Final Fantasy gripes

[Darth Ultor]

If you could get an all-inclusive trip out to Japan to be escorted up to the boardroom of Square-Enix, only to find yourself in front of 30 pensive-looking suits who want nothing other than to hear your biggest, peeves with the series (you, a Loyal Gamer, of course), what would you say?

Chickening out is not an option, either. These men don't kid around (Pearl Harbor), and didn't pay your fare out there only to have you give a meek thumbs up and then cash in on fanjunk from their gift shop after. Biggest gripe, folks. What's always aggrieved you about the series, or how the franchise has been managed?

I'd tell them to focus more on having actual characters rather than archetypes. Also, voice acting is one of my biggest gripes. It's just awful. I didn't see anything wrong with text. High fantasy or scifi (or a mix of both) don't matter as long as there is effort put into telling a good story. Focusing more on the stories and characters than flashy graphics is a suggestion I'd give them. Good graphics does not mean it's a good game. I'd say put more adult themes in there too.

 

[SapphireStar]

Im sick of the FFVII cow being milked till it bleeds. Seriously. Also, Id want to tell them since the became Square Enix, to me, pretty much everything they have released has been a big fait fail. It may not be that way for everony, but this is what I stand by. Also I agree with more adult themes, would be nice. And please dont make any more whiny ass characters like Vaan.

 

[Black Butler]

make dissidia 2 on ps3 and a well known online battle mode game for many years,put most of everyone in the game from the series,put some secret characters and non playable characters.

this would be a dream,it would never exist,even on the psp it would be kinda lame.

 

[Martel]

Hmm...

+ Better villain design. Seriously, with the exception of Kefka, all Final Fantasy villains seem to be exactly the same, excluding the aesthetic differences. Its dull. Kefka was a complete psychopath, and I loved him for it. Why can't we have a little more diversity in our villains, instead of the standard creepy old perverts with more complexes than brains and/or the silent, useless pretty-boys in equally pretty coats who have no brains at all beyond "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"? Never mind the short end of the stick, the villains get the stick yanked out of their hands from the offset and get continually prodded with it. They're just minor characters who are around for the sake of the protagonist's development. I'd like to see that change, as it did with Kefka. Lets see someone actually DO SOMETHING for once!

+ Difficulty. Standards for games these days are dropping overall. Compare something like Final Fantasy X with Final Fantasy III or IV and the difference in difficulty is staggering. Difficulty should not just be in optional bosses, it should be a part of the story. Is the term "learning curve" lost on developers these days? I want to be challenged properly, not just have the occasional thing thrown in my face that reminds me I've neglected to level grind for a few hours, or have to hunt for a challenge. You should HAVE to fight these super-ultra-mega-hyperforce-GO! bosses, not be given the choice in the matter.

+ Better voice acting, and lots of it. Come on, Square Enix. You make insane sums of money. Can you not afford to hire a proper, decent voice cast? Its getting worse and worse with each instalment. FFX was barely tolerable. FFXII was saved only by the awesome dialogue. FFXIII is looking to be absolutely godawful in the voice acting department. Would it REALLY kill them to hire a decent voice cast for an entire game?!

...I'll add more as I think of more~

 

[greenyxi]

I quite liked the voice acting in 10. Every voice suited each person well and wasn't boring.

What I wish they would do is include characters with specific classes again. So much more interesting that way, I think.

 

[Bambi]

Up. The fucking. DIFFICULTY OF REGULAR BATTLES

It's just become so easy, it was a breath of fresh air playing IV and having to train before each area because I'd just get battered otherwise. It's just getting so easy with save points making tents irrellevent and wotnot. Money is too easy to come by in later games as well. Whatever happened to getting your hair off over not being able to afford out in the shops and having to go scrape funds together

 

[Whoareyou]

Well I agree with most points here.
In addition, Typing errors. These games are made in Japanese, that's fine, but surely they could get someone who speaks English as their FIRST LANGUAGE to look over the games before they are released in Europe and the US.
And release dates. If it is possible for some companies to release games worldwide at the same time, why do SE find it so difficult. I mean come on. Why should the EU and US have to wait 4 months for a game that is already out in Japan?
And don't say it's because of translation, if that was a problem they'd just hire more people to translate the damn games.

I'm done

 

[SwissCheeseHeart22]

Okay guys, in FF8, what is UP with the R1 trigger? I mean, I can get it for Squall, no problemo, but when it comes to the other characters it's just sad.

And enough with the corny love stories! I want a passionate and intense one. Okay, so FFX got frisky and decided to include an underwater makeout scene. I don't care. I want PASSION, man. PASSION AND INTENSITY.

Also, who struggled getting new limit breaks in 7? I don't think they even ever EXPLAIN HOW YOU GET THEM!! >.<

 

[greenyxi]

Okay guys, in FF8, what is UP with the R1 trigger? I mean, I can get it for Squall, no problemo, but when it comes to the other characters it's just sad.

