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Post by psicomaniaco on Mar 25, 2008 11:39:43 GMT -5
People love to compare any FF with FF10. I wonder why though... FF10 is not that great. Too linear, too easy, lame characters (except Auron, maybe)... Its got a fantastic storyline, but hey. All Final Fantasies do, even FF9's plot is well written.
And the main problem I had with FF12 is that I just couldn't find a fun moment in it. The battle system is boring, the battles are just too easy and I HATED the main playable character. I heard that the game gets a LOT better after a while, but the game was unable to hold me enough for me to have fun. I'll still try playing it soon, but I just don't feel its a true Final Fantasy like FF4, 5, 6 and 8 where.
Then again, FF10 and 10-2 aren't either, so...
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Post by Gamesoul Master on Mar 25, 2008 17:15:09 GMT -5
This could almost turn into another argument like Shining Force Neo/Exo. While I personally find the game to be boring (and come on, a battle system where you can many times not have to do anything the whole battle to win it), it may very well be a good game. It's just... not a game made for FF fans. True, FFX isn't too great either, but it's a fairly solid game, and it's still a FF game. Granted, I don't dislike FFXII *because* it's not really a FF game. But I like most FF games for certain reasons (some of which are the same reasons for liking other RPG's that I play), and FFXII just didn't meet those requirements. The series is *Final Fantasy*... they're not supposed to be as realistic as possible. Sure, elements of realism are always appreciated, and make storylines easier to get into and understand. FFT had quite a bit of serious, realistic elements to it. But being a SRPG, it makes sense. In a FF game (as in most other RPG's), I like to get to know the characters, to feel their happiness and pain. But FFXII doesn't seem to do this (I managed to get up to about 10 hours of gameplay in the last year, because I really did try to give the game a chance). And it doesn't have much interest in the locations either. This, of course, is another area where too much realism isn't really a good thing for a FF game. A lot of places just seem so... plain. The game really does have some great points to it, and I can understand why some people would really like the game. But they are not the points that make a FF game, nor (for me) do they outweigh the elements that turn me off from the game. But of course, this is just how I see it, and is merely the reasons *I* don't like the game. As I said, I know that for some people, the good points are more than enough to make it a good game. But many people who have loved the FF series (such as myself) have a tough time feeling much more towards this game than boredom. I understand that change is necessary to keep making new games, but in the FF series, there are some things that just shouldn't be changed. FFXII has shown us that Square-Enix can still make decent games, but they're losing site of what FF is, instead focusing on trying to make as much money out of the series as possible by trying to make a game that appeals to as many gamers as possible, and then slapping the FF name on it. But you all know at this point that I can be picky at times with the games that I like to play...
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Post by psicomaniaco on Mar 25, 2008 19:29:39 GMT -5
One series that doesn't get enough love is the Dragon Quest series.
I love the fact that every game plays and feels the same. Sure, there are always some neat changes, but the core is always unchanged. I loved the fact that DQ8 has great graphics and sounds, but still plays like an old game, and even has some 8 bit songs.
Thats what I would like Final Fantasy to be: a series that always get new stories and characters, but keep enough elements untouched.
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Post by Gamesoul Master on Mar 25, 2008 19:59:17 GMT -5
Thats what I would like Final Fantasy to be: a series that always get new stories and characters, but keep enough elements untouched. That's very well put, and pretty much my exact sentiment. Hell, even some tweaks to the system (as DQ has done) is fine. Changes to freshen up things a bit. But not taken to an extreme where you can't *feel* that it's Final Fantasy. Sort-of like my discussion a while back of certain games having soul. My very name is part of that belief that the best games have soul. Final Fantasy seems to have lost it though with the last few mainstream games (the numbered ones)... :/
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kiru
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Post by kiru on Mar 26, 2008 8:02:54 GMT -5
