Why the Final Fantasy VII Obsession Needs to End...Now.

[AuronX]

For Final Fantasy fans, it is no secret that the seventh installment of the series is widely regarded as the best the long-running name has to offer, with many going so far as to say that it is the best game ever created.



Released in 1997 for the original Playstation, Final Fantasy VII garnered high praise from gamers and critics alike. Although it remained on the throne in subsequent years, Final Fantasy's VIII, IX, and X were also received well and gamers continued to be pleased with the series's direction.

However, in 2003, developer Square Productions merged with Enix Co., becoming Square Enix and causing some changes for Final Fantasy development staff. Right away the merged companies set off on the wrong foot by releasing Final Fantasy X-2, a stark departure from established themes that also broke the precedent of never making any direct sequels to storylines within the larger series. Not to improve their reputation, Square Enix next created and released Final Fantasy XI Online, an MMORPG--another departure from what the Final Fantasy name had stood for for so long.

By this point, all of the changes had already made gamers remember the good experiences of the past, and when they cast a longing eye in that direction, all that filled their vision was Final Fantasy VII. It was the first Final Fantasy of its kind, being 3D and as much sci-fi as fantasy, yet maintained the rules and systems of previous games all while adding in a compelling story. By all accounts it was indeed a good game, yet something happened that made gamers uphold it as an unbeatable experience, completely superior to any further efforts from Square and now Square Enix.

However, I am here to tell you that all the FFVII pining needs to make a serious departure of its own. May we consider why?


1. It diminishes the FFVII experience.

Yes, it's surprising, but true. Constantly pining for another experience like FFVII actually harms the existing one. Part of experiencing anything great is dealing correctly with the memories of what made it so good in the first place. Any attempt to recreate the original experience will fail outright for the simple reason that something can only be original once. Try repeating FFVII, and you'll end up finding the greatness of your first experience unattainable.

It is fine to replay a game, of course, but the attitude has to be right, and this bullet point really isn't about FFVII replays anyway. The point is, it's time to appreciate those original memories and then move on.

2. It creates an inability to appreciate other FF games

Ah yes, other Final Fantasy games. The similarities evoke memories of your favorite, FFVII, yet the differences remind you that the day of FFVII is past. The consequence of not properly dealing with the memories as mentioned in the last point is inevitably that you will find it difficult at best to appreciate the greatness of other FF titles out there. After all, if FFVII cannot even reach the level it did on its first playthrough, how is any other game ever supposed to best it? By clinging to certain memories, FFVII becomes elevated to a point where no other game will truly satisfy. Ever. Change becomes an evil and wrong thing, yet the same-old-same-old no longer satisfies, either (just look at all the cries for a remake); any form of forward progress is filled with dissatisfaction.

And for no good reason.

To say that the departures of FFX-2 and XI permanently changed the series would be untrue; in fact, I would wager that no FF game has made a stronger return to series roots than FFXII. Not only was the game set in the same world as Final Fantasy Tactics, a classic title, but the universe in general was much like a 3D version of other classic titles as well. Of course the game used a new real-time battle system and employed other new mechanics, but when you looked past the mechanics themselves at what they actually did, you were left with a very (here comes the word again) classic JRPG despite the aforementioned odd-duck titles in between XII and X. And let's not forget that XII was made by Square Enix--the fact that it is similar to the old games yet still very unique proves the merged company's ability to make a truly good FF game.

The problem is mainly one of over-comparison. Though useful to a point, when taken too far comparing games only serves to dissatisfy. While you may be able to see how taking a little bit of this game and adding a dose of that game could create the 'perfect' gaming experience, the hard truth is no such game shall ever exist. If a perfect game ever hits the shelves, the gaming industry will shut down completely. Its job is done, after all, since it produced a game that cannot be improved upon.

And guess what that means?


3. FFVII wasn't a perfect game, either!

Tell me when I can unplug my ears after the horrendous gasps of shock have stopped.

Done? Good.

Every game has its flaws; they just show up in different places. Granted, some flaws are more significant than others, but to completely discount other games over the same degree of flaw that is present in FFVII is downright nonsensical. To show that I am not coming up with this on my own, and because I don't think I can improve upon what someone else has said, let me turn it over to a user named GunFlame of The Verge.

