Final Fantasy: Why some of the games and fans suck
That's right... I said it! A lot of people out there are probably asking
'why would a game series so great be bad?' And 'I am a big Final Fantasy
fan! What could you have against me?'
I have noticed that hard-core fans of Final Fantasy often say the entire series is awesome, and always try to justify why the games are so good. Final Fantasy is a big name now in the gaming world whether you are a RPG fan or not, but as the games are released, gamers will play the game with high expiations. whether the game was actually good or bad, the gamer will not notice and often say... this game was great! Was it really? Now keep in mind this is my opinion, but I have noticed that a lot of Final Fantasy fans agree with me on this.
I have played most of the Final Fantasy games out there, so I decided to rank them into four categories. Read on to see that the reckless ranting Chibi Neko thinks of this 'awesome RPG series'
Great:
Final Fantasy IV - The SNES has always harbored some the of the
greatest games that came into existence. Ideas where fresh and some have
not been used before. A great story was one of them. Why have flashy
graphics when the story and characters make up for it? Because today a lot of gamers seem to care about the opposite. Genso Suikoden is proof of that. Suikoden 3 is released for the PS2 and people flock to it. They love the game and realize 'Hey! This is 3! You mean there is a 1 and 2?' and thus the value of the unpopular Suikoden series booms in value because no one cared about the 2D installments of the first 2 games due to the lack of flashy graphics that Final Fantasy VII had.
Final Fantasy VI - Hailed as THE best RPG ever made, and with good reason. Never has there been a game that absorbs you with the story and characters! Not many games have a villain that you love to hate and has a point where the villain actually won! You often wonder what happens to the characters after the game ends, thus spawning lots of fanfiction. One of gaming's most memorable moments has been featured in this game, and we all know that it is the famous opera scene. Too bad there wasn't enough space on the cartridge to fit the vocal version of the song in the scene. It would have been amazing!
This Final Fantasy is on my favorites list.
Final Fantasy VII - Another hard to beat in terms of story and characters. Square's first RPG for the PSone had gotten a lot of attention for 3 reasons. 1. the graphics where the best that PSone has seen so far. 2. After the success of Final Fantasy VI, expectations were very high. 3. Square jumped to Sony, whom we all know does not sensor translated games and uses the game rating system. Nintendo placed too many restrictions on Square on their script and sometimes actions of the characters. That is why Final Fantasy V never saw American shores until recently. Final Fantasy VII also has the largest fandom in the series, which has lead to a movie sequel, and a game prequel and sequel.
This Final Fantasy is another on my favorites list.
Final Fantasy Tactics - The third Final Fantasy on my favorites list. Out of VI, VII, Tactics I cannot decide what is my favorite, but I do know that this game is considered a classic, ranking with Final Fantasy I, VI, and Chrono Trigger. The series goes for a twist in a turn-based tactical RPG, with one of the strongest stories and worst translations yet. This game has just about what every other Final Fantasy has... sort of. There are no moogles! Where are the moogles? Square was in the production of Final Fantasy VIII at the time so that might explain the absence of moogles, because they are just as plentiful in Tactics as they are in VIII.
Good:
Final Fantasy I - While the game lacked story for today's standards, it was quite good at the time it was released. A RPG for the NES was rare for one, but this game added strategy, with turn-based battles and a choice in character jobs in the beginning. If you
choose poorly, the game could become much harder, giving you a run for you money. Good game, but the story is really simple compared to Final Fantasy VI and VII.
Final Fantasy X - While the graphics are outstanding and the music exceptional, Final Fantasy has to have one of the most simplest plot ever. You are on a pilgrimage to defeat a monster by going shrine to shrine to obtain the summon aeons. That's generally it. There are some side stories in the game but nothing really mind-blowing. The main character Tidus often gets mixed reviews, and in my opinion... I don't mind the guy, he is more of a wuss then the Japanese version, but it is a little refreshing from the seriousness of Cloud from VII and Squall in VIII. The game's ending really shows you how attached to the characters you are, but I did not see a need for a sequel. Final Fantasy X was fine the way it was and did not need a girly j-pop sequel.
Final Fantasy IX - After the complete mishap of VIII, Square brought the series back to it's old-school roots. Technology wasn't plentiful in this world of fantasy. Some people complained that VII had a lot of technology... little did they realize that VI had the same technology in their world (You can see it in the new rendered FMV sequences) but VII's technology wasn't as advanced as it seems. The characters didn't even go into outer space! (until the story called for it of course). Final Fantasy IX had a decent storyline, but it can't really compare to VI and VII. The characters are likable and can be easy to get attached to, but there are two characters whom really have no point in the game, so development was sort of lacking.
Final Fantasy V - The job system returns! This system is one of the best that Final Fantasy has seen, so much so that it has been used in Tactics and Tactics advance! This game has only reached our shores a few years ago, and the reason it
wasn't released here for the SNES was due to one scene that could not be censored. A male character sleeps at a inn and your
other characters look at him and get a big heart appear over their heads. I guess they did not want the idea of gayness
heading our way in a SNES game. The sleeping character however is actually a woman disguised as a man, so I don't see the problem. The story is decent, but sometimes gets so boring that you begin to neglect it and play
another game instead.
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - It's just as well to call this game Seiken Densetsu for the Gamecube, because that's exactly what it is! Except it has the traditional Final Fantasy elements such as moogles and chocobos. Square wanted to make a Final Fantasy that was exclusively for the Gamecube, but didn't put a lot of effort into it. The story wasn't bad, but wasn't great either. Final Fantasy V is way better in comparison.
Final Fantasy II - The story wasn't the greatest, and the leveling up system was terrible, but it had all the elements that just about every Final Fantasy had... it was just a good way to pass time where there was nothing else to do... and it was good at it. This game is more bad then good. It's just something to do when you are bored... really bored.
Final Fantasy Mythic Quest - Too short... too simple... a waist of time. This game sold because it had the Final Fantasy name. Gamers then realized that it did not live up to the series and use the cartridge as a paperweight. It's that simple.
Final Fantasy VIII - By far the worst 'Final Fantasy' yet. Final Fantasy VIII would have made a much better movie then
a game. The story has the elements of a movie, and would have made a good one because a lot of the useless plot twists that
no one cared about be cut out. Many of the plot twists took place in the game that made no sense, it would be the same if you
where having a discussions on car engines and some suddenly spoke up 'do you all like marshmallows?'. The gameplay was just
as bad... the enemies level up with you, you don't buy weapons, instead you have to find materials to upgrade them, and you
don't get money when you win a battle! Instead you get paid a salary every so often, so if you run out of money for a shop,
then you have to run around until you get paid! You don't have any MP either. You draw magic from your enemies and pray that you have enough for the last boss, who by the way seems pointless. In the other Final Fantasies there was a reason or motive to kill the last boss, in VIII it is your job to do so, the last boss didn't do anything to you or you fellow teammates. A lot of the traditional 'Final Fantasy' influence is not in the game. I think it's just luck that Chocobos are in it. There are no moogles, the Crystal theme cannot be heard, and of course the gameplay is messed up beyond the series' recognition. The relationship between Squall and Rinoa did not make sense either... A cold, distant guy would most likely be annoyed by a hot-guy-obsessed girl who suddenly likes him for no apparent reason. Squall then begins to like the ditz in a very short period of time! Square has sacrificed quality for quantity, and the graphics show for it. This game is just pretty...nothing else.... and by the way... what the hell IS time compression?!
Neutral:
Down-right Bad:
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within - Regardless of that Final Fantasy fans say.... Spirits Within is actually a good
movie. People disagree because they think the story is lacking, but most of it is due to the movie's science-fiction style.
Fans went to see the movie expecting it to be either based on one of the games, or have influences like magic, moogles or
chocobos. After seeing what the movie was really about they became disappointed and hesitated to say that the movie was bad
without really thinking. Let�s say the movie kept its original title 'Gaia', I am sure Final Fantasy fans would have looked
at
this film under a different light because there would be no Final Fantasy expectations. Big-time critics loved the film, which included Ebert and Roper. They even made the movie
their pick of the week and the DVD pick of the week. The fans gave the movie harsh feedback because they did not get what
they wanted, and that has a name.... childishness
Final Fantasy: Advent Children - Seeing that Final Fantasy VII has the largest fandom out the series, it's no surprise that a movie would be made, yet it did come as a pleasant surprise. The game had a neutral ending, if you paid close attention to it, your questions will be answered, but at the same time many people felt cut off without any closer to the game, this could be the reason why there is so much 'after the ending' fanfiction out there. The animation in a way is better then The Spirits Within. The characters look realistic, yet have the anime quality that makes the characters recognizable. The plot is solid, but some fans think it is weak compared to the game... they do not think about that time is a factor... there is only so much you can put into a movie, plus the game sequel and prequel is due for release soon, so I don's see what they are complaining about. This is the best Final Fantasy film yet, with an animation style that I hope Square-Enix does not abandon.
Final Fantasy - This anime was based on Final Fantasy V, but watching it would turn you off from playing the game. The animation is choppy and the story does not do the game any justice. The characters are different but the story is similar with the games 'Crystal' concept. You are not missing anything if you decide skip this anime.
Final Fantasy Unlimited - This anime is very neutral. The animation is very simple but very fluid. The character design is not at all complex but is pleasing to the eye. This anime is true to the Final Fantasy name, with summon spells, moogles, chocobos and even some of the music fanfare is present! The story is lacking but its just enough to make you want to see the next episode. On the plus side the bad guys all seem to have the Amano influence in terms of design.
Final Fantasy VII: Last Order- This 20min OVA is by far the best Final Fantasy yet. It shows that Final Fantasy VII has the makings to be a great anime, but we all know that won't be happening anytime soon. The animation is far better than any other Final Fantasy anime, and you can tell a lot of work went into this project. Too bad that is ended with a cliffhanger (even though I know what happens, but it would be awesome to be put to animation)
