Does anybody still care/get excited when a new Final Fantasy game is released ??

[SamIAm]

Square is a deep disappointment.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't say that their NES/SNES games are Shakespeare-level masterpieces. But what they seemed like was the gestational phase of something really grand. After they got big, though, Square seemed to alternate between indulging in creative excesses and falling back on niche audiences to the point that what they make just doesn't matter anymore.

I still enjoy Spoonyexperiment's FFVIII review. That game was when the rocket started falling back toward the launchpad.

This might sound strange, but I like to compare FFVII to Sgt. Pepper. You have to give it serious credit in at least a few specific aspects even if you hate it. Most people find it quite enjoyable overall. But fans intimately familiar with the whole catalog usually think most highly of the stuff that came   right before it. Even if it set new standards at the time, it wasn't actually that influential; other works would have caused the shifts that it did. You can clearly see many signs of creative troubles to come. And the stuff they produced immediately afterward was appallingly bad.

What I'm saying is, Final Fantasy games now are like if we endured the Beatles staying together and producing shitty albums all through the 70s, and now it's the 80s and some people are hoping they'll get their mojo back. Not gonna bet on it.

[_joshuaTurbo]

Square is in the same boat with many developers nowadays.  (like Capcom and Konami)  They just fail to keep my attention with new releases.  I haven't really enjoyed playing a FF game since FFX on the PS2.  Any by 'enjoyed' I mean any little bit of enjoyment that I had while playing.  Some of the older ones were not very great either, but I did get some enjoyment out of them and was glad I got to have the experience of playing through each of them.

With that said, I feel another list of how I felt about each game is necessary. 

Final Fantasy I NES- I played this after playing through both Ultima: Exodus, Quest of the Avatar and Dragon Warrior I.  I didn't understand what the fuss was about, but I thought it was a neat RPG that could be fun to some.

Final Fantasy II SNES - this was the game in the series that really got me into Square made RPGs.  I loved the soundtrack and just about everything about the game.  The remakes (and after years) on PSP are fantastic too!

Final Fantasy III SNES - This was "The Game" to many in my inner circle of nerd friends in school.  I thought the storyline and overall presentation/music was really well done.  Not sure if I like it as much as the previous entry, but I did enjoy it quite a bit.  The main problem with FFIII is that it came out the same year I got my Turbo Duo in 1994.  I was so wrapped up in Turbo RPGs (CF2, DE2, DragonSlayer) that at first impression I was flat out unimpressed with the visuals/soundtrack of FFIII.. What no redbook or cut-scenes?...... meh..

Fast forward to the PSone games-

FFVII- seemed really cool, but it was hardly the same style RPG I was used to.  Better than FF8 for sure, but yeah, I dunno..  I was also not that big of a PSone guy as I was a stubborn Saturn supporter till the very end.  I was constantly protesting to my friends that I was having way more fun playing our US ports of Shining the Holy Ark, Panzer Saga, Dragon Force and even Dark Savior!  And... I was damnit!

Believe it or not, I'm only now (finally) playing through Final Fantasy IX on the Psone.  So far, it's nice, but those 32-bit graphics are hard on my eyes.  This should have been released on Dreamcast. 

FFX on the PS2 was IMO better than any of the PSone Final Fantasy games.  I liked the presentation and soundtrack a lot.  While it definitely feels like a movie/cut scene filled with really long battles, I still found it entertaining.

That's it thought.  The MMO ones are crap, 12 and 13 just don't keep my interest and I couldn't care less about the spinoff games (X2 or XIII-2) and that nonsense... 

I do enjoy the handheld remakes to some level.  I wish Square could make a good Final Fantasy game again.....

[rag-time4]

I cleared VII but thought it sucked. Didn't care for any of the characters in that game. Tried VIII and IX but never got into them. Too big a change from the snes to playstation. Walking around the map became more difficult because everything was less clear. In VII I had to turn on the red pointer arrows just to see where the are exits were.

FFIV: The After years, however, I was excited about and really enjoy. Similar sequels to the other classic games would get me similarly excited. Vi being the one I want to see most, but I would buy and play them all.

[reson8er]

That's it thought.  The MMO ones are crap, 12 and 13 just don't keep my interest and I couldn't care less about the spinoff games (X2 or XIII-2) and that nonsense... 

