I hate new RPG's and the Final Fantasy series... [Archive]

DUWILLI

07-26-2005, 08:28 AM

...which is a big reason why I have been checking out this website.

Final Fantasy used to be my favorite series of games. The release of a new Final Fantasy game would mean I would be at the store the day it released waiting for it to be sold.

The first Final Fantasy game is one of my most favorite RPG's of all time; it is one of the few RPG's I can sit down and play to this day. (Perhaps that's because I am much busier than I was 10 years ago...).

But I HATE the way the series went. I played through Final Fantasy III (American titles only), but it did not mean as much as finishing I and II did. I almost finished it just to say I finished it at a point...not because I really wanted to play it, but more because I felt I had invested so much time that it would be folly to not do so.

The science fiction theme has ruined the series for me. FF7 came out when I was in Junior High, so I was again excited...it looked promising. Now I must say I was hooked on it for the week or so it took me to finish. However, I soon was frustrated at all of the flying and the submarines and the minigames and other nonsense. Characters who use guns, and a futuristic setting rather than a classic medieval.

I never played that game again, nor did I play ANY of the ones after it.

I know that FF7 is like the holy grail of RPG's to most people, but I just wasn't happy. Maybe it's that these games are getting to technical and complicated and I don't feel like burning hours of my like "exploring" or whatever. Some of the older (CLASSIC) RPG's don't really have that difficult of puzzles in hindsight, but do you have any idea how long it took my uncle and I to figure out how to get through the LOST WOODS in the original Zelda? NORTH, WEST, SOUTH, WEST...I will never forget those coordinates...

I have heard that Fable is pretty fun, and I look forward to trying that out...probably when some of my friends who own XBOX's get 360's. I've been playing some RPG's like X-men Legends, but nothing really comes close to those original titles. Zelda was SO difficult...half the time you could just run around and have NO IDEA what you were supposed to do. Newer games pretty much tell you what you have to do, they just hide things like secret items or side quests that don't adversely change the main quest.

Does anyone else feel the same? Does anyone else feel that Square has let them down in the last decade with this hybrid genre they have created? Surely I am not the only one...

Daarkseid

07-26-2005, 08:32 AM

Zelda's not an RPG.

And no, I don't agree, the FF series remained excellent up to X. XI however should've been titled FF Online, or something, and not be part of the series. IV and IX are the best in the series, in my opinion.

I also look forward to XII.

mikeron

07-26-2005, 09:11 AM

Come to think of it, what was that last RPG to be released on a console? I'm thinking Xenosaga 2, maybe (never played it). The rest of the games touted as "RPGs" are mostly turn-based treasure hunting. I think Baten Kaitos is the last time I used some form of strategy on a console. Hoorah for generation next.

EDIT: nm about XS2, as it would seem to be another work of cinema. :(

Darth Marsden

07-26-2005, 09:40 AM

To be honest, I prefer games with a sci-fi edge, but that's because I just love Sci-Fi! I can, however, see what you're saying. A lot of games are doing similar things recently. I believe that games developers are pandering to the masses. People nowadays don't care about swords and stuff, they want big guns and things that go boom! And games have followed that trend by giving them all the gee-whiz things kids demand.

That's not to say, however, that every single game is going to be set in the future or whatnot. If you look hard enough, you can easily find other RPGs that will suit your particular tastes. Morrowind might be a good one to try.

And Mikeron - I believe it might have been Star Wars : Knights of the Old Republic 2 - The Sith Lords (try saying that 5 times fast) on the X-Box. Correct me if I'm wrong.

fatcatfan

07-26-2005, 09:49 AM

I agree that the FF series lost something after breaking ties with Nintendo. I've played VII, but never finished it. The only other modern one I've tried was IX I think, the one with Zidane, the one that to some extent returned to the medieval type fantasy setting instead of high-tech. I lost interest in it as well and never finished it.

I've heard great things about Kingdom Hearts, but never got around to playing it, since I don't have a PS2. I've started Baiten Kaitos, but I'm not particularly fond of the card battle system. I imagine it gets better as you progress and have more versatile cards. I keep waiting for something great to come along, but I've yet to see it.

vegeta1215

07-26-2005, 10:49 AM

I could never get into the original Final Fantasy, but FFIV through FFVI (Japanese numbering) were fantastic. I liked FFVII quite a bit, but it can't hold a candle to FFVI.

Aside from FFVII, I've only played a few Square games since Super Mario RPG on the SNES. Chrono Cross was gorgeous, had terrific music and a very fun battle system, but overall I was disappointed with it. Sword of Mana, a remake of Final Fantasy Adventure for the GBA, was a big let down too - the original is far better. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was fun, but I only played it for a few hours with a friend of mine. It's definitely a game not worth playing alone though.

I plan on getting Legend of Mana, but I have a feeling it's going to be Sword of Mana all over again. I guess I can't blame Square so much though, cause it's Brownie Brown who made those. If only they would port Seiken Densetsu 3! Then we'd get a "real" Mana game.

