Why were Final Fantasy 6,7, and 9 so memorable and why can’t Square replicate them?

[Tech614]

You get to explore a huge, richly detailed game world - loading screens are hardly a big deal when even the older titles had them. Furthermore, you can easily explore some of the late game zones fairly early on in the game if you play your cards right. XIII cut off any exploration until the very end of the game...and XV's game world became even more restrictive as the game advanced.

I'm sorry but XII is anything but "huge, richly detailed". Nearly every zone is little more then a corridor attached to another corridor, and the detail is quite lacking as evidence by it not holding up as well as X did in the remaster. X remastered can pass as a current gen game in some scenes where as there is no mistaking XII is a ps2 game remastered.

It's fine to like a game, don't need to talk it up with hyperbole to say you like it. XII is not only far smaller in scope and world size then XV, it's also smaller in scope and world size then every pre ps2 FF game. It's not even close to an open world game, it's moderately more open then X and XIII but that isn't saying much at all.

[StrawberryZebra]

The answer is pretty straight forwards. They had a cast of likable characters, a plot that wasn't a total clusterfuck and solid combat mechanics.

As for how to replicate it... Just make a game with a cast of likable characters, a plot that isn't a total clusterfuck and solid combat mechanics. Easy.

[Lazuli]

9 is my all time favorite

What made them memorable? Incredible music, most notable nobuo uematsu is a genius he's like the jeremy soule of FF. There were no voice acting until 10 so you used your imagination a lot more. The music was also far more intense & loud during certain scenes since they didn't have to mix with VA. Story, everything was about the story, not combat or graphics... but the mood & tone.

We all know how powerful music is, and the first time I heard decent VA is actually in 15 which admittedly has grown on me and I do like it. It does give some hope for the future of the series. At least you can feel actual effort from all sides in 15, it's like MoP you may not like its theme but gotta admit it is very polished and had some love put in. Even if it's not perfect or as good as your favorite FF it is most certainly a step up from 13 cancer.

I really enjoyed the slower pace of older FF as well, it allowed you to breathe it all in and enjoy the scenery, worlds aren't so huge that you can't be fucked to treasure hunt etc. I'm a simple man and it just seem to me they tried making FF something its not, example is the repeat of failed action combat mechanics which has only just now got half-decent.. they should take notes from star ocean for real.

[Khadgar]

Why was FF8 left out? Its one of the best imo

[Velshin]

Yeah also forgot to mention the masterpiece FFT both the original and the PSP war of lions remake were amazing.

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Why was FF8 left out? Its one of the best imo

Tbh it's not one of the best....it has many flaws...yes the gameplay is awesome and the sound tracks and graphics were amazing but I really really hated the characters most of them are so bland and "yay university and emo"


The storyline of the game is pretty weak compare to FF7 and FF6 and FF5.

Edea was the only decent character in FF8 imo.

[sarahtasher]

VI was a fantastic game, my favorite ever. But you have to admit that the plot was briliant and very simple, something completely lost on modern FF games (I would say that videogames are clearly not the best medium to tell a very complex story. Think for instance GOT)

[RobertoCarlos]

Yeah also forgot to mention the masterpiece FFT both the original and the PSP war of lions remake were amazing.

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Tbh it's not one of the best....it has many flaws...yes the gameplay is awesome and the sound tracks and graphics were amazing but I really really hated the characters most of them are so bland and "yay university and emo"


The storyline of the game is pretty weak compare to FF7 and FF6 and FF5.

Edea was the only decent character in FF8 imo.

10 bucks says you didnt realise who squalls dad was without having to read it up online now to prove me wrong

[Velshin]

VI was a fantastic game, my favorite ever. But you have to admit that the plot was briliant and very simple, something completely lost on modern FF games (I would say that videogames are clearly not the best medium to tell a very complex story. Think for instance GOT)

VI is one of the best and very unique compare to the other FF of the series.

The game makes you control over 13 characters and most of them are fleshed out and has his/her own goal and reasons.

At the start you know that Terra is the main characters but then at the world of ruin half through the game you start playing with the character Celes for a very long time until later on you start to recruit you allies again one by one and Terra will join in later on.

Most of FF games now you just have one main character with his side kicks support characters and the main villain. Most of the supporting characters are not fleshed out.

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10 bucks says you didnt realise who squalls dad was without having to read it up online now to prove me wrong

Man? I know Laguna is his dad really is that even a question? :P

I don't even need to read about it man.

I stand with my opinion that Edea is the only decent character and even her will only join you for a very short period of time temporary.

[RobertoCarlos]

Man? I now Laguna is his dad really is that even a question? :P

So the sis subplot and why he had relationships issues did nothing for you?

And why rinoa was important for making him realise his mistakes

[tru]

8 is and always will be my favorite.

[Velshin]

So the sis subplot and why he had relationships issues did nothing for you?

And why rinoa was important for making him realise his mistakes

Did I say the story doesn't exist? It does exist but it's pretty weak compare to FF7 and FF6 and FF5.


These three FF games I mentioned had a very clear solid storyline unlike FF8.

So tell me what is the main storyline of FF8 exactly? the only half decent part about the storyline is the time travel sorceress like Ultimecia, Ellen, and the ancient Adel and even that part is not fully fleshed out.