ff12 is better, when you have access to the optional parts of the game. The main-dungeons are far to easy... not even some good item's can be found in them. I would rate it like this: graphics: 8/10: It's good... while some areas look really superb, some look really.. plain. Furthermore the Spell-Animations etc. aren't that good either. sound: 6/10: Sound-effects are good, the music score has some great title's in it, but most of it is forgettable. This nasty beeping in the bgm of the henne-mines steals another point. (must be a sound-defect or something...) story: 4/10: It concentrates on the politics. This isn't bad, but... There are too many plot-holes and you are often wondering, who the hell this person is you are talking to. Too many chars, to less information. The world might be nice, but then again.. it's mostly unused. (sad :/ ) gameplay: 6/10: Later on you have some nice challenges, but for the biggest part of the game, you can just watch your chars fighting. Not to have real chests in those huge Dungeons makes exploring everything kind of unrewarding. Normally a 5/10 would be more fair, since you can't even use special-attacks as you please. It's not possible to cast 3strong spells at once... this could be seen as a feature, but then normal attacks should have been forbidden as well... (imo this is for preserving the 60/50fps) Is it like a mmog? I would say it uses the bad parts of a mmog and ignores the better ones. The game has no hit-detection. (only a range-detection) This is quite typical for mmog's as well. Then there are mobs, special monsters and quite a good amount of bosses. However, the game has far to less weapons/armor, offers no jobs (international doesn't matter anyway)... you can't even upgrade your equipment. With those elements, the game would have been quite a lot more fun. (well... for me ) Then again... would it still be Final Fantasy? No, it wouldn't. I hope I have seen this gambit-system the last time... Okay, I've written enough I think^^ edit: By the way, Shining Force Exa is cool. (well, Cyrille is^^)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2008 8:35:55 GMT -5
The thing that probably separates me from most of FF friends is that I don't really hold the series in such a high pedestal. Generally the games in the series are just meh, I haven't played any of them twice yet, they just don't hold my interest enough for a replay. I've probably started replays of 7, 8 and 9 about 10 times, but only finished them once. Don't know about anyone else, but the reason I compared 12 to 10 is because it's of the same console generation (and I wanted to bring up the voice cast ).
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Post by bountyvb on Apr 18, 2008 10:33:29 GMT -5
final fantasy 7, probably nostalgia i did like 8 a lot too, but i didn't play it as much. (because of the leveling... it was WAY too easy!) 10 was beautiful, and fighting with the aeon's was cool, but there was no freedom
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Post by seiferalmasy on Apr 19, 2008 19:49:43 GMT -5
Well, VII for me. And to compare plots, all one needs to do is check wikipedia or any article. The reason so many sequels and prequels revolve around VII is quite simply because it is a giant of an RPG.
And when someone asks me how I can know that 1 final fantasy game is up to standard or is "better" than another game I simply say that I have been able to get 3 female NONE gamers to walk through 7-10's story via youtube. I could NEVER EVER in a million years get them to go through almost any other game
They agree with me that VII, VIII and X are great. I won't bother showing them X-2 or XII (if there are walkthroughs) because they wouldn't like them and I consider them an insult.
Same with I-VI, no way i could get a none gamer into the plots. Graphic wise, plot wise , just not up to scratch.
I have replayed all of the FF's 7-10, I can't replay any of the others. The stories are what make FF and if that isn't there- forget it.
7-10 have practicly everything. music, plot, graphics, decent battle systems. I loved the sphere grid, I loved materia, I loved gf's and aeons/ The side quests. The rest just fall to the ground.
I played suikoden the other year, and although the sound was good, a life of FF has left it looking mediocre overall and near rubbish in plot. I don't hold out much hope for chrono trigger.
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Post by psicomaniaco on Apr 19, 2008 19:59:46 GMT -5
Dude, FF6 has everything, except for graphics. C'mon, great plot, fantastic musics, better-than-decent battle system....
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Post by seiferalmasy on Apr 19, 2008 20:14:22 GMT -5
VI plot is vastly overrated and so mediocre in fact that I can't even remember it- asside from some nutter who has NO PURPOSE for being evil other than being evil, taking over the world. Such plot is in my opinion relegated to B division. Sephiroth and Seymour both had reasons to want power and Kuja had a reason to want to end it all. Ultimecia is the only other who doesn't really have a reason to be evil (a background) but that doesn't excuse VI whose main plot line is vague and utterly flawed in my opinion.
An RPG without character development shouldn't be made, like any story.
I am a theif, I am evil, I might be your friend, I am a lover is NOT character development.
People don't like it when I say that but when i ask for them to explain what is fantastic about the plot I get bits and pieces and no real substance. I can only assume VI is for fanboys and nostalgia junkies (and also seems to eb a correlation with SNES/nintendo fanboys). I don't know 1 person who started with a modern FF that has been able to replay 1-6. Not 1.
If the plot is so fantastic and great why is it when I ask people what it is about (the plot) the answer is small and linear?
If you can find me a plot synopsis that is longer than that of VII's (esp on wiki) I will conceed it rates, but somehow I don't think you will be able to.
