A Concept Forgotten: Relating to Characters

I have to write about this, although I know that I'm going to take a pounding from a lot of you on this board lol. Anyways, like novels, I love to take the time to really get to know the characters in my RPGs. I like finding a character that I can really relate to, one that shares similar character traits as me and maybe had a similar past. When reading a book, you never get a visual image of the character so its easy to fall in love with and declare similarities with a totally over the top character (unless of course its described to you in the most concrete way ever), heck it could be a talking hippo for peet's sake and it wouldn't matter because you can't actually see it, its all up to your imagination.

That's a big draw back for Final Fantasies in my opinion. Gamers actually SEE the characters. You can give them as good of a personality as you want, but if its Cait Sith walking around on your screen, its harder for you to relate to that character than to say Cloud because of their physical differences. I'm sure not everyone on this board plays RPGs for the story or the cast, but I like playing a game that not only offers me great gameplay, but also offers me a good cinematic feel. I guess thats why I have chosen Final Fantasy over all other RPGs in this world as my favorite video game series (although that opinion is starting to dwindle).

Now then, on to the concept forgotten. Its pretty obvious by just looking at them that the main characters of the several FFXIII games are completely over the top characters severly influenced by Japanese culture. Now I know that Asian culture is a big hit here in North America, but just by looking at them its hard for a non-anime fan to truly be able to find any sort of relationship with the characters. If the game was pure hack and slash which, sorry KH fans, Kingdom Hearts does come off as being, then it would be cool. But this is FINAL FANTASY darn it! But I'm not going to pick on FFXIII, I'm really going to pick on FFX-2. Take the girls from that game. Bright, cheerful sphere hunters that on the inside could relate to a million girls in this world......then there is the outside. Now I don't know if its just me, but how can a little girl possibly relate to a character that seems similar to her in personality but dresses like a ten cent hooker in a good way? In fact, how could she relate to the character at all? That goes for both Riku and Yuna! Paine seems a little more down to earth actually and would probably be easier for someone of the female sex to relate to. Then of course is the question: how the hell can any guy relate to the main characters of FFX-2? Seriously, the only main guy characters, aside from the leader of nu-yevon and the youth league, are made fun of the entire game! Just look at Brother! Now of course, if you're a homosexual, then maybe you can find something to relate to, I'm not saying anything bad about that. All I'm trying to point out here is yet another example of how Square is choosing style over heart in their Final Fantasy games lately.

Seriously, I love to relate myself directly to a charater when playing any FF game, and over the years I have found one distinct charcter in every FF to relate myself to. Zidane in FF9, Irvine in FF8, Cloud in FF7, Locke in FF6, Cain in FF4 etc.....but its becoming aparent to me, that Square may be becoming less interested in characters personalities and more interested in their sense of fashion. I like the way the characters from FF12 are looking, but I really fear for FFXIII. I have to make one last argument to back up this statement before I go. Just look at all the FF7 remakes coming out, with the same characters that we fell in love with back in 1997. The fact that Square keeps falling back on these characters makes me fear that they have lost touch with the ability to relate their characters to their gamers! I know the world is constantly evolving and that generation after generation brings new things to the table as far as trends and interests are concerned, and I wouldn't care even if I were outdated with this stuff, I'd still love to see it in a character. But Square seems to be unable to maybe create a character to relate to its current gamers inner personality, only their outer image. So far, what I see in the FFXIII screenshots only confirms this belief more.

I second this whole opinion. Its not only squareenix that has lost touch of fully developing characters, its just about every single developer. .vyrizzle

Whatever happened to having a strong female lead in a Final Fantasy?  I'd like to see Final Fantasy at least try for gender equality.  I'm sick of seeing female characters in the newer Final Fantasies act like complete flakes!  I want there to be more equality in the series.  I long for the days of FFVI!!!

Cheers!

Jessica

Also, I hate the fact that the casts of each game seem to be getting younger and younger.  Why can't there be more generational equality?  I'd like to see a Final Fantasy game have a cast my age (I'm 24)!  I've been playing the series since the beginning and I have yet to see a cast that isn't cheesey and cute.

The only exceptions are FFVI and FFVII.

Cheers!

Jessica

Also, I hate the fact that the casts of each game seem to be getting younger and younger.  Why can't there be more generational equality?  I'd like to see a Final Fantasy game have a cast my age (I'm 24)!  I've been playing the series since the beginning and I have yet to see a cast that isn't cheesey and cute.

The only exceptions are FFVI and FFVII.

Cheers!

Jessica

SladeMcGowan

Great comment to go along with this topic. I'm really hoping that I can find some sort of medium to relate with Balflear in FFXII mostly because he is in his early 20's, like myself. Age does have a lot to do with it and wether or not SE wants to admit, their audience is getting older now and they better start realizing it.

About the comment criticizing a 17 year old saving the world and all, I agree to some extent, but then again, the people around you can certainly make up for immaturity. Having strong bonds with other people can make you brave and give you the ability to handle things better. Then again, you have a great point about Tidus. All I can ever see a loud-mouth jock like that doing during the apocalypse is peeing himself while sucking his thumb. lol.

Well FFVI does the best job of letting the player know about the lives that the other characters come from and it was done so well that even to this day you will have a hard time finding a game that comes even close to the way this game pulled it off.

SPOILERS

Even Kefka seems much more of a bad guy than sephiroth any day for a couple of reasons.  First off he brain washes terra in the beg.  Second he kills cyan's family and just about everyone in Doma Castle.  Third Kefka destroys the world and does not seem to care about anything except killing.

Sephiroth just kills aeris and destroys a town.

Well FFVI does the best job of letting the player know about the lives that the other characters come from and it was done so well that even to this day you will have a hard time finding a game that comes even close to the way this game pulled it off.

Even Kefka seems much more of a bad guy than sephiroth any day for a couple of reasons.  First off he brain washes terra in the beg.  Second he kills cyan's family and just about everyone in Doma Castle.  Third Kefka destroys the world and does not seem to care about anything except killing.

Sephiroth just kills aeris and destroys a town.

odin2019

First off, please list spoiler warnings if you're going to post something like that....I've played the game and probably most of this board has as well, but please, just in case okay? About Kefka vs Sephiroth, this is a topic all in its own and I do believe that your analysis is far too simple. Yes, Kefka rules because he is truly pure evil. But when comparing the two, you need to look at how SE is presenting its villians, they all have reasons now to do what they're doing. Besides, just killing people doesn't make a villain, intentions make a villain and I truly believe that Sephiroth's intentions are far better told, presented and far more interesting than one insane Kefka.