What happened to Final Fantasy?

[Barracks00]

The "MMO" attempts, in my opinion, were pretty terrible. I really wished they would have stuck with the series as a single player game.

I really, really liked FF11. It's a 100% mmo, yet it contains many, many story lines with cut scenes. It's definitely more hardcore than WoW ever was, and there's a reason it's still around (it came out a year before WoW did in the US). I haven't played it in a few years, but it's an unbelievably good game. It just takes too much time to play or get anywhere now to be able to fit into my schedule.

Oh, and Dragon Quest 8 was phenomenal. I just wish they'd bring the Dragon Quest series over to a real HD console. The only reason I'm even considering getting a Wii U is for Dragon Quest 10, which will be an online game from what I understand. One of the things I appreciate most about the entire Dragon Quest series is how consistent they are. They're always bringing back enemies, songs, etc, from older games, and it makes the whole series feel a lot more cohesive. DQ9 wasn't bad, but the lack of story lines or personalities for your three helpers in your group kind of messed the game up. DQ4 is probably my favorite up until the later parts of chapter 5, but the way the game has chapters 1 through 4 develop a back story for your characters that you meet later on when chapter 5 starts works out very well. I just wish they would have remade DQ2 and DQ3 for the DS, just like they did with DQ4/5/6. DQ3 is awesome with how it relates to the original DQ1 game, but I enjoyed DQ2 just a little better, plus I think DQ2 has a better soundtrack.

Oh, and: Koichi Sugiyama > Nobuo Uematsu

[Amarantis]

I played almost every FF since 4:
IV, V, VI, VII, Tactics, VIII, X, X-2, XII and ... I own XIII but didn't have the stomach to finish it yet (it's been with me for 2 years or so, lol).
I LOVED every single FF game I played (except 13) and I can honestly say that XIII just made me give up hope on the franchise, the game is so linear it feels like a movie that requires you to push some buttons.

I won't buy XIII-2, probably won't buy another FF game, unless they return the game play and storytelling to what old school JRPGs were in the 90's with Chrono Trigger, the Dragons Quest/Warrior series, Phantasy Star, Shinning Force, etc, I don't even mind if the graphics aren't good.

Video game companies nowadays are, in general, only making short games with stunning graphics and crappy extra content you need to pay more to get (DLC).
They want the most amount of cash for the least amount of work possible, and it just kills my enjoyment. It's like that with movies, video games... heck, even electronics and hardware in general are going that route.
It just makes me sad and nostalgic, really.

[Ausr]

At least Final Fantasy Theatrhythm is fun to play!

[Newbryn]

If DQ8 is them destroying that series, they need to do that more often.

Gotta agree with Caiada DQ 8 was an amazing game, it was also developed by Level 5 square just published it, imo level 5 is the best at jrpgs these days.

[Migey]

Out of curiosity, has anyone here played Final Fantasy XII : Revenant Wings for the DS? I really enjoyed it (and stupidly played it before XII) but it was rather odd and certainly not traditional Final Fantasy. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it, yet have never ever heard it spoken about.

[Kalyyn]

While I still list 6 as my favorite, I thought 13-1 and 13-2 were really good. Then again, I'm a sucker for great art and music.

---------- Post added 2012-07-07 at 12:20 PM ----------

My youth was colored by games like FF3 (VI was first released in NA as III), FF2, Chrono Trigger, Lufia II, Breath of Fire 2, and many others. I remember playing those for years and years, every single day. Hell the Atma weapon itself took me like 2 years to beat.

Those games didn't need all the 3D graphics and MMO features...they were so epic they held their own just fine.

I miss the good old days of Squaresoft. I swear every time two great game companies merge the result is one that isn't as good as either that combined to make it.

Somebody else played BoFII?!?!? I fucking loved that game!!!
Shame it went mostly under the radar.

[heavypanda]

Final Fantasy pretty much went down the crapper after FFX. After that game, the FF series just tend to keep changing but for the worst. Like they wanted to go in a whole new direction for the series, but the direction they went was so much in the opposite direction that it became something different all together. Yeah you gotta change it up a little otherwise it will get boring but come on, they had a system and it worked for years. Oh well, I still play FF7 and FFX like crazy, plus Blitz Ball was addicting lol.

