The Supposedly Final Game! (Final Fantasy Thread)

[BananaShiki]

VI=X=Crisis Core>All

[ItsaRandomUsername]

Oooh? A Fantasy thread? Now we're talking my language.


[GIGANTO-RANT INCOMING]

As far as favorites go, I'm pretty indecisive. My first Final Fantasy game proper was IV, though I had prior exposure to others years before I even touched one of the games. IV has a bit of a special place in my heart because NOSTALGIA.

My favorites are actually some weird toss-up between (in no particular order) VI, VII, V, IX and VIII for the "main series". The Tactics games are pretty cool beans, so they get notable honors. VI has delicious 16-bit graphics, good music, great characters (KEFKAAAAAAA in particular, with Terra and Shadow as runner-ups), enjoyable story and fun gameplay (Esper system FTW, but LOL at the unreliability of the Limit Breaks).

VII, say what you will about the characters and whatever, but I thought and still think that the game is great fun. The Materia system really made me think strategically since it was a watered-down version of the Esper system without the perma-learning for magic. And Limit Breaks are WIN. I wish the interface was less - primitive, but eh, no big. And skippable cutscenes for Summons. Not that I don't like the sequences, far from it, but the option to avoid them with the tap of a button would've been welcome.

I do, however, despise the conceitedness of the Chocobo Racing/Breeding/Catching with a passion. It's innovative even today, but man is it a pain in to raise up the biggest, most badass giant chicken EVAR.

Crisis Core also endeared itself to me. Call me an emotional sap but I found myself getting dry-throat and watery-eyed at the ending even though I knew what was going to happen. If something can move me like that it deserves its honors.

I can understand the complaints about VIII but to me it has its own charm. I can't help but like it. It's not bad, it's just different. But Drawing does get tedious after awhile. Won't lie about that. BUT STILL. I had fun with it in the end. Plus I like some of those worldbuilding concepts.

V was fun. Plain and simple, no ifs and buts about it. Same for IX. IX is probably in the top 3 for me, really.

The motherf*cking Dissidia games are the motherf*cking Dissidia games. Actually made me crossover ship and is addictive as hell, man. I've easily clocked in over a hundred hours apiece. Final Fantasy fighting game with the Protags and Villains? Count me in. Duo Decim is even better in certain aspects, too.

X = haven't played yet. Same for X-2.
XI = LoL no.
XII = haven't played yet, either. I gave Revenant Wings a spin, though.
XIV = *see XI*

XIII, say what you will about it, has its good points and moments. I can't bring myself to hate it. Just can't. Plus, y'know, concepts.

XIII-2 I haven't played yet. Will look into it for research purposes if nothing else.

And I want Versus XIII NAOW. Looks fun as hell, if nothing else.


Final note:

BLUE MAGIC CAN DIE IN A HOUSE FIRE
NOT THAT I HATE IT
BUT
GAH
EASILY MISSED SPELLS MAKE MY INNER COMPLETIONIST SPIT FIRE AND BRIMSTONE

[mewarmo990]

IV is my favorite. I figured it was just nostalgia for an old-school JRPG but I got the PSP port and OMFG it's still soooooo good. DS remake was hard as balls (and weird looking), but I liked what they did in that one, too.

And why is Type-0 not even in the poll?

I like the game and think it works really well for that mobile, train-playing Monster Hunter demographic with the drop-in PvE mechanic. That is to say, good luck marketing it in the USA, lol

Regarding possible localization, Square-Enix is a big company so they can afford to take more risks than smaller localizers. But they're probably wary after XIII bombed outside of Japan. And the PSP market is dead. And it's expensive because there's like 30 different main characters.

Or their PR could just be lying and sitting on the finished translation for a while now, waiting for a good time to announce it.

[TetsuoS2]

As far as favorites go, I'm pretty indecisive. My first Final Fantasy game proper was IV, though I had prior exposure to others years before I even touched one of the games. IV has a bit of a special place in my heart because NOSTALGIA.

Played The Complete Collection, it was pretty good, kinda easy, but still GOLBEZ, and Kain, of course.

