Are we ready for calling time on Final Fantasy?

Hi all,

does anyone else share my opinion that FF has long run its course? Does anyone care about it anymore? Is it still relevant?

Let's see how the other Fabula Nova titles turns out first.

Upset with 13?

I say no, the game is there with brand recognition so you know you're generally going to get a good game with well polished gameplay, graphics and sound. See, the problem is that when the game switches up the style of play from Turn based to active time battles something like FFXIII or an MMO like 11 and 14 are, people don't like those various iterations. This is fine, can't please everyone every time, but consistently the Final Fantasy series has been critically and commercially a massive success on each one released.

Now if you want to put a series to rest... Sonic or Tomb Raider should have been euthanized a long time ago.

Let's see how the other Fabula Nova titles turns out first.

xWoW_Rougex

Let's not.

Final Fantasy died the moment 11-14 came to life.

Besdies, the Fabula Nova titles are more than likely spinoffs or side-projects and not considered part of the series, IMO.

I still like the Final Fantasy brand. I like the commonalities between all games, such as the names of spells and money. I like that I know at some point I'll see a chocobo and a cactuar. I like turn-based games. Lastly, I also know that with FF, I will get a game with high production values.

Actually, I like that every Final Fantasy is a new adventure. I would definitely tire of it if it was the same story line or the same cast of characters for 13 installments now. But each one is a new game with the added comfort of having instant familiarity with the game mechanics.

How can people say 'the true spirit died long ago'...

I think it's more that the games are all very different, you're not necessarily gonna love every single one. For example there is a lot of hate for X-2 and XIII...i really enjoyed them, and plenty of others did too which keeps the franchise going. Some people love the various titles, some feel disappointed and you can't please everybody. I don't know a lot about Agito for the PSP but XIIIversus is a game i'm seriously hyped for.

With regards to XI and XIV, i don't regard them as FF titles tbh. They shouldn't have been included as part of the main sequence of games, they should have just been 'final fantasy online' or something. I think it's a clear signal that Enix cannot make MMO's. However, many people do like them and enjoy them, so once again, it's down to personal preference.

The point is, that there are enough people who like each game for them to keep producing new titles and i can't see that changing for a long time, especially as they're going through a turgid, difficult period for JRPG's who are constantly bashed in the media.

I love the Final Fantasy series, I really do, but after FFX the series lost its charm, or thats my opinion atleast.

No. Final Fantasy is still a strong series. While it may not be what it once was it is still a great series. It's just evolving in to something a little different now. I understand some people aren't liking it but I'm not quitting any time soon.

One reason why FF11 fails (and 14 in the same manner) is that Final Fantasy has been traditionally not only a graphical and gameplay masterpiece, but a story driven narrative that is dependent upon one player.

To get ANYWHERE in the story in FFXI you have to grind grind grind, and it requires more than one person to push that narrative along. And the pacing is horrible. Grind for about 10 levels, then move on to the next rank/story mission.

Whereas the story progresses nicely and is dependent upon the sole player in other games to progress.

It's like why Spirits Within wasn't well recieved. You cannot really build much caring for the characters that well within the hour and a half of run time, whereas in a true Final Fantasy game, the designers provide hours of cutscenes and story building. The additional time spent playing the game as the characters essentially enhances the connection to the characters in the story for the most part, this is what the movie lacked.

No, not at all. FFXIII is actually keeping my interest in FF alive. FFX-2 was crap, FFXI and FFXIV don't help because I don't like MMO's (that and FFXIV's bad reviews), and I was disappointed with FFXII. FFXIII was actually a great game, IMO, and an enjoyable experience. if not for FFXIII, then I might be thinking the FF series has run it's course.

How about this, when a series (any series) puts out more than one title that is consistently and universally considered bad, then it's time to hang it up.

Final Fantasy has never done that, there have always been fans and haters for each in the series.

