe. FFXI is nothing like the rest, save the setting. It does not have a coherant, unified plot. It is not linear at all. It is not story-driven, but rather player-interaction driven. It does not rely on classic RPG elements to drive combat, but instead adopts the MMORPG model.

However, it is not innovative. It has nothing to offer that cannot be found elsewhere in other MMORPGs. And that's why I don't particularly like it.

Strider

11-18-2003, 10:45 PM

The FF series enemies(save Sephiroth) have no motivation. They have no background, nothing to give their insanity an origin. If there are all these monsters, how the hell can civilization be possible?

I'd have to disagree with that.

But, first: FF I through V. I agree. They are just enemies for the sake of enemies, doing things no one in their right mind would do.

But, Kafka... He is a mad man. And I think it is properly represented in the game. He is crazy, plain and simple. The enemies from I-V, are just generic badguys. Look at Goblez in FFIV! He switched sides at the end, for a cool plot twist.
But, Kafka is insane, that is what makes him so scary. His motivation is an exisentialist ideal. For all we know he read too much Kafka and Kierkegaard or something. He is just insane. he doesn't need motivation.

Sephirothas as much motivation as Kuja. Actually, I was kinda dissapointed with Kuja, because it seemed like Square made him out to be like Kuja, wanting to destroy the world because he didn;t like his place in it. But, essentially, they are the same motivation.

transcend

11-18-2003, 10:46 PM

Nobody better be knockin' Sephiroth.

He finally shut Aeris up.

Makes anyone a hero in my book.

Capt. Badass

11-18-2003, 10:53 PM

Chr0n0s End

11-18-2003, 10:58 PM

Final Fantasy Xi isn't exactly a money grabber. I must agree that there are some aspects i don't like, for example if you quit and your account is not used within 3 months of quitting and you decide to start up again you need to buy a whole new set of Cd's. Now I know for most gamers we don't exactly have the money to spend on monthly payments but Square-enix has to pay for server charges as well and those charges square-eniz has to pay are going to go up when it's realeased on the ps2 in january. Video games are a form of entertainment and of coarse they want to please the consumer but they also want to make money as well, just like any business. As for the RTB system it's a little difficult at first but you get used to it. Also, the 12.95 fee a month is if you have for more then one character because they only charge me 8.50 so subtract the one dollar i have for tetra master and thats 7.50.. I think they got the figure if you had like 5 characters or something.. I have yet to be charged 12.95.. Another downside is that you need to be 18 to register, the same goes for Sony's "Planetside." Also the world of warcraft and that star wars galaxies game also wants you to buy the disc and pay the subscriptions so square-enix isn't stabbing anyone in the back.. MMORPG's are a growing part of the video game industry as of today and there going to take advantage of it.. Phew.. that was a lot.. Now for my view on FFX-2

FFX-2 is a refresher from the first but you can play it without knowing anything from the first... The battling system is very difficult because the ATB is very very fast and selecting which garments your going to use is going to determine the outcome of the battle. It's also mission based like tactics advance is.. I think this new form of battling system is a little bit more challenging, but it is true if you didn't like the first one your probably won't like this one.. It's also a nice change to have a female main character this time around.. I think if it doesn't do great, the game will at least bring enough in to make a decent profit.

Strider

11-18-2003, 11:08 PM

The reason that it is not compared to other RPGs, in my opinion, is because Final Fantasy is a genre within itself. There are no RPGs out there that have even a similar feel to playing an FF game, even when playing the bad ones you KNOW it is Final Fantasy.

Yeah. I never thought of it like that.

I mean my frienda and I, when we talk, say things like, "yeah it was a good game, but not Final Fantasy." We turn it into a genre. But, I never went as far as to say it WAS a genre.

I mean, some RPG's are good, like Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross (I'm sorry, but I think Chrono Cross was a great game), Phantasy Star 4 an such are excellent, but no way are they like FF.