The graphics suck, the game play is ok (if you ignore the overdrive of random battles at times), the battle system is same old, the music is on the whole excellent but so is that of 7-10 (I would say VII, VIII's and X's definately rate higher)
So, where does it rate against 7-10? certainly not next them in my book and certainly no way I could get a none gamer to sit down through it.
Not a chance.
That is the crunch factor.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2008 7:45:47 GMT -5
The best part of FF6 villain Kefka is that he actually succeeded in his goal. As in, OMG SPOILER, halfway through the game he gains the power he seeks, destroys the world and then rules over what's left of it. And then the game fastforwards a year (I think), and only then can the hero group take him out. In pretty much every other RPG game ever, not just Final Fantasy, the villains are always stopped in the nick of time, preventing any major disasters in the process. But regardless of all that, I can't really say that I enjoyed FF6 at all, it was quite boring. I still haven't finished it. Played my SNES copy to the very end, but didn't finish it. Have since lost the save, started a new game on PSX, but really barely started. I don't find FF games to have much replay value for me and in a way, I already know how FF6 goes and all that, so I probably never find the time and patience to play it again. As is the case with every other game (not just FF) for me. So I'm not putting down FF, but rather saying that they are on the same level as any other game. Of which I'm actually a little glad too. Where would I ever find the time to play new games if I was interested in replaying older games? Also, everytime someone says the word 'factor' in any context, I'm always reminded of Fun Factory that aired on Sky way back when. And then I get all nostalgic and shed a few tears for Inspector Gadget's awesomeness.
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Post by Gamesoul Master on Apr 20, 2008 14:47:55 GMT -5
Eek... If you're going to replay FFVI in any way, please either play the original SNES version or the retranslated SNES version. The PS1 version is annoying to play in comparison.
I can see how some people might find it boring, but it's a very solid RPG, and I found the storyline to be quite interesting. Despite the large number of characters, they still managed to do some pretty decent character development. And before somebody tries to dispute that, think of any other 16-bit or less RPG with even close to as many characters. That might be difficult of course, since the number of games with so many characters that actually develops most of the characters is quite scarce, especially in the pre-32-bit era of gaming.
By the way, my first Final Fantasy was VII. After that, I played FFVI and was instantly hooked. I enjoyed FFVII very much of course, but I love FFVI also. Then I played FFIV and really liked that game (not as much as VI or VII, but it was still good enough that I played it through to the end quite easily). Then I played FFV and loved that game as much as FFVII and FFVI. Though of course, I'm the kind of person who can appreciate a game for what it is, and not for its graphics or music, or how it compares to games made in a later era.
Oddly enough, the only game I could get a non-gamer to play was FFVIII. Not because it was a great game or because the other ones weren't good, but because it had a realistic look, and a relatively simply system (the junction system). After playing that game, the only complaint about older FF games they had was that they didn't look so realistic (meaning, really disproportionate, especially FFVII and FFIX). It was the same reasoning that they were able to play FFX (though the system there left them more confused). FFIX, after getting them to look past the funny looking characters, was another game they loved playing.
And eventually, FFVI followed. And you know what? They really liked it. One of them (who happens to be my dad) actually loved the game because it wasn't too hard to figure out, and yet there was a lot you could do, and he loved the storyline because he actually got to know the characters (and he loved Kefka... his favorite character actually... XD).
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Post by Gamesoul Master on Apr 23, 2008 4:10:49 GMT -5
Sorry for the double-post, but... It seems that FFXI has sucked me in a bit. Just started playing today (about 7 hours ago, actually), and now I'm going to log back in and gain some more levels.
Quite different from any other games I've played (possibly in more bad ways than good), but it's addicting enough that it'll probably hold my attention for a while (helps that my roommate plays it on the 360 and has progressed more than far enough to help me start out).
::Hangs head in shame::
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Post by xtokalon on Apr 24, 2008 18:56:59 GMT -5
I think the main thing about FF12 that gets me is that it's so fresh when comparing to other FF games. Like, the story is about politics, not some ridicilous love story with a twist. The playable character isn't really the main character of the game, but rather the story of Ashe is viewed through Vaan's eyes. The battle system allows a lot of new things and newer gets boring, especially after tons of purely turn based systems. I mean, the system is still turn based, but there is more depth to it now. Amen.
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Post by xalos9 on Jun 18, 2008 2:50:50 GMT -5
Final Fantasy is still one of the toughest games I've played in my life! It took me 2 months the first time round without cheating.
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