..... not sure, but the last FF MMORPG is quickly becoming the proverbial last nail in the coffin :(

If it the same story then yes but it not the same story. ALso there is a stander that comes with the name Final Fantasy. I would say that Final Fantasy 13 has some of the richest enemies I have seen then gen.

Final Fantasy is still going strong. XIII was enjoyable even if its not considered the best.

I think Final Fantasy should go on, as long as it goes back to singleplayer and they get rid of this MMO nonsense.

Square-Enix would be insane to ditch the series; stamp the name on a game and it sells millions. I do think the better days of the series were in the past, but I enjoyed XIII (for one playthrough, anyways). They still have a talented team, it's just a matter of whether or not they can bring it all together. XIII had strong points and some pretty weak points, but the production values were, and will continue to be, off the charts in the series.

How can people say 'the true spirit died long ago'...

DarthJohnova

Simple. Most of the original FF team that made FF a success left Square.

Final Fantasy is still commercially successful and thats pretty much the bottom line for the developers. As long as the games sell well they will continue to make them. I have loved the FF series for a long time however I have to admit things have been in a bit of a decline since FF X. FF XII and XIII were both good games, but didn't have the charm of the others. I have never played any of the MMO's so I won't comment on those. I will say one thing, whether or not you liked the changes in XIII you have to admit its a good sign that Square is willing to take chances and experiment even on such a well established brand and hopefully things will start to pick back up. Looking forward to FF Versus by the way.:D

The name does not even mean anything anymore other than "some JRPG with fancy CGI sequences." I guess when I knew for sure that they didn't really give a **** was when they made a MMORPG and called it Final Fantasy XI instead of calling it Final Fantasy Online or something.

Even with its bad reviews, I would still like to try FFXIV.

As for the series continuing, then sure.

Personally, I would rather see Valkyria Chronicles come back to the PS3. I really don't play portable games.

Interesting debate - obviously its still got a strong following. Im quite frankly bored with it - lost its freshness a long time ago (10 perhaps before). Final Fantasy 12 was just a grind for me, but more than that i just didnt care for the characters or story - it just seems so long winded, and pretentious now. If Final Fantasy was a rock band it would be YES.

I want to see more however i think they need to go back to their roots. Every game they try to do something very different and it usually ends up screwing them over. I haven't enjoyed a FF game since 10 honestly and thats mainly because the combat system to me has been awefull lately

Whilst XII wasn't the best, Balthier is one of my favourite FF characters to date.

Probably not, as long as it stills makes some money.

I say let it continue as the second-rate franchise it is, other than some anime fanboys, who actually cares anymore??

The last game-proper fell off the charts after an initial sales spike once people realized what sort of game it really was, and this latest release shows you how NOT to do an MMORPG.

Let the series limp on to it's eventual death, game-design and the industry has moved on from tedious relics of consoles past like this series.

why would someone want to close the franchise? their games are good, is just some people can't understand each game is different, even xiii was good, just different, i would rather like they stopped the mmorpg thing and continue their good games, i honestly don't know why you opened this thread but they are far from dead and still a major commercial hit

why would someone want to close the franchise? their games are good, is just some people can't understand each game is different, even xiii was good, just different, i would rather like they stopped the mmorpg thing and continue their good games, i honestly don't know why you opened this thread but they are far from dead and still a major commercial hit

Krelian-co

That is the only aspect I find positive in the Final Fantasy series. Not a single game in the franchise is the same. Sure, they borrow ideas from each game, but it never plays the same way and everything is different. New world, new characters, new gameplay mechanics, etc. Sadly, the older Final Fantasy games stand out and maybe some of the latter (such as VII-IX-X). The newer ones, from FFXI to FFXIV? Not so much...

As long as they don't make another game like X, then they should keep putting out FF games.

Probably not, as long as it stills makes some money.

I say let it continue as the second-rate franchise it is, other than some anime fanboys, who actually cares anymore??

The last game-proper fell off the charts after an initial sales spike once people realized what sort of game it really was, and this latest release shows you how NOT to do an MMORPG.

