4 long years. That's how long it has been since Final Fantasy XIII was first revealed to the public, and all Square-Enix fans and graphics lovers were bewitched by it. This month, this highly anticipated game finally, finally makes it to US shores...but I've heard from many people how it doesn't live up to expectations, that it was quite a letdown given the amount of tense buildup the past 4 years have been. Overhype, probably? Becuase similar things happened to other 'most wanted' games like Smash Bros. Brawl and Halo 3, although the wait for both of them was considerably shorter.
But I'm not here to talk about Final Fantasy XIII. Heck, I don't own a PS3 to begin with, and my main point of the blog doesn't revolve around FFXIII. That said, I know quite a few SE fans and their constant chatter about Final Fantasy XIII spurred me to learn more about it as it was released. I picked up a magazine and read its review on the game. 4 stars out of 5? I had half expected FFXIII to sweep perfect review scores and many Games of the Year awards, but apparently critic reception was underwhelming. I read on and the slightly disappointed reviewer had said that although FFXIII was 'so pretty, it hurts', it 'doesn't feel like a real Final Fantasy game'.
The problem with FFXIII to begin with was that it decided that the traditional JRPG direction was getting stale and it attempted to go in a new direction. It was ambitious and wanted to break free of tradition to change, reflecting current gaming trends. However, there is a very fine line between not changing a game series and too much change, and the reviewer as a big fan of the series was let down. And in such an established game series as Final Fantasy, even the slightest deviation from its traditional RPG mold would devastate its most dedicated fans.
A reassuringly familiar logo design, but a completely different game?
I bet you've all experienced this before, right? You pick up a new sequel to a game series you know and love, and then when you start playing you think to yourself 'hey, why'd they remove this feature?' or 'Why doesn't it feel the same?'. At times like those you just feel like reaching out to said game's previous entries to relive what you like about the game series. I know I did.
Sticking to tradition is probably the 'safe' way to continue a game series. It's the game developers' assurance that they'll keep earning big bucks from the fans of their games. It's the very identity of a series of games, something that endears it to gamers and sets it apart as unique from other competitors. For instance, look at the Pokemon series. The same 'catch 'em all' concept was introduced during 1996 and the main line of Pokemon games have remained virtually unchanged in terms of its core gameplay, even up till now. With Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver jst around the corner, fans of the series will always expect the same gameplay elements and love it to the very end. And it's still a million seller. Last I checked Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver gate-crashed the Japanese sales charts and stayed there for quite a long time. And that has happened to pretty much every Pokemon game. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
And yet sometimes remaining on the spot without advancing any further can be a series' undoing. Again, the Pokemon series has come under intense scrutiny by regular gamers who think the tried and tested formula has been 'played out' and old fashioned. Another one which refuses to budge from its comfort zone is the Zelda games. Even after revamping the graphics to a more cel-shaded look (Zelda: Wind Waker), there's no denying that the same tired old formula is still there. Go to a dungeon, get new weapon, beat a boss, repeat. And the weapons are all nearly the same. Go into a new Zelda game and you can always expect a boomerang, arrows, hookshot, etc. It's as predictable as a clock.
New look, same game.
The world is a constantly evolving and changing place, and it stands to reason that the videogames we play should change too. If we stuck to the same old ideas for every generation of games without creating new experiences and innovating on current ones, what would we end up with? Another stagnant gaming industry, another 'death' of videogames (just like the pre-NES era). On a larger scale, the Wii introduced motion controls into games, and the industry has been fired up ever since. Motion controls are still far from dead, since now even Sony and Microsoft are standing up and taking notice by releasing their own motion-enabled controllers. Things have never been more exciting. Of course, there will always be a group against the popularization of motion controls and would rather stick to buttons.
Back to talking about game series, the dilemma is between not changing and changing at all. You change, fans will condemn the new feel and new gameplay. It may even ruin the series as a whole. Final Fantasy with no towns to explore and no potions is just like a Mario game without Goombas. You take out what people love most about the series, you take out what made said series popular in the first place, you're dead. But if you don't change, then that's bad for you too.
So, what do you think should change? Should we gamers be more open-minded to changes in gameplay of our favorite series, or even radical changes in the gaming industry? Or should developers listen to fans more and give them what they want? Which group needs the 'Paradigm Shift' more? Why don't you decide?
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