Hot Ice Hunter

11-18-2003, 11:17 PM

Transcend, I wasn't aware that FFXI was out, I thought it was still beta mode. Your original post made you seem like you were such a newb to that type of genre, I could have sayed MMORPG and you wouldn't have know what it ment. I'm sorry if my post seemed a little too dumbed down.

However, you need to take into account that Square has been doing the same stuff up until FFX. Console based RPGs. If they don't branch out like they're doing now, they could eventually stop getting new customers, that situation isn't likely, but it could happen. If they branch out, they're available to more players. More players means more money. Money is what makes the world go round. Not love, not friendship, not peace on Earth. Companies will do what they can to make money. If they say anything else, it is a load of BS. If they try acting like they're doing anything else, it's a load of BS. Like everything, the FF sieries WILL die out eventually.

But the more players you have, the more popular you are. The more popular you are, the more games you can pump out. Popularity+people=$$$ Even if a small amount of people got so pissed off at the last crappy game such and such a company spat out for a sieries, the vast majority and more will come back and buy the next game.

So long as it's popular, and the "cool" thing to play. Until FF stops being so popular, the game quality will probably be lacking from what the past games may have been. Like it or not, that's how things are and will be. Accept change or not, Square will pump out games as long as there is a profit. As long as there is a profit, Square isn't going to care what any of the fanbase thinks.

HIH

Aradon

11-18-2003, 11:18 PM

I agree, Crono Cross and Crono Trigger were both great games, ones to rival Final Fantasy Games in fact. the only thing the Crono Series doesn't have that FF has is numbers :rolleyes:

*Edit* The post I was responding to was deleted, but I'm keeping it anyways! :P

KhanFusion

11-18-2003, 11:25 PM

Blah. Square had things going SO great for them, design wise. Then the playstation happened, and the powers that be decided to lose all sense of what makes a game good and just make it "pretty"...

Case in point: the "anyone can do whatever" principle implemented in all FF's (except 4, thank god) since 3. By this I mean any one of your party members can learn any spell, be a fighter if they want..... do whatever. Thats BORING, people. The characters stop being unique or interesting at that point, and the game basically just dissolves into experience farming, and training all your characters to get all the skills in the game. One reason, I believe, that FF6 manages to earn as much respect as it does is because each character has their own flavor and special skills that ARE different and interesting. A dancing Moogle? Hell yeah.

An example of square TRYING to do this, yet failing miserably, is Chrono Cross. A ridiculous number of characters, yet you take out the ones that are exactly like others, and that number reduces to a handful. And to make matters worse, even THOSE characters aren't particularly interesting. To make matters EVEN WORSE, the chrono trigger series is basically over, ruined by a crappy PS game.

transcend

11-18-2003, 11:27 PM

Hot Ice Hunter:

1. Square doesn't need to worry about losing fanbase, any more than Nintendo needs to worry if their latest Zelda or Mario game will sell well.

2. While profit motive drives what companies do, it doesn't make it a good thing for us. Come on. Everyone has a motive. I challege you to name one action undergone by any person that does not have a motive perfectly reasonable to the same person at the time.

3. What game thrust Square into the forefront of the game world? FFVII. What game had the most media attention of any PS2 release? FFX. Do you see any need to introduce "innovations" that nobody really wanted? Remember the Virtual Boy? Remember all the hoopla about GCN:GBA connectivity? Remember how big The Sims Online was going to be?

4. I acknowledged that Square is doing this entirely for profit. However, this doesn't help me at all. Therefore, since I have my best interests at heart, and not Square's, I will complain about the situation.

5. Finally, and most importantly, all of the above are not really related to my original point, which was "Final Fantasy XI should not be a numbered Final Fantasy game, but should instead be called Final Fantasy Online. Even then, I don't think the game will be amazingly successful. There's a glut of MMORPGs out there. This one has nothing to recommend itself about other than the title.

joe

11-18-2003, 11:49 PM

While I currently do not have much to say that would contribute to the thread. I agree that FFXI should not have been given a number.
It seems that FF is taking a Downward turn with whatever direction SquarEnix is taking it... I hope that Final Fantasy 12 turns out ok, because it's really the only thing I'm looking forward to at this point.