(Full post link)

The visual storytelling works well here, and you get a very clear idea of where you are. It’s actually a good solid opening. And this continues after the first mission is complete. But this isn’t really the crux of the story being told here, and that’s the issue. The fact is, is that the games story is essentially a bunch of heroes are chasing down a deluded villain who is intent on crippling the planet. That’s the real shame; there are some nice plots here and there, but the overall plot is that of chasing down a someone with little real meaning to the havoc that they intend to cause. Any weight of his reasoning is completely destroyed when you realize that he’s just mentally unstable, and that makes a lot of the story aspects lose some meaning.

On top of the core plot line being shallow, the general narrative has some issues too. There is emphasis put in many areas that actually end up being not that important in the end (like summoning Holy and Cloud rediscovering himself). You find out later on in the story, that Cloud is not who he thinks he is. When you find this out, you also realize that all of this rivalry that was built up between Sephiroth and Cloud is actually quite weak, it takes a lot of impact out of the core plot line and the drive of the characters. Cloud was actually a no-body who just happened to kill Sephiroth. Before this though, there really wasn’t anything between them. There even wasn’t much between them during the death scene. It could have been anyone.

So, the game’s main rivalry is loosely linked, or at least it’s only really a one way rivalry because Sephiroth doesn’t seem to be to preoccupied with the fact that Cloud ‘killed’ him. The reason for the story to continue is that the one of the main antagonists is simply a guy who isn’t sane now that the personal meaning to an extent has been lost.

Another antagonist is Hojo, a character who holds little relation to anyone besides Vincent, and Vincent is a character that you don’t need to interact with. He calls Cloud a failed experiment, but that doesn’t really tie too deeply into the main story, and the or really Cloud's personally story. It was a plot device that helped push the passing of the Black Materia fowards. Even if Cloud wasn’t a failed experiment, if he was unrelated to the experiments, it wouldn’t really have much of an impact on how the story pans out. The controlling aspect could have been replaced with something else.

The importance of Hojo is in what happened with Sephiroth, but that aspect isn’t as interesting until it connects to Vincent…which is again, not something that you will really know unless you find it out. It's not a part of the main story that is being told. It could have been considered negligible information, which to me seems like quite an oversight.

Away from the antagonists, another key plot aspect is the Ancients. This is another aspect that really doesn’t get fleshed out too much. Aeris is an Ancient, but it has little bearing on any of the story considering that her heritage allowed her to summon Holy, which in the end doesn't really server a purpose. The only result from her summoning is her death.

I have to say, I agree. Though undeniably a good game, FFVII did suffer from a certain degree of fragmentation. There were a lot of little plots everywhere that maybe had some association with the main story, maybe not, but either way the general state of connections tended to be a little loose. Yet, interestingly, whenever the same issue comes up in other Final Fantasy titles, FFVII fans are quick to point out the same fault in them and bemoan Square Enix for ever coming up with "such utter garbage". I think it's high time that FFVII be recognized as an imperfect game in many of the same ways that other FF titles are imperfect games. And that leads me to my final point:

4. No Final Fantasy game is the standard.

After 25 years and more than a couple dozen games all built around the same model, it's safe to say that Final Fantasy has become more of a subgenre of JRPG's than a true series. As such, no game in the subgenre is truly the standard for other games. They are each a unique experience seeking to try out something new while still including the familiar elements that make them Final Fantasy. Some of the new additions will work, some will not work, but never will they fail to work just because of other Final Fantasy games doing something better. When a FF game fails with an innovation, it fails only to properly deliver its own story and gameplay. If it simply fails to copy another game in the subgenre, it hasn't truly failed at all.

With that in mind, it is important to accept each new Final Fantasy title that comes along with a fresh slate for a state of mind. Set aside everything you know about Final Fantasy and be prepared to try out something unique. Unfortunately, that still doesn't mean you'll like every new title that comes along, but at least in this case you will have given it a fair evaluation. That's what every game deserves, and sadly something that Final Fantasy games have been getting less and less of in recent years.

It's time to end the obsession with the past and prepare to try out something new with a willing mind. After all, in the end...it's only a game.

