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/vr/ - Retro Games

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8276294 No.8276294 [Reply] [Original]

In your opinion, when FF started to go downhill?

>> No.8276297

VIII and then X.
XIII is when it fell off a fucking cliff, never to be redeemed.

>> No.8276314

I - IX Good
X Moribund
XII Mild redemption
XIII - XV Dead

>> No.8276317

six

>> No.8276319

When Squaresoft merged with Enix.

>> No.8276336

>>8276294
Isn't it fair to compare the first FF to DQIII, since they were released around the same time? If it is, Final Fantasy has always been shit with few exceptions

>> No.8276348

VII, arguably VI
I like VI, and I don't even hate XIII (the first one, the rest do not exist), but the push to go more modern and try to break the boundaries of RPGs or whatever the fuck their mantra was seemed to start with that push to look more modern or presentable. The fact that they got too big for their britches and had to be humbled after trying to making a fucking movie just proves they were in over their head. Doesn't help that they had a fuckton of brain drain after VII, with everyone else making their own studios or joining newer ones.
V at least was more heartfelt and mechanically driven. I'm a fucking crazy person though, since I've always been more into SaGa

>> No.8276374

>>8276294
Only 1, 3, 5 good.
https://youtu.be/-Wk0_e4AeJY

>> No.8276375
File: 185 KB, 966x465, FF - Tiermaker.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8276375

>> No.8276378

>>8276336
FF predates DQIII by a year, so the distinction of 'first JRPG with a customizable party' belongs to it. DQIII is undeniably a better game, though.

>> No.8276391

>>8276374
this but I have nostalgia for 4

>> No.8276396

>>8276314
I accept this.

>> No.8276403

>>8276378
Well, FF was released by the end of december, DQIII was released in february, that isn't much of a difference, is it? I don't get how DQIII can be that much better.

>> No.8276451

>>8276403
It's just the quintessential open world adventure. The orbs feel like real, natural rewards instead of macguffins that would just be relegated to chests at the bottom of a dungeon in other games at the time. I'm still blown away by the merchant town quest, that shit is unheard of for the NES.

>> No.8276461

around 7 / 8

X seems to be the last good traditional FF.

>> No.8276514

>>8276336
In North America we got FF in 1990, and DQ3 came out a few years later after FF2(IV). We didn't even know final fantasy was a Jrpg on release as it was just another unlicensed AD&D game like bards tale and countless others we were already familiar with, and these had customizable parties.

>> No.8276519

>>8276375
>X in S tier
Opinion utterly disregarded

>> No.8276534

VI was the beginning of it for me. Could never get into it, I thought it amplified the steampunk stuff to a level that I personally don't like with all the mechs and whatnot. And then by VII there's no semblance at all of the traditional medieval world we were used to.

>> No.8276536

>>8276451
I don't really remember the merchant town quest. What happens in it? But I agree, DQIII makes you go through very naturally. Its one of my favorite RPGs.
>>8276514
Oh, so people in NA didn't know DQIII until everybody was already into FF?

>> No.8276541

>>8276534
This is my problem with VI and VII as well.

>> No.8276559

>>8276536
>What happens in it?
Spoilers, I guess.
>some jew wants to start a town, needs a merchant to get it going
>you probably aren't running a merchant, and if you are, you don't want to throw away all the levelling you did
>you're now incentivized to create a new character, making new use of the bar that you probably never would've touched again
>can't zoom to this non-existent town without a church, so you have to sail your level 1 merchant across the world and keep them alive
>leave them there, go off to do more adventuring
>come back, town grew, but the jew framed your merchant and put them in jail
>you go out to find evidence to exonerate them
>jew fucks off, town is now thriving and named after your merchant
It's incredibly involved for an NES JRPG quest, or really any JRPG. I assume only SaGa outdoes it.

>> No.8276585

>>8276559
Shitt, I remember having to create a new merchant character, but don't remember all that shit at all. Really great indeed. I guess its time to replay DQIII then.

>> No.8276589

>>8276314
Pretty accurate. FFVII Remake was thankfully good though. Hope it's the Resurrection era.

>> No.8276602

>>8276536
>Oh, so people in NA didn't know DQIII until everybody was already into FF?
Pretty much. That's one of the main reasons the FF series is so much more popular here—the DQ series was just horribly mismanaged in every way until DQVIII.

>> No.8276615

>>8276602
It makes more sense now. That's a shame tho.

>> No.8276648

>>8276589
>Remake good
To some but to many it was a spectacular failure of a sequel.