VII, say what you will about the characters and whatever, but I thought and still think that the game is great fun. The Materia system really made me think strategically since it was a watered-down version of the Esper system without the perma-learning for magic. And Limit Breaks are WIN. I wish the interface was less - primitive, but eh, no big. And skippable cutscenes for Summons. Not that I don't like the sequences, far from it, but the option to avoid them with the tap of a button would've been welcome.

I do, however, despise the conceitedness of the Chocobo Racing/Breeding/Catching with a passion. It's innovative even today, but man is it a pain in to raise up the biggest, most badass giant chicken EVAR.

Crisis Core also endeared itself to me. Call me an emotional sap but I found myself getting dry-throat and watery-eyed at the ending even though I knew what was going to happen. If something can move me like that it deserves its honors.

VII, gets as much hate as much as it is loved, I liked it, though the only thing I liked about the Compilation was CC, and VII. Also, why didn't they finish it already? They left the fact that Genesis still exists and is probably one of the few people that still have Jenova Cells.

I can understand the complaints about VIII but to me it has its own charm. I can't help but like it. It's not bad, it's just different. But Drawing does get tedious after awhile. Won't lie about that. BUT STILL. I had fun with it in the end. Plus I like some of those worldbuilding concepts.

They didn't probably like the Orphanage Scene and how variable the difficulty was, you could have end-game stats by mid-end disc one if you played Triple Triad a lot. Easily my favorite, nostalgia glasses.

The motherf*cking Dissidia games are the motherf*cking Dissidia games. Actually made me crossover ship and is addictive as hell, man. I've easily clocked in over a hundred hours apiece. Final Fantasy fighting game with the Protags and Villains? Count me in. Duo Decim is even better in certain aspects, too.

This is probably the game I played the most, even if it wasn't my favorite. I've probably clocked over a thousand hours from the Japanese Dissidia, to the English Duodecim. Those Labyrinths are annoying.

And I want Versus XIII NAOW. Looks fun as hell, if nothing else.

Me too, that damn thing was announced back in 2006?, yet we still have as much info as we did back when it was announced.

And why is Type-0 not even in the poll?

I like the game and think it works really well for that mobile, train-playing Monster Hunter demographic with the drop-in PvE mechanic. That is to say, good luck marketing it in the USA, lol

Regarding possible localization, Square-Enix is a big company so they can afford to take more risks than smaller localizers. But they're probably wary after XIII bombed outside of Japan. And the PSP market is dead. And it's expensive because there's like 30 different main characters.

Or their PR could just be lying and sitting on the finished translation for a while now, waiting for a good time to announce it.

I forgot, again. It is annoying, Square doesn't usually do this kinda crap to us. Even the Dissidias' localizations were announced almost immediately. Heck, XIII-2 got an almost simultaneous release.

[ItsaRandomUsername]

Except for this sweet gameplay trailer.



And a tenuous date of maybe 2012. Dunno.

Still, do yourself a favor and watch in high-def if you haven't done so already.

[TetsuoS2]

Heh, ever since I heard he looked like Sasuke, I was never to get it out.

[EXiku]

For me, like for many people owning a PSX as their likely first console, my first FF was FFVII. It has an incredibly special place in my heart - I replayed that game four times consecutively for the story and characters alone - not once did I defeat Emerald/Ruby though...It influenced my storytelling/writing in ways Hironobu Sakaguchi can't imagine - because I love that game so much, I can't accept Crisis Core/Dirge of Cerberus/Advent Children/*insert FFVII prequel/sequel here* Call me close-minded or what have you, but I can't forgive SE for doing what they've done to my first loves.

When FFVIII came out, I hated it because it was nothing like FFVII - until a friend told me to replay it with an open mind, because he liked it for the romantic aspects. I replayed it and fell in love - not to mention I gained insight I should have always had (but playing it at 13/14 I was quite immature and didn't know how to appreciate things on their own) FFVIII was never meant to be like FFVII and with that realisation and understanding, I was able to enjoy it for what it was and developed the idea that I should judge an RPG based on its characters and story - gameplay, not too fussy about anyway...unless it's as boring as the Paradigm System.

