Favorite FF Game

I agree with that, they do look to develop the series, but sadly even though they may have lost their way, they don't seem to think of backtracking to what they know was excellent and moving forward in another direction, they just plod on in the vein they've been going as though it's an irreversible decision. I mean that by the increasing linearity i've seen in newer games and the fact they turn every 5 minutes into a cutscene. they should be used sparingly for effect, not just because it gets them off whacking in good graphics when they feel like it.

I think what final fantasy needs now is going back to a slightly more classic outlook on the way the world unfolds, and giving a bit more control back to the player but again not making it overly complex. I think that trying out an extremely dark storyline would be a good idea. A story where the player as the main team of protagonists are just fighting off the inevitable, a struggle in vain that ends, or perhaps a story where the character you take control of is presented as your typical protagonist, but grows into truly an evil character, who you cannot help but want to win, but know all the reasons why he shouldn't.

I know these aren't exactly new or fresh concepts, but you get the idea i'm attempting poorly to put across. Maturing and darkening up the story, and i don't mean blow **** up dark, i mean properly messed up characters and ethical dilemma dark, could bring a whole new life to FF, though considering the series linchpin as the game where the good guy almost unanimously wins the fight and gets the girl, it probably won't happen.

PlasticandRage wrote:

Serious_Much wrote:Crisis core is the story of Zach, it's basically a prequel to FFVII, it shows how Sephiroth turned the way he did and the life that Cloud's 'mentor' led.

It's really good, and I think it adds a lot to the story of how Cloud's whole concept of being is a lie, and the back stories to sephiroth and aerith.

What are the systems like? Same as 7?

It uses a sort of hybrid system between the materia system of final fantasy and active time fighting. I can't explain too well so here's a video of the first boss;

I know it doesn't have the 'classic final fantasy feel or combat' whatever that means these days but versus XIII has all those things, a darker storyline, a main character that isn't a shy, moody teenager or an overly bombastic Tidus clone. Also he fights the girl rather than getting her (the main antagonist.) But what you're asking for is probably something akin to VI downwards right? From the looks of things the more classic look is going to remain in the MMO instalments of the series.

Interesting. Kind of reminds me of the Star Ocean system. Well tomorrow being black friday maybe I'll just bite the bullet and go pick one up.

I was the same plastic, never had a psp. I wish they would come out with an HD pack of Crisis core and the two Dissidias for ps3.

Onion, i reckon though in a typical FF fashion, that antagonist will only be initial and then become an ally. Sort of like edea or le blanc. Though thats sort of in the direction i'd love to see, but not quite the level of twistedness i'd like to see..

I don't really think it's something akin to the oldest FFs, i want something really that is truly taking the best parts from each era of Final Fantasy and just breathing new life and a new ideal into them. Being creative and innovative with the direction, tone and gameplay whilst remaining rooted in the age old FF staples of big world, strategic combat and epic storyline.

I admit though that this is unashamedly my ideal direction for final fantasy. Opinions always differ, but I think using what made FF popular originally and putting a new twist or creative spark into it is better than where they're going now, which is completely changing what FF is about.

Well if they have team 3 Yoshida (the team they have on the MMO's atm) making FF XV you'd defiantly have the tactical gameplay you seek. (That team made Xenogears, Chrono Trigger etc.) But I think XIII won't be repeated mainly because of it's concept arch (in the same universe.) XIII, XIII-2, Lightning Returns, Type-0, Versus XIII. Once that ends , they'll move onto another concept as they always do. On a funny side note Final Fantasy XI , XII and XIV are the only main series Final Fantasies not made by team 1.
Edit: The last twisted JRPG I played was Resonance of Fate, which I'd recommend for it's original gameplay and interesting characters.

I want whom ever produced 12 and whomever wrote 12's story to be fired, from everything, always.

I'm not a big fan of the paradime system in 13, I can't micromanage enough. 10-2 had my favorite battle system, plenty fast paced and complex, but just slow enough to get everything done without computer aid.

If I had to pick a direction for the series I'd marry 10-2's battle system with 8 and 10's stories in 13's world.

XII wasn't made by the original guys? I say give them another shot. XII was a under appreciated game in the west due to the 360 having come in, but they made a top, top game. That team's take on the exploratory side of final fantasy was really interesting, I also thought the battle system was really good an interesting twist on the strategic aspect of fights. Shame they're working on MMOs, as they aint something i'll touch really, simply don't have the time for games like that. I agree with forum though, they development team had their work really undone with a pretty shoddy storyline and the lamest excuse for a protagonist i've ever seen.