I do enjoy the handheld remakes to some level.  I wish Square could make a good Final Fantasy game again.....

I'm not going to try to persuade, change or argue your opinion, but I will say this:

I've been playing Final Fantasy games for about as long as most, and have come to the conclusion that there are 3 types of FF players. 1. Those that thought 6 was the pinnacle of the series, and are into old school games, hate VII to present. 2. Those who grew up with VII + and find playing the older games difficult due to simplicity or mechanics and or production value. 3. Those who just love the recurring themes of FF and generally look past old or new to enjoy what they like.

Personally I fall into the 3rd group. I love whichever Final fantasy I enjoyed. Could care less for 1,2. Found 3 very basic, though somewhat enjoyable due to job system, 4 was good, but simple I didn't care for character restricted roles, 5 I haven't played through 6 is really good but again character restricted roles, 7 great, 8 sucked, 9 didn't care for, 10 I though was pretty mediocre, Played 11 for 5 years, 12 was my favorite, 13 sucked, 14 is great.

Both MMO's are quite the games. 11 has just celebrated its 10th anniversary as a PAID subscription MMO, where most MMO's are either FTP or dead. In my opinion it speaks to the quality of the game.  XIV is a real love letter to the Final Fantasy brand and its fans and celebrates the series. To date XIV has amassed over 2 million players with a paid subscription model in 2014. Again, not trying to change your opinion, just wanted to point out that while the series has it fair share of duds (which vary from type to type), the MMO's are certainly not crap, you may not care of them but they are for their audiences are quality products.

We would all be lucky if the same amount care and attention went into the main line FF games going forward as the MMO's.

[_joshuaTurbo]

While I may pull back on the comment saying the MMO's are crap and replace it with XI and XIV just aren't my bag, man- I will say I was really disappointed to see Square throw a number after two games that play nothing like the rest of the series.

Why didn't Square call Mystic Quest or Crystal Chronicles- Final Fantasy 5 and Final Fantasy XI respectively.  They were major escapes from the series, and shouldn't have been included in the already lengthy series as far as sequels go.  Spin offs? Cool, but why just throw a number at the end and bolster the series?  They should have been called Final Fantasy Online 1 & 2 IMO.

[reson8er]

While I may pull back on the comment saying the MMO's are crap and replace it with XI and XIV just aren't my bag, man- I will say I was really disappointed to see Square throw a number after two games that play nothing like the rest of the series.

Why didn't Square call Mystic Quest or Crystal Chronicles- Final Fantasy 5 and Final Fantasy XI respectively.  They were major escapes from the series, and shouldn't have been included in the already lengthy series as far as sequels go.  Spin offs? Cool, but why just throw a number at the end and bolster the series?  They should have been called Final Fantasy Online 1 & 2 IMO.

Agree 100%, its a bit misleading to attach a mainline number to the MMO's and spin offs.  Its a sneaky way to get people to try the game without knowing its online only. From the looks of it XV will be an action RPG, so who knows what the are doing lol.

[roflmao]

I thought I had responded to this thread awhile ago but maybe I never actually posted it. 

My first foray into the FF series was FFII on the SNES, and it completely blew me away. For me, they haven't made anything that was "just right" since then.

I recently picked up FFIII for the SNES and my son and I have been slowly plodding through it.  We recently played through II and couldn't put it down - this we put down for weeks at a time, though I still think it's better than any of their 32+ bit releases.

I tried a couple of times to get into FFVII on the PS1 but it never stuck. The second time I even made it to disc 2!

Skipped FF VIII all together.  Maybe someday I'll try to revisit it.

FFIX I *loved* almost as much as the SNES days.  I'm holding out judgement, but It may even rank higher than FFIII for me.  I've played through it twice - once on my own and the second time with my then-5yr-old. And he loved it too.

FFX I never could get into (though the first time I played it I nearly made it to the final boss in hopes that it would turn around).

And I haven't put any serious time into any FF game since then.

I LOVE Mystic Quest. It's awesome and even though I recent'y played though it I can see myself playing through it again within the next year or two.  And I've had it for a loong time.

I also love Tactics, though some of the matches play way longer that they need to so I don't play it at much as I used to. :/

[Bernie]

I know I will catch shit for this, but IMO, Final Fantasy II and III for SNES blew away anything the Turbo had to offer at the time.  I still play those two games from time to time, and they never get old.  It would have been awesome to see what they would have looked/sounded like if they had been ported to the pc engine via SCD. 