KeeperS

11-18-2003, 11:50 PM

I'm reminded of a quote that describes this debate pretty well.

"Opinions are like asses. Everyone has one."

That said, which FF games are good and which are bad is all really subjective. Other than sheer graphical quality, it's difficult to say that one thing is absolutely better than another. Hell, even counting sheer graphical quality, some people prefer the look of the earlier sprite based games. It's pretty damn hard to objectively judge a plot, characters, or music. Sure, there's certain aspects that can be objectively looked at... but when it comes down to it, whether or not you like it is just an opinion.

Oh yeah, and KhanFusion, if you don't like the "anyone can do anything" philosophy, you should try playing FFIX. All the characters in that game have pretty strict roles in the party that you can't change. I think that FFX hit a decent happy medium. It's easiest to keep people on the normal default path of their role, but if you really want, you can work to make everyone do everything. I was always far too lazy to do anything of the sort, but it's there for those that like it.

Strider

11-18-2003, 11:53 PM

An example of square TRYING to do this, yet failing miserably, is Chrono Cross. A ridiculous number of characters, yet you take out the ones that are exactly like others, and that number reduces to a handful. And to make matters worse, even THOSE characters aren't particularly interesting. To make matters EVEN WORSE, the chrono trigger series is basically over, ruined by a crappy PS game.

Ok, we are getting into a touchy subject here. I had to defent Chrono Cross to a bunch of my friends.

Chrono Cross is story based. I agree, I think 44 characters is WAY to many for a game like that. Chrono Trigger had what 7, right? And it was amazing!
Some of the characters were really cool. I mean, Mojo. He was the greatest character ever developed. Sure, it is a big joke, but its funny.
Many of the characters are useless, but many of the other characters, like the Viper family, and some of the Dragoons and Divas are cool to get to control.

I think being able to control them adds a level to the game. I also think there are too many characters that are completly useless to the storyline (no matter how cool Mojo is, he fits very nicely into this category).

Overall, the game is excellently designed. It has one of the best atmospheres in a video game. It is a tight game. Final Fantasy has a different atmosphere, because it takes place in a whole world. Chrono Cross takes palce in a section of the world. The music, art and everything adds to that.

Now, the element system is inventive, because magic is like that. Everyone should be able to learn everything. And each character has a different element grid (more or less, like Guile). it makes the battle system tighter, allowing for diversity in teh battle, not the characters. And that makes the game easier and more enjoyable to play.
One of the things that bothers me about Final Fantasy is choosing a character you like, but not being able to get through a particular part in the game because you made the wrong decision (Granted, that doesn't happen as much in the later games). This way, you can like a character, and play them, the only restriction is their Innate colour, and their stats. it allows for more customization (and not power gaming thanks to the star level).

Chrono Cross is an excellent game.

LilWhiteMage

11-19-2003, 12:04 AM

I particularly didn't like FFII... It got a bit too complicated at times. I loved FFI, I can remember playing it as a little kid on the old NES ^-^ Hmm.... I actually still have that... >_> ~goes to dig through moving boxes to find her NES and FF game~

Ashagua

11-19-2003, 12:18 AM

On a whim, I bought Final Fantasy Chronicles, partly because of my love of 8-Bit. Unfortunately, I could not get into either game at all.

I had experienced both FFIV and Secret of Mana (a series just as worthy as Chrono Trigger) beforehand, but I fell in love with FFVI. There's just something about it that makes me feel all warm inside.

I wanted to like FF7, I really did. But it's hard when your copy breaks down right before the end of the first disc...

FF8 doesn't need to be spoken of.

I liked FFIX, probably because it reminded me of Six. There was a good story, some humor, some tragedy, etc. Creepy villian.

And FFV gets an honourable mention. I enjoy the Job System but I always want everyone to learn everything...right now.