As for new RPGs, Tales of Symphonia, despite it's cliched story and lackluster music, has great characters, some interesting plot twists, terrific visuals and voice acting (imo), and a very fun battle system. It was a breath of fresh air for me in terms of RPGs. It's only $20 now, so there's so reason not to get it. And then there's Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. Trust me when I say just go out and buy it and don't ask questions. It's awesome.

DUWILLI

07-26-2005, 11:09 AM

People will have differeing opinions, and OBVIOUSLY Square is doing just fine with the way the game is now. I do not dislike Sci-Fi at all...I have read the entire Dune series of books if that means anything to you...I just do not want my genres crossed.

Final Fantasy began as a medieval adventure; it has since become science fiction. I think this series is the biggest let down seeing as how I, at one time, thought myself to be one of the biggest fans of this series in the world. You have to understand that these games meant a lot to me growing up...I spent a lot of time on them and had a lot of fun playing through them (in the age where there were no walkthroughs or players guides). I remember that FF7 came out in September and stores in my area got it three days later than the others...I was FURIOUS. I came home from football practice EVERYDAY waiting for the stores to get it. When I finally got it, I played it nonstop for a week . I could play it now and not remember a single thing about it really, that is how meaningless it was to me after finishing it...I don't even remember the final boss...who it was, what he looked like, or anything.

I know it's almost heresy to denounce the Final Fantasy series on a gaming message board, but I am just really frustrated with the way Squaresoft have done things...

vegeta1215

07-26-2005, 11:22 AM

I know it's almost heresy to denounce the Final Fantasy series on a gaming message board, but I am just really frustrated with the way Squaresoft have done things...

Eh, don't worry about it. There aren't any HUGE Squaresoft fans at AGN as far as I know.

Grasshopper

07-26-2005, 11:35 AM

I just lost interest in RPGs altogether anymore. I wasn't an early fan of RPGs, but somewhere along in elementary school, I actually started playing my first RPG. It was a breath of fresh air, and I couldn't get enough of the genre. I would at least try to rent an RPG and play it as much as I could, that is if I didn't have money to buy it. And I'm pretty sure at one time, that was the most played genre of games for me. But sometime when I got in highschool, I just stopped playing them. And ever since, when I pick on up, I get bored. They all seem the same to me. Theres something about them I can't stand. I don't want to play any of the RPGs on my PS2. And as much as I like Mario, I can't even stand to play Paper Mario, or Mario and Luigi. :shrug:

Daarkseid

07-26-2005, 11:49 AM

Final Fantasy began as a medieval adventure; it has since become science fiction.

No, it hasn't. FFVII was a steampunk/post industrial set game with many fantasy elements sprinkled about. FFVIII is the only one to approach actual science fiction elements.

IX had a fantasy midieval setting, and X was in a sense the most midieval of the series; the fact much of the plot revolved around a people's fanatic unquestioning devotion to a religion that winds up being an instrument of the villain resembles something out of the middle ages than anything science fiction.

XI was also a fantasy setting, with the most sophisticated technology being early gunpowder weapons and some of the devices used by the Moblins(FFXI had things called Moblins).

XII is also believed to have a medieval like setting, although its based in the same world as found in FFTA.

Petoe

07-26-2005, 12:40 PM

Oh, I used to love Final fantasy games too. FF1, 3, 4 and 6 were all fantastic, escpecially 6 which is my favorite game even today. But FF7 was mediocre at best and the god-awful graphics didn't help (I'm not talking about the spectacular backgrounds). FF8 was pure crap though maybe I shouldn't say so because I haven't finished it. FF9 was actually ok, but FF10... goddamn what a craptastic game that was.

And if I compare all these modern RPGs to the ones from the 8 and 16-bit era, the old RPGs are much much better than these new ones. But though these "serious" RPGs have failed IMO, the "not so serious" ones like Mario & Luigi Superstarsaga are excellent exceptions.

DUWILLI

07-26-2005, 12:47 PM

I guess flying in a "Big Whale" to the moon and fighting interplanetary beings in outer space doesn't constitute as science fiction...

Final Fantasy III STARTS with those magi-tek armors...mechs!!!!!!

There are other things in that one...but it was still at a pretty tolerable level.

The whole game of Final Fantasy 7...jesus...you get to ride in a SUBMARINE, all of the cities are industrialized, there are carnivals with lights...maybe not SCIENCE FICTION, but certainly futuristic.

DUWILLI

07-26-2005, 12:59 PM

On a side note, I thought Shining Force and Suikoden were incredible games. I basically have just been trying to say I don't want submarines, neon lights, casinos in games that have sword fighting.

Warlock

07-26-2005, 01:11 PM

The only one I really didn't like was FFVIII. That one sucked. I never played FFXI and don't plan to. I agree that shouldn't have even been numbered (they can number that and still release games with names like "Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles"? Honestly any one that isn't a pure RPG shouldn't be numbered).

I am not a huge fan of the NES ones either, but I think that is more because I never played them originally and now they just seem out of date. I have the PSX port of FF 1 and 2 (japanese) but could never get into them much. Esp. FF2 which just seemed confusing and overly hard at the beginning of the game.

I am pretty stoked for FFXII though. From what I have seen from trailers it looks bad-ass.

