You’re just not trying with your character designs anymore, are you?
Sincerely,
Humanity
Honestly, it amazes me how much the FF series has sunk in my eyes since Final Fantasy X. I used to be a fanatic over this series, and now I can’t bring myself to care about FFXII. The PS2 isn’t as appealing a system as it used to be (I’m now an X-Box man, despite the release of MGS3 and DMC3) and I was really turned off by the exorbinant costs of FFXI.
Then again, videogames in general aren’t doing it for me like they used to so what do I know. I haven’t even touched Halo 2 since December.
Originally Posted by Matt Goldberg Honestly, it amazes me how much the FF series has sunk in my eyes since Final Fantasy X.
Are we including FFX in that statement, or everything after? Because, really, for me, everything between FFX and whenever FFXII hits this fall has just been second-tier filler (even FFX-2, which I actually still had fun with despite the problems). Not even in the same ballpark for me.
I’ll wait till I start hearing about story and gameplay before heralding the fall of Square.
Though agreed…I barely gave my PS2 a second glance in the month or so between getting my XBox and Devil May Cry 3…and even then, I find myself running back to Halo 2 more than DMC.
I havent played a FF game since FF9, and have felt left out ever since FF10 came out. So tell me, have I missed much in terms of gameplay and storytelling?
i just started playing ff9 this past week. i have to say that i like it all ready way more than ff8. i found 8 to be stupid and annoying. this one’s more fun and the dialogue is funnier to me. i also like the character designs. it reminds me more of the old school ff. i was sick on the way ff8’s characters looked. i’m slowly working my way through the series. i don’t know anything about the later ones. anybody want to give me some info on them? it seems like after ff10 the series really takes a dive. i know after ff9 the characters all start looking like the ones in ff8, but what about anything else in them? what about ff online? is that any good?
Well, being that each of the games in the Final Fantasy series are stand-alone games, with no ties to the other games in the series, storyline-wise, I just treat each game as being unrelated to any of the other games. I don’t compare any of the games to each other, and because of that, I can find something to like about all of the games that I’ve played. I have X-2, but I haven’t played it. I have no interest in XI, only because I can’t afford to buy the game, the network adapter, the hard drive, and then pay a monthly fee. Too much money for the only PS2 game I’d ever want to play online.
FFX–Tidus, the main character, is annoying as fuck…at first, particularly with his relationship with his father and the…thing…he becomes…but there’s a twist to his character that makes him tragic as hell near the end.
Other than that, in terms of story, its one of the better ones in the series. Focuses a lot on blind faith, and the consequences, and handles it pretty well as time goes on.
FFX-2 is fan service. Period. But I like thinking of it as a lighthearted epilogue to FFX. And considering where FFX’s ending leaves off, it’s a completely natural development.
FFXI…I hate MMORPGs. Ergo, I’m not the guy to ask.
Crystal Chronicles–Somewhere between Zelda and Tales of Symphonia (which let me down in a big way). Put it together, and I say “no sir, I don’t like it.” Although, the character design does look more old-school. Personally, I’d love it if each FF had its OWN art style instead of switch back and forth between established ones.
I think Final Fantasy X is quite good. Even though the twist with Tidus doesn’t really work, I think the love story between him and Yuna is pretty strong. I also think the sphere-system is the best leveling-up system since FFVII’s materia.
Nomura isn’t the character designer for FFXII, FYI. That would be Akihiko Yoshida, who did the design work on Ogre Battle, FF Tactics and Vagrant Story. The man behind those three games, Yasumi Matsuno is also the director for FXXI and the main reason it’s actually the first FF I’m looking forward to in a long time (didn’t get past the beginning of CD 2 on FFIX, didn’t give a rat’s ass about any other that came afterwards).
Originally Posted by Matt Goldberg Dear Mr. Nomura, You’re just not trying with your character designs anymore, are you? Sincerely, Humanity Honestly, it amazes me how much the FF series has sunk in my eyes since Final Fantasy X.
Ok, I haven’t seen the character designs or anything else (I don’t want to be spoiled), but isn’t the comment about how the FF series sunk like saying “man its sad how after Godfather 2 the series goes downhill”. Wait until FF12 comes out before we comment on the series as a whole (thought if they start all going the way of FF11 then maybe it will be fair to comment)
Wait, what the hell are we actually talking about here? The shitty character design for FFXII? Or that the past couple of FFs haven’t been that great?
I’ll agree that the design for the characters in 12 don’t look that hot, but in game shots have that cool Vagrant Story feel, kinda gritty looking. And even though I may get my ass kicked for it, 8 if probably my favorite since 6. I don’t know, I just liked it. Except for the whole “we all grew up together” bullshit, the story was really good, the ending was fucking awesome and I had absolutely no problem with the mechanics of the game.
I enjoyed 9 until the third disc when I just said fuck it and didn’t play for about 3 months. I cared not a bit about anyone or the damn story. Which is not good for an RPG, I find. I did eventually beat it and thought the ending was rather crappy and predictable.
10 was very good, minus crap acting at times. The liniarity (that doesn’t looked spelled right) helped with story progression, I felt. It kept the story at the forefront and saved any power leveling and ultimate weapon gathering 'til the end.
X-2 was fun for awhile, but dragged towards the end. However, the ending was VERY satisfing for those who had finished X.
I didn’t try 11 what with my dislike of paying for a game after I own it and my friends would rather have their soul’s punched than own gameboys, so Crystal Chronicles was out.
I am looking forward to 12, but only because it looks like they’re shaking up the formula a bit, mechanics wise. I just hope the story is more than your basic save the world crap. I want something darker, smaller, more selfish than that. Like Vagrant Story…it’s got the same character design, I think, so why not take the path it took? Shit, I’ve typed way too much.
Originally Posted by mediumdave And even though I may get my ass kicked for it, 8 if probably my favorite since 6. I don’t know, I just liked it.
My favourite too. Dont worry there are more of us around the world, we live underground, shunned from others, but we will survive…oh yes, fans of FF8 WILL SURVIVE!
I think what most FF games have in common is the mindfuck at the end. You play the game for 60-odd hours and then they throw an incomprehensible curveball at you. Cloud being a clone in FF7, all the characters growing up together in 8, mirror planet in 9.
I’ve given up trying to puzzle out the plots to these games. Still like them though.
Originally Posted by DerekT Ok, I haven’t seen the character designs or anything else (I don’t want to be spoiled), but isn’t the comment about how the FF series sunk like saying “man its sad how after Godfather 2 the series goes downhill”. Wait until FF12 comes out before we comment on the series as a whole (thought if they start all going the way of FF11 then maybe it will be fair to comment)
I’ll tell you that after Godfather III I wouldn’t want to see another one.
I’ve read that you can basically shut down the gambit battle system and make it more like Secret of Mana or Chrono Trigger, which I have to finish up at this point.
The idea of the gambit really doesn’t appeal to me, but I’ll give it a try before dumping it.
I dig it so far. Vaan is still freakish looking, but his personality, thankfully, isn’t. VERY Star Wars feeling. The characters have a different, less anime/Japanese design to them. I don’t have a full party yet, but combat is fine so far. Dropping in and out of combat like that is pretty cool. The music is fantastic and the voice work is very nice. European accents everywhere!