Oh well.

probiscus

11-19-2003, 12:32 AM

Oh man, FF6 is probably one of my top games ever. Seriously, that Opera scene makes me feel all fuzzy inside. AHHHHHH.

ElseaAskew

11-19-2003, 12:53 AM

Chr0n0s End

11-19-2003, 12:57 AM

would you consider kingdom hearts a "final fantasy game"? if you do, then i would have to say that that square has not let me down in the ff dept. i'm looking forward to the ff7 revamp, then well see if square enix lets me down.
I didn't know they were making a revamp, thats one thing i shouldn't probably let elude me.. I do know about FF7 Advent Children... Looks to be an excellent movie, the trailer was great to watch as well.

Dante Reborn

11-19-2003, 12:57 AM

That Opera scene rocked... It was probably my most favorite part in the whole game!

Lian

11-19-2003, 01:11 AM

And goofy Ultros, with that ridiculous weight. And Chupon, who I actually beat twice. And... And...

I kinda feel bad with my SNES two hours away... :(

Oh well, there's always Anthology! ;)

Barring that bear of a load time... :rolleyes:

Majik

11-19-2003, 01:14 AM

Gotta throw my two cents into the ring, You gotta remember when your saying that they're games are getting worse with everyone that they are trying to something new in each game, they havent kept and set way to learn magic or skills and every game they change the different ways for chars. to adavnce.This is to help make the games seem fresher instead of seeing the same game system setup in everyone. Sure they could do like you want and basicly just remake every final fantasy to every everyone of the same aspects that you like and you would be happy but everyone has different opinions of what makes the games great. You just gotta wait for the one with a setup you enjoy.

On another subject I just have to throw in that Secret of Mana was an awesome game, right up there with final fantasy and chrono trigger, the lufia series is another one i would love to see a new sequel made for.

boarder

11-19-2003, 08:39 AM

First I'd like to comment on FFXI, there is a plot and storyline to it. The game has numerous missions and quests. The quests mostly give you fame, items, and abilities such as being able to have a sub job similar to tactics. There are three main countries and the missions have you interact and affect things in the game. There are characters, I've met Cid, he's an engineer in Bastok, the Hume city. It's also nice to play such a large and intricate game with the familiarity of the FF series. It's a step into a different direction and without a collection of marketable and memorable characters. If Sephiroth and Cloud weren't as badass as they are, I think FF7 would have sucked. Barret was gay, RedXIII was gay, Cait Sith was gay, even Aeris wasn't worth using since you're just going to lose her anyways.

The only thing that lets me down about Square is how there isn't enough consistancy. I think that events that happen in one game should be the history of another. But not a storyline sequel. Instead it's almost like each game is vastly different from FF1's medieval take to FF7's manufactured future look. Then there's FF8's spaceship school approach.

I also thing Chrono Cross sucked balls and shouldn't be considered worthy of being Chrono Trigger's sequel. Secret of Mana was great since you could have a friend play too. I'm also a fan of Star Ocean2 and Xenogears.

Boredandhairy

11-19-2003, 11:11 AM

I did not like IX and X at all. IX tried to be like the oldies but i just didn't like it. With X you could become omnipotent. I maxed out the sphere grid with every player and have made the best weopons and armors u can. It just seemed fun getting to be maxed out but now its the most boring game ive ever played.

Ayan

11-19-2003, 11:19 AM

It can't be the history of each game...The games arew on different worlds, otherwise they would somehow be linked. But they can't be because each game happened in a different wolrd..

IX and X were okay..I liked the stories, but the game as kind of lagging in what I expected... :wmage:

Strider

11-19-2003, 03:23 PM

That Opera scene rocked... It was probably my most favorite part in the whole game!

The Opera scene? One of the greatest scenes in all of vodeo-game-dom. That, and the Aeris/Sephiroth scene are the greatest, bar none.