Darth Marsden

07-26-2005, 01:20 PM

Eh, don't worry about it. There aren't any HUGE Squaresoft fans at AGN as far as I know. Hey, speak for yourself! I love... eh, who am I kidding. I did once, but not for a while. Go ahead and bash them, see if I care. Just don't knock FFVII. My first RPG EVER.

I'd happily try to track down some medieval-style games for you if you tell me what system(s) you use, Duwilly (Apologies if I've spelt your name wrong). I'll give you a few PC ones off the top off my head, but give me a shout if you want some console stuff. I'll be more then happy to have a look around for you.

I've already mentioned Morrowind - you might also try the other Elder Scrolls games, specifically the forthcoming Oblivion, which looks amazing. (These are all for the PC, btw, but I believe Morrowind is also on PS2 & XBox) Fable, which I believe you mentioned earlier, is coming to the PC as well, and you might also like to try Arcanum - Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura which literally has the technology world and the magick world against each other. Have a look and see what you think, they're all excellent games (although Arcanum is, apparently, a little glitchy - nothing serious though).

Also, you may wish to try for some freeware RPGs. I can highly recommend The Way (http://www.crestfallen.us/), and if you search around you can find hundereds of free games made using RPGMaker(and its sequels!) which you might enjoy. Let me know if you want me to recommend some of the better ones.

And Warlock (Did you know you share your name with a Bond villain? Read 'License Renewed' by John Gardner. Wouldn't normally mention it but I've just finished reading it), you really should try FF9. It's very different from FF8, and there's a good chance you'll like it. Also, try the GBA versions of FF1 & 2. Much better then the PS ports. I kind of agree with you on the numbering system though, and I honestly believe that they shouldn't have numbered the online one. What do I do know when I play through the series and get to 11? There's no story to finish! Waa!

Daarkseid

07-26-2005, 01:49 PM

The whole game of Final Fantasy 7...jesus...you get to ride in a SUBMARINE, all of the cities are industrialized, there are carnivals with lights...maybe not SCIENCE FICTION, but certainly futuristic.

Hardly futuristic, we're beyond industrialization, submarines are powered by nuclear reactors, and our carnivals(amusement parks really) have attractions comparable if not superior to the golden saucer.

Actually, FFVII's setting was highly refreshing, considering the majority of RPGs up to that point were medieval fantasy settings. And you're right, the FF series has always had some sci-fi elements.

I seem to recall in Final Fantasy I, exploring a castle suspended in the atmosphere, and then occasionally being blasted with a nuclear attack by a robot monstrosity named WarMech.

The only game to have a setting that was consistently modern and futuristic was VIII, that's it. The rest of the series were purely fantasy with some minor injections of sci-fiish elements.

Grasshopper

07-26-2005, 02:07 PM

I'm hardly the person to talk about the FF series, but from a mere glance and a few minutes of play of the newer ones, it does seem to me that the series has become more, what I like to say, "fruity"

Early titles did seem strictly medieval fantasy, as some of the newer titles now seem to feature brightly dressed characters, an odd sense of clothing style, and feminine looking male leads.

:shrug:

Archibaldo

07-26-2005, 02:18 PM

Personally, I think that the "mideval" theme is a bit over done. Most RPG's out there take place in a "mideval" setting. That's why I'm looking forward to "Lost in Blue" for the DS. This RPG actually looks like a pretty fun game. It's a refreshing twist to the RPG's we have today.

Warlock

07-26-2005, 03:13 PM

And Warlock (Did you know you share your name with a Bond villain? Read 'License Renewed' by John Gardner. Wouldn't normally mention it but I've just finished reading it), you really should try FF9. It's very different from FF8, and there's a good chance you'll like it. Also, try the GBA versions of FF1 & 2. Much better then the PS ports. I kind of agree with you on the numbering system though, and I honestly believe that they shouldn't have numbered the online one. What do I do know when I play through the series and get to 11? There's no story to finish! Waa!

First off, Warlock has absolutely nothing to do with James Bond. It's such a common word that I'm sure its the name of a million other characters in other things.

Second, I said Final Fantasy 11, not 9. I have 9. I've played it. It's fun.

Shadowblazer

07-26-2005, 03:33 PM

vegeta1215

07-26-2005, 03:35 PM

That's why I'm looking forward to "Lost in Blue" for the DS. This RPG actually looks like a pretty fun game. It's a refreshing twist to the RPG's we have today.

I'm looking forward to Lost in Blue too, which is a sequel to the GBC game Survival Kids.

If you can find it, should check out Survival Kids while you wait. It's an over-head adventure game kind of like Zelda, but you have to find items and merge them to form new ones. You use items to solve puzzles and try to get off the island. Meanwhile, you have to eat, drink, and sleep to keep yourself alive. It's a fun game.

Warlock

07-26-2005, 03:36 PM

I still feel bad for never having finished FFIX. I think I got it right around the time that I really got into EverQuest, and once I got sucked into that I lost much of my urge to play console games, Wind Waker and Metroid Prime being the only ones I've really played since then. I seem to recall having gotten to Disc 2, something about a sandstorm and a big tree... bleh, I'll have to start it again from the beginning one of these days.

