Favourite Aspect of an FF Title

[leeasato]

I am curious as to which aspect of the game you feel most drawn to. When you first pick up a Final Fantasy title to play, what are you hoping for? A good challenge? Great Battles? Envolved Characters? Epic Music? Mind blowing plotline? Also which are your favorite games in the series. I am curious to see if there is a correlation to what we all love about a game vs. which games make us happiest. I am hoping to open up a discussion that instead of focusing on praising and bashing different main numbered titles, shows a relation as to why each person likes some titles so much and others not.

For example, I love a good plot I would re-read for fun later on wiki, or great music I could spend years listening to after. Most of all I love well developed and evolving characters. I find I am drawn to the games where I feel the most character development takes place, and have interesting make you think (even if its confusing) plotlines. I paticularily love VIII because of Squall's development as a character, and how much he comes into his own throughout the story (contrary to the initial stoic hero which he so often is pinned with...) I also love the characters of IV, VII and X. Which happen to be my more favorites int he series.

For me I can overlook awkward battle mechanics, leveling systems, or graphics as they aren't as important to me.

 

[Sheechiibii]

At first I was just going to say story and characters, but then I read your post and saw the part about overlooking certain things if others made up for it. So I voted for levelling system too, because to me that is also a huge part of the game for me, and it can sway me to like a game even if the story and characters let me down. When I go into a FF game, for certain I'm going in because I want a good story and characters. But then I remembered XII, its story and characters were very lacking to me, and if it weren't for the levelling system, the expansive world and everything else in the game I don't think I would have liked it at all. But I did, I loved it. So I gave it some thought and I think that along with storyline and characters levelling systems are what I love about Final Fantasy. They're so different from many games, usually they give variety and change from usual RGJs and even from each other. Although battle systems can be similar and so can the world maps and other aspects of the games, I really enjoy the fresh new levelling systems they introduce each time.

So my very first thing is characters, then levelling system, and then story. Because even if a story isn't very good, if I fall in love with the characters I'll care about the story.

 

[spoonyrogdrumps]

I had to select each one as I just couldn't over look one without the other. When I first pick up a Final Fantasy title I consider all these aspects and then some. You mention what do I love but also what makes me happy about the games. The way I would describe it is that while I love some more than others most of them are happy experiences.

Also welcome to FFF leeasato. I see that you are new. I hope you enjoy the Forum.

 

[Mystical_Gaming]

Hard one to choose for me between Characters, Story, Music, and Graphics. But if I had to choose then Characters. In a way characters are like a story. Where they came from, the way they act, and even how they dress/represent themselves are a packaged story.

I don't know if I'd like for example FFXIII as much if characters like Lightning as the main character we not around. The graphics could be worse, music not so hot, and as we know the story is meh for FFXIII but I still love my Lightning

 

[Shaissa]

The thing I loved about Square and Enix seperated was Story first... Characters second... Music was a huge plus for many Square-Enix games....... Square with Final Fantasy mostly was big on the Graphics, Enix... not so much... at least not when Playsation came out... Gameplay is funny, cause until this generation really, it was mostly (rpg wise) Tactical, Turnbase, or action (but this only got semi seperated)... So, it really not much difference since their main series (Dragon quest and Final Fantasy) were both Turnbase... but in the end Story first, characters second...

For me though you can have amazing gameplay...amazing music... and Graphics, but if you don't have good characters or story to back it up, then it is 100% useless...

 

[leeasato]

Thanks for the welcome! I have been out of the forum scene for so long I felt it was time to jump back in, and FF is pretty much a hobby for me so I felt this a good place to start!

I just find it interesting to see what we are all looking for and expecting from each new installment. I am also thinking there is probably a strong connection between how much we enjoy a new title based on if it meets what we are looking for. If we love a good challenging battle system and a game with a weak story and characters releases but shows to be fun and challenging, will we love it more then the people who are hoping for another twisted emotional gem plotline and complex characters? Can a battle system, or levelign system save a game for some. Or which of us are looking for the whoel package?

Just... curious....