I've worked my way through most main titles in the FF series - still have to finish II, III, IV, V and VI, but I have enjoyed each of their journeys so far, with VI leading the front since I've gotten further in it.

X was a little shaky (being the first without Sakaguchi), but that ending...X-2, no thank you. XII was interesting (read somewhere that it was akin to Greek storytelling, where the story was really about Vayne which made for an interesting perspective)

XIII was meh - the story had potential, but I felt the characters didn't deliver it properly. It had good nuggets of character drama, but it didn't immerse me as much as the Sakaguchi-lead titles (I-IX) I really couldn't care less about any of them - I only ended up liking Hope, since he had consistent development (bar one moment where it almost went belly-up) The rest kind of improved, but then often regressed or were walking contradictions; saying one thing but doing another. XIII-2, having finished it recently, just makes me wonder why any of what was going on was necessary - it again had good moments of character drama (mainly at the very end), but as I've said before...I had to make up my own story to find a reason to finish it. Not to mention I don't feel they handled the time travel aspect properly - I like time travel stories, and even FFVIII had a better theory than what XIII-2 came out with. A lot of things (in terms of story) just doesn't sit well with me about it...

I'm far too critical for my own good, I feel...but my faith in SE has been dropping. In the midst of it all, when I played WotL I felt a magic I had been missing, but while I loved it I remembered it was a game from Sakaguchi's time, so SE could hardly be given credit for it. I've yet to even start/finish the other side titles - Tactics Advance; A2; CC; Crystal Bearers; Echoes of Time; Ring of Fates...

Bar FFXII, I just feel that currently SE is trying to recapture the 'phenomenon' that occurred with FFVII; oh an FFVII sequel didn't work? Let's create a game with an almost identical cast of characters in an almost identical world! That's not working?! I know! Let's make an FFVII prequel based on Zack - everyone loves Zack and they know next to nothing about him!

[Tracer]

is this ff7

[TetsuoS2]

I'm far too critical for my own good, I feel...but my faith in SE has been dropping. In the midst of it all, when I played WotL I felt a magic I had been missing, but while I loved it I remembered it was a game from Sakaguchi's time, so SE could hardly be given credit for it. I've yet to even start/finish the other side titles - Tactics Advance; A2; CC; Crystal Bearers; Echoes of Time; Ring of Fates...

This, I think ever since the merger, critical or not, Final Fantasy started its downward spiral.

I just really hope that we get localized versions of the rest of Fabula Nova Crystallis(Versus and Type - 0), maybe it could still do something.

[nununu]

Crystal Defenders is best Final Fantasy.

[TetsuoS2]

How 'bout your favorite Cid, guys?

Prolly a tossup between CidVII and CidIV for me.

Though CidVIII is kinda special:

[Lycodrake]

Cid from VII is my favorite Cid.

[Mcjon01]

Gotta love Thunder God Cid, making half your characters obsolete by being awesome.

[nununu]

Gotta hafta go with Orlandu on this one. Because, dammit, he's Thunder God Cid.

[Laith]

There's too many Cids.

But the one that exploded and survived a nuclear bomb is the best! (CidIV) Honorable mention to CIDXII for being nuts and awesome at the same time.

[KENTA]

Cid XII was probably the only character I liked in that game, so I'll go with him.

[TypeWannabe]

CidVII, Orlandeu, because fuck yes Orlandeu, and several other Cids.

[Mcjon01]

But the one that exploded and survived a nuclear bomb is the best!

Orlandeu is a nuclear bomb. Nothing can survive him.

[TetsuoS2]

What can't Jecht Block Do?

Squall's Wristbreaking Moves

Are We Sure Sephiroth Doesn't have Second Magic Like Kojiro?

Anyway, How 'bout your favorite Biggs and Wedge? Or your favorite Moogle? Mine's VIII's and XII's, respectively.

[PhoenixAct]

I voted for VIII.

Love the scene where Squall gives that speech to the entire Garden while The Oath plays over the top. In fact I love that song.

Don't know if it needs to be spoilered or not so...

FFVIII Spoiler

I'm wondering how many people here know Ultimecia's backstory?