>> No.8276663

>>8276294
After III desu.

>> No.8276673

>>8276663
This. IV is undeniably when the series started embracing the cinematic slant that would lead to what we have now. V was just a brief reprieve.

>> No.8276702

If you mean it mechanically and graphically, then the line is clear cut between FF6 and FF7, being the exact point separating classic from modern Final Fantasy, and eventually all jrpg as a whole.

From a storytelling perspective, the first "modern" FF would be FF4, with FF5 going back to the roots, and FF6 onwards fully embracing the "cinematic drama" angle with fixed characters and never looking back.

>> No.8276728
File: 149 KB, 1145x486, Screenshot 2021-10-27 at 13-49-50 Create a Final Fantasy Main Series Tier List.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8276728

>>8276375

>> No.8276753

I swear every final fantasy thread is: which one do you hate the most

Does anyone like anything in this series lmao?

>> No.8276767

>>8276753
I think it's pretty interesting how wildly different people's favorite games in the series vary.

>> No.8276774

>>8276648
>To many but to some it was a spectacular failure of a sequel
ftfy

>> No.8276804

>>8276753
Yes >>8276374
Fun, classic adventure = good
Gay movie game = bad

>> No.8276847

>>8276753
>Does anyone like anything in this series lmao?
It's all a big marketing gimmick that the majority of the target market can't see. The gameplay doesn't sell these games, the name does.

Take away the minor cosmetic similarities between the games and they have no business being under the same title.
Yes, there are some enjoyable aspects in the repetition of aesthetics, "don't mess with success," but the fanboying over this non-series has always been cringe. Often just plain delusional.

>> No.8276879

It never "went downhill". 11 was released as an MMO, not a real FF game, and then it just jumped off the cliff with 12.

>> No.8276906

>>8276294
Started with 12 and pretty much died with 13.

>> No.8276997

>>8276294
FFI-V are decent DQ clones
FFVI-IX are where the series defined itself
FFT and FFXII are great, but different
FFX is where it started going downhill
FFXIII and FFXV are garbage

>> No.8277918

>>8276374
Absolutely based. FFX International was almost a good mechanics game but it physically can't be due to all the rest of the game being firmly (and slowly) in the way of it.

>> No.8277925

8 is shit, but 9 and 10 picked it back up. X-2 has a good job system but everything else is shit, and from them on every FF was pure shit.

>> No.8277936

>>8276753
I tried a couple of Final Fantasies and found the series overall very lacking for such a big name, which reinforces my idea that "gamers" have no taste at all and just circlejerk hype, no matter how old it is. With that stated, I find Dragon Quest and Phantasy Star series to be more fun experiences. Just what I like about retro JRPGs overall.

>> No.8277937

>>8276294
the first online one

>> No.8277939

>>8276294
FFVI has a nice story but it feels like that's when they stopped giving a shit about the gameplay

>> No.8277942

>>8277936
Phantasy Star series is fun and all, but this sounds like peak contrarianism, or you only played FF1 and 2, then skipped right to 12.

>> No.8277954

>>8276294
When they started focusing on the story.

>> No.8277956

>>8277942
>Phantasy Star series is fun and all, but this sounds like peak contrarianism
I'm not claiming that Phantasy Star is a better series or anything, just that I find it more fun. They are not better compared to PSX or PS2 FFs, but they are, perhaps, to SNES FFs.

>> No.8277963

>>8276294
6 was borderline. It removed most of the classic FF elements like black mages, summoners, etc. and the dungeons were really very short and linear. I know it's heresy to say anything remotely bad about 6, but it is a good game, it just started to drift into something different. 7 rode that horse to the finish line and from 8 onward it was just not FF anymore at all, except bits of 9, but by 10 they were back to doing something completely different again.

>> No.8278131

>>8277936
>"gamers" have no taste at all and just circlejerk hype, no matter how old it is
>I find Dragon Quest series to be more fun
ironic

>>8276294
after X, no one gives a shit about MMOs and XII was garbage, I pity anyone who stuck with the series after that

>> No.8278143

>>8276294
Never. it is still the best jrpgs series in japan. only Weebs and haters say it's bad

>> No.8278148

>>8276294
The last major final fantasy was not released for nintendo consoles. So nintendo fanboys will say it's bad, they'd rather play literal shit like dragon quest, smt and etc... than accept that other games are released for other platforms.

>> No.8278149

When the Final Fantasy wasn't actually the final.