I still feel bad for not finishing FF7! And 9.. and 10.. and X2.. and most of the rest :P I don't know what it is.. I am crazy like that. I have a tendancy to get right to the end, only to want to find every secret before killing the last boss and then I get side tracked and never finish it :P I still have to beat FF6 on Anthology which I bought in like February or something.. though I have beaten that game before on the SNES..

Shadowblazer

07-26-2005, 03:41 PM

I still feel bad for not finishing FF7! And 9.. and 10.. and X2.. and most of the rest :P I don't know what it is.. I am crazy like that. I have a tendancy to get right to the end, only to want to find every secret before killing the last boss and then I get side tracked and never finish it :P I still have to beat FF6 on Anthology which I bought in like February or something.. though I have beaten that game before on the SNES..
That's my problem exactly! I'm such a damn completist that by the time I've been to one end of the world and back a few hundred times trying to get everything, I just plain start to lose interest. Hell, the reason I never finished FF8 was because I spent all my time playing Triple Triad with every NPC I met.

fatcatfan

07-26-2005, 03:46 PM

I'm guilty of that sort of behavior as well. Sometimes I go ahead and "finish" the boss anyway, but it still nags me that I haven't done all the side quests, tracked down the best equipment, etc. I've done exactly that with FF:CC. Heck, I even started over in X-Men Legends cause I missed a couple of discs, and then I got sidetracked and haven't yet finished the game.

Darth Marsden

07-26-2005, 03:47 PM

First off, Warlock has absolutely nothing to do with James Bond. It's such a common word that I'm sure its the name of a million other characters in other things.

Second, I said Final Fantasy 11, not 9. I have 9. I've played it. It's fun. I know you didn't name yourself after the Bond book, I was just bringing it to your attention that you happened to share a name with a Bond villain. Which is pretty cool. My bad with the number thing though. Sorry.

The only time I finished FFVII, I was cheating. Naughty me! Soon as I get my gaming PC fixed, I'll get back to playing through the whole series (I'm on FF2 at them moment, and yes, it is a rom. It's all legal though, I've honestly lent my copy to a friend and he's taking bloody forever on it. Keeps dying). I insist on finding everything as well - I tend to rely on strategy guides for that. But I only use them with games I've already played, so as not to totally ruin the experience. It's so much more fun playing when you know where that last bloody Red Materia is.

Vagla

07-26-2005, 07:11 PM

(I'm on FF2 at them moment, and yes, it is a rom. It's all legal though, I've honestly lent my copy to a friend and he's taking bloody forever on it. Keeps dying)
It's legal? So it's safe for me to assume, then, that you dumped the ROM of the game yourself from your particular FF2 cart and are being extra careful not to play it at the same time that your friend is playing the original game on the real system? I find that hard to believe. ;)

Anyway, I really can't stand turn-based RPGs. It completely ruins the experience for me and bores me so fast I usually don't get more than a few hours in. Super Mario RPG is one of the two turn-based games I've beaten, probably because its battles manage to stay interesting despite taking turns (the other is Pokemon, which was also pretty fun despite being turn-based). Final Fantasy 6 became so boring for me at the end that I couldn't bring myelf to beat the final dungeon. I quit after leaving the city in FF7. I quit early on in FF8 because the only thing that interested me was Triple Triad. I can't even play the NES FF games because I think they're so terrible. Chrono Trigger managed to remain exciting long enough for me to get a ways into it, but I still couldn't finish that. What it comes down to is that games with random encounters and turn-based battles really suck. ;) Seiken Densetsu (Secret of Mana) games, Secret of Evermore, and Kingdom Hearts are some of the best RPGs ever made, and hell, Secret of Evermore wasn't even that great. It just so happens that they're a joy to play through and some of them even manage to have the great RPG qualities that other, more boring RPGs tend to have. I really never understood the draw to turn-based battles because all it is is the same thing every time: select Attack, or maybe pick a spell from the Magic list. Use an item now and then. You never have to move your character around to dodge and you never have the opportunity to use any sort of skill (with few exceptions, such as Quest 64. That battles system was better than most turn-based ones).

How you people can play these games and enjoy them, I'll never know.

vegeta1215

07-27-2005, 01:33 AM

That's my problem exactly! I'm such a damn completist that by the time I've been to one end of the world and back a few hundred times trying to get everything, I just plain start to lose interest.

Yep, same here. It's been six years since I picked up Final Fantasy VI on my SNES. I'm still building levels and trying to get everyone to learn every spell I can before heading into Kefka's tower.

Now that you mention it, it's something I really need to stop doing - you know, being so worried about missing something in a game. Doing so can really change your experience.Then again, if every game made every item available at any point in the game (like many Zelda games do), we wouldn't have to worry.