 

[Master Cat]

Well done! You couldn't have created this thread at a better time, considering all of the debate regarding a certain FFXIII announcement coming-up *cough* and all of this never-ending talk on a FFVII remake that probably will never exist, to the dismay of many fans. xD

You've made some excellent points and I agree with much of what you've said. I wish more FF fans could adopt a sort of "clean slate state of mind" as you mentioned because I agree that each game deserves its own individual evaluation. Personally, I'd like to think that each FF game offers players a unique and enjoyable gaming experience, one that cannot always be compared to other games within the FF series. I mean, I know I favor FFVII more than FFVIII, but I wouldn't go as far as saying that it's a much better game per se, and it's definitely not perfect or free from flaws.

It's one thing to critique a game's various aspects (e.g. plot/storyline, character development, battle system, etc.) and evaluate the pros/cons, but to outrightly bash a game because it doesn't contain elements that a previous game had possessed... I don't want the future of FF games to be a regurgitation of the past FF games. Sorry, but I'd prefer a bit of innovation here and there. I mean, it's been 15 years since FFVII released. I would certainly hope that there have been a few changes/improvements since then! xD

And besides, the older FF games are called "classics" for a reason. They're not always meant to be replicated or revamped. Instead, classic games should be cherished and appreciated for how awesome they were to play during that time period (or whenever you first played them, I suppose). And you can always replay them over again from time to time if you wanna try to "relive" those wonderful memories again.

But as you noted, that initial wonderful experience of playing a game for the first time will being to wear away and diminish the more you try to relive it. This has definitely been the case for me. When I've replayed FFVII, FFIX, and FFX, it wasn't the same experience after the third time. I already knew the storyline, the dialogue, the characters... Nothing really caught me by surprise and my emotions during the most intense scenes weren't as affected as they once were. ^^;

--- Sorry, I didn't mean to make this a long post, I guess I had a lot on my mind. Mehh. xD;

 

[Kei]

There's a difference between obsession and wanting an actually decent game and not just a game with "Final Fantasy" title stamped on it to make it sell.

I hate FFXIII because it's NOT a Final Fantasy, it throws away everything Final Fantasy was about. I can't grind? I can't explore? I don't want something "new" like that. Because it's a step backward to me, not forward. If moving on means not getting any better, then I sure as hell won't move on. You say ditch everything you know about "Final Fantasy", are you serious? The title holds the name Final Fantasy, it MUST be evaluated based on how the series was. There was nothing unique about FFXIII, if anything it was mediocre even when comparing it to other games which aren't FF. Sorry but it's not obsession toward FFVII or any of the titles, it's general mediocrity when compared even to other games.

I hate FFXIII and any sequel for it, because it's based on a story that's utter shit. I want Type-0 Because it's more of my style and looks more like FF than FFXIII did, do you see SE localizing it? No (I heard they announced but I still don't see a release date), they are just fucking mad dogs about FFXIII and that Lightning.

Also, I'm sure a lot don't even have FFVII as their "favorite", I love 4,6,7,8,10 all the same. They were all great games to me. Of course I don't like something here and there, but still you can see a creative system there, you see a story worth going through and a world to explore. Don't tell me Paradigm Crystal system was creative, it was stupid, you can't grind, and the game played itself. There's nothing good about that. I don't know about you, but that's not a game to me.

EDIT - This is based on FFXIII and not FFXIII-2, as I doubt I will try a sequel for that "game" anytime soon.

 

[Starships]

Final Fantasy VII was one of the first Final Fantasy games I've ever played. Before that it was Spyro The Dragon or Croc. It had good graphics for it's time, unique and sometimes confusing storyline, a villain that not only blew my mind but also gave me the shudders everytime he appeared. His theme song Those Chosen By the Planet; it gave me goosebumps.

And Cloud was one of the first video game characters that I ever had a very strong relation and attachment too. Cloud wasn't the stereotypical "prefect " hero, that Superman who hardly had any flaws in fact Cloud is so messed up it's surprising that he can even stand. And then there's Tifa and Aeris. Both of those woman taught me to be strong mentally and physically.

I never, ever stop loving Final Fantasy VII.

However to say that all FF VII supporters ONLY love Final Fantasy VII and avoid the other Final Fantasies is quite well...rude. I love and adore Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy VIII; even more so than Final Fantasy VII.

I love Kuja and Zidane and Garnet are what kiddies call today "my OTP " because they're so sweet and they basically go through a huge adventure together. They basically learn and grow as the game goes along and it feels deep and heart-warming.