Let the series limp on to it's eventual death, game-design and the industry has moved on from tedious relics of consoles past like this series.

Krystyan68

Square was at its best in the SNES era...with other RPGs along FF like SMRPG or CT...but half the ps2 FFs were good (X and XII)

XIII was a major bust for me...but I'll wait and see with the Versus XIII and Agito to call it quits yet...

What I would love though is a psx collection or ps2 collection redone in HD graphics for the ps3 XD

To me FF lost it's mojo with FFX. It's now just a franchise people will continue to buy because the name is familiar to them. The true spirit of finally fantasy died with FFIX.Peerbreed

Thisis exactly what i was going to say!

I've enjoyed all the Final Fantasy games for the most part, some more than others. I think they should keep making Final Fantasy games, but ditch the name, call them something else.

The Final Fantasy name has just become a big hype generator. Not the good kind of hype either, the kind of hype where everyone goes "OMFG its FINAL FANTASY!!! There's a NEW FINAL FANTASYYYYYYYY!!!!!". Then they play it and say it sucks, not because it's a bad game, but because it didn't live up to all the hype. To be honest, no matter how good a new Final Fantasy game is/was/is going to be, it's not going to live up to the hype and everyone is going to hate it.

i think the problem is most games these days are focused on looking pretty and fast gameplay, is like story and characters have been forgotten, also i haven't seen the small details that made old ffs great.

i think the problem is most games these days are focused on looking pretty and fast gameplay, is like story and characters have been forgotten, also i haven't seen the small details that made old ffs great.

Krelian-co

XIII did have a really good storyline...well...it did have a lot of character building...but the battle system felt wonky and yea it needed some minigames or side quests.

If they could make a FF like X again where you had all those sidequests for the celestial weapons and the two minigames chocobo racing and blitzball it would be great.

I guess I also prefer the CTB battle system XD lol...but hey what they did in XII was pretty good in terms of gameplay...just not story wise lol

[QUOTE="Peerbreed"]To me FF lost it's mojo with FFX. It's now just a franchise people will continue to buy because the name is familiar to them. The true spirit of finally fantasy died with FFIX.Tony-F

Thisis exactly what i was going to say!

How about this, when a series (any series) puts out more than one title that is consistently and universally considered bad, then it's time to hang it up.

Final Fantasy has never done that, there have always been fans and haters for each in the series.

SemiMaster

I don't really care if the series "dies" or not. What other people feel about the games is irrelevant to me. I, personally, feel that SE hasn't put out a decent numerical FF game since FFX. (I say numerical, because I enjoyed X-2 and Crisis Core, but they aren't part of this discussion) I bought FF12 and FF13 on faith, and was disappointed in both. So SE is going to have to pull a miracle out of their ass to get me to come back once again.

[QUOTE="Tony-F"]

[QUOTE="Peerbreed"]To me FF lost it's mojo with FFX. It's now just a franchise people will continue to buy because the name is familiar to them. The true spirit of finally fantasy died with FFIX.CarnageHeart

Thisis exactly what i was going to say!

And you're both wrong. What a coincidence! BTW: Despite the presence of Vivi, FF9 would have to radically improve to work its way up to the level of garbage.

Is that really necessary? If you don't like a game, that's fine, but there's no need to call it garbage, or trash the opinion of those who disagree with you.

[QUOTE="Tony-F"]

[QUOTE="Peerbreed"]To me FF lost it's mojo with FFX. It's now just a franchise people will continue to buy because the name is familiar to them. The true spirit of finally fantasy died with FFIX.CarnageHeart

Thisis exactly what i was going to say!

Both wrong? Last I checked, it was strictly a matter of opinion. Some people think the series died at X, others at XI-XIV, like me.

Final Fantasy IX, along with VII, were the two best FFs on that console. Sure, we got Final Fantasy Chronicles (what an awesome game that turned out to be - two of my favorite RPGs of all time on two discs - awesome!) and Anthology, which is great, but as far as new stuff goes, VII and IX were great highlights of the RPG genre on that system.