>> No.8278151

>>8278148
>>8278148
Except the last good FF was released on PS1 so what are you ranting about cunt? You really think X and onwards we're good?

>> No.8278156

>>8278151
Which has been ported to the nintendo switch. And yes, all these games are good. Even FFXIII which is the lowest point in the franchise is better than your typical jrpg.

>> No.8278160

>>8278156
>And yes, all these games are good.
Confirmed absolute retard. Away with you

>> No.8278173

>>8276375
where the fuck does all this love for FFXII come from? I found it dull as shit.

>> No.8278198

>>8278173
some people think dull games like XII are better than offensively bad ones like X-2 and XIII
I find them all equally trash

>> No.8278218
File: 199 KB, 700x687, 1378998404200.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8278218

>>8276294
I have mixed feelings about that, because what ultimately turned me away from the series was how modern the settings were becoming. I was into the series for the sword and sorcerery aspect, and the further away each game gets from those roots the less I care for it.

>> No.8278446

>>8276294
9

>> No.8278543

>>8276879
Correct answer. I'm not that big of a fan of FFX, just like I'm not a big fan of FFIV, but it was still a solid game that was worthy of the FF name. FFXII was just pure dog shit, and if it wasn't for the MMOs (which don't count for this discussion), there would be no good FF games anymore.

>> No.8278608

>>8276294
10

>> No.8278619

>>8276294
X is where cracks began to show, X-2 is the drop off and also the last real Final Fantasy

>> No.8278635

>>8276602
>until DQVIII.
Until the leadup to XI arguably. VIII got a big release but the series got fucked over for the following decade and a half. Nintendo footed the bill for all the DS localizations, because Squeenix didn't think there was a market in the west.

>> No.8278793

4

It started the trend of emphasizing cutscenes over dungeon crawling and a trend towards difficulty where nothing is ever challenging.

>> No.8278805

>>8276294
X was the last one that was playable. After that they are all terrible.

>> No.8279881

I never even bothered with FF8 and beyond except to pick up the portable Tactics games. FF6 being a story game after FF5 was a gameplay game really cemented the change in direction that I didn't want to follow down. FF7 was even a good mechanicsfag game, theoretically, but the storyfagging had taken over to such a massive degree that the proportion of time spent having actual fun with those mechanics had shrunk to insignificance. This was going to be a permanent change and we all knew it, so I jumped ship. We were right, so I was right to do so.

>> No.8279932

>>8278635
>Nintendo footed the bill for all the DS localizations, because Squeenix didn't think there was a market in the west
Funny how it ended up being one of the best selling DS games.
Sometimes it feels like SE doesn't even want Dragon Quest to be popular in the west.

>> No.8279940

>>8276294
ffx-2

>> No.8280125

>>8278635
>VIII got a big release but the series got fucked over for the following decade and a half.
So much truth. When VIII came out it was giant. But for a decade after being a DQ fan sucked ass. It was always announcement after announcement that such and such game would be Japanese exclusive. It was a miracle that the remakes of 7 and 8 ever came out, I remember following the news for that and being convinced it would never happen. But it was just around the release of XI so US offices of SE must have thought it would help boost interest. I've since seen a bit of a new age of DQ popularity following those three releases.

>> No.8280858

1,3,4,5,6 are classic kino
2 is clunky cringe
7 was breddy gud
8 was also cringe
9 was godtier
10 was okay
everything after that was shit as the series became generic animu sci-fi instead of fantasy

>> No.8281390

1 is good
3 is okay
5 is god tier
T is god tier
TA2 is good

There, this is all Final Fantasies with meaningful character choices that aren't boring.

>> No.8281407

>>8281390
Based taste, namaste

>> No.8281425 [DELETED] 

>>8276294
>>8276297
It peaked with VIII then died with X

>> No.8282012

>>8276294
7 always seemed like shitty millennial faggot FF to me, it was too kiddie for me. Actually 6 was kind of that way too, but at least it had good graphics.

>> No.8282021

>>8277936
I tried really hard to like Phantasy Star but I can't get into it. I haven't played PSO or anything, just tried 1 through 4. Liked 4 the most. I can concede as a Final Fantasy fan that Dragon Quest is probably better on the whole though

>> No.8282026

>>8282012
Ok, boomer.

>> No.8282045

>>8276314
this and only this

>> No.8282059

>>8282012
(you)

>> No.8282102

>>8282059
What's with this idiot post?
Are you so upset by an honest opinion you feel persecuted?

>> No.8282147

Anything after 6 was bullshit.