I admit it it's been long time I touched FF8 the last time was the year 2000 but I do remember that the main plot (not the subplots) of the game is all over the place and pretty weak.

[Fencers]

9 was terrible. All I recall of it was a unappealing art style and a black mage character.

6 is masterful because it has the strongest gameplay of any in the series.

7 is okay. Super dated.

There is only one thing that matters in all games: gameplay.

[RobertoCarlos]

Did I say the story doesn't exist? It does exist but it's pretty weak compare to FF7 and FF6 and FF5.


These three FF games I mentioned had a very clear solid storyline unlike FF8.

So tell me what is the main storyline of FF8 exactly? the only half decent part about the storyline is the time travel sorceress like Ultimecia, Ellen, and the ancient Adel and even that part is not fully fleshed out.

I admit it it's been long time I touched FF8 the last time was the year 2000 but I do remember that the main plot (not the subplots) of the game is all over the place and pretty weak.

Well theres time travel in it so people instantly dismiss that as rubbish even though its a fantasy game and time travel is a perfectly valid story telling method for fantasy.

Its a world in constant state of war because of sorceresses who cannot die but pass on their conscience to females with magic capabilities. So naturally this has left many kids orphaned around the world and a lot of them end up at Edea's orphanage from years of deadly wars.

Squall actually goes into the past during time compression to tell Edea she needs to train soldiers for the wars to come. And so the gardens are made with her and Cid and kids are trained into soldiers to fight the sorceress.

And ultimacia wants to get ahold of Ellone who has the unqiue ability to send peoples conscience back and forward in time, so she wants to kill her/take her over so shes the only one who can live in the world because she also plans to use time compression where nothing can live.

And then everything else falls out from those actions.

Its a perfectly valid/crazy story for a FF game.

[Velshin]

Well theres time travel in it so people instantly dismiss that as rubbish even though its a fantasy game and time travel is a perfectly valid story telling method for fantasy.

Its a world in constant state of war because of sorceresses who cannot die but pass on their conscience to females with magic capabilities. So naturally this has left many kids orphaned around the world and a lot of them end up at Edea's orphanage from years of deadly wars.

Squall actually goes into the past during time compression to tell Edea she needs to train soldiers for the wars to come. And so the gardens are made with her and Cid and kids are trained into soldiers to fight the sorceress.

And ultimacia wants to get ahold of Ellone who has the unqiue ability to send peoples conscience back and forward in time, so she wants to kill her/take her over so shes the only one who can live in the world because she also plans to use time compression where nothing can live.

And then everything else falls out from those actions.

Its a perfectly valid/crazy story for a FF game.

Yeah I admit it I am never fan of time travel when it comes to storyline so I am biased toward that. The only game that did travel time to almost perfection and I loved it so much is Chrono Trigger imo.

[Tech614]

VI was a fantastic game, my favorite ever. But you have to admit that the plot was briliant and very simple, something completely lost on modern FF games (I would say that videogames are clearly not the best medium to tell a very complex story. Think for instance GOT)

Obsidian tells a deeper story in kickstarted games then fucking GoT.

In fact many of the best writers in the industry are so far ahead of that trash it's not even funny. GoT is the equivalent of steamy romance novels only targeted at males instead of females. The entire series is bait.

[Bathory]

Because they keep trying to "improve" the RPG design, what they really need to do is just focus on story/world. Free action combat is so unappealing imo.

[Velshin]

Because they keep trying to "improve" the RPG design, what they really need to do is just focus on story/world. Free action combat is so unappealing imo.

Final Fantasy main problem (specially after FFX) is that they are trying too hard to be unique and different than the rest of the JRPGs and in the end most of the time they ended up alienting the old fans of the series and the new ones.

They don't recognize that not being different is not always bad. Look at the Tales JRPG series for example, they never ever change the core of the series. Most of their games is very similar only with few tweaks and minor changes. Tales of Berseria is one of the tops of it's series imo and a very good solid JRPG overall.

[sarahtasher]

What I tried to say is that videogames plots often mistake lore for plot. While lore is extremely useful for grounding the setting, if this not well integrated to the storyline, it's a poor substitute for plot.(Making intricately detailed wars occuring in the past-not one war spoke in hushed tones ! five global forgotten wars, all will people awesomely dressed-does not make your current war more compelling)

[Super Kami Dende]

You serious?

The Tantalus Theater Troupe and the group from FFXV are as different as these two pics.





Also, only one member of the Troupe was part of the playable characters unlike FFXV, so they did not in fact follow a troupe of performers as you state. Besides, they weren't even a group of performers, they were bandits masquerading as one.

You either never played the game or are being intentionally obtuse.

You mean nearly as obtuse as calling the FFXV guys a Boy band? whereas they were all trained in different types of weaponry, hurr derp.

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you can't compare a character like Terra who is half human and half esper with a very rich history the war of magi (from FF6) to a university student....like Squall.... (FFVIII)

I really don't need to comment about how awful XIII (specially the first one)...

>Squall literally in a Military School for Elite soldiers.
>University student.

lol ok.

[RobertoCarlos]

You mean nearly as obtuse as calling the FFXV guys a Boy band? whereas they were all trained in different types of weaponry, hurr derp.

I think he means they look like a Korean Kpop band, which is kinda true