Final Fantasy VIII I love the unique battle system; it feels refreshing and I like the characters because they just feel like normal everyday teenagers expect warped within a Final Fantasy universe.

I'm sorry but your theory that Final Fantasy VII lovers only love Final Fantasy VII and push away the Final Fantasies is not true. It's total bullshit.

We know that Final Fantasy VII isn't a perfect game. It has aged graphics and enough grammar errors to make a English teacher faint. But Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XII get hate for all good reasons. Do you realize that games way before the merge with Enix get dissed too ?

Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy III. All of them have a really short and small fanbase. Finding another FF II fan and FF V fan feels like finding gold because it feels that damn rare.

Yes Final Fantasy XIII gets hate. Fans are always going to dislike a Final Fantasy game whether it was made before or after the merge with Enix.
It's not Final Fantasy VII or it's fans that are to blame for Final Fantasy XIII's failure. It's linear, has no towns, lack of NPCs, has annoying characters , and has a confusing storyline. Not to mention a battle system where you can only control one character and if she dies it's game over.

Final Fantasy XIII gets hate. Get over it. It's not alone on the fanblacklash. Stop blaming Final Fantasy VII for Final Fantasy XIII and Enix's mistakes. And stop assuming that the ''Final Fantasy VII fans are these shallow fans that only like Cloud and Sephiroth and don't like the other FF games "coz it's not true.

It's not FF VII that's to blame. It's Final Fantasy XIII's own faults.

 

[Ohri-Jin]

People that dont like FFXIII are not obsessed with FFVII. You are missing the point. Like FFXII and its new Battlesystem I embraced. Its about what FFXIII LACKS!
Focus on what FFXIII lacks instead.

All the little ingredients a true Final Fantasy should have:

Great party/cast.
Merchants with hidden shops.
NPC's.
Secrets and secret areas.
Towns.
Good soundtrack.
Sense of full control over main char instead bashing one button.
What was that about the weapons upgrading?

RPG is RPG you can innovate ofcourse but did FFXIII really do that? I dont understand this thread. I agree with some points, but I get the feeling you put this thread up mainly for FFXIII haters.

I rather want a FFVII REMAKE if that would kill the FFXIII saga.......

 

[Starships]

Focus on what FFXIII lacks instead.

All the little ingredients a true Final Fantasy should have:

Great party/cast.
Merchants with hidden shops.
NPC's.
Secrets and secret areas.
Towns.
Good soundtrack.
Sense of full control over main char instead bashing one button.
What was that about the weapons upgrading?

RPG is RPG you can innovate ofcourse but did FFXIII really do that? I dont understand this thread. I agree with some points, but I get the feeling you put this thread up mainly for FFXIII haters.

^ This

Final Fantasy XIII lacks the important "meat" and substance that a Final Fantasy should have. If feels more like a movie, or just plain lazy on Enix's part. They added in this huge massive world in Final Fantasy XII and when it comes to Final Fanatsy XIII it just feels like you're playing a movie.

There's the excuse that Final Fantasy XIII wouldn't make sense as a open game because the characters are on the run, but hello look at Final Fantasy X. They're criminals in Yevon's eyes and they're hated by the world and on the run. Yet it still has towns and open shops.

But saying that Final Fantasy VII and it's fanbase is to blame for Final Fantasy XIII having community backlash just isn't correct and is "fandom blaming ".

I blame Final Fantasy VII for the 2nd World War and Adolf Hitler hating Jews. Because you know; it's " Final Fantasy 7 and it's fandom's fault things went wrong "


Though games like Final Fantasy IX could do with a bigger fanbase and tons more love. & you may be reading this and be thinking " oh she's such a Final Fantasy XIII hater " well... sort of; I do see some good things within the game. Characters like Hope, Noel, Mog & Serah for a example.

 

[kratoscar2008]

Im a HUGE FFVIII and FFV fan and its quite dishartening to see those games not getting the praise they RIGHTFULLY deserves unlike FFXIII wich as @Rabbit said it has a HUGE fanbase God knows how.

The only game i see that got affected by FFVII was FFVIII but then again sequels always suffer from it, yes FFVII is not perfect but IS damm good, but using FFVII as an excuse for SE incompetence is beyond nonsensical.

"It becomes difficult to tell a compelling story when you give too much freedom to the player", FFXIII runs by this logic and its REALLY a stupid statement.