7 was Lego Final Fantasy :Teen Angst edition and they all followed from there right into the toilet.

11 and 14 are obviously sort of outside being MMO and your experience can vary drastically in that setting. The amount of gay in their stories is pretty high though, though some arcs are admittedly pretty decent.

Tactics by many considered one of the best is really only that good because of how much it was inspired by the Ogre series. It completely breaks the FF standard formula.

>> No.8282204

9 was the last real ff game. everything after has been decent, but not really ff in flavor.

>> No.8282301

>>8276294
The peak of the series was Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.

All others are inferior to this instant and accessible classic.

>> No.8282404

>>8276294
13

>> No.8282859

>>8276294
series peaked at 7 or 8. went downhill after. 9 is the last decent ff.

>> No.8283527

>>8278149
So X-2. I agree

>> No.8283540

>>8278198
i think the opposite
x-2 and xiii are worth putting time into because their ideas occasionally work, either by design or the law of monkeys on typewriters
12 works all the time and that means it's fucking boring all the time

>> No.8283562

>>8276375
Tell me you are a zoomer without telling me you are a zoomer.

>> No.8283823

If you thought 7 was when they started making movie games instead of 6, then you, too, were just swayed by 3D graphics. That's the thing that made them different in your mind. 6 is strictly a story game, 7 at least has the materia system adding actual choice to it (no, espers giving you every good spell on everyone you want to is not a noteworthy choice system any more than buying stronger weapons for your characters at the shop is).

>> No.8284098
File: 1.08 MB, 740x1024, Clive and Joshua 1 by Akihiko Yoshida.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8284098

>>8276294
>In your opinion, when FF started to go downhill?
I don't think the franchise has "gone downhill", but there was a definitive change when Sakaguchi got forced out after the movie flopped and Yoichi Wada started meddling with the franchise, with Matsuno getting the boot and FFXII being rushed, FF13 going into production without a coherent vision (and consequently being rushed), Nomura allowed to be indecisive and keep rebooting development so Versus XIII languished in development hell, FF7 and FF13 being milked as multi-media franchises, and FF14 being developed while ignoring player feedback and the signs of the times. Fortunately FF14's disasterous launch got Wada booted out so now the franchise is in the good hands of Yoshida who has called out the bullshit under Wada's tenure.

The only worrying thing thus far is that it looks like FF16 looks like another imitation of Western AAA action games. If that's going to be FF going forward, then the old FF you knew is dead. The new FF won't be bad under Yoshida, just won't be what you loved and you should probably jump ship to Trails or Dragon Quest, or learn to accept that the oldschool FF is well and truly dead and to accept new things.

>> No.8284161

I'd rather ask this here than making a new thread, which translation patch is better overall?

https://www.romhacking.net/reviews/4027/

https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/1386/

>> No.8284178

>>8282012
How are 6 and 7 more "kiddie" than the previous entries? Aside from 4 (and maybe 2 I haven't played it), all the previous games have the tone of children's cartoons (which is not a bad thing at all imo).

>> No.8284191

>>8277936
I feel like people really like final fantasy because it was the biggest and most mainstream JRPG for the longest time. If SMT was in the west at the same time as NES/SNES FF then it would've been a much bigger hit. The only reason the series held any weight in the 5th gen was because it was a psuedo household name by then.

>> No.8284230

>>8276297
>>8281425

I kind of enjoyed XIII, but I get the criticism, again the same with X, but I hated the linear nature.

That being said I did pick up XIII, it was painful, but I played it for a bit, had to put it down due to the constant running up corridors.

>> No.8284275

>>8284161
None. Play GBA

>> No.8284281

>>8282301

You're inexplicably IGNORING Final Fantasy Soccer (released in the US as Mega Man Soccer).

>> No.8284283

>>8284281
Meds

>> No.8284286

>>8276753
FFT is one of the best games of all time, unironically.

>> No.8284328

>>8276753
Yes. Everyone loves FF5 and FFT. Everything else is a complete mix of opinion, including games based off these two entries.

>> No.8284957 [DELETED] 

>>8284230
The best part of any FF is exploring the map

>> No.8285836

>>8276348

There was always a mix of medieval (knights, swords, castles) and modern (robots, airships, fururistic towers) in the series from the very beginning.

There honestly wasn't THAT much a leap from V to VI. The change was drastic between VI and VII, however, where most of the fantasy elements were eliminated. IX and XII brought some of that back, but VII, VIII, X, XIII, and XV are games that largely sacrificed the fantasy setting in favor of the modern Sci-fi setting.