[Buckwald]

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield...009:k8pank.2.1

Hmmm

[Fantasyover]

I pretty much started with 7. as I grew older I learned that there was a lot more in the game world then I originally thought. I could not really get into 8 being in school ina game bothered me, it seemed to real and capturing elements was weird. I thoroughly enjoyed 9 reminded me of 7 had a really good story, cinematics, and I actually felt like I lost sometimes, not just beat everything in my wake. I just couldn't save everyone. In X it was a little linear but the story was good, got a little soap opera like at times but I can play it over and over again. X-2 was made for the fans, they didn't like how tidus died in the end or "disappeared", and the fans wanted closure. Ever since then I have absolutely hated most of the Final Fantasy games. I enjoyed 12 to an extent, very good surroundings, beautiful graphics, it was different with the active time battles but it worked. I still believe in the old style of games like FF 7 and 9 turn based games. Although if anyone has ever played Star Ocean second story on Playstation, it has active battles but it is tremendously fun with customization, unlockable characters, 2 different points of view etc. The problem as I see it is that Square is selling the FF games to Japan so the models for the characters seem to come from this inspiration, not many Westerners are gonna like this. Me included I hate that crap it started with X but was bareable not as outlandish as they are now. Games nowadays are being made at a faster pace rushed to shelves, with only the names keeping the franchise alive. If they continue on down this road, FF with cease to exist, some random company will buy the rights to the name and remake the game most likely badly just to make a buck. I do not see how remaking any of their games can destroy their namesake. Maybe going back to relive the glory days will jog the memories of how games are supposed to be played. Give them some ideas on how it worked. and because it's not a "NEW" game people will still want more FF. They just wont B+++h as mush because something good has come out. As the old saying goes if it aint broke dont fix it. This is me on my soap box thank you and good night

[mordale]

FFX and FFX-2 happened, FFIX was the last good one.

[Danner]

This link was too awesome:

http://socksmakepeoplesexy.net/index.php?a=ff12

Regarding FF12:

The rumours are indeed true and Vaan is the least plot-important playable character. So far that's established. However, Vaan fills a vital role in the party that I can't remember any other character in any Final Fantasy I've played (i.e. 1-10) filling so obviously. Vaan is the official party bitch.

I can just imagine a usual party meeting in the back room of a Rabanastre tavern:

Basch: Vayne gathers his forces. We must hurry and find a way to stop him, else all is lost.

Ashe: Let us leave at once for the mystical temple and seek the mystical stone.

Balthier: Good thinking, but we should go along the coast. The empire's troops won't be looking for us there.

Vaan: Coast? We're going to the beach? Awesome, I'm packing my swimming trunks!

Silence.

Balthier: Vaan. Vaan, why don't you go out and buy us a few new suits of armour? A few hundred potions and remedies, too. Be so kind, would you? Oh, and pick up my shirts from the laundromat while you're out, there's a dear.

At which point you, the player, take over and guide Vaan through an exciting city adventure full of calculating prizes and haggling with merchants. This is the reason you only ever play as Vaan inside cities.

At least it's a change from the usual "The main villain grew him in a vat."

[Low Hanging Fruit]

Personally it isn't so much the story or game play that has killed it for me (I feel my age (33) drives the story downward, for me ,and not so much the game or writers). It is the since of not really having a true "world" to go out and explore. Final Fantasy 7 was great because for the first chunk of the game your restricted within a major city. It gives you that very liner feel of today's final fantasy but also really focuses the story and gets your characters on course. But then suddenly it explodes outward into a massive world that makes you walk around on foot. I don't know but I kind of miss the thrill of walking around, finding a new town, and then exploring it and learning what its people need/want (or what they can give/sell me). Not to mention it had a great bad guy, which honestly usually makes a 'good' RPG into a 'great' RPG (FF4 and 6 (2 and 3 US) also had great examples of this).

I am sure these rose tinted glasses have something to do with it too. But it doesn't mean a little truth isn't in it as well.

[Alraml]

I'm actually enjoying 13. It just doesn't have the same feel as the older titles. I blame nostalgia

[Soulstrike]

playing Final Fantasy X again and its amazing

i dunno what happened to final fantasy but i sure cant wait for re release of 7 on steam

[Drihan]

There's a guy on Youtube called The Shattered Element who has uploaded all the cutscenes from FF13. I spent yesterday and today watching them all, then I watched the ending and I was all like:



I desperately hope the series ending will be equally amazing.

[Muis]

I think I might be alone in this.. But my first Final Fantasy was on the SNES named Mystic Quest.
While not being in the same style as the FF's before and after it, I loved the game alot!

For me, the favorites are 7 - MQ - 8 and the rest is pretty tied. But to be objective I'll play through all of 'm probably. Just picked up 5 till 9 on the PS store for Ps3 and might pick up 1-4 for PSP.

I did play some FF X but didn't like it much (or very long) and pretty much dropped the series after that.

Unless they can go back to the core and release a FF game to the likes of 6/7/8 - then I'm sure I'll be in line to buy it on release! And no, a rerelease of FF7 on PC with a booster pack isn't what I mean!! ^_^