Darth Marsden

07-27-2005, 07:49 AM

It's legal? So it's safe for me to assume, then, that you dumped the ROM of the game yourself from your particular FF2 cart and are being extra careful not to play it at the same time that your friend is playing the original game on the real system? I find that hard to believe. ;)

Anyway, I really can't stand turn-based RPGs. It completely ruins the experience for me and bores me so fast I usually don't get more than a few hours in. Super Mario RPG is one of the two turn-based games I've beaten, probably because its battles manage to stay interesting despite taking turns (the other is Pokemon, which was also pretty fun despite being turn-based). Final Fantasy 6 became so boring for me at the end that I couldn't bring myelf to beat the final dungeon. I quit after leaving the city in FF7. I quit early on in FF8 because the only thing that interested me was Triple Triad. I can't even play the NES FF games because I think they're so terrible. Chrono Trigger managed to remain exciting long enough for me to get a ways into it, but I still couldn't finish that. What it comes down to is that games with random encounters and turn-based battles really suck. ;) Seiken Densetsu (Secret of Mana) games, Secret of Evermore, and Kingdom Hearts are some of the best RPGs ever made, and hell, Secret of Evermore wasn't even that great. It just so happens that they're a joy to play through and some of them even manage to have the great RPG qualities that other, more boring RPGs tend to have. I really never understood the draw to turn-based battles because all it is is the same thing every time: select Attack, or maybe pick a spell from the Magic list. Use an item now and then. You never have to move your character around to dodge and you never have the opportunity to use any sort of skill (with few exceptions, such as Quest 64. That battles system was better than most turn-based ones).

How you people can play these games and enjoy them, I'll never know. Oh, shush you. It's the GBA port anyway - he's playing FF1, I'm playing FF2. Which in my mind is legal. Well, it is at the moment, anyway - my gaming PC's dead and I can't play squat.

People tend to play turn based RPGs because that's what they think RPGs are. if you take away the turn based battles, you're not really left with a true RPG, you're left with an action/adventure with RPG elements. Some people get a real thrill out of all that stat watching (something I quite enjoy myself), and some people don't. It's a matter of choice. Modern games do go some way to having your characters look a little more active - I'll draw your attention to Skies of Arcadia where you characters move around during battle and actually look busy while everything else goes on. It's quite nice really.

I will say though that I am almost at my wits end with random battles. More games need to do what Chrono Trigger did - have enemies appear from bushes or whatnot, and most importantly give you the opportunity to avoid them if you so wish.

When you mention Triple Triad in FF8, do you mean the card game, cause that was fun. More sub-quests like that please!

Shadowblazer

07-27-2005, 08:46 AM

When you mention Triple Triad in FF8, do you mean the card game, cause that was fun. More sub-quests like that please! Yes, Triple Triad was the card game in FF8.

Axel

07-29-2005, 10:29 AM

I never touched the FF9 card game, or Blizball for that matter.

Usually with the FF's I'll get to very close to the final boss, get my ass kicked, lose interest and pick up something else. Did it in FF1, FF9 (came back a year or so later with the ultimate weapons and kicked his ass, though), and FF10. I really didn't like FF10, big contrast with FF9. 10 seemed like I was playing one long cinematic, I didn't really explore the overworld at all, I just ran in a straight line. The only control I really seemed to have was in battles. It wasn't until Jecht killed me for the fifth time that I decided to go back and see if I missed anything, and the game seemed designed that way because you had no overworld control.
FFCC is confusing the hell outta me. Is there a story at all? I completed year two and so far I haven't figured out a plot at all, haven't seen anything to earn it the title RPG. Fun, though.
Golden Sun (I and II) are probably the last RPG's I played and seriously enjoyed. And damn, those were really good games....

fatcatfan

07-29-2005, 10:44 AM

FFCC is confusing the hell outta me. Is there a story at all? I completed year two and so far I haven't figured out a plot at all, haven't seen anything to earn it the title RPG. Fun, though.The story comes in bits and pieces over several years, but it's there. It's been a while since I played, but I think it takes about 10 years before you really get the whole story, and some of the progress is dependent on which places you choose to visit.

Dechipher

07-29-2005, 09:00 PM

I thought it was kinda boring after a while. After like, year four it just seemed like it was the exact same stuff, but my characters were too weak to do anything.

FF9 was fun, but I felt there were too many "story scenes". It was neccesary, for the plot, but it was still kinda monotonous. Also one of my favorite RPGs, oddly enough.

Link 101

07-30-2005, 10:38 AM

Darth Marsden

07-30-2005, 02:16 PM

If you don't want a game with too much hightech crap and whatnot...try Tales of Symphonia for the GameCube or PS2. GREAT RPG...no guns...some technology....but that is because it is more fantasy with elves and what not. It's a good game with a solid story line. A nice long one too so it doesn't end right away like some RPGs tend to do. Try it out...some RPGs can be good...it's just a matter of opinion really. I fully intend to pick that up, along with Paper Mario, when they both drop down (or I see them second-hand) for £20. They're both 30-ish at the moment and I hardly EVER pay that much for a game. Exceptions are Mario, Zelda, Metroid, GTA, etc. You know, the GUARENTEED good stuff.

Axel

07-31-2005, 10:53 PM

zoraking

07-31-2005, 11:12 PM

The science fiction theme has ruined the series for me. FF7 came out when I was in Junior High, so I was again excited...it looked promising. Now I must say I was hooked on it for the week or so it took me to finish. However, I soon was frustrated at all of the flying and the submarines and the minigames and other nonsense. Characters who use guns, and a futuristic setting rather than a classic medieval.