I haven't enjoyed the sci-fi heavy games. XV will be the first non-MMO numbered FF games I'll likely never, ever play through. It just felt like I was playing an MTV teen drama (road trip, selfies, etc.)

>> No.8285839

>>8281425

That's two to many I's

>> No.8285872

Personally i really enjoyed XIII 1,2 and 3. and i've played all the core games

>> No.8285884 [DELETED] 

>>8285839
VI fags are clinically retarded

>> No.8286015

>>8284957
the best part of any FF is overgrinding until you beat the superbosses.

>> No.8286218

>Good FF games
I, III, IV, VI, VII, IX, X, XII
>Middling games that are worth playing for one reason or another
V, XIII, XV
>shit
II, VIII
>MMORPG tier
XI, XIV

>> No.8287428

>>8285884
They're storyfags, they want to be told a story and not have to make any character building decisions. People who like 6 most also like 2, 4 and 9. They fear jobchads and will do things like >>8286218 pretend 5 is "mediocre".

>> No.8287431

I like the story and characters in VI but the mechanics are so broken and pants-on-head retarded that I have a hard time not saying that's when the series began to trend downwards. It's like they started to forget that gameplay is actually a part of making video games.

>> No.8287445

1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14 and 15 are the only good ones. 3, 9, 12 and 13 are bottom of the barrel dogshit.

>> No.8287454

>>8276294

Square Enix should stop developing final fantasy games. Dragon Quest that is completely amateur and requires no effort to develop will sell well, while final fantasy puts effort into everything and still has a chance of being a flop.

Wholesome ultra instinct > lame storytelling

>> No.8287495

>>8287445
Kill yourself!

>> No.8287762

XIII.
Anyone saying otherwise is a contrarian.

>> No.8289124

Is VIII really that bad? I want to get through all classic FF my laptop can emulate

>> No.8289170

FFX. Not that it's a bad game, but it was a big departure from the earlier games. AI still enjoy FF games, but have a more mixed opinion on them after X.
>>8289124
Nah, I through IX are all great games. VIII has some weird mechanics, but there's a lot to love in it.

>> No.8289248

I-XII are all fine good - there are ups and downs toward the the end but it's largely subjective.
XIII and onwards are irredeemable garbage that coast on nostalgia for a bygone age like the Sonic franchise does.

>> No.8289498

>>8276728
The correct tier list.

>> No.8289636

When Square decided to make an MMORPG. There have been no good Final Fantasy games since X.

>> No.8289650

>>8279932
They hate the gaijin

>> No.8289652

When they made 7, you could see the writings on the wall, but it was still a fun game and outside of the initial town it was still a FF game proper. 8 was shit though. They fully embraced anime by that point and the fantasy element is gone.

To this day, I think 4 is peak comfy FF stuff. Everything they made after it calls back to it, but for some reason, 4 did it better than any other game in the series

>> No.8289797

>>8276294
X had warning signs but honestly is a solid contribution, X-2 is good but just obviously a step in the wrong direction.

XII is both the last good one and also the worst of the original 11.

I would sign that it started to go downhill after 9 was released. Not committing to another trilogy, but also having no fucking idea what they wanted to do with this golden child. No company should have all that power.

>> No.8289850

>>8280858
this is exactly how i feel, good post anon let's become friends

>> No.8290162

>>8276294
Around X-2 and 11, after the Enix Merger. Once they started making shitty "compilations" and using main-line numbers for fucking MMOs it was over. The series lost its prestige after that.

>> No.8290268

4,5,6,7,8,9, Crisis Core and Tactics are for me the only ones that matter.

My partner adores 12 though it just looked like fantasy Star Wars to me.

>> No.8290807

>>8290268
>partner
Stop being gay, Anon.

>> No.8291517

>>8280858
>2 is clunky cringe
I think of 2 as an unfortunate experiment. Conceptually, it makes sense to level based on how each battle went, but in practice it just didn't work for me. I don't think cringe is fair, though
>8 is also cringe
Complete agreement

>> No.8291523

>>8287445
there's no fucking way you can justify this. you rolled dice to pick the bad ones.