[Necromancer]

I know I will catch shit for this, but IMO, Final Fantasy II and III for SNES blew away anything the Turbo had to offer at the time.

Sure, but only if you specifically mean the Turbo and ignore the PCE; Tengai Makyou was competitive to Final Fantasy IV two years before the latter existed.

[_joshuaTurbo]

I know I will catch shit for this, but IMO, Final Fantasy II and III for SNES blew away anything the Turbo had to offer at the time.  I still play those two games from time to time, and they never get old.  It would have been awesome to see what they would have looked/sounded like if they had been ported to the pc engine via SCD. 

However Phantasy Star IV blows away anything Square has ever created on SNES or anything after that! 

I also enjoyed Phantasy Star V, Phantasy Star VI: Episode II, Phantasy Star VII- C.A.R.D. Evolution, Phantasy Star VIII-Universe and whatever the hell new PSO games that came after that...

[Bardoly]

That's it thought.  The MMO ones are crap, 12 and 13 just don't keep my interest and I couldn't care less about the spinoff games (X2 or XIII-2) and that nonsense... 

I do enjoy the handheld remakes to some level.  I wish Square could make a good Final Fantasy game again.....

I'm not going to try to persuade, change or argue your opinion, but I will say this:

I've been playing Final Fantasy games for about as long as most, and have come to the conclusion that there are 3 types of FF players. 1. Those that thought 6 was the pinnacle of the series, and are into old school games, hate VII to present. 2. Those who grew up with VII + and find playing the older games difficult due to simplicity or mechanics and or production value. 3. Those who just love the recurring themes of FF and generally look past old or new to enjoy what they like.

Personally I fall into the 3rd group. I love whichever Final fantasy I enjoyed. Could care less for 1,2. Found 3 very basic, though somewhat enjoyable due to job system, 4 was good, but simple I didn't care for character restricted roles, 5 I haven't played through 6 is really good but again character restricted roles, 7 great, 8 sucked, 9 didn't care for, 10 I though was pretty mediocre, Played 11 for 5 years, 12 was my favorite, 13 sucked, 14 is great.

Both MMO's are quite the games. 11 has just celebrated its 10th anniversary as a PAID subscription MMO, where most MMO's are either FTP or dead. In my opinion it speaks to the quality of the game.  XIV is a real love letter to the Final Fantasy brand and its fans and celebrates the series. To date XIV has amassed over 2 million players with a paid subscription model in 2014. Again, not trying to change your opinion, just wanted to point out that while the series has it fair share of duds (which vary from type to type), the MMO's are certainly not crap, you may not care of them but they are for their audiences are quality products.

We would all be lucky if the same amount care and attention went into the main line FF games going forward as the MMO's.

A pretty decent analysis of three various types of Final Fantasy gamers.

After reading this, I must say that according to your descriptions:

1. Those that thought 6 was the pinnacle of the series, and are into old school games, hate VII to present.
2. Those who grew up with VII + and find playing the older games difficult due to simplicity or mechanics and or production value.
3. Those who just love the recurring themes of FF and generally look past old or new to enjoy what they like.

You seem to fall into the number "2" camp far better than number "3" - not a criticism, an observation.  I definitely fall into the number "1" camp, although I definitely do not hate VII.  You seem to be trying to make yourself out as impartial, but your own description of yourself makes your bias towards the newer Final Fantasy games quite obvious:

Could care less for 1,2.
Found 3 very basic, though somewhat enjoyable due to job system
4 was good, but simple I didn't care for character restricted roles
5 I haven't played through
6 is really good but again character restricted roles
7 great
8 sucked
9 didn't care for
10 I though was pretty mediocre
Played 11 for 5 years
12 was my favorite
13 sucked
14 is great.

You only gave unqualified praise for the newer generation of Final Fantasy games - VII, 11, 12, and 14, and you made sure to express your feelings that you, "...find playing the older games difficult due to simplicity or mechanics and or production value." for all of the pre-VII games.

People love to make themselves out as being impartial, but actually most of us are a product of our times...   O:)

[reson8er]

That's it thought.  The MMO ones are crap, 12 and 13 just don't keep my interest and I couldn't care less about the spinoff games (X2 or XIII-2) and that nonsense... 