When I was younger, I couldn't agree more. The even mere thought of a Final Fantasy having a gun pissed me off. That was just so un-Final Fantasy. But maybe you need to sit down and play Final Fantasy IX. It goes back to medieval times.

Personally, Final Fantasy VII is my least favorite. It just plain sucks. This is what I would do: Play Final Fantasy VIII, it is the one that is the furthest into the future. Compared to it, the rest will seem not so futuristic.

Final Fantasy XII will be back to medieval times, though it's battle system is kinda of, well, gay.

And by all means, do NOT buy Crystal Chronicles. It IS an insult to the FF logo.

DUWILLI

08-01-2005, 09:17 AM

Yeah, I have been thinking of trying some of them out just on the principle that the 8/16 bit console ones were some of my most favorite games.

They deserve that much at least.

And about Morrowind...that game is TOO huge, lol. If that had a 4 person LAN mode, it would be PERFECT. I get too bored too fast because the story doesn't keep you in it like the Final Fantasy series did...you can just run around and murder everyone, which loses fun after a while.

Oh and I recently saw the tech demo of Final Fantasy 7 for the PS3...that console is looking better and better...if only they would ship it at a REASONABLE price...

I may go ahead and play through 7 again...if I can find my discs. I guess I could always acquire the PC version too.

Darth Marsden

08-01-2005, 09:22 AM

Got through year three of FFCC before I returned it. Don't think I'll rent it again, though. The game reminds me of Ratchet and Clank, for some reason; but without the silliness and colorful characters.

Does anyone know if FFX-2 is any better than FFX. It just got irritating having so little real control while playing FFX, every five minutes or so another cinematic, no overworld map, all that stuff. Good story, but I'm playing a game, not a novel. FFX-2... I've never played it, but I've heard so much against it that I honestly have no intention of doing so. I believe I read somewhere (quite possibly elsewhere on this forum) that it was "The reason Square-Enix shouldn't make sequels". Ouch.

If you enjoyed the crystal thing from Final Fantasy III (The proper III from the NES, not the III-VI one with machines and whatnot which was on the SNES) then you might enjoy it, but otherwise you might want to give it a miss. Always baffled me why their first direct sequel in the Final Fantasy universe was for the weakest game in the series. Oh well.

Still... looking forward to the FFVII games!

I may go ahead and play through 7 again...if I can find my discs. I guess I could always acquire the PC version too. Ah, FFVII on the PC. Memories... I remember there was a pretty cool mod that replaced the Cloud's player model to... Sephiroth. Fun, especially when you get to the Honey bee Inn... ;)

Lemme see if I can dig it up...

EDIT: Got it. Be warned. It's not perfect, and there are problems. The most noticable is when in battle - only the first Limit Break has been altered, so the rest just make the game crash. Other then that, it's pretty good. Read the ReadMe! (http://www.ff7citadel.com/downloads/index.shtml)

Monica

08-01-2005, 12:42 PM

I'm really enjoying FF10, but the plot is like the most important to me. If the plot keeps me entertained, I can make my way through bad gameplay, but the battles are cool and I din't really mind the limited OW. But unlike Axel, my favorite RPGs are ones with lots of long cutscenes. But the reason I like FF10 is because the story revolves around Yuna, like I love ToS because it revolves around Colette. And I love Morrowind because it's as close to an MMORPG as I can get, and I like doing quests on it.

Axel

08-01-2005, 12:52 PM

Darth Marsden

08-01-2005, 01:23 PM

When I want a story, I go to the library. When I go to Blockbuster, I expect a game. C'mon, who else loves the old Sonic and Mario games? Totally nonsensical, but lots of fun. I don't think a game's worth playing if it feels like you're watching it. I LOVE the old Sonic games. Why don't they make those anymore? Why is it always about exploration? The old games were about speed... I miss that. The new DS one looks like it's going some way to fix that, but it took them forever to get it right...

Axel

08-01-2005, 02:10 PM

I thought they have the opposite problem. I loved the long levels that had you moving in every direction to get through. The new GBA ones seem to be just run in a straight line and you'll get through.

Darth Marsden

08-01-2005, 02:18 PM

I know, that's why I don't really enjoy them as much as I should. The old ones were great in that they were both fast and made you dizzy. You zoomed pretty much all over the place, and you don't get that these days. Sigh.

vegeta1215

08-01-2005, 02:39 PM

When I want a story, I go to the library. When I go to Blockbuster, I expect a game...Totally nonsensical, but lots of fun. I don't think a game's worth playing if it feels like you're watching it.

Same here. That's the reason I'm holding off on buying Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes - every review I've read said there are more cinematics than game.

I LOVE the old Sonic games. Why don't they make those anymore? Why is it always about exploration? The old games were about speed... I miss that. The new DS one looks like it's going some way to fix that, but it took them forever to get it right...

I love'm too, which is why I bought the Sonic Mega Collection. If you want speed in a new Sonic game, check out Sonic Heroes. Of the 3d Sonic games, it feels the most like the classic ones.