>> No.8291524

>>8276294
>>8276294
9 but that's a redpill
10 is the official answer

>> No.8291667

>>8290268
Star Wars is fantasy though

>> No.8292415
File: 1.57 MB, 300x200, 1634576890730.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8292415

>>8276375
>X and XII tier S

>> No.8292556

>>8276294
We can all argue about the quality of the games up until 13. No matter what people think, that was one of the WORST games I have ever attempted to play (oh, and I tried, I TRIED) in my entire life. Unless it was one of your first games as a kid which caused you to have nostalgia for it (which I can understand) it is objectively the most horrible piece of gaming entertainment made this side of Ultima 9, another game that fell flat when compared to its FAR SUPERIOR predecessors.

>> No.8293182

>>8284275
>Play GBA
Not with that resolution and color palette change

>> No.8293781
File: 122 KB, 858x303, 1635130363328.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8293781

>>8287454
>9,12
I taste bait...

>> No.8293809

ff7 was the beginning of the end. though it was still carried by the quality of its artworks and ost just like ff8 and 9, so they are fondly remembered
on the other hand X (or as i call it, proto-xiii) was the final nail in the coffin and all hope was lost

>> No.8294045
File: 190 KB, 1075x651, my-image.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8294045

>> No.8294169
File: 125 KB, 450x337, Fftplot.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8294169

>>8276294
>I-V
Pretty good but Phantasy Star is better.
>VI-IX
Okay yeah I get the appeal now, these games are kino.
>X-XII
They're not the same, but still good generally. You can tell they were made without Sakaguchi's involvement.
>XIII
13 is an unlucky number and this is no exception, this is where the series died for me pretty much.
>XIV
Surprisingly good MMO, but it's unfair to compare with the rest of the series as it's a fundamentally different kind of game, like if they'd just called FF Tactics "FFVIII" instead would be pretty based ngl
>XV
Huge waste of potential, Versus XIII would have been way better if it hadn't gone into development Hell because of Nomura's hack fraud celeb antics.
>VII Remake
Good combat, OST, and graphics, dumb story about time traveling tranny janny ghosts. I'll be dead before it's ever finished so who cares?
>XVI
So far looks like an edgy Game of Thrones/Witcher/Berserk wannabe with Devil May Cry combat, barely resembles Final Fantasy but hopefully it'll be a good action game on its own terms like Nier Aw Tomato or whatever.

>> No.8294984

>>8276314
>XII
>mild redemption
Dumb nigger, it was literally the game of no return.

>> No.8295067

>>8294984
if you're into freedom and character building it's peak FF
story is also relatively good

>> No.8295187

>>8293182

Or the ruination of the music, which is a bigger problem.

>> No.8295438

>>8276297
Let's give FF13 some credit; its soundtrack was god tier.

>> No.8295453

>>8276602
I would probably like the DQ games more if they weren't such slow burns. I can enjoy slow-paced things (Hell, I'm reading Witch Hat Atelier right now, ask /a/ about that and everyone will complain about its glacial pacing) but it's just such a slog. I just don't have the patience these days.

>> No.8295471

The last good FF game should've been Bravely Default, but the true ending route is tedium incarnate, and the multiple worlds aspect was handled rather poorly.

>> No.8295547

>>8295471
It is my favorite JRPG of all time, and yes the secret ending is tedious. But people who read a guide before even playing a game have harmed this game's reputation. The game leads you to the normal ending for a reason; it is how you are supposed to play it.

>> No.8297325

>>8284161
Ted Woolsey Uncensored Version.

It is not perfect, but it's much better and MUCH more accuate than the rpg one translation, which actually just rewords a bunch of shit from the original FF6 localization and if it isn't doing that, adding in a bunch of bullshit that wasn't even in any localization for the game.

>> No.8299363

>>8287762
This

>> No.8299364

>>8277939
Yes

>> No.8300239

>>8276294
When squaresoft merged with enix, and gave the games shitty voice acting like Tidus's bitch voice.

>> No.8300501

FF6, because of how much Americans loved the games due to its C H A R A C T E R S, story, and literally everything else that wasn't the actual gameplay. Sure, Final Fantasy 6 and 7 were good enough games gameplay wise (moreso 7), but a seed was planted with 6 that ultimately sporuted in the movie where Square focuses more on story, characters, and being "cutting edge" with its presentation more than actually being fucking games with depth. Now we're at the point where Final Fantasy is action-RPG bullshit that tries to look realistic like all those games the gaijins are making.

TL:DR The success of FF6 lead to FF becoming more like what westerners are doing.

>> No.8300536

>>8276294
As soon as Nomura started to shit it up with gays and visual kei

>> No.8301739

>>8276673
IV was no more cinematic than V. IV was just a smaller game than V with a lot less content. FFV was FFIV with more of everything (including more cutscenes and storytelling).