I do enjoy the handheld remakes to some level.  I wish Square could make a good Final Fantasy game again.....

I'm not going to try to persuade, change or argue your opinion, but I will say this:

I've been playing Final Fantasy games for about as long as most, and have come to the conclusion that there are 3 types of FF players. 1. Those that thought 6 was the pinnacle of the series, and are into old school games, hate VII to present. 2. Those who grew up with VII + and find playing the older games difficult due to simplicity or mechanics and or production value. 3. Those who just love the recurring themes of FF and generally look past old or new to enjoy what they like.

Personally I fall into the 3rd group. I love whichever Final fantasy I enjoyed. Could care less for 1,2. Found 3 very basic, though somewhat enjoyable due to job system, 4 was good, but simple I didn't care for character restricted roles, 5 I haven't played through 6 is really good but again character restricted roles, 7 great, 8 sucked, 9 didn't care for, 10 I though was pretty mediocre, Played 11 for 5 years, 12 was my favorite, 13 sucked, 14 is great.

Both MMO's are quite the games. 11 has just celebrated its 10th anniversary as a PAID subscription MMO, where most MMO's are either FTP or dead. In my opinion it speaks to the quality of the game.  XIV is a real love letter to the Final Fantasy brand and its fans and celebrates the series. To date XIV has amassed over 2 million players with a paid subscription model in 2014. Again, not trying to change your opinion, just wanted to point out that while the series has it fair share of duds (which vary from type to type), the MMO's are certainly not crap, you may not care of them but they are for their audiences are quality products.

We would all be lucky if the same amount care and attention went into the main line FF games going forward as the MMO's.

A pretty decent analysis of three various types of Final Fantasy gamers.

After reading this, I must say that according to your descriptions:

1. Those that thought 6 was the pinnacle of the series, and are into old school games, hate VII to present.
2. Those who grew up with VII + and find playing the older games difficult due to simplicity or mechanics and or production value.
3. Those who just love the recurring themes of FF and generally look past old or new to enjoy what they like.

You seem to fall into the number "2" camp far better than number "3" - not a criticism, an observation.  I definitely fall into the number "1" camp, although I definitely do not hate VII.  You seem to be trying to make yourself out as impartial, but your own description of yourself makes your bias towards the newer Final Fantasy games quite obvious:

Could care less for 1,2.
Found 3 very basic, though somewhat enjoyable due to job system
4 was good, but simple I didn't care for character restricted roles
5 I haven't played through
6 is really good but again character restricted roles
7 great
8 sucked
9 didn't care for
10 I though was pretty mediocre
Played 11 for 5 years
12 was my favorite
13 sucked
14 is great.

You only gave unqualified praise for the newer generation of Final Fantasy games - VII, 11, 12, and 14, and you made sure to express your feelings that you, "...find playing the older games difficult due to simplicity or mechanics and or production value." for all of the pre-VII games.

People love to make themselves out as being impartial, but actually most of us are a product of our times...   O:)

Hmm, well as we all know, no one is impartial.

Personally I try to play every game without preconceived notions about it.  I grew up playing the final fantasy's and dragon quest on the NES so my opinion about those games comes from how I felt about them as I played them when they were originally released. I always felt the series got better as it went along, which is reflected in my choices. I tend not to care for earlier RPG's in general since they were so simplistic, however there are exceptions just not with Final Fantasy.

I consider myself type 3 because even having played these games and not cared for them, over the years I've tried to go back to appreciate them and have expressed opinions above. Of course I don't mind if you think I'm type x and not y.

When it comes to the modern games, I don't think they're all great, I just tend to like where they've taken the series building on with mechanics primarily the job system. Love me some job system.

[BlueBMW]

Since we are bringing other RPG seried in here.. 

The Lunar games (either sega cd or playstation) were fantastic IMO.

But of course Skies of Arcadia blows all of them away with a moonstone cannon.

[_joshuaTurbo]

Did you also enjoy Lunar DS?  I thought that was a pretty big let-down. 

[reson8er]

Since we are bringing other RPG seried in here.. 

The Lunar games (either sega cd or playstation) were fantastic IMO.

But of course Skies of Arcadia blows all of them away with a moonstone cannon.

Agreed lunar is fantastic, same goes for Grandia man I miss Game Arts. Skies is woefully underrated. a real gem of a game.