Heck even the director said that the game is more like a FPS, why the hell is this game tagged as a RPG and more importantly why its called FF? FFVII and FFVIII were futuristic but they retained all the FF elements while in FFXIII i didnt felt like FF at all, how come they screwed the summons, really Shiva a motorcicle? WTF.

SE is incompetent PERIOD. Its not FFVII fault its the whole FF series fault for setting so good standards that FFXIII didnt met, it was a long 6 years just for an endless corridor where the "player" is not necessary at all.

Im a FF7 fan (After a FFVIII and V) I have enjoyed all FF games (Numbered except XI and XIII) even the allegedly worst FF being 2 i finished on the PS1 and FFXIII is just too horrendous, the gameplay is just there because its a game otherwise would be a lame sci-fi book.

Like 6 years ago i beat the original FFIII (Nes graphics english patch) and it was a great experience and FFXIII on the other hand with its jaw breaking graphics didnt motivated me to finish i got Fang and later i dropped the game entirely. how come a game from 198? captivated me more than a game that surpass todays graphic standards? Its not FFVII fault, its SE fault Period.

 

[Lirael]

Let's try not to turn this into a FFVII vs. FFXIII thread, nor a thread about how terrible FFXIII is/isn't.

Instead, let's discuss whether or not we should approach future FF titles with a 'clean slate' mentality.

How much does general perception of FFVII affect the expectations fans have of the series?

Should we compare future FF titles to FFVII?

I think that's what @LukeLC was getting at, though do correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Ohri-Jin]

Let's try not to turn this into a FFVII vs. FFXIII thread, nor a thread about how terrible FFXIII is/isn't.

Instead, let's discuss whether or not we should approach future FF titles with a 'clean slate' mentality.

How much does general perception of FFVII affect the expectations fans have of the series?

Should we compare future FF titles to FFVII?

I think that's what @LukeLC was getting at, though do correct me if I'm wrong.

lol first of all this thread has everything to do with FFXIII cause future FF titles seems to be FFXIII, FFXIII-2 and now FFXIII-3. I dont see anything else released do you?
Just because you seem to be a fan of FFXIII doesnt mean you can tell those who doesnt like it not to express their opinions.

No one compared FFXII, FFX,FFIX or FFVIII with FFVII right? That makes this whole thread irrelevant.

Its all about FFXIII lmao. OP is suggesting we focus too much on FFVII and not looking for newer projects. LMAO what about all the games between FFVII and FFXIII then?

SO funny.

 

[kratoscar2008]

Let's try not to turn this into a FFVII vs. FFXIII thread, nor a thread about how terrible FFXIII is/isn't.

Instead, let's discuss whether or not we should approach future FF titles with a 'clean slate' mentality.

How much does general perception of FFVII affect the expectations fans have of the series?

Should we compare future FF titles to FFVII?

I think that's what @LukeLC was getting at, though do correct me if I'm wrong.

1) No, thats why we got FFXIII and XIII-2. The series is different in gameplay and plot but there are a lot of FF elements that make the series what it is wich XIII lacks by a long shot.

2) Not much compared how the series as a whole has set a standard for future FF games wich XIII and XIII-2 fails to meet, it lacks a lot of basic FF elements and rpgs for that matter.

3) Nope, thats why games like FF8 and FF5 gets so much hate, because it isnt like the previous entries. you may say that FFXIII fits but it doesnt as the problem with it is that lacks the elements of the series as a whole not its previous entry, FFXII in this case.

 

[C i d]

@Ohri-Jin
1.) OP did not mention about FFXIII at all in the thread
2.) OP said 'It creates an inability to appreciate other FF games' NOT 'It creates an inability to appreciate NEW FF games'

LukeLC MAY have intended a hidden meaning on FFXIII hate, BUT there's no solid evidence IMO. If anything, he is focusing on the FFXII hate (FFXII is ironically a game you can stand).
Till LukeLC comes forward and say directly that he intends this to be an FFXIII related topic, you are, to be honest, is making pure assumptions and overreacting.

AND I see a fault in your statement. 'Future FF titles' do not only include the FFXIII series. What about FF Type-0, Versus, FF Dimensions, etc?

Please note that I am speaking this from a completely unbiased point of view.