Kieran Dineer

11-19-2003, 03:43 PM

Lets see... Final Fantasy 8 was just plain horrible. That one should be thrown away completely. Not really as much because of the story, but because of how they handled magic and using magic to up stats. Not only was magic weak, but you also didn't want to use your most powerful spells because they were most likely raising one of your stats. Also, the addition of the "Insta-limit" spell and item made it ridiculously easy near the end.

Final Fantasy 7 was pretty good. It had great mini-games (why can't they bring back the chocobo breeding and racing?!) and some of the characters were great, but some just weren't as good. I didn't really like the Materia system, as it pretty much made everyone a mage and near the end you just ended up picking your party because they looked cool or their Limit Break was good. The story was okay, but nothing too incredibly great. It either had plenty of plot holes, or I just plainly forgot/didn't pay attention to some stuff in it. I haven't played it in while.

Final Fantasy 9 was also rather good, but nothing extraordinary. I loathed, LOATHED the item-gained ability crap. I also hated it in FFTA. I hated having to use inferior weapons and armor for a long time just so that I could learn an ability. Plus, you can't get back all of the items at the end of the game, so if you didn't keep old items or learn the abilities from them right away, you had the chance to miss some abilities near the end. I also hated how you couldn't save your Limit Break. Sure, it's more believable that it just happens, but it's annoying when you're RIGHT before a boss and you have your Limit Break bar real high so that you can kick its ass, then you end up getting it full on some little pissant random battle. Again, the story was okay. Nothing too grand, but it wasn't horrid or anything. The characters themselves, well they all ended up being good. They had their unique abilities and not one was too much better than the others.

Final Fantasy X... The story wasn't all that bad, but just the whole teen angst thing turned me off. The orb leveling thing wasn't too bad, but it did make your guys far too powerful near the end. I annihilated everything, including the last boss, once I got my final weapons. The summoning thing was cool, though. Actually fighting with your summons? Awesome. I liked that. The characters? Not too bad. Auron was your average cool character, Tidus was your average hero, the female characters were your average hot chicks there to be eye candy, but Kimahri was pretty cool for some reason. Blitzball was actually pretty fun once you got used to it. I hated it at first, but then I won my first match and got used to the strange system and got to really loving it.

The one thing I DO hate with most of the Playstation FFs is the stupid card game... Sure, it was useful in FF8 as you could get rare items from the cards, but it was still a pretty lame mini-game. Then again, I'm a guy who loves the fishing mini-game from Breath of Fire 3 and 4...

PenzoilTheHippo

11-19-2003, 05:16 PM

Final Fantasy 7 was the best in the series, hands down. It had THE best plot. The graphics were nothing ever seen in a final fantasy. How could you not like the characters? How could anyone not like them? I guess it's possible...i guess.
Final Fantasy eight was way too easy, and thats all i have to say about that. Final Fantasy 9 had potential, but it just didnt catch me. FFX was great, and i love it to this day. FFXI is still worthy of a final fantasy, if square says it is, it is! They could make Final Fantasy 65 and I would still play it. FF Tactics Advance had a storyline, it was just directed towards kids, but why make a kiddish storyline when the game is so complex (albeit it was much easier to beat than the psx version, which is much better). That's all I have to say, so stop bashing square, i think they are doing great.

<EDIT> Blitzball sucked, they could have added chocobo racing or something instead of blitzball.

KhanFusion

11-19-2003, 05:24 PM

The characters' special mini-games-ish skills in the BoF's were really fun. From the fishing to the hunting, I enjoyed those.

But anyway, a big problem with pretty much every RPG on the playstation (barring tactics and Dragon Warrior 7) is that the games are TOO FREAKING EASY. You don't even have to have a strategy for much of the games. Just level up and plow forward. boring.

Kenryoku_Maxis

11-19-2003, 06:02 PM

Waah, another thread where someone complains the newer FF games suck.

And another thread for a chance for all the people to tell us for the 2892857782184753 time that FFVII is the 'Best FF game ever'.

Its whatever you like. I believe its not a simple 'this game is good and this one isn't'.