The game does have it's flaws though: the camera is a pain sometimes, and some levels are really hard and I'm sure you will want to throw your controller against the wall after you've fallen to your death for the 20th time in a row. But, there's is a lot of good in the game, and it is worth the $20 price tag.

EDIT: This fall Sega is putting out the Sonic Gems collection, which has Sonic CD and a few rare Sonic games. I'm not sure I'm going to buy it since Sonic CD is all I'd like to play, but I may rent it.

Darth Marsden

08-01-2005, 03:01 PM

I have Sonic Heroes, and I hate it. Not hate as in 'Eh, it's not great' but hate as in 'Oh dear god, this is the most abysmal game I have ever played!'. The levels make no sense, there's no flow (How did we get from a haunted house to a jungle?), the clipping is appaling, the character voices are eardrum-burstingly bad, the camera consistantly fails to keep up with the action and you're not even controlling the characters half the time. I play it only because I feel I have to, and even then I can't play it for long - I find myself finding more and more things wrong with it every time I play. And don't even get me started on the Chaos Emerald stages!

I have the Sonic Mega Collection and I'll get the Sonic Gems Collection as well, but I still prefer to play the games on my PC with an emulator, because...
1) They look better.
2) I can edit them and essentially make my own game.
3) Save states! Sometimes you just want to quick save and do something else, continuing from where you left off a few hours later.

And I'm STILL waiting for that SegaSonic The Hedgehog arcade game. For some reason I have memories of playing it in Japan, despite the fact that I've never been...

Monica

08-01-2005, 05:36 PM

When I want a story, I go to the library. When I go to Blockbuster, I expect a game. C'mon, who else loves the old Sonic and Mario games? Totally nonsensical, but lots of fun. I don't think a game's worth playing if it feels like you're watching it.

To me it feels like you're watching a movie and participating in it and I really like that. I liked platformers when I was a kid, but as I got older, plot became more important, but I still like the Mario and Sonic ones I grew up with, but these days I'd rather have a story intense RPG then a new platformer with unfamilliar charecters. It's just me though. ^_^

zoraking

08-01-2005, 05:51 PM

Eh, don't worry about it. There aren't any HUGE Squaresoft fans at AGN as far as I know.

Hello vegeta, nice to meet you. Squaresoft is all I play. I have all the Final Fantasies, I have both Chrono games, and every once in a while, I play Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Other than that, everything else is just, "buh"...

Darth Marsden

08-01-2005, 07:42 PM

So you never play a Sega game, or a Nintendo one, or anything by Capcom, Rare, Bungie, Rockstar, Neversoft, etc...

From the sound of it, I have more Square games then you, and I don't really care what people say. They were really good once, they lost it, and now they're starting to get it back - that's my opinion, but I'm more than happy to let others express theirs. I'll argue with them about it afterward, but Hey! That's generally what people with opposing views do. At least here, we soften the blow with smilies :D

Suck it up, soldier. You'll have your day. :sly: (I don't get to use that one very often, thanks for giving me the chance :heart: )

Grasshopper

08-01-2005, 07:58 PM

This fall Sega is putting out the Sonic Gems collection, which has Sonic CD and a few rare Sonic games. I'm not sure I'm going to buy it since Sonic CD is all I'd like to play, but I may rent it.

Its also got Vectorman 1 and 2 if you like those. :tongue:

To me it feels like you're watching a movie and participating in it and I really like that. I liked platformers when I was a kid, but as I got older, plot became more important, but I still like the Mario and Sonic ones I grew up with, but these days I'd rather have a story intense RPG then a new platformer with unfamilliar charecters. It's just me though. ^_^

I'm sort of the other way around. I just don't have time anymore to play games, or sit down and play one game for a total of 40+ hours. Since I can't spend as much time on them, I just don't get as much enjoyment out of them. So I'd rather go for those games that can be beaten in about 6 hours, or fast paced action games where I can jump in and jump out, without having to invest much time.

vegeta1215

08-02-2005, 03:03 AM

And don't even get me started on the Chaos Emerald stages!

You got me there. Those special stages are the worst. They're nearly impossible to beat and sadly you have to collect all of the Chaos Emeralds to fight Metal-Sonic.

Darth Marsden

08-02-2005, 07:52 AM

I'm almost proud to say that I have two emeralds. Which is pretty amazing seing as you can't even cheat. The only Action Replay codes that are even remotely useful are 999 Rings, Infinite Lives and Infinite Score, none of which do anything in those f**king stages. GRR.

Getting back on topic a bit, I love this game. (http://www.gamingw.net/games/47)

Axel

08-02-2005, 10:06 AM

Out of idle curiousity, was Metal Sonic any good? My brother got to him (having a talent for Sonic bonus stages, no matter how stupid) but I didn't see him before we returned the game. I remember from Sonic & Knuckles that the Knuckles final boss was Super Metal Sonic (we affectionately called him Super Chuck) and he was kickass.

Darth Marsden

08-02-2005, 11:17 AM

No idea, I have trouble playing the game for more then 30 minutes at a time. F**KING CLIPPING!!! One of these days I'll finish it. One of these days. I've seen him in cutscenes though (the one's where he's just copied the data of the ultimate life form, as well as the intro cutscene), and he looks totally bad-ass. If you've played him in the multiplayer bit on Sonic Adventure 2 battle, I think he looks like that, but I can't guarentee it.