 

[Ohri-Jin]

@Ohri-Jin
1.) OP did not mention about FFXIII at all in the thread
2.) OP said 'It creates an inability to appreciate other FF games' NOT 'It creates an inability to appreciate NEW FF games'

LukeLC MAY have intended a hidden meaning on FFXIII hate, BUT there's no solid evidence IMO. If anything, he is focusing on the FFXII hate (FFXII is ironically a game you can stand).
Till LukeLC comes forward and say directly that he intends this to be an FFXIII related topic, you are, to be honest, is making pure assumptions and overreacting.

AND I see a fault in your statement. 'Future FF titles' do not only include the FFXIII series. What about FF Type-0, Versus, FF Dimensions, etc?

Please note that I am speaking this from a completely unbiased point of view.

OP said it creates an inability to appreciate all other FF titles? Thats even worse lol. FF8,9,10 and 12 afterwards were great games each with its own faults. I dont see this logic then.
Versus not released yet, Type-0 not localized and dimensions? I dont care about.

Who is obsessed with FF7 anyway? My assumptions might be right or not but this whole thread is biased imo or at least it feels that way lol.

What has type0 to do with FF7 anyway? Those that are obsessed with FF7 wont like Type0? is that what the OP is trying to tell us? If im not mistaken the OP first FF tile was FFXIII and after that FF7 so he makes false comparisons anyway. It might have been someone else though




BTW what FFXII lacked in story it pretty much filled it with basic elements what FFXIII lacked. At least FFXII had great characters imo great battlesystem and towns, major npc's, merchants hahahahaahaaha.

 

[AuronX]

Ok, since I see a lot of people still not catching on to the message, I'll try to as generically augment my original post as possible without pointing out individual people.

First of all, I want to emphasize again viewing Final Fantasy as a sort of subgenre instead of a normal series. I'm not talking about just slapping the Final Fantasy name on everything, but to be fair, we haven't seen such a game so far in the main releases. What about XIII wasn't Final Fantasy? Did it not have all the same items and spells as before? Was there not some form of job class system? Could the characters not level up? Could you not customize the character's equipment? All this and more makes XIII at its heart a strong entry to the Final Fantasy series, albeit with a few innovations and yes, departures from past titles. But what I want to encourage is not to look at it as a bad thing if, say, you can't grind in one game like you could in past games (though contrary to what someone suggested, you can grind in FFXIII...walk away from an area and walk back and boom, the enemies have respawned and you can fight them again). Well, that's just how this game does its thing. That alone is not enough to separate it from the rest as an un-Final Fantasy title; it's a variation which is perfectly allowed within a subgenre. Other FF games had such variations as well. Should I discount FFX as not a true Final Fantasy game just because it didn't use an ATB system like the majority of FF titles do?

I also didn't suggest that FFVII lovers love only FFVII, or on the flipside that loving FFVII causes a hate for all other FF games. I said that obsessing over one game in the series makes it hard to appreciate the others in general. I even mentioned in the first bit of the OP that the first few following titles were also accepted well. The problem is that FFVII is considered the standard for other FF titles, and as dissatisfaction with recent titles has grown, love for FFVII has seemingly grown out of pure reaction rather than out of it being legitimately that much better than the other titles.

In regards to the talk on openness/lack thereof, this I also covered. FFXII was anything but linear, and guess what? It was made by Square Enix, post-merge. It's not fair to call SE lazy or incompetent on the basis of making a more linear storyline once around, because they did indeed make a very open game. XIII-2 was also much more open, though not to the same degree of course. I'm not sure it could get much more open than FFXII.

And last but not least, this thread is only in a tiny part about FFXIII. I think it is a very appreciable game and that people should give it more of a chance, and also that rather than pine for an FFVII remake people should be excited about seeing what is coming for the Lightning Saga at this September announcement.

However, it is more about the game in the title: FFVII. There are a lot of people absolutely convinced that it is the standard for all of Final Fantasy, and to be honest, I'm kind of getting tired of hearing about it. FFVII wasn't so superior to other games in the series. A good game it was, but the best? Nope. @Salmakia was correct, then, in saying that the post is about approaching each entry to the FF series with a "clean-slate" mentality...something I have yet to see much of in this discussion, by the way.

 

[Ohri-Jin]

FF7 is not my favo title and not the standard how a ff title should be perse.
FFX is my favo.
FFVIII second.
FFVII third.