FFVI has a classic feel, with lots of fun characters and a good story with lots of memorable moments. But it doesn't have the graphics of later FF games nor the costomization of VIII or X or the big amazing powers of VII.

FFVII is good for the first disk but the second lacks in character involvement and consists of lots of mandatory side quests. The Games battle system never changes. But the characters are some of the best in FF history and its a pretty broad game.

FFVIII has total customization of characters giving each lots of ways of being used and a plot that you can take at your own pace. But the junction system can be confusing and if you don't like the characters, than you won't like the plot because its all about the characters (complete opposite of FFVII). Some people don't like drawing either.

Never played FFIX.

FFX is again, all about the characters but instead of the junction system, you have the sphere grid. But the Sphere grid takes time and patience, although you can essentially give every character every ability. But again, if you don't like the characters, you'll hate the story. That's even more of a part than in FFVIII in some ways. Plus the game can be a little simplier and its different than all the other FF games before it battle system wise.

Every FF game has its ups and downs. Just saying one is better (or worse) than another is going to be contested on multiple fronts. And when it comes right down to it, who cares if one FF game is 'the best'. If you think that going into another game, then your most likely going to stop playing the other one before you finish it (granted, I'm guilty of that on FFVII). So if FF keeps letting you down, sorry......don't know what to do except tell you that you can try to have fun with these games even if they aren't going to surpass VI to you.

Kieran Dineer

11-19-2003, 06:07 PM

Yeah, Khan's got a good point there. I remember struggling through FF4, 5, and 6, while whizzing through the ones after them with ease (unfortunately, I haven't been able to play the first 3 FFs...). That's why I put emphasis on the story. If the game isn't that hard, then the only real reason to play is for the storyline. If the games were a bit harder, sure the storylines would get more slack from me, but I never got that certain... Something that I got from games like Baldur's Gate. I guess that I'm too much of a D&Der... And plus, I'm not bashing them. I'm pointing out its good AND bad points. The only one I have totally not liked so far has been FF8. The rest of them have been pretty good. I've logged quite a few hours on all of them.

Strider

11-19-2003, 06:11 PM

Every FF game has its ups and downs. Just saying one is better (or worse) than another is going to be contested on multiple fronts. And when it comes right down to it, who cares if one FF game is 'the best'. If you think that going into another game, then your most likely going to stop playing the other one before you finish it (granted, I'm guilty of that on FFVII). So if FF keeps letting you down, sorry......don't know what to do except tell you that you can try to have fun with these games even if they aren't going to surpass VI to you.

I agree. I mean a lot of people out there really liked Final Fantasies i hated, and alot of people out there hate the Final Fantasies I loved. All for different reasons.

But thats the point of talking about them.

I hates FFVIII so much that I vowed never to play it again. But in conversation with a friend who loved it I realized it does have it merits, and I played it again, and... well, I didn't like it, I respected it enough to see its value.

I think this forum is an excellent way to see what a whole bunch of other people are saying about the different Final Fantasies. I mean, yes, they are all different. THAT is what makes them so damn good. The fact that we can sit here and argue for pages and pages which game was better, why this FF was bad, and what made that FF so damn good actually may change some peoples views.

I loved FFVII, I also loved FFVI. But, they are all different games, all 11 of them (12 including FFX-2). i loved them all for different reasons.
There is nothing wrong with talking about it. I mean someone elces views changed my opinion about FFVIII, hopefully my views will change someones views on FFX, and Chrono Cross (I really hope Chrono Cross...) And the same for everyone. Thats why we are talking. We all have different views, and if we listen, maybe we can see something we never saw before.

I dunno... I'm just rambling.

Kenryoku_Maxis

11-19-2003, 06:55 PM

I was just rambling as well. Sad that the only responce I've gotten since the board has been remade is on my ramble...

There's no problem talking about it. I was just tired of another person going 'This is the best FF ever' and another going 'I don't like the newer ones'. I don't think we need to hear it for the 5 millionth time...with no new reasons to boot.

