@ABEzilla116 The issue is that Japanese developers are looking at the success of Western games. This is why the trend is moving more towards the Western style RPG. Those of us that grew up on JRPG's and other Eastern style games love our genres and want Japan to retain that style of production. However, the most successful games are coming out of the west, and that is the style Japan is trying to mimic. Just look at a game like Resonance of Fate. Great JRPG, but barely a blip on the radar.

Wouldn't any company in this game be constantly looking at hardware improvements? Why is this such a surprise? It shouldn't be, because every game company is constantly looking ahead.

@RedLegZeff Well, Square has explicitly said that they want to move in a more cinematic direction, like FFXIII. I think they're trying to mimic western RPG's more, with less intricate, turn based type battles, and more action oriented battles. I'm not sure how they view the performance and criticism of FFXIII, but how they view FFXIII and it's "success" will most likely determine the direction of the next FF game.

@AnGiTheGamer I wouldn't say they aren't trying. With every new game, they do something different and you can see all the work they put into making the games the very best productions they can be. FFXIII has some incredible things about it that are unrivaled, like their cut scenes and the fast paced, cinematic battles. It's not about "not trying", it's about moving in a direction that players aren't interested in. FFXIII wouldn't get nearly as much backlash from fans if it wasn't as linear as it is and if the story and characters were more interesting. Most of the complaints are geared towards these points, as the gameplay receives far less complaints. We all crave for that nostalgia of the games we played ten years ago, but don't forget that progress is always the best way to get those fantastic, new games. It took 7 games in the core FF series for Square to create a game that is seen as the series first, big milestone. They can't always create a new FF7 with every new game, so it may be a while before we get the next, great FF game on an FF7 level.

@mdchapel9 Why? You can't just enjoy the original version? Would you really plunk down another $40-60 just for a graphical enhancement on a game you can get on PSN for $15?

How many new versions of FFVII do we need? I understand their point. They want a new property that gains the kind of reputation and numbers that FFVII did. But really, how many versions do fans need? If it's the same game with a mere graphical update, is it really that big of a deal. I agree. I would rather see Square put all it's time and focus into creating another, truly wonderful title than to revisit old ones. They'd also have to do some rewrites on the script and throw in some VA work. Personally, I think they need to focus on getting games like FFXIII Versus out the door before they get to this. Hopefully, one day, we'll get another milestone game out of Square that's something on the level of FFVII.

Would love to play this. Really hoping this comes stateside at some point.

@nocoolnamejim Trust me when I tell you, they didn't.

@vannacut The ability to change the traffic lights and create a massive pile up was enough for me to want this game. And then, of course, you have the ability to play around with the city in so many other ways. But stuff like that is what will get me to play the game. It's unique and it looks like a ton of fun.

Graphics are all fine and dandy, but they don't drive a game for me. What I really seek in these new games are interesting ways to play them. I could care less about how pretty a game looks if it's just another COD clone. Watch Dogs didn't grab me because of how pretty it was, it grabbed me because of how unique it's gameplay is. Using the city as a weapon is an awesome idea, and I am eager to try it out. I think that there is this overrated idea that continually pushing tech and graphics will improve games, but games can't be improved if people aren't thinking outside the box. Indie gaming is immensely popular right now for a reason, and more often than not, those games have low quality graphics. It's gameplay and story telling that are going to sell games, not how pretty they are (although, with the way some of these games sell, graphics could very well be one of the big selling points).