Of course, in my opinion, FFVII, while spectacular, is overrated and overhyped to death. Also, it wasn't the best FF in the series - that honor belongs to Final Fantasy IV. Also, FFVII was too easy. Once you figured out how to manipulate the gameplay and get the best items and weapons, it was a breeze and therefore offered no challenge. Only time when it did is when you were first starting to play the game and getting everything in time.

FFIX revived my faith in the series. It was everything I could ask for in a Final Fantasy and much more. It was tough, challenging. Problem was, Final Fantasy IX is the shortest FF in history.

As for VIII? Don't ask. Worthless FF in the entire franchise. Should have not existed!

I feel like the Final Fantasy titles should keep going. I mean if you go from the playstation to the mmo to the ds it's like they've branched off and made many stories and experiences with this title, which I think they should continue doing. For example Crystal Chronicles Echoes of Time was such an awesome game, it was cute, challanging, I could beat the game in story mode with my friends via wifi-ing. Ring of Fates had a really good story too and stuck with the cutesy characters with a sweet fight mode. I like being able to switch chars mid battle and through out dungeons. It's also nice that they can remake the old school versions for us to replay like FFIV which I personally enjoyed because the cut scenes and graphics were really good for a hand held and the fighting system was easy to understand and control, and the game was challenging which kept me playing. I don't feel that Final Fantasy really needs to end completely. Maybe certain stories can end and new ones can begin. Final Fantasy Tactics for the GBA was really awesome, good story, challanging, tons of missions and it felt like you were in another world trying to progress to get back home. There may be certain versions of Final Fantasy that some feel are dragging on where as other versions some people would like to see more of.

I dunno, I guess I could go on rambling about the different versions of Final Fantasy out there that I like, and how there are very few that I don't like. I suppose I just don't see a point in ending it. And Tomb Raider rocks LOL.

I played the demo for Tomb Raider Under World a few months ago, and I personally don't think that game should end anytime soon either. It's nice to play a game where you are a female character in a first person shooter that can kick some serious butt. I like the new moves they gave her as far as climbing and flipping around. I enjoyed figuring out the puzzles and defeating the 3 tigers at once to continue on in the game. I wasn't able to defeat the boss because the demo ended but from what I saw visually and how I felt playing it, I'd say they should keep going with it. Games like Resident Evil and Tomb Raider I'd like to see stick around.

I've enjoyed all the Final Fantasy games for the most part, some more than others. I think they should keep making Final Fantasy games, but ditch the name, call them something else.

The Final Fantasy name has just become a big hype generator. Not the good kind of hype either, the kind of hype where everyone goes "OMFG its FINAL FANTASY!!! There's a NEW FINAL FANTASYYYYYYYY!!!!!". Then they play it and say it sucks, not because it's a bad game, but because it didn't live up to all the hype. To be honest, no matter how good a new Final Fantasy game is/was/is going to be, it's not going to live up to the hype and everyone is going to hate it.

Archendrus

YES! I completely agree. If they called it somethingelse...it wouldnt have so muchhype and suddenlypeople would start enjoing the series again, I've been telling my friends this for years, finally another person with the same opinion. :)

Even after all these years, Final Fantasy managed to stay at the top, Square has yet to make a false move it seems, as every game in franchise is both a financial and commercial success. With every tittle they practically guarantee a quality game, though I guess they should stop at it, after all some fans are not satisfied with newer games, apparently Final Fantasy has lost it's charm.

Far from it if you ask me, Final Fantasy still has it's charm, the games are still based on good old formula, though some changes are bound, and need to happen, which would be the main problem as some fans are not thriled with any changes whatsoever, even though the franchise may benefit from it. Which leads me me to Final Fantasy XII, a game superior to it's predecessors in almost every aspect, but still bashed for trying to evolve Final Fantasy.