Dante Reborn

11-19-2003, 07:02 PM

...You know, the more talk about FF6, the more I want to actually buy the game... It's just a shame that I'll need money to do that... and a new SNES controller...

Lian

11-19-2003, 07:23 PM

Whaaaah? No Anthology? ;)

I like each FF I've played for different reasons. Granted, I have my favorites, but I avoid making qualifying statements.

Big McStrongmuscle

11-19-2003, 08:11 PM

As probably the 213425243rd person to say this, I think 6 was the most unstoppably cool FF to date. (at least from the ones I played) It had great characters, a good plotline, (until the World of Ruin, where it got a little disappointing) and a lot of cool sidequests and extras to do. Admittedly tho, Kefka was not that great a villain, and more than one person in the game should explain why he's so screwed up.

A lot of people really enjoyed 7, but I really didn't enjoy it quite so much. While a lot of this came from the fact that I'd just played 6 and 5, I really didn't think the game was very interesting. Some of ideas for the game were cool, but Materia was a bit annoying, and I hated, hated, hated, hated, HATED Barrett. Mr. T. with a gun-hand just never struck me as a worthwhile character. The other thing I never understood was the appeal of Sephiroth to everyone on earth. He didnt really do much for most of the game, and the only reasons it seems like people like him is his leather jacket and big sword.

Never played 8, and I understand I'm the better off for it.

I liked Final Fantasy 9. I don't really know why, but the Misty atmosphere of the game was just really cool. It had a lot of references to the older FF games, which is a plus. (Kudos to anyone who made it far enough in FF2 to understand where the Joseph story came from) I liked the characters, the artwork, the music...although I wasnt a big fan of item abilities.

I have played any of them after that, (Although 10 sounds interesting) but all of those seemed a letdown after five and six, which are, I think, two of the best games of all time.

Five...Where to begin on its awesomeness? There was a job system of course...and the graphics. Somehow those cartoony graphics and the way they customized every job sprite to fit the person holding it...it just made you love the game even more. You could TELL they put some work into it. I want to finally see them do something like that, and throw in armor and weapons you can actually see. The story, while a bit hackneyed did have a few fun surprises. (He's a TREE?) I think though, that what brings it to the top was the gameplay. It was just illegitimate amounts of fun to play, and...aww heck, I've a sudden urge to go play it now...

Shadow

11-19-2003, 08:13 PM

I thought that FF7 had a good story, and it still remains one of my favorites. And not everything before VI is harder, i found that FFV was pretty easy compared to FFVII.
Strangely enough my first RPG was actaully FF1, I own two copies of it for my old nes (i can't remember how or why). I actaully did beat it, but you can't equip your guys without the stradegy guide! its annoying!
I don't own a playstation!! I haven't played any Final fantasy past VII! (beat it already) HELP!

a travelling bard/lancer..... golden i say!

Kenryoku_Maxis

11-19-2003, 08:45 PM

Never played 8, and I understand I'm the better off for it.

You're never better off by not trying something and coming to your own conclusion about it.

Lian

11-19-2003, 10:36 PM

Point to Kenryoku.

Unless...

Ahh, I won't be an ass.

Strider

11-19-2003, 11:25 PM

Oh my god... That just reminds me of something...

That whole mist stuff in FF9 was so damn cool!

That was one of the greatest ideas in Final Fantasy (storyline wise). I was in awe of it.

And the way the world map got bigger and bigger, like that. It was cool.

For people like me, who have played FF2 and 3 playing FF9 was like... I dunno, thanking us. Making it seem worthwhile. I mean, FF2 and 3 are the hardest Final Fantasies out there. And still are.

Anyway, the mist was really cool in FF9. It created such an atmosphere.
Final Fantasy X also had a great stmosphere. I dunno, I felt closer to that world, how Sin kept destroying it and everything. I felt like I could imagine how it was to live there.
Thats why I like FF9 and x so much.

(Not to take away from any of the other games.)