>>8276702
>From a storytelling perspective, the first "modern" FF would be FF4
Did some youtuber just put up a video or something? Where are these dumb opinions coming from? It seems like you guys have never even played these games.

The first "modern storytelling" Final Fantasy was FF7, no question. One can make an argument for FF6, but it's a harder sell if you actually look at the way the game plays. While the combat systems for FF6 are notoriously janky and unbalanced, lending some credence to the "they stopped giving a shit about gameplay" argument, you also had the huge number of playable characters, and the non-linear World of Ruin with very little storytelling. On balance, FF6 retained the SNES era pacing with a balance favoring gameplay over cutscenes, despite the much larger number of cutscenes, more prominent set pieces, and occasional small minigame.

FF7 was the real turning point. FF7 had much longer and more elaborate cutscenes, the gameplay was far more railroaded, and there was a brand-new emphasis on minigames-as-roleplaying. In FF7, it's 100% Midgar for 5+ hours, and although there's still a reasonable attempt to include a good amount of combat (unlike FF9 onward), it's much more slanted against combat than any of the SNES games. Then after Midgar and the Kalm flashbacks, the "linear tour through the overworld" starts. None of the SNES games take anywhere near that long to get to the overworld. None of the SNES games put nearly as much emphasis on cutscenes or minigames. FF6 is the only one that even comes close.

>> No.8301895

3D character graphics, end of story

>> No.8303489

>>8276461
I agree

>> No.8303781

>>8284230
I think you meant to write "XII" (Final Fantasy *12*) in the first sentence, and "XIII" *13* in the second one. It doesn't read logically to say you kind of enjoyed XIII only to go on to say "that being said I did pick up XIII" and found it painful.

>> No.8304102

>>8291517
2 was just badly executed. It had a lot of good ideas but just didn't utilize them very well.

The keyword system could have been used a lot better, but instead it just devolves into a "keep trying every word until you find the one that actually gets a response out of the NPC".

The ability to build your characters however you want was nice in concept, but in reality you still just build them as "melee" or "caster" and leveling spells is a painful grind.

Having a rotating 4th party member was also pretty dumb, as often times they were weak af compared to the rest of your group and didn't really offer anything new or interesting.

At the very least, FF2 introduced tons of series staples like Chocobos and Cid.

>> No.8304592

>>8301739
>FFV was FFIV with more of everything (including more cutscenes and storytelling).
4 constantly changes your basic gameplay options based on the narrative. now you have two casters! oh no they're dead, now you have these other people. kain's gone so you can't Jump. cecil is nice now so all his dark knight equipment is worthless. this even applies to shit like the contents of stores since the developers only stock the stores with shit that will be useful in the immediate area, based on the characters around
5 didn't have this at all. if you want mage bartz and fighter lenna you can just go for it. the one time someone is removed from your party due to the story, you get another character who coincidentally has the exact same combat attributes so you haven't lost a second of grinding. there's clear lineage from ff1 - picking your characters' classes and getting new classes during the game - but evolved
you could maybe say 2 started the series trend of plot mattering more than gameplay but
1) no one played it and
2) the plot is so thin you tend to lose track of it during the slog of super dangerous constant random encounters

>> No.8305241

>>8276294
Post Snes era.
6 was the APEX.
5 was 3 on steroids
4 was very good.
3 was charming
2 was weird but mighty fun to abuse.
1 is a true classic.

7 and later on do not even deserve to be called games, they are shit simple as.

>> No.8305671

>>8303781
>>8284230

Typo, I actually meant VIII.

XIII was painful, FF XII was boring, X was the last one I would actually pick up and replay, even with the flaws it still had some charm.

>> No.8305676

>>8305241
>am i /vr/ approved yet guys?

>> No.8306850

>>8277936
It's always the retard who likes some dogshit like Phantasy Star or Dragon Quest who thinks FF is bad.

>> No.8306938

>>8276294
X

It's funny to me that people will praise X and then scorn XIII in the same breath, when those games have 99% the same DNA: thoroughly unlikeable main characters, uninteresting story, entire game is a sequence of hallways, etc.

>> No.8306945

>>8276294
I have final fantasy 1,2, 5, and 6 on gba, 3 and 4 on ds which I'm playing on my ds lite, and 7, 8, and 9 on my psp
what am I in for?

>> No.8307060

>>8276294
Why DO ESLs talk like this?

>> No.8307695

>>8306945
4 on the DS is a completely different game than the original or its ports. It's not bad, but the gameplay is very different.