You arr categorizing ff fans ff7 fans to be exact. Not everyone is like this. You might as well made a thread about which FF title is our favorite one

 

[Shaissa]

I get what LC is saying.
It really doesn't matter which FF is your favorite, (he picked VII for the obvious reason that it is the most beloved, and the one that wants a remake the most,) If you approach the game thinking "I hope this is like FF (insert whatever number you want here)" You well not enjoy it as much or you wont enjoy it at all.

I think saying people hate VIII is a little too much though. (I think a certain thread is spreading that little lie around here )

But any of the FF games are FF games in there own right from I to XIV, to Tactics to Crystal Chronicles, I am not saying you are going like everyone of them, cause I don't like every single FF title, but if you go in there expecting a game like VII, you are not going really enjoy it as much as you can...

 

[CPancer]

I'll just take this thread as it were meant to be taken, no Final Fantasy game is perfect, but no game must play like the previous one, with new technology comes new opportunities to game developers.

You can choose to debate about which game you like better, wether you're sick of it or not (which I admit, have done before) but don't let that ruin the series for you, I should have been more mutual about my responses at the beginning when I joined this thread and I do sincerely apologize if I have come across as a arrogant person. I enjoy this forum very much, and if there was more discussion in certain parts of the forum i'm in i'd like it even more. I like to read about what you guys say, even if I don't agree with it. I really feel this thread should have expressed more towards how us as fans of certain FF titles feel but I completely respect the whole idea of this thread regardless, because as many people (not just the forum members) do say FF 7 is the best game, the best of them all, but that's your opinion, and there are people on here who think what is said is written in stone, but that's not the case. I think we are taking what people are saying WAY too seriously, forums have a tendancy to do that anyways. The attacking of members is not necessary, but it's hard to let your opinion feel as unworthy as the person who is disagreeing, and sometimes you can't be mutual about it.

PS. @Ohri-Jin i'm sorry if i've come across as a jerk, but I do respect your opinions even if I do object to them, that's what forums are made for after all, right?

 

[AuronX]

You arr categorizing ff fans ff7 fans to be exact. Not everyone is like this. You might as well made a thread about which FF title is our favorite one

Addressing the FFVII-loving audience doesn't mean I assume everyone is a part of that audience

In reality the OP was a very niche post. That being the case, applying it to the mainstream isn't going to work very well, and I never really intended to try.

 

[Kuja9001]

However, in 2003, developer Square Productions merged with Enix Co., becoming Square Enix and causing some changes for Final Fantasy development staff. Right away the merged companies set off on the wrong foot by releasing Final Fantasy X-2, a stark departure from established themes that also broke the precedent of never making any direct sequels to storylines within the larger series.

SquareSoft made and released X-2.

 

[Sheechiibii]

I agree with some of what you've said and dissagree with some others. You seem to have the idea that all people who dislike the newer games are people who are obsessed with FFVII. This isn't true at all. I absolutely hate FFXIII just for itself, I don't care that it's different from the others (the way I see it every FF game has its differences) I dislike it because it's a bad game experiance for me, I disliked every single part of it, even the good graphics were tainted by the fact that I knew everything else had been neglected specifically for them. FFXIII literally has absolutely nothing in it that I like - I didn't like the story, the characters, the world (or lack thereof), the music, the lack of npcs, the liniarity, the battle system, the leveling system, the weapons system, the summons system, or the lack of sidequests. None of that dislike has anything to do with any other game, I wasn't comparing it to any other games, I just didn't like anything about it at all.

FFVII is probably my least favourite after FFXIII so I can safely assure you it's not because of VII that I dislike XIII. I'd also like to point out that it wasn't actually Square Enix that came up with X-2, that game was in development before the merger so it wasn't a Squenix idea. I agree that there is way too much obsession with FFVII, and I think the hatred for FFXIII has spurred many of the fanatics to call for a remake, but I don't think the hatred for FFXIII has anything to do with FFVII at all if that makes sense? I think the dislike for newer FF titles makes FFVII fans call for a remake and everyone else just calls for a decent new FF game.

 

[CPancer]

SquareSoft made and released X-2.

Funny enough you're right, The merging of Square and Enix didn't even occur until a month after it's release in Japan. However they changed the Developer name to Square-Enix on International versions of the game (Pretty sure they kept squaresoft on the Japanese versions of the game only).