And I was wrong, cheats do help in the Special Stages. I was using 'Super Boost' to get the third emerald (I now have four, thank you GSCentral.com) and I accidentally went past it, so I was boosting away wondering 'Where the hell is the emerald?' It was only when I looked at the progress bar that I realised the emerald was behind me! I had to stop my characters dead in their tracks and wait for it to pass me, which I'm sure is not supposed to happen. Oops.

Axel

08-02-2005, 06:29 PM

You mean turbine-belly? I've seen the other rendering of him in Adventure, the black one. That was alot better, can't figure out why they went with turbine.

zoraking

08-03-2005, 12:17 AM

From the sound of it, I have more Square games then you, and I don't really care what people say.

Actually, I have them all, (except Kingdom Hearts and Vargant Story) those were just the ones I play the most.

Grasshopper

08-03-2005, 02:03 AM

...except Kingdom Hearts...

And you call yourself a fan?! ;) Kingdom Hearts is an excellent game IMHO, and thats not just because it has Donald Duck either. :)

Darth Marsden

08-03-2005, 07:45 AM

Yeah, but the GBA one went all card-ish and I don't like card games. Bleh. Still gonna get the PS2 ones though.

Back to Metal Sonic - it's weird. I've had another look (still haven't finished the f**king thing, and it doesn't look like I will anytime soon), and I think he looks more like his Sonic 3 Knuckles incarnation with his Sonic Adventure 2 Battle face. If that makes sense. Still looks BadAss though.

EDIT: Pictures! Note - potential spoilers ahead.

http://ghz.emulationzone.org/sonic/heroes/heroes_34.jpghttp://sost.emulationzone.org/sonic_heroes/movies/metal1.jpg

Axel

08-03-2005, 09:39 AM

That's hideous. And I don't mean the one that's supposed to be ugly. Somehow I expected an ominous looking figure.

Darth Marsden

08-03-2005, 11:50 AM

The one on the left is the REAL end-game boss, while the one on the right is from a rendered cutscene. He looks pretty cool in the cutscenes, but I haven't played his boss form yet, so I don't really know how he really appears in that.

dandruff man

08-04-2005, 01:17 PM

Okay here is the definative argument. (okay really just my opinion but in my head it is definative) FF 6 is where the series ended. FF VII is just popular becuase it was marketed way too much. I belive it was the first FF game advertised on TV. I remember watching the commercials and anticipating it.

While the graphics become better and better on the PS2, the story line and gameplay hold nothing to the SNES and NES games. FF VII is not the flagship of RPG's, it is the flagship of what advertising of an RPG does. (i.e. TV, video game magazines) Im sorry, fighting the evil Shinra corp. is nothing new. People fight corporate america everyday. (by the way doesn't the shinra corporation and Wal-Mart hold some similarities with trying to rule the world? maybe Square should of put Wal-Mart as the main villan in the game. :laughing: )

How many movies and games already have this plot line? See my point? FF 6 and under are clearly the best half of this series. The sad part is that FF6 and below are games that came out over a decade ago, and we are dawning on the 20th year anniversary of FF. (yikes Im old! i remember getting the game new as a kid!)

So that means younger gamers dont realize how amazing these games are and so in RPG polls of course the younger ones are going to say games like FF VII becuase that is all they remember.

FF VIII sucked so much i didnt even want to play it, and IX made me happy because it went back to some of the FF roots, and X and X2, well it is a good game, but they could of titled the game something other than FF, and i think nobody would notice. (like maybe Xenogear 2? lol )

And FF XI online? dont even get me started. It is the only online RPG that i know of that is so solo quest unfriendly i quit playing it. I have a life, i dont have time to sit around and wait for a lvl 50 w. mage and b. mage so i can survive and progress in this utterly pointless game that takes up too much time. I have a life ya know! My friends, girlfriend, and family take priority over FF online and i just dont have time for that crap! Although i did love the game play and graphics and progressing story line. So to me FF XI is retarded and awesome wrapped up into one.

FF XII is looking promissing to bring back that old school FF feel (old school medievl times mixed with modern and futureistic technology) , so i hope and hope that it happens.

Anyway, sorry for the long post, but as an old school gamer and lover of the FF sereis, i have much love and bitterness.

:angry: / :love:

Saffith

08-04-2005, 02:09 PM

I belive it was the first FF game advertised on TV. I remember watching the commercials and anticipating it.FFVI was advertised, but not nearly as much as FFVII. They had a TV ad where Mog was sitting at a desk, dealing with a long line of monsters waiting to come in and be destroyed. A popular ad, though you don't hear much about it these days.

Im sorry, fighting the evil Shinra corp. is nothing new.Neither is fighting the evil empire, or some generic incarnation of evil. Shinra wasn't the main enemy anyway. Sephiroth was.

How many movies and games already have this plot line?Agreed. The whole "insane superhuman soldier blows a big hole in the world so he can absorb the souls within and become a god" thing has absolutely been done to death.