And enough with the corny love stories! I want a passionate and intense one. Okay, so FFX got frisky and decided to include an underwater makeout scene. I don't care. I want PASSION, man. PASSION AND INTENSITY.

Also, who struggled getting new limit breaks in 7? I don't think they even ever EXPLAIN HOW YOU GET THEM!! >.<

The other characters ddon't have the R1 trigger for their weapons. New limit breaks are unlocked by just fighting and using limits. Not too hard to figure out

 

[Rydia]

Focus more on character development. FFXII had none for the main cast and I quit playing the game because I just did not care what happened to them. Also, give every character a reason to be there. Also, don't make the main character completely pointless.

Also, no more character archetypes. We don't need a silly hyper girl, a sweet shy girl, and a mellow serious girl in every game.

Focus more on the story than the graphics. More drama, more twists, more intense moments. I wouldn't want to watch a US senate session, so I don't want to see that in video games either.

Have a damage cap. Magic becomes almost useless later in the games since regular attacks can do 9,999 damage every time. Cap the amount of damage that regular attacks can do. And give the fighters abilities that will cost MP or AP. That way the black mages will still have some use at the end of the game.

Make blue mages useful. Seriously, how many times do these characters get tossed to the side because no one wants to bother learning skills for these characters?

Up the difficulty on random and boss fights. I can walk around the world map and easily level with out watching what my characters are doing. It's simply attack, attack, attack, attack, repeat. And seriously, MAKE THE FINAL BOSS DIFFICULT! Ever since VI the last boss has been a cake walk. The final battle doesn't feel epic and I often feel rather disappointed at the end of the battle and a little ripped off. This can be easily fixed by raising a bosses stats based on your character's level. That way even if you were lvl 99 you couldn't one shot the boss.

This may be irrelevent now, but no more random battles. In some games, you run into a monster on the screen and you are taking to the battle scene. If you wanted, you could attempt to run past the monster. It is so much less annoying because there is a set amount of monsters you would fight on each screen.

Don't make FMV's so long. I want to play a video game, not an interactive movie. I feel that FMV's should only be reserved for very important scenes in the game and not just two people talking to each other.

 

[GBJoker]

Not keeping new cds of FFXI available for the PS2... THE MAIN PLATFORM IT WAS RELEASED FOR, AND THIER MAIN EXCUSE FOR NOT UPDATING GRAPHICS, etc.

Other than that, I'd just tell them that voice acting is fine with me, as long as they continue to allow subtitles for us hearing impaired and deaf folks.

 

[WanderingAesthetic]

Don't make any more MMOs!

Well, okay, you can make MMOs, I understand that they give you a license to print money, but don't make them Roman numeraled Final Fantasy games. I am morally opposed to buying a game that I can never really own, that I have to pay you for every month, that has very little plot, that takes upwards of 200 hours to complete and still never really ends. You could play it forever. I know I am a geek, but there are some lines I am not willing to cross. I have beaten every game in the series except XI, which I refuse to play. XI puts this big ugly hole in my completion rate, and XIV will put another in it. Please stop.

Other than that, I have a couple of suggestions, but I will not be very upset if you ignore them. Could we have more than three person parties? Could we have four? Five? Six (Suikoden does it just fine!)? Whatever number of playable characters are in this one? Could we also up the difficulty? Just a little?

 

[CHIP]

Here are a few of my gripes:

1: The games are undoubtedly getting easier and posing less of a challenge. FFXII was the easiest game to bumble through yet, providing you didn't detour from the main quest. So, Square should pump up the difficulty a few hefty notches and give gamers a more challenging, testing experience. The game doesn't necessarily have to revert back to the old days of tedious level-grinding, and it doesn't have to be totally, unrelentingly hardcore like DMC3 either; just give us a challenge and quit pandering to casual gamers. A challenging game is always the most satisfying to play, because the closer a game takes you to breaking point, the more satisfying it feels when you pull it off, and once you get past a point in the game that's made you work hard, the satisfaction is greater than if it's done perfunctorily.

2: Reinventing the game might keep the franchise constantly fresh but why change elements of the game that's worked so fantastically in the past and supplant them with something inferior? The Materia system is a good example. It was so brilliantly flexible, and allowed players the freedom to combine their Materia in a multitude of ways to create their own unique devastating spells and effects, and Square dropped it, and they haven't created anything since that betters it, and in all likelihood, they probably never will. Sure, reinventing elements of the game keeps things fresh, but once you've found something that works to well, like the Materia system, why change it? Why not just tweak and evolve it?

3: Focus more on character development. Recent FF characters have been nonentities.

 

[Sleepyfoxx]

This is good thread, I would love to tell them to drop whatever remaining FF VII and focus more on story telling (though most FF games story are decent) beef up the difficulty (stop thinking we can't handle it!) more mini games and secret items to find, return Omega weapon fights, stop making most of the males cast feminine, stop making blacks character so lame (expect Barret) and finally...make it optional to pick voice acting or complete text in a FF games...I miss it

 

[.Ted]

and finally...make it optional to pick voice acting or complete text in a FF games...I miss it

Indeed. I miss that too.

Hmm......I'd say either stop making sequels/remakes or whatever for FFVII or start making remakes and/or of other games. FFI and FFII were excellent remakes, in my opinion. I would personally love to see a remake for FFIX, this time for the PS2 and the latest systems. But that's just me.

The level up system for X was great until the later levels, when a character's path in the Sphere Grid ended up in another character's side. It's nice and all, but I would have more fun if the bonus boses didn't have 1 million+ HP, and with all my characters' stats being 255. It was nice to see Tidus learn Use, but that's all I can say for now about this. I wouldn't want max stats and Auto-Haste being the only options of defeating Nemesis or Penance.

I guess that's it for my gripes, though I would love to update you if there's more.

 

[Sleepyfoxx]

Hmm......I'd say either stop making sequels/remakes or whatever for FFVII or start making remakes and/or of other games. FFI and FFII were excellent remakes, in my opinion. I would personally love to see a remake for FFIX, this time for the PS2 and the latest systems. But that's just me.

Yes the FF I & II remakes were great, were you referring to the psp remakes? I'd like to see a remake of FF IX as well...that game deserves to have one just as much as FF VII for the reason that it has such a amazing world and seeing it remade on the ps3 would have me drooling...maybe

 

[Sir Kenneth]

Don't make FMV's so long. I want to play a video game, not an interactive movie. I feel that FMV's should only be reserved for very important scenes in the game and not just two people talking to each other.

This. I was surprised when I read that FF XIII was going to be as FMV heavy as it is. Back in the days of the original Playstation when the in-game graphics engines were not strong enough to convincingly render some of the more dramatic and action packed scenes, FMVs were great. These days however, they seem kinda pointless. The Crystal Tools engine should be more than capable of rendering detailed facial expressions and high octane action in real time.

 

[Fusionist]

STOP TRYING TO BE WESTERNIZED!

More than anything, I want my my RPGs from Japan to be JRPGs! Why do you think all my RPG games are from Japanese original companies? 'Cause they're doing the stuff I like. You wanna appeal to me, s gamer from the West playing these originally Japanese games? Give us the option for Japanese audio with English subs along with English audio.

And in terms of Canada, please, give us some promotions too! I keep reading about America, UK and Japan getting goodies and all that kewl stuff. I pay twice as much tax on my games - gimme some appreciation too Dx

FFS, you didn't give us the dual Dissidia cover. Not to mention that your contests for North America is ONLY for the United States! I mean, what the hell?! Dx

In all honestly, I haven't been that unhappy with Final Fantasy, and I know that the things I like are the things other people hate :/

I like my more linear-that-not games, I like my pretty boiz, I like simplicity. I've seen that in FF, so I'm good with that.

FFVIII was good except for the romance focus (and, well, just the general concept of said romance in particular really) in my opinion. Next time you want to incorporate romance in games dont't make it a focus. But Square seems to have learned that already - FFIX and FFX are excellent examples of the romance levels I like in the games.

There are things that are Square-specific I'm not too happy about, but FF-wise, I think I'm more or less good.

 

[.Ted]

Yes the FF I & II remakes were great, were you referring to the psp remakes? I'd like to see a remake of FF IX as well...that game deserves to have one just as much as FF VII for the reason that it has such a amazing world and seeing it remade on the ps3 would have me drooling...maybe

FFI started in the 90s, so I'd say it had two remakes (FF Origins and Dawn of Souls). But yeah, I meant the PSP remake though I did think about it a little.

FFVII had futuristic stuff and whatnot, but FFIX went back in time and revealed the original FF game roots. It does deserve a remake. Perhaps the same plot and script, but this time with the option of voice acting or pure text, bonus dungeons, and perhaps some cameo appearances in those dungeons. Maybe Sephiroth, despite how little I like FFVII. It's just like how Lenneth from Valkyrie profile made a cameo appearance in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time....in a bonus dungeon! Think about it! That's the kind of thing I'd suggest to the execs in Square-Enix.

 

[Rydia]

Design the game so that all the characters can be used at once. It's kind of stupid in some games when more than half your party is sitting out during the final boss fight. Either let us use all the characters and up the difficulty, or have some characters come and go. Also splitting up the party would work.

Give each character their own class. Characters with their own unique abilities can tell us a lot about them. (warrior obviously had a lot of physical training, mages are usually intelligent)

Controllabel air ship. The world of FFX felt very very small.

Don't change the names of espers. They are the only reoccuring characters in the franchise that have been around almost since the begining. (Bahamut was in 1) And they make Final Fantasy feel like Final Fantasy =P