>> No.8307717

>>8276753
Phantasy Star fan here. I played IV, VII, VII and IX. I like the amount of shit they put into gameplay and I was engaged with their stories, but with how lengthy they are I heve never felt desire to sit down and play through any of them for a second time.

>> No.8307738

>>8306850
Reminder that Phantasy Star II permamently killed a pretty girl party member before it was cool.

>> No.8307917

Reminder there are people who have only played FFXV.

>> No.8307945
File: 121 KB, 256x374, Ffxboxart.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8307945

>>8276294
>Pick this up when I was a teen, very excited, having played all since IV
>Play it relentlessly
>All sidequests, ultimate weapons, summons
>Overpower on sphere grid
>Finish game
>Never play again and completely forget the story, gameplay, and anything meaningful
I'd say X and I can't really put my finger on why.

>> No.8307958

FFX is overrated

>> No.8307974

>>8307695
huh, I just assumed it was like 3

>> No.8308002

>>8307917
At least people who have only played XV don't pretend to have valid opinions on the other entries in the series. Don't know what it is about XIV that causes this because I haven't played it myself, but the dumbest FF opinions always seem to come from the mouths of XIVfags.

>> No.8308028

>>8290268
>partner
Faggot.

>> No.8308032

>>8291524
>IX
Is that because IX is kind of a "last hurrah" before they completely pushed the series off the cliff? That's my theory.

>> No.8308050

>>8308002
Oh yeah I agree XIVfags are the most annoying and retarded of any FF "fanbase"

>> No.8309502

>>8306850
I do sometimes wish Final Fantasy did a little better on dungeon crawling elements. Otherwise totally agree.

>> No.8309970

>>8307945
I hate Tidus's stupid outfit so goddamn much.

>> No.8309989

>>8276375
>II above VII

>> No.8310058

original release of FF4. its absolutely not a bad game at all, but it certainly set up the precedent of becoming linear "movie games" for most of the series afterwards, like a distant prototype to the likes of FF13

It sacrificed interesting or experimental character growth mechanics for what was essentially nothing, no player agency in how you build or set up your party at all. but most of all, it began the series' emphasis on upfront storytelling and style over substance by cranking up the small bits of retarded character-based melodrama introduced in 2 and 3. you as the player have very little say in how the game plays out, you simply proceed to the next dungeon in the order the developers want.

that said, it also introduced slightly more sidequests than any of the previous games (a trend mostly started by FF3) to alleviate this, and the gimmick of ATB aside, put greater emphasis on more complex boss mechanics and story-gameplay integration which also had a significant effect on the franchise from that point o

>> No.8310078
File: 131 KB, 631x512, finalfantasytier.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8310078

I - Great start & RPG for consoles at the time. In retrospect marred by bugs, but patches & re-releases fix this.
II - Gameplay wise, the bad outweighs the good in NES version, but remakes salvage it. Bold with new ideas, some of which would have lasting influence.
III - The first great one in series. Expands on the first while fixing problems.

IV - You can tell it started on NES & was early SNES, but one of the best console RPGs when it came out. Aged so-so, but plays well & is a beloved classic of the genre.
V - Among best in series; end of "classic" FF. Mixes the best of the old while taking full advantage of new hardware.
VI - A highpoint, but a sign of things to come. Sakaguchi stepped down for it & it shows.

VII - "Beginning of the end" a highpoint & landmark title. Game wise it's tame, faithful to past installments. But emphasis on cinematic, visual elements would be ominous for direction things would go.
VIII - A mess of a game, but not bad at all. Has things going for it, but all over the place & the game really takes a back-seat to the story, which is also a mess.
IX - A hearkening back to past games. X feels like the logical continuation of VIII, so it's unsurprising IX started as a "Gaiden" before being mainline. It doesn't do much new, but what it offers is quality.

X, X-2
>>8276294
>when FF started to go downhill?
Here.

X feels like an unfinished collection of ideas. Surprisingly good given how many turns development took. It wisely departed from ATB so battles are fast with engaging mechanics, & the world & story is intriguing. But very flawed. X-2 was directed by Motomu Toriyama, director of XIII. It's hard to even knock it that much, at least it tried something "different."

XII - Troubled development like X, but more extreme since Yasumi Matsuno left halfway through. Solid for a PS2 RPG but it could've been greater than the end result. The spirit of the original games feels lost by now.

XIII & after - Speaks for itself.

Pic related - my tier.