It's good they've got another go, if they create something that expands upon their work in XII then I think it could really redeem the series after XIII's embarrassment.. no matter how well it performed commercially and how many bastard children offspring it spawned

Serious_Much wrote:XII wasn't made by the original guys? I say give them another shot. XII was a under appreciated game in the west due to the 360 having come in, but they made a top, top game. That team's take on the exploratory side of final fantasy was really interesting, I also thought the battle system was really good an interesting twist on the strategic aspect of fights. Shame they're working on MMOs, as they aint something i'll touch really, simply don't have the time for games like that. I agree with forum though, they development team had their work really undone with a pretty shoddy storyline and the lamest excuse for a protagonist i've ever seen.

It's good they've got another go, if they create something that expands upon their work in XII then I think it could really redeem the series after XIII's embarrassment.. no matter how well it performed commercially and how many bastard children offspring it spawned

More interesting trivia, Vaan only became the protagonist after a marketing poll in Japan. (apparently Japan likes Tidus clones?) Balthier was the original protagonist .
XII was made by team 4 (who made the Final Fantasy Tactics series and Vagrant Story.)
Also Type-O in the XIII concept has received huge critical praise . But it has yet to be released outside of Japan.

Forum Pirate wrote:I want whom ever produced 12 and whomever wrote 12's story to be fired, from everything, always.

I'm not a big fan of the paradime system in 13, I can't micromanage enough. 10-2 had my favorite battle system, plenty fast paced and complex, but just slow enough to get everything done without computer aid.

If I had to pick a direction for the series I'd marry 10-2's battle system with 8 and 10's stories in 13's world.

Agreed

I felt the same way about 12's systems in the beginning but they ended up growing on me. I'm actually excited to give it another shot. I've only played through it once.

I never completed 12, but i really enjoyed what i did play. It seemed like it was going to be a VERY long game. I was also thinking about restarting it for a second chance. Last time i played was right about when i was at the point in highschool where i took a major break from gaming.

Thats the biggest dissapointment, 12 gears up to be a really long game, and then just quits at like 40 somthing hours.

I don't have a problem with the world or the exploration, I have problems with the story arc, the level system, the battle system, the summons and vaan.

I loved the gameplay of 12, the characters were pretty bad, worse than ff10.

Forum Pirate wrote:Thats the biggest dissapointment, 12 gears up to be a really long game, and then just quits at like 40 somthing hours.

I don't have a problem with the world or the exploration, I have problems with the story arc, the level system, the battle system, the summons and vaan.

I spent 120 hours or so on my first playthrough. It was actually the first game I ever broke 100 hours playing. You can beat Oblivion in like 20 hours, but it doesn't make it a short game. There's a ton to do in 12.

the story quits at like 40 hours, after they spent the first 36 of them building I was expecting more. Its paced terribly. Like a rollercoaster with a 200ft clime that only drops 30 feet before lazily winding down.

The other side of that is (though I'm not a huge fan of oblivion) to compare them fairly there are many hundreds of hours of quests in oblivion, if you look beyond the guild quests to the random quests or dedric quests. The lack of story (and repetitive oblivion gates) are my biggest problems with oblivion.

Yeah I can't really argue with that. I've actually never finished Oblivion because I keep getting to around 200 hours deep and losing interest because there's nothing really going on that's keeping my attention. No plot elements keeping me guessing. But I didn't get that from FF12 at all. I loved hunting down all the Zodiac Demons and figuring out all their crazy hard battles. It was awesome seeing all the ones from tactics back and in full 3D too. Tainted King Queklain is one of my favorite characters/bosses from any game. Loved that fight/summon. Then there's doing all the monster hunting, and finding all the ultimate weapons. You do that stuff in every FF game. That's nothing new. I hear what you're saying about games that do that with their plots, I just don't remember feeling that way about 12. Though it's been since it came out that I played it and I've only done it once. So for all I know after I revisit I'll agree with you.

To be fair, it wasn't actually a bad game, I just wasn't impressed. (I had played 4,7,8,9,10,10-2, and tactics at that point) where all of the others rank amoung my favorite games. I did a like lot of the hunter quests too, but they're like the radio in the porche. Cool, but not what I came for. (in the elder scrolls I play almost exclusively for the random crap on the other hand)

Yeah, you're making a lot of good points. I liked it, but compared to the others I've played it's probably in my bottom 3. X-2 and Mystic Quest being tied for last.

Crystal chronicals is pretty awful.

Dissedia is one of my favorites actually (it wasn't an option). The story isn't good, but its takes the essence of a fighter and pounds it with advent children style fights and a level system. Its not about long combos (though they happen) its all about reading your opponet. Similar to dks in that respect.

I never played Crystal Chronicles. Dissedia is worth playing huh? I think I am just going to buy a PSP. I've been making a list of exclusives that I'd like to play and it's getting long enough that it'd be worth the initial $50.

Edit: Well I went ahead and did it. Starting War of the Lions now. I know I've said this already, but if Tactics were on the list that's what I would have voted for. Its probably in my top 10 favorite games of all time. I swear every time I read the words